One | Unthreatened self-worth
Leaders with high levels of health are leaders who foster a "nothing to prove, nothing to lose, and nothing to hide" attitude. In other words, they are not afraid of pushback, criticism, suggestions or change. When wrong they do not get defensive, over-explain, and blame others. Sometimes they will own up and even take the heat for someone else's mistake on the team. And because they have nothing to prove it's okay if team members get something wrong. But it is also okay if a subordinate gets the credit too. Their pride or ego in unaffected by wins as much as losses. They are far less concerned about wins and losses but rather how they consistently play the game. Anyone with this attitude is a leader who cares deeply about their leadership and the impact it has on people and therefore is unthreatened personally.

Two | Openness to dialogue
What does it mean to invite open dialogue? It means that other than personal attacks or issues that hijack the given agenda, any problem is free for discussion. And why? Because leadership is not about a win for a single person but the win for the mission of the organization, therefore issues openly discussed result in solutions that must be addressed. Open dialogue about issues allows a team and leader moments to bond. The best leaders foster this kind of public discussion around their table. There are no issues that cannot be raised with the two exceptions above. It is evident that this type of leadership requires a leader with a non-defensive posture. But if we live by the value that we have nothing to prove, nothing to lose and nothing to hide, robust dialogue becomes possible – even when the comments had openly are about a leader or leadership adjustment that needs to be made.

The key to both of these values is that the leader must live them out. When staff finally comprehend that their leader lives non-defensively and is not threatened by those who disagree with them or even criticize them, they will start to do the same. It's in this kind of culture that the best decisions are made because it invites high levels of candid conversation and honesty. If you lead, consider making these two values present in your leadership circle. But be prepared to swallow your pride and become less defensive.