People who know what they want and why they want it, and have the skills to communicate that to others in a way that gains support

See the long view: By all means "plant the corn, milk the cows, and feed the horses" but always keep the eventual "harvest" in mind.

Find the appropriate balance of competing claims by various groups of stakeholders. All claims deserve consideration but some claims are more important than others.

Understand the "Pygmalion Effect": Leaders should always expect the very best of those around them. They know that people can change and grow.

The basis of leadership is the capacity of the leader to change the mindset, the framework of the other person.

Make sure you have someone in your life from whom you can get reflective feedback.

Some of the strongest resistance to necessary change is the result of what Jim O'Toole has so aptly characterized as "the ideology of comfort and the tyranny of custom."