The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow

“How a leader deals with the circumstances of life tells you many things about his character. Crisis doesn’t necessarily make character, but it certainly does reveal it. Adversity is a crossroads that makes a person choose one of two paths: character or compromise. Every time he chooses character, he becomes stronger, even if that choice brings negative consequences.”

This passage encourages readers to Develop Leadership from the Inside Out, emphasizing that character is revealed through adversity rather than created by it. Maxwell’s point is that each decision to maintain integrity builds internal strength incrementally, even when doing the right thing comes at a personal cost. Leaders should view difficult circumstances not as obstacles to avoid but as opportunities to demonstrate and reinforce their core values.

“Anyone can say that he has integrity, but action is the real indicator of character. Your character determines who you are. Who you are determines what you see. What you see determines what you do. That’s why you can never separate a leader’s character from his actions.”

Here, Maxwell establishes a chain of causation: Internal character shapes perception, which in turn drives behavior. This progression shows that leadership effectiveness cannot be separated from who the leader fundamentally is. For example, a manager might claim to value transparency, but if their character is insecure, they’ll perceive honest feedback as personal attacks and respond defensively rather than constructively.

“People enjoy leaders who enjoy life. Think of the people you want to spend time with. How would you describe them? Grumpy? Bitter? Depressed? Of course not. They’re celebrators, not complainers. They’re passionate about life. If you want to attract people, you need to be like the people you enjoy being with.”

Maxwell argues that people are naturally attracted to leaders who demonstrate enthusiasm and optimism rather than negativity. In practice, a team leader who approaches Monday meetings with genuine energy and finds reasons to celebrate small wins will build stronger connections than one who focuses primarily on problems and complaints.