What makes a good leader? What have people who have led you done that you admired? What qualities should more leaders possess? What are the most valuable qualities a leader should possess? What are the most basic qualities a leader should own? Most of us would agree that we need to respect a leader we would follow. Some leaders have feet of clay, but we might follow them anyway. What are the qualities that might disqualify someone from being a leader? Read this list and discover the top ten characteristics of excellent leaders. 261 words.