How do you define a great leader?

Leadership is hard to define, but easily recognized. It comes in many different configurations. There are bombastic leaders like General George Patton, Steve Jobs and Donald Trump. There are quiet leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa and Warren Buffet. There are charismatic leaders like Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and Richard Branson. There are innovative leaders like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg. There are courageous leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln and Nelson Mandela. And, there are all types of leaders in between. As I reflect on the type of leader I want to be, I keep coming back to concepts I believe define a great leader:

1. Courage - You must be able to take a position that is not popular, take an action that is not trendy, or build something that nobody knows they need.
2. Integrity - You must be reliable, steady, truthful and willing to stand up for your beliefs. Sometimes this can be very painful.
3. Vision - You must have an idea of the world, company or product that you want to bring into being and a roadmap for getting there.
4. Passion - You must rise every day excited about your vision and willing to do your very best to make that vision become reality.
5. Persuasiveness - You must be able to communicate your vision and passion to others in a way that inspires them to act.
6. Energy - You have to be able to overcome both the inertia of everyday life and the obstacles that others will throw in your path. You must outlast the naysayers!

The next time you think of a great leader, see if these characteristics fit. More importantly, think about how you measure up to these traits. I find them to be a pretty high bar.