What are the key traits of a great leader?

Great leaders are defined by three primary traits: knowing when to get help, learning from the past, and a deep commitment to never stop improving and learning.

How can a community help with leadership development?

A community of peers and thought leaders allows a leader to ask questions and discuss challenges, providing instant access to diverse perspectives and expertise from leading organizations.

What kind of resources help leaders learn from the past?

Leaders can learn from the past by studying hundreds of case studies, articles, and on-demand webinars that cover topics like leadership, organizational development, and career growth.

Why is continuous learning important for leaders?

Continuous learning is essential because it enables leaders to adapt, evolve, and improve. Good leaders accept they can always get better by learning from others and sharing knowledge.

What Separates Great Leaders From the Rest

What Defines a Great Leader?

Certain qualities separate great leaders from the rest. The ability to know when to ask for help, a commitment to learning from the past, and the discipline to never stop improving are core traits of effective leadership. Developing these skills is a journey, and the Best Practice Institute (BPI) provides a framework for leaders to grow.

Knowing When to Get Help

No leader has all the answers. A crucial leadership skill is recognizing when to seek external input. Instead of relying on a single consultant, leaders can benefit from a community of peers. BPI membership offers access to hundreds of peers from leading organizations and over 300 thought leaders. Members can pose questions to the community, engage in discussions, and message experts directly to receive timely and relevant advice.

Learning from the Past

Experience, both successes and failures, provides invaluable lessons in leadership. The BPI portal contains a vast repository of resources that allow leaders to learn from the experiences of others. These assets include hundreds of:

Case studies
In-depth articles
On-demand webinars

These resources cover all topics related to leadership, organizational development, and career growth, featuring insights from some of the world's leading minds, including Marshall Goldsmith and Roland Sullivan.

A Commitment to Continuous Learning

Effective leaders understand that learning is a perpetual process. Whether they are CEOs, CHROs, or front-line managers, leaders must continually adapt, evolve, and improve. This growth is achieved by learning from others, sharing knowledge, and contributing to a professional community. These principles are central to the BPI community, which provides immediate access to hundreds of leaders who can help you build new relationships and expand your knowledge base.

The Impact of Strong Leadership

The development of these leadership traits leads to tangible benefits. When leaders improve, the people they manage and inspire also get better. This creates a positive impact that extends throughout the organization and beyond. BPI is an award-winning platform, recognized with the e-learning Trailblazers award and known for its excellence in practice by Fortune and Global 1000 organizations.

Best Practice Institute

Best Practice Institute is the research organization behind Most Loved Workplace® certification, the SPARK Model, the Love of Workplace Index™ (LOWI™), and The Workplace Report.

The Workplace Report

The Workplace Report is BPI's original workplace culture research and editorial briefing series for CEOs, CHROs, people leaders, talent leaders, and employer-brand teams. It turns BPI's 25 years of research, Most Loved Workplace® certification data, SPARK findings, and current workforce signals into practical analysis leaders can use.

The report format includes executive summaries, research-backed articles, company examples, methodology notes, and practical implications for retention, hiring, culture, leadership, and employee experience. New research and analysis is published on an ongoing editorial cadence at /workplace-report.