Everyone discusses the positive traits of leadership, such as strong communication, empathy, adaptability and vision. But leadership isn’t just about what you do well—it’s also about recognizing what’s holding you back. Negative behaviors, even subtle ones, create friction. These behaviors may not seem harmful at first glance, but over time, they suffocate morale and create a toxic work environment.

Although there is an endless list of leadership habits that differentiate high performers from the rest, some of the most wildly celebrated traits in popular articles rarely move the needle according to science. There is often a direct contradiction between the leadership attributes we celebrate and those that actually contribute to leaders’ success.

According to data from Objective Management Group (OMG), which has assessed more than 2.4 million salespeople, 95% of the very best salespeople emphasize listening over talking, but more than half of the worst salespeople take the opposite approach, emphasizing talking over listening. While the primary skill to prioritize listening is asking good, timely questions, only 28% of all salespeople ask enough questions. Even worse, that drops to just 4% of the worst salespeople.

Looking holistically at talent is crucial for recognizing the full range of an individual's abilities. Enhancing adaptability, fostering diversity and psychological safety, and creating more inclusive environments whereby everybody has the opportunity to thrive shows that the uniqueness of each individual is valued. Not to mention, it harnesses their potential for the benefit of the individual and, ultimately, the organization.

Winston says there ought to be a similar protection for students–and I might add, that protection should be provided for entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners, too. Namely, that no one should go through life without being armed with the ability to properly communicate.

As John Maxwell likes to say, if people can’t get along with you, they won’t go along with you. As a leader, you will not be successful unless the team of people you lead wants you to be. As good as you may be, you can’t do it on your own. So, the answer to the second question in the title is, “yes,” you should do all you can to make people like you.