It’s easy to focus on what is obvious.
Therefore, most leaders focus on vision, strategy, and execution. However, those are table stakes. You must be good at those skills and abilities in order to effectively lead. It’s often underrated skills that separate the good from the great. It’s the intangibles that don’t frequently get the headlines, but make all the difference during the day-to-day grind.
After coaching, studying, and teaching leaders for the last decade, I am going to share with you those underrated leadership skills that more than likely no one taught you. They won’t show up in a job description or, more than likely, won’t be present in your performance review, but if you master them, your leadership and impact on others will never be the same.
Here are the 5 underrated leadership skills no one taught you.
1. Choose Optimism When Others Don’t
In a world that defaults to pessimism, choosing optimism can feel naive. But it’s not about ignoring reality. It’s about believing things can improve and leading with that belief. Optimism becomes powerful when it’s deliberate, especially in difficult circumstances. In a recent Optimistic Outlook edition, you can subscribe for free here, I highlighted the powerful Alex Hormozi quote, “The single greatest skill you can develop is the ability to stay in a good mood in the absence of things to be in a good mood about.”
Said differently, “Being optimistic isn’t a mood, it’s a mindset.”
“The single greatest skill you can develop is the ability to stay in a good mood in the absence of things to be in a good mood about.”
Teams don’t need false hope. They need leaders who show them what’s possible, even when it isn’t obvious. They need a leader who finds the good in things and doesn’t only focus on what’s wrong.
2. Bring Energy That Creates Urgency
Your team doesn’t just respond to what you say. They respond to how you show up. If you show up tired, vague, or reactive, don’t be surprised when your team follows suit. But if you bring clarity, conviction, and urgency, energy becomes contagious. This is important because:
Leadership is the transfer of belief, which typically happens through energy or emotion.
Even introverted or quiet leaders, bring some level of energy that creates urgency on a team. You don’t have to be loud or charismatic. You just have to believe deeply in the mission and bring energy that moves people to take action with urgency.
3. Be a Simplifier
The best leaders are constantly looking to simplify not complicate. They iterate to make the complex clear. They eliminate noise, repeat what matters, and say things so simply that it’s hard for people to miss the point. If your team is confused, it’s not on them. It’s on you to clarify. You could think of it this way:
Complexity kills clarity.
For written emails and documents the best leaders are using AI to ensure their messages are using the 3 C’s of Successful Communication from Accelerate Leadership. That it’s clear, concise, and conclusive.
In verbal communication, they rehearse their message and focus on what is major versus what is minor.
4. Embrace Ambiguity
Most leaders crave being in control and controlling every situation. But leadership lives in uncertainty. You won’t always have the answer. You won’t always know what’s coming next. But you can still show up steady, calm, and ready to move forward.
The best leaders understand that the only thing that is constant is change. So a significant part of their job is to embrace ambiguity by being able to pivot and adjust quickly as the situation requires.
The only thing constant is change.
Your ability to embrace ambiguity gives your team permission to keep moving when things are unclear.
5. Show Consistent Appreciation
Most leaders wait too long to show appreciation. They think it has to be big, formal, or perfectly timed. It doesn’t. What matters is that it’s consistent, specific, and authentic. Appreciation shapes behavior, it reinforces company values, and it forges culture.
It’s essential because employees go where they are celebrated, not where they are tolerated.
Employees go where they are celebrated, not where they are tolerated.
If someone is doing the right things, say so.
Closing
It’s true that it’s easy to focus on what is obvious. However, these five don’t fit into that category. These skills will build trust, drive performance, and strengthen your team in ways most leaders overlook.
Remember, leadership isn’t just about what you do, or what you say. It’s also about how you do it and how you say it.
Refuse the temptation of trying to enhance all of these skills. Focus on the one that will move the needle the most and lean into applying it for the next five days.
Accelerate Leadership Blueprint: The Accelerate Leadership Blueprint is built around the six key fundamentals of Accelerating Leadership: Talent, Culture, Execution, Relationships, Coaching, and Accountability. Inside, you’ll get six principles and six practical tools to help you lead yourself and others with clarity. It’s a cheat code to align your team and improve performance in less than 10 minutes. Get the full blueprint for just $17. Download it here.
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About the Author: John Eades is the CEO of LearnLoft and The Sales Infrastructure. He was named one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices. John is also the author of Building the Best: 8 Proven Leadership Principles to Elevate Others to Success. You can follow him on Instagram @johngeades.