Leadership-leaning people display honest confidence while ready to show vulnerability and ask for help. They embrace change, challenges, and discomfort, and consider them part of the inevitable costs of success. Leadership-minded people make those around them better and don’t seek recognition for their contributions.

“A sign of a good leader is not how many followers you have but how many leaders you create.” – Mahatma Gandhi.

Some people have innate leadership talent. People can learn, develop, and hone leadership skills, but some of us are more inclined to get leadership right without training and develop faster when receiving leadership coaching. Such talented people possess traits that tell much to a trained leadership professional.

Leadership talent is easy to spot for those who know where to look. 

Here’s a look at the subtle signs of leadership that reveal hidden talents and mark their bearers as high-potential employees.

1. Willingness to Face the Truth

Humans are great at lying and deceit. The easiest party to deceive is always one’s own self. We make up excuses, dissuade ourselves from taking action, and engage in negative or overly positive self-talk. Some of us have better grips on reality, however.

People with leadership potential find it easy to be realistic and positive at the same time. Such people are authentic and share their vulnerabilities, using their power to inspire, set examples, and engage others.

Leadership coaching recognizes the value of vulnerability and authenticity as precursors of trust. Leadership-leaning people understand how these traits work and how to use them. At the same time, they’re honest with themselves about the challenges they face and how they can reach goals.

2. Willingness to Leave the Comfort Zone

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”- Neale Donald Walsch.

We all have comfort zones. From time to time, we must leave them if we want to grow one way or another. Some people like their comforts so much, they sacrifice opportunities and give up growth to retain them.

Leadership-leaning people understand discomfort allows them to find out who they are physically and mentally. Executive coaching professionals know leaders can only grow and progress on their leadership journeys if they challenge themselves and leave their comfort zones behind.

By definition, leaders must lead others to unexplored and potentially uncomfortable places. People who embrace discomfort and see it as an inevitable growth stage carry the spark of leadership.

3. Making Others Better

Leadership-inclined people tend to inspire and improve those around them.

Executive coaching is about cultivating leadership. Executive coaches know much about why and how leadership translates to making others better without the need to take credit.

True leaders don’t help others polish their images to earn accolades. They do it to help people fulfill visions, and because it’s the essence of leadership.

4. Overcoming the Ego

It’s astounding how much the lives of average individuals revolve around their egos. Leadership-bound people stand out from the crowd due to their abilities to see past their egos and sideline them in the service of higher causes.

Potential leaders don’t feel the need to hog the limelight. They find satisfaction in helping others take center stage. They know the significance of their contributions and don’t feel the need to exert effort to impress others.

5. The Willingness to Ask Questions

Those focused on performance don’t care about image. With their minds firmly set on goals, leadership-minded people will pay the required prices. They ask questions because they value information more than they value appearing wise.

Ask and you shall receive.

From the perspective of business coaching, such people find solutions for their organizations quicker and easier. They know what they must do, and they go out and do it.

6. Understanding the True Significance of “Sorry”

Leadership-minded people understand being “sorry” is only worth as much as the action is triggers. They don’t see apologizing as a quick or cheap way of earning blank checks for more chances.

Genuine confidence coupled with the willingness to ask for help is among the hidden talents of leadership-minded people. Unlike toxic confidence, genuine confidence inspires, encourages, and motivates.

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