How can one be a Good Leader?

He who desires peace, prepares for war.
-- Vegitatus Renatus, Roman Proconsul and historian

A good leader knows the strength and weaknesses of the people in their team and manages them appropriately. A good leader takes care of their Soldiers in order to keep them motivated and independent. A good leader provides direction, intent and limits and gives their subordinate leaders the time and resources to accomplish the mission. A good leader accepts responsibility for all failure in their team and gives are praise for success to their subordinates. If my team screws the pooch, it's my fault. If they succeed beyond expectations, I just gave them the mission and they made it successful. A good leader rewards excellence and uses failure as a learning opportunity.

From the view of someone who has more people to follow, than to lead at the current moment, here is what I admire:
1. own your mistakes
2. listen even if the person talking is of extreme lesser rank
3. don't ask a question if you don't really want to know the answer
4. practice what you preach
5. don't sugar coat s@#&. adding sweetener doesn't change crap into chocolate
6. if I'm not your job, why am I following you? (yes I had a supervisor tell me I wasn't his job)
7. if every time I ask you a job related question, your answer is "IDK", don't expect me to come to you when I have a real problem
8. stand up for yourself, for others, and for the right thing.
9. people won't care, until they know that you do.
-and-
10. don't lose sight of the little things. Yes the big picture is important (which is mostly what leaders see), but when you only focus on that you miss what makes the big picture big (the everyday tasks that the lower ranks do daily). Its like a house. Focusing on the roof is pointless when your foundation is crumbling.

Hope this helps.