By CAREY NIEUWHOF

Here are 21 things I’ve seen great leaders do.

1. Make the mission more important than themselves

The sure sign of mediocre or poor leaders is that their leadership is about them.

And it’s not always ego that drives this. Self-centered leadership can be driven as much by insecurity as it can be by pride.

The reason people want to throw their whole heart into a mission is because the mission is about a cause bigger than everyone, including the leader.

2. Work on their character even harder than their skill set

Character sinks the ships of otherwise highly skilled leaders. Ethical breaches, moral lapses and character flaws take highly skilled leaders out of play regularly.

Great leaders know that character – not competency – determines their capacity as a leader. They work hard on their heart, their lives, their morality.

3. Refuse to make excuses

In fact, the leaders who make the most progress make the fewest excuses. You can make excuses, or you can make progress, but you can’t make both.

4. Bring clarity

Great leaders stick with a problem or idea long enough and engage it deeply enough to clear away the fog and reduce the concept to its simplest forms so anyone can understand it.

They make the concept accessible. If you can’t say it clearly in 30 seconds, you probably don’t understand the problem clearly enough to proceed.

5. Think abundance, not scarcity

A scarcity mindset will kill your organization over the long haul. But if you think small you will stay small. If you think it’s not possible, it won’t be.

6. See the opportunity, not the obstacle

Great leaders see opportunities. Great leaders work at the problem until they find the opportunity.

7. Show up on time

Great leaders tend to show up on time and they show up prepared.

8. Deliver on time…or ahead of time

Great leaders will under-promise and over-deliver.

One of the best ways to do that is to hit deadlines and even beat them.

9. Schedule their priorities

Great leaders set their own agendas. They know where they bring the most value and schedule time for it. They devote meaningful time to working on their business, not just in it. Their most important tasks get their best energy and time, not their leftovers.

10. Develop their strengths

Most of us want to fix our weaknesses.

Great leaders instead decide to recruit around their weaknesses and spend almost all of their time doing what they’re best at.

11. Invest in themselves

Great leaders see a wise use of seminars, coaches, networks, conferences and resources as an investment rather than an expense.

12. Practice self-care

Great leaders take time off. They don’t work 24/7. They realize they have limits, and they respect them.

13. Prepare to be misunderstood

Being misunderstood comes with the territory of leadership.

14. Develop a trusted inner circle

Great leaders never lead alone. They surround themselves with people who are wiser than they are.

15. Take the high road

Great leaders take the high road. They’re kind, they forgive, they show grace.

16. Push through their fears

It’s not that great leaders have no fears. They just push through them.

17. Take full responsibility

Weak leaders blame.

The best leaders take full responsibility, even when it’s not their fault.

18. Leave people better than they found them

All leaders leave a trail.

Great leaders leave a legacy, because they leave people better than they were when they found them. Great leaders help people become better people.

19. Call people by name

Great leaders remember and say people’s names.

20. Help people who can’t help them

Truly great leaders always make time for people who can provide no direct help for them.

They take the time to talk to an intern, to hear the custodian’s stories, to come alongside the middle manager who’s frustrated.

21. Have private relationships that reflect their public leadership

Truly great leaders don’t have a disconnect between who they are at work and who they are in life. Great leaders throw the same passion, skill and heart into their home life as they throw into their work life.