We recently wrote a blog here at YES! Your Human Resources Solution called “7 Questions Leaders Should Ask Themselves Daily.” We talked about leadership advice such as examining your achievements, motivations, and behaviors at the end of each day. Pretty intuitive leadership stuff when you think about it! But what about the leadership questions that aren’t so intuitive? Sometimes it’s the peculiar things that show you’re a great leader—things you haven’t even thought about. In this blog, we’ll pay homage to oddness by examining some quirky indicators of successful leaders.

You may be a great leader if:

1. You’ve been the butt of a (good-natured) joke. This may sound like a bad thing, but it’s important to have jokes made at your expense now and again: it means your colleagues trust your sense of humor. Sense of humor consistently ranks as a leading desirable trait in leaders, and nothing shows you’re easygoing more than being included in and being able to take a joke. People usually poke fun at the people they like the most! And it’s better that people are laughing with you, right?
2. You’ve shaken things up. Status quo is easy, but it’s also boring and all too often, inefficient. So if you’ve recently thrown a wrench in the gears, good for you! Nothing gets better or more interesting without change. This goes for operations, but also for fun things, like throwing a spur-of-the-moment office party or playing disco music over the PA. Change and surprises can be a good thing, they show you’re open minded, and they will definitely keep your employees on their toes!
3. You’ve prepared for a catastrophic personnel change. Sometimes you will change the status quo, and sometimes someone else will change it by suddenly leaving your employ. It’s tough to think of a valued team member’s unexpected exit, but the best leaders have planned for scenarios just like this. They know who (or what qualities) they would look to in a successor, and they have thought about how to ensure a smooth transition. Some call it paranoia; we call it preparation!
4. You’ve had a mistake pointed out to you. Everyone screws up now and again, and you probably have too. And that’s OK, because great successes are complemented by great failures, as long as they are treated as valuable learning opportunities. And that’s why as a leader, you discuss your team members’ mistakes to help them learn and grow from the experience. How much will you learn if no one is returning the favor?

It’s easy to notice the everyday standards that show you’re a great leader. But for reassurance, you can secretly glance at the quirky things that show how your leadership is going! We promise no one will notice.