Being an Excellent Leader in Modern Times

By Karl Pister, PCC

Let’s start with the obvious: leadership today isn’t what it was ten years ago.

You can’t hide behind a title. You can’t lead with a PowerPoint deck and quarterly targets. You can’t just "manage people" and call that leadership.

Because people are paying attention. They're paying attention to how you show up. They're paying attention to how you treat people. And they're paying attention to why you’re in the role to begin with.

The modern workplace, with its complexity, constant change, and staggering speed, has exposed something most of us have known for years: excellent leadership isn’t about control. It’s about clarity, connection, and courage.

Here’s what that looks like in practice.

1. Excellent Leaders Aren’t Afraid to Be Human

One of the first things I say to the leaders I work with is: your people don’t need you to be perfect. They need you to be real.

The old model of leadership (stoic, distant, always composed) might’ve worked when the job was to enforce rules and protect status. But if you’re leading teams through complexity, if you’re asking people to adapt, take risks, and problem-solve on the fly, then they need to trust you. And trust doesn’t come from knowing you have all the answers. It comes from knowing you're willing to wrestle with the questions.

I’ve seen executives build more trust in a single moment of vulnerability (admitting they don’t know, owning a mistake, or asking for help) than in a year of perfect posture.

Being human doesn’t make you less of a leader. It makes you worth following.

2. They Create Safety Not Just Results

Let me be blunt: fear-based leadership might get compliance, but it will never earn commitment.

If your team is walking on eggshells, worried about being blamed or punished for mistakes, then you’ve already capped your potential. Because people don’t speak up in fear-based cultures. They don’t challenge broken systems. They don’t take initiative. They play small.

Psychological safety is a leadership requirement. It means people feel safe to speak the truth, challenge assumptions, and take smart risks without fear of humiliation or retaliation.

Leaders who create safety don’t tolerate disrespect. They invite dissent. They make it okay to say “I don’t know.” And when something goes wrong, they ask: What can we learn? instead of Who messed up?

3. They Know the Power of Small Things

Here’s something I say often: excellence isn’t always loud.

It’s in the quiet discipline of preparation before a meeting. It’s in the note you send to someone after a tough week. It’s in listening, really listening, without rushing to respond.

Modern leadership is less about the heroic gesture and more about consistent signals. Signals that say: I see you. I value you. I’ve got your back.

I remember coaching a hospital executive who had a habit of walking the floor every Friday. Not because it was on his calendar, but because he knew visibility mattered. He’d stop, ask questions, and listen. No agenda, just presence. Years later, people still talk about those conversations. Not the budget meetings or performance dashboards—but the way he showed up when no one was looking.

4. They Make the Hard Call When It Counts

Now, don’t confuse kindness with softness.

Some of the best leaders I know are incredibly tough. They make hard decisions. They hold the line. They challenge people sometimes sharply because they believe in the mission and the team.

But here's the difference: they lead with purpose, not ego.

They don’t fire someone to send a message. They don’t pivot just to protect themselves. They make the hard call when it serves the right thing, not the easy thing. And they’re willing to stand alone for what’s right before the crowd catches up.

Being an excellent leader doesn’t mean everyone will like you. It means you’re trusted to do what’s right, even when it’s unpopular.

5. They Keep Their Own House in Order

I’ve said this on the podcast and in almost every workshop: your leadership starts with you.

If you’re disorganized, reactive, and constantly putting out fires, guess what your team is going to mirror? If you say “we value reflection” but never slow down to think, they won’t either. If you say “family matters” but you’re emailing at midnight from your kid’s soccer game… well, the message lands.

Modern leaders have to align their behavior with their values. Not perfectly, but consistently.

That means building habits that reflect what matters: time for thinking, systems that support focus, conversations that deepen connection. If you don’t take care of your physical, emotional, and mental capacity, leadership will chew you up.

6. They Ask Better Questions

Great leaders don’t pretend to have all the answers. They learn to ask better questions.

Questions like:

• What’s the real issue here?

• What am I missing?

• Who else needs to be in this conversation?

• How will this decision impact people who aren’t in the room?

The best leaders I’ve worked with have a habit of curiosity. They listen more than they talk. They challenge assumptions without attacking people. And they don’t let urgency become an excuse for ignorance.

In fast-moving organizations, it’s tempting to equate decisiveness with speed. But wisdom often looks like slowing down, zooming out, and asking: What problem are we really solving?

7. They Understand That Culture Is Built One Interaction at a Time

Let’s be clear: culture isn’t created by values written on a wall. It’s created by what you tolerate, what you reward, and how you respond in the moment.

When someone speaks up and you shut them down, that shapes culture.

When someone makes a mistake and you publicly shame them, that shapes culture.

When you give credit, take responsibility, and show up consistently, you’re shaping culture.

Every eye roll, every skipped one-on-one, every failure to address toxic behavior is a signal. So is every thank you, every moment of clarity, every act of support.

If you want an excellent culture, you start by being an excellent leader. Not occasionally. Every day.

Final Thought

Leadership in modern times isn’t about charisma, control, or corner offices. It’s about clarity, consistency, and courage.

And here’s the good news: you don’t have to be born with it. Leadership is learnable. It’s not about being the loudest voice in the room. It’s about being the clearest, the most grounded, the one who shows up not for applause, but for impact.

So take a deep breath. Get quiet. Ask better questions. Show up human. And don’t underestimate the power of one thoughtful, consistent, values-driven leader.

Because in the chaos of the modern world, that’s exactly what people are looking for.