The 7 ‘Minor’ Leadership Behaviors That Actually Determine Your Success

January 22, 2025

A single missed meeting might seem inconsequential. Yet, in the complex ecosystem of modern leadership, these small lapses can cascade into significant organizational disruptions. Our comprehensive study of 4,347 leaders at Zenger Folkman revealed a surprising truth: what many dismiss as minor leadership behaviors can dramatically influence overall leadership effectiveness.

Consider this: when leaders consistently falter in seemingly small areas—like following through on commitments or providing timely feedback—their overall leadership effectiveness can plummet to the 13th percentile. These aren’t just anecdotal observations; they’re backed by robust data that challenges our assumptions about what truly matters in leadership.

In today’s fast-paced business environment, leaders often focus on grand strategies and bold initiatives, overlooking the foundational behaviors that shape their success. It’s easy to rationalize small missteps, telling ourselves they don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. However, our research paints a different picture. When we analyzed 60 distinct leadership behaviors, we identified seven seemingly minor actions that yield outsized impacts on a leader’s overall effectiveness. The results were startling: excellence in these areas could catapult a leader’s effectiveness rating to the 86th percentile, while poor performance in even one area could trigger a dramatic decline.

The implications are clear: in leadership, there are no small moments. Every interaction, decision, and behavior contributes to a leader’s broader impact on their organization. As we delve into these seven critical behaviors, you’ll discover how these supposedly ‘little things’ can make the difference between exceptional and mediocre leadership.

Seven Leadership Behaviors with a Large Impact

  1. Failing to be a role model and set a good example. Some people feel that they do not have to follow all the rules all the time. They rationalize that because of their position or an unusual crisis or situation, it’s okay not to abide by the rules. Some rationalize this behavior by assuming that others will not notice. The problem is that when others see their leaders not following the rules or norms, they feel they are permitted to do the same thing.
  2. Not giving honest feedback. Many managers have a difficult time giving others candid feedback. They tell others they are doing fine when their performance is below average. Rather than providing feedback regularly, they wait until they are forced to conduct a formal performance review. Because the direct reports have never heard any negative feedback, they assume their performance is excellent. When they finally receive feedback, the direct reports are surprised that their performance rating is not stellar. An even more significant problem is that many leaders only give negative or corrective feedback and rarely give positive feedback. Feedback ought to reflect the performance of that person. If a direct report does 90% of their work well and 10% needs improvement, then 90% of the feedback ought to be positive and only 10% corrective.
  3. Allowing conflict to continue within the workgroup. When you bring a group of people together, it is not surprising that some of them will conflict with others. Many leaders assume that those involved will resolve the issue on their own, but when they don’t, the conflict lingers. Most people dislike being in a group where there is conflict because contention is contagious. Often, those involved in the conflict work hard to persuade others to join them on their side, further dividing the group. Managers need to take a strong leadership role and insist that team members resolve their differences. If that fails, the manager needs to become involved in resolving the issue. Ultimately, if the conflict remains unresolved, managers may need to adjust work assignments or, in extreme cases, make personnel changes to restore harmony and productivity.
  1. Being out of touch with the issues and concerns of team members. When managers distance themselves from their team members, trust is compromised, and engagement significantly declines. Working for a manager who is aware of your circumstances and has your best interests at heart increases both commitment and performance.
  2. Overpromising and underdelivering. Most managers can identify with having a colleague ask for a copy of a report or request a specific task in the middle of a busy day. By the end of the day, the manager has forgotten the commitments, but the colleague remembers them clearly. Many managers are not careful about the commitments they make. They do not write them down or track them well. The outcome is that they fail to deliver on all their commitments. To avoid this, managers must be deliberate about making and keeping their commitments, ensuring follow-through and reliability.
  3. Bringing energy and enthusiasm to work. Too many managers approach motivating others by pushing. When there is more work to do, they push harder. Pushing works, but the most effective leaders combine push with pull. Pulling requires that managers bring an abundance of energy and enthusiasm with them to work. They generate the desire in others to achieve difficult goals and to accomplish the impossible.
  4. Being Coachable and asking others for feedback. When people are young and new on the job, they often ask others for feedback. However, as they age, many stop asking. One might assume that with age comes new skills and improved performance. Instead, the data shows a steady decline in leadership effectiveness as people age/The exception? Those who continue to ask for feedback as they age. These individuals maintain significantly higher levels of overall performance. Asking for feedback signals to others a genuine desire to improve and become more effective. Often, other people see your performance differently than you do, and their feedback helps you understand the impact you have on others.

These seven foundational behaviors—ranked in order of statistical significance—demonstrate how seemingly minor leadership practices can create ripple effects throughout an organization. While setting a poor example leads the pack in terms of negative impact, each behavior has the power to either elevate or diminish leadership effectiveness significantly.

The next step is straightforward but requires commitment: Select one behavior from this list where you see the greatest opportunity for personal growth. Write down your specific goal for improvement, but don’t stop there. Create a weekly check-in routine to assess your progress, seek feedback from your team, and adjust your approach as needed. Remember, small improvements in these areas compound over time, transforming not just your leadership effectiveness but the entire organizational culture you help shape.

In leadership, as in life, it’s often the accumulated impact of our smallest decisions that determines our ultimate success. The question isn’t whether these behaviors matter—our research proves they do. The real question is: Which one will you commit to improving today?

  • Joe Folkman