The Competitive Edge: Key Traits That Set Great Leaders Apart
- Dan Freschi - EDGE
- Oct 29
- 5 min read
Updated: Oct 31
Key Traits That Set Great Leaders Apart
As you know, leadership has evolved beyond mere decision-making and workflow management. It's about inspiring change, fostering innovation, and navigating the complexities of our environment with agility and vision.
It’s about standing out in the noise, inspiring action, and building something that lasts. What truly sets great leaders apart and gives them a competitive edge is their ability to develop and sustain a high-performing team.
As I wrote in Where Leadership Begins, leadership doesn’t start with a title or a role. It begins with a choice. And one of the most important choices a leader can make is to invest in the people they lead. Leaders who consistently outperform their peers understand that competitive advantage comes from who they are and how they show up, not just what they know.
This article explores the six key traits that set great leaders apart, a true edge, and how to put them into practice to elevate your impact and your team’s performance.
Why a Competitive Edge in Leadership Matters
Competitive leadership isn’t about beating others. It’s about building something that endures. It’s about staying curious, resilient, and values-driven in a world where uncertainty is the only constant.
The most effective leaders know how to:
Adapt quickly when the market shifts or technology changes.
Inspire innovation and unlock others' creativity.
Create clarity and alignment even when ambiguity surrounds them.
Build trust and foster a culture of accountability.
Develop teams that deliver—not just once, but consistently.
In my work with leaders across industries, healthcare, education, manufacturing, and HVAC, I’ve seen firsthand that those who choose to lead with courage, character, and clarity consistently outperform those who don’t. Especially when they know how to build the right team.
Six Traits That Give Leaders a Competitive Edge
1. Emotional Intelligence
Every high-performing team starts with a leader who understands themselves. Emotional intelligence (EI) is the foundation of that understanding.
“Self-awareness is where leadership begins, not ego or image, but a deep commitment to reflection and growth.” — Where Leadership Begins
Leaders with high EI:
Recognize their impact on others.
Show empathy and curiosity.
Regulate emotions in high-stakes moments.
Build relationships grounded in trust and authenticity.
Example: When a team member shuts down in meetings, an emotionally intelligent leader leans in with empathy, asking questions, listening deeply, and adjusting communication, not to avoid conflict, but to create connection.
2. Visionary Thinking
Great leaders don’t just react. They anticipate. They articulate a compelling vision that gives meaning to the work and direction to the team.
Visionary thinking includes:
Strategic foresight: Seeing around the corner.
Purpose-driven direction: Connecting daily work to long-term goals.
Inspiration: Turning vision into action through storytelling and alignment.
“People will walk through fire for a leader who paints a picture worth following.” — Where Leadership Begins
Example: A nonprofit executive reframes declining donor engagement as a mission moment, galvanizing staff and volunteers around bold new outreach strategies to create energy and results.
3. Adaptability and Resilience
Courageous leadership means showing up even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed. That’s where adaptability and resilience come in.
Adaptable, resilient leaders:
Stay steady when plans unravel.
View change as an opportunity, not a threat.
Normalize learning from failure instead of fearing it.
Example: When a residential HVAC company faced labor shortages, the GM shifted gears, offering apprenticeships, cross-training team members, and embracing automation. The result? Stronger retention and scalable growth.
4. Decisiveness
In a competitive environment, indecision is costly. Leaders with an edge don’t wait for perfection. They act with clarity and own the consequences.
Decisive leaders:
Weigh input, then commit.
Avoid analysis paralysis.
Model accountability.
“Every decision reveals what we believe. Are you choosing what aligns with your values or what avoids discomfort?” — Where Leadership Begins
Example: A product leader pushes a minimally viable product to market quickly. Instead of waiting for certainty, they collect honest feedback, iterate fast, and gain a head start on competitors.
5. Effective Communication
You can’t build alignment or trust without communication. Great leaders don't just talk, they connect.
High-impact communicators:
Set expectations clearly.
Share updates openly—even when the news is tough.
Listen with presence and curiosity.
Reinforce values through consistent messaging.
Example: A school superintendent hosts monthly town halls with teachers and staff, giving space for both feedback and direction. The result is stronger engagement and fewer surprises.
6. Building and Maintaining a High-Performing Team
This is the number one difference maker. Leaders who can build and sustain a high-performing team gain an edge that no market shift or competitor can take away.
“If leadership is about influence, team leadership is about aligning individual contributions to something greater than self—anchored by purpose and trust.” — Where Leadership Begins
High-performing teams don’t happen by chance. Based on The Rocket Model, building an effective team starts with creating clarity around mission, talent, norms, and resources.
Effective leaders:
Set a clear mission and link team goals to broader organizational strategy.
Staff for strengths, placing the right people in the right seats.
Establish shared norms that make expectations and accountability explicit.
Secure the resources the team needs to succeed.
Foster trust and morale, especially during tough conversations or high-stakes moments.
Address derailers such as low performers or interpersonal conflict quickly and constructively.
Example: A COO notices silos developing across functions. Rather than assign blame, she realigns roles, clarifies the shared mission, and builds cross-functional routines that drive results and deepen trust. Performance improves, and culture follows.
A leader’s competitive edge is only as strong as the team they build. The best leaders choose to be intentional about team dynamics, culture, and trust. And that choice leads to sustained excellence.
What a Leadership Edge Looks Like in Action
Take a leader navigating a crisis, supply chain disruption, funding shortfall, or a major customer walking away. A leader with a competitive edge will:
Stay calm and focused on solutions.
Rally their team around shared priorities.
Communicate transparently and frequently.
Use the moment to reinforce trust, resilience, and adaptability.
Or consider a leader in education who’s building a culture of innovation. Instead of micromanaging, she empowers teacher leaders, invests in their growth, and celebrates progress. That’s not just good leadership, that’s a competitive advantage.
How to Cultivate These Six Traits
Here are actionable ways to strengthen your leadership edge:
Use assessment tools (like Everything DiSC or Hogan) to build self-awareness.
Regularly ask for feedback, especially from your team.
Create a clear, bold vision and revisit it often.
Lean into change instead of resisting it.
Make decisions with courage, not comfort.
Audit your team’s dynamics using tools like The Rocket Model, identify what’s missing and what needs strengthening.
Remember, development doesn’t happen in the abstract. It happens in the decisions you make today.
Your Edge Is a Choice
Leadership isn’t just a set of traits. It’s a series of choices. And one of the most important choices you can make is to build and protect a high-performing team.
When you consistently lead with self-awareness, clarity, resilience, courage, and trust-building, you don’t just keep pace. You set the pace.
You are the competitive edge.
Ready to Build Your Edge?
Start by asking yourself:
What kind of team am I building? What kind of leader am I becoming?
Then take the next courageous step. Your team, and your legacy, depend on it.
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