Good Leader vs Great Leader: The Fundamental Differences

What makes a leader truly exceptional?

After working with thousands of executives across industries and continents, I've noticed that the gap between good and great leadership comes down to two critical factors: decision-making capability and leadership development.

DECISION-MAKING: THE FIRST DIVIDING LINE

Good leaders make solid decisions. They analyze information, consult their teams, and implement choices that advance organizational goals. They hit their numbers and maintain stability. They look at most decisions logically. They tend to make decisions individually, not actively involving their teams.

 

Great leaders, however, approach decision-making differently. They:

Make decisions with the right balance of speed and deliberation

Know when to gather more information and when to act with incomplete data

Balance analytical thinking with intuition (what I call "Chiaroscuro" in my leadership framework)

Actively involve their teams in both the decision making process and the decsions.

 

I once coached a CEO who was well-respected but whose company had plateaued. His decision-making process was thorough but painfully slow. We worked to develop his comfort with calculated risk and decision velocity. Within six months, his company launched two new product lines that had been stalled in "analysis paralysis" for years.

 

LEADERSHIP LEGACY: THE ULTIMATE DIFFERENTIATOR

The second and more profound difference is this: Good leaders build strong teams; great leaders build other leaders.

Good leaders focus on execution. Their success is measured by their personal impact and their team's current performance.

Great leaders focus on succession. They:

 

Actively identify and develop leadership potential throughout their organization

Create systems that function exceptionally well in their absence

Measure their success by how many leaders they've developed

View their legacy as the leaders they leave behind

Make themselves increasingly unnecessary

 

The ultimate test of leadership isn't what happens while you're present—it's what continues to flourish after you're gone.

BECOMING A GREAT LEADER

If you want to elevate your leadership from good to great:

 

Examine your decision-making process. Are you balancing speed with quality? Are you overly cautious or recklessly impulsive?

Assess your leadership pipeline. Who are you actively developing? Do you hoard responsibility or delegate it as a development tool?

Measure your success differently. Shift from "What am I achieving?" to "Who am I developing?"

 

Great leadership isn't about being irreplaceable—it's about creating a legacy of other great leaders who continue to build on your foundation long after you've moved on.

What kind of leader are you building yourself to be?

 

P.S. - If you'd like to explore how strategic coaching could help you elevate your leadership approach, email me at [email protected]. My book "Finding Your V.O.I.C.E." is also available on Amazon for those seeking a comprehensive self-leadership framework.