After two decades in marketing and consulting, I’ve come to realize that leadership isn’t a title, but rather a set of habits that can develop your team or frustrate them. I’ve led teams, worked under leaders, and observed leadership in action across industries. And there’s one truth that keeps surfacing: good leadership is rarely flashy. It’s built on consistent behaviors that foster trust, clarity, and growth.
Here are three behaviors I’ve found essential to strong leadership—and three that quietly erode it.
What Good Leaders Do
1. Facilitate Information Sharing One of the fastest ways to build trust is to share context. I’ve seen too many leaders hoard strategic information, assuming entry-level employees don’t need to know it. That’s a mistake. If your team doesn’t understand the company’s goals, they’re running plays without access to the scoreboard. Share executive strategy (within confidentiality bounds) and help your team connect their work to the bigger picture. When people understand the “why,” they execute the “what” with purpose. It also gives them the context to make better decisions in the future.
2. Engage During the Process, Not Just After Leaders must evaluate the final product, but being present during the process can dramatically improve the outcome, reduce deadline stress, and minimize rework. I make it a point to check in informally, ask questions, and offer input while work is unfolding. Not as a formal review, but through open-ended conversations. This kind of dialogue provides insights in a non-threatening way. Rather than leaving the conversation with “marching orders,” team members feel encouraged by the informal collaboration. When people know they can talk through ideas without being “on the hot seat,” they’re more likely to take ownership and deliver better results.
3. Educate Relentlessly In product marketing, understanding the customer is everything. That’s why I’ve made market education a regular cadence, sharing insights, competitive intel, and customer feedback across the team. I also encourage high performers to mentor newer members. It’s not just about knowledge transfer; it’s about building a culture where learning is valued, shared, and acted upon. That kind of culture can benefit every department by deepening customer understanding and sharpening the skills needed to maximize performance. Information that is interesting to one team member may be game-changing to another.
What Undermines Leadership
1. Talking Behind Team Members’ Backs Even with good intentions, gossip disguised as “concern” is corrosive. If someone’s struggling, focus on the goal and how to support better output. Don’t dwell on what hasn’t been accomplished. Leadership means coaching forward, not criticizing in the rearview mirror. If you want to engage another team member as a peer mentor, share information in a structured way, making it clear that the conversation is confidential and that you’re not speaking behind anyone’s back.
2. Pretending to Know Everything Saying “I don’t know” isn’t a weakness, it shows humility and a commitment to truth. If you don’t have the answer, ask for time to find it. Making something up to sound authoritative only erodes credibility. Your team will respect honesty far more than bravado. I’ve had more than a dozen team members rise to director level and above. If you have high performers on your team, expect them to ask tough questions and sometimes know things you don’t. If you pretend to know everything it’s much less likely information will be shared with you.
3. Sacrificing the Team for Personal Gain This one’s the worst leadership behavior. I’ve worked for leaders who spent 90% of their energy on their own advancement and 10% on their team. The worst of them went so far as to disparage team members after the “leader” was terminated. Placing your own ambition ahead of your team’s success never ends well. Your career growth is separate from your leadership responsibilities. The best leaders flip that ratio; 90% on the team, 10% on themselves. Ironically, those are the leaders who end up advancing the fastest.
Flexibility: The Leadership Superpower
If there’s one trait that separates good leaders from great ones, it’s flexibility. Not the kind that bends to indecision, but the kind that adapts to talent. High performers thrive when given autonomy, so let them “run their own businesses” within the team. Give them ownership, trust their judgment, and watch them scale impact beyond their job description. At the same time, invest in training and mentoring the less experienced team members to do the same. Flexibility means adjusting your approach to meet people where they are and helping them grow into where they could be. When leaders embrace this mindset, they build teams that are not only productive, but resilient and self-sustaining.
Leadership isn’t static. Over the years, I’ve had to evolve in response to shifting corporate goals and the changing makeup of my teams. What motivates a seasoned product marketer may differ from what energizes a new hire fresh out of school. I’ve learned to listen more, share more, and teach more. If leadership is a mirror, then the best leaders are those willing to look into it and adjust what they see.
