“I need to replace myself.” This was a comment from a long-time client who runs a pretty complicated company with three separate businesses located in several Southeastern states. He plans to retire in four to five years and wants to look at both internal and external candidates who can fill his position.

His question to me was, “Do you have a checklist of the traits that make a great leader?” My answer, of course, was “No,” since there is no single, perfect profile. There are as many different personalities as there have been great leaders. Think about Jack Welch, Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs. Certainly on the surface the three of them seem very different. But it’s what they have in common that might help answer my client’s question.

We’ve studied leadership, as have many others, for about 35 years. While much has been written about leadership attributes and values, these can vary greatly from leader to leader. However, there are some core personality traits and talents most leaders share. Here’s a checklist of what we’ve found most successful leaders have in common:

High Assertiveness. Most leaders are prone to taking action and moving forward. They are not passive and won’t sit around waiting for someone else to make a decision.

High Problem Solving Ability. Leaders have to solve complex, sometimes complicated issues that don’t have easy answers or quick fixes. Being able to effectively handle these kinds of problems requires an innate talent that can’t be learned or taught.

Lower Structure. Leaders face many unknowns and lots of situations where there is no “right” answer or precedent. Decisions must be made at the highest level, and very highly structured people get bogged down in minutiae. We had a recent President who struggled with this (you can make your own guess as to his name).

Moderate Sociability. Leaders must be able to connect with people as well as deal with high-level tasks, concepts, and ideas. They have to be comfortable interacting with others and as well as working solo when necessary.

Lower Social Adaptability. People high in social adaptability are prone to want to please others. Leaders cannot do this and must often make decisions which aren’t popular. Even in the face of conflict, they have to stick to their guns.

Lower Optimism. This surprises many people. It might be helpful to understand that low optimism is synonymous with skepticism, not pessimism. While successful leaders see the future as bright, they must constantly consider, “What could go wrong?” Knowing the downsides helps leaders make better decisions and avoid unanticipated surprises later on.

The client planning for succession compared himself to the checklist above and felt all of these traits had made him successful. He also recognized he was higher than ideal in Structure and could see how, at times, this might have hindered his decision making ability. But he definitely agreed these are the qualities he needs in his replacement.

What are your thoughts on the traits great leaders have in common? What can you add to our list?