Great leaders come in all shapes and sizes, some are bold and charismatic, whilst others prefer to lead from the shadows. Despite these differences, there are some common characteristics that they share. These qualities define the individual, they influence their companies and shape the brands that represent them. Here are some of the principles they demonstrate

Five characteristics of great leaders and the brands they build

1. Serve a greater cause

Leadership is about being passionate about something. You can’t attract others to your cause, or persuade people to listen, if you aren’t committed to a strong belief. Strong leaders, whether they are founders, or follow on from another leader, demonstrate a strong sense of purpose. Their ambitions are beyond self-interest and this resonates through the brands they build.

“Performance with Purpose” is the mantra of Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo’s CEO. Her vision is to reinvent PepsiCo from a snack brand, to a health food brand. She has campaigned against obesity, removed aspartame from soft drinks, and switched from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Nooyi states, "It doesn't mean subtracting from the bottom line, but rather we bring together what is good for business, with what is good for the world." PepsiCo has excelled under her guidance, and maintains its relevance in the face of increasingly discerning customers.

2. Communicate a compelling vision

Knowing what you stand for, where you are headed and the benefits it will bring, are fundamental to leadership. Strong leaders are aware of the words they choose, how they communicate and the forums they appear in. They become a spokesperson, and in some instances become as strong as the brands they back.

“We want to open up space for humanity, and in order to do that, space must be affordable.” This is the vision of Elon Musk for his Space X venture, born from a profound concern for the global warming crisis and its threat to mankind. Space X’s Falcon Heavy rocket, can carry a payload the size of 5 double decker busses to Mars. Whilst its boosters return to earth for reuse. His vision will dramatically cut the cost of space travel, and open up endless commercial possibilities for brands in a new frontier.

3. Trust intuition

Emotional intelligence is a quality that you find in the very best leaders. Self-awareness and empathy for others, gives them the heightened instincts to trust in themselves, and follow their own path. When the market says, “go this way”, they have the strength of conviction to go in another direction. This results in brands that differentiate from competition and connect with their audience at deeper level.

Apple founder Steve Jobs famously rejected market research declaring, “People don’t know what they want until you show it to them. That’s why I never rely on market research.” He goes on to say, “Our task is to read things that are not yet on the page.” This attitude has helped to create a confident culture at Apple. They clearly have their own outlook, which ripples through the game-changing products they design, and the customer experiences they create.

4. Actions speak louder than words

Believing in a strong purpose is one thing, but if the idea becomes nothing more than a soundbite, then leaders risk losing their credibility. Strong leaders gain attention and respect, through pursuing their convictions over a sustained period of time. These actions accumulate, building reputation, until what they say and what they do are inseparable. Brands are continually under threat, from the ever-principled consumers, only by proving themselves over time, do they earn loyalty.

The fashion designer and founder of punk, Dame Vivienne Westwood, is a true entrepreneur. Over the past thirty years she has built a global fashion brand, without allowing the opinions of fashionistas, to restrain her from using her brand to create positive change. From raising social awareness through slogans adorning her clothes, to active membership of the Green Party, she has made fashion mean more than personal decoration. More recently, her “Buy less. Choose well. Make it last” campaign, flies in the face of consumerism, encouraging fashion followers to resist the demand for fast-fashion, in favour of a more sustainable approach.

5. Strong leaders empower others

Strong leaders know their personal strengths and weaknesses, they compensate by inspiring others to do their best work. This makes a strong contribution to their culture, and the ensuing brand, which emanates from the people behind it.

“Do not tolerate brilliant jerks. The cost to team work is too high,” states Netflix CEO, Reed Hastings. This is just one of his upfront opinions that has helped him and his HR team rewrite the rules on employee engagement. Instead of a “cheerleading” style of leadership, they believe staff should have freedom and responsibility to drive their projects, as if Netflix was their own business. This extends to employees deciding how much vacation they take, as opposed to following a standard allowance. A strong culture of committed individuals is vital to any brand. Hastings clearly knows something about this, as Netflix goes from strength to strength.

Brilliant brands don’t just happen. They are the accumulation of untold hours of questioning, testing, failing and learning. This environment is created by leaders who have vision, passion and commitment to strive for something more, and our world is better because of them.