What is the single greatest "trait" you look for in a Leader?

At Sergeant Major once told me - "If you take care of your people, they will take care of you, and the rest will take care of itself." A leader that can embody and live by this mantra will be successful.

Being approchable. If a leader is approchable, then 9 times out 10, I will feel comfortable about bringing up any issues or ideas.

After having seen quite a bit of what not to emulate, I think the single greatest trait is the ability to mentor. To be a mentor, you have to be a believer in what you teach. If an NCO doesn't just regurgitate the NCO creed for the board, but honestly believes in it, and can provide solid mentorship, the Army will be much better than when he or she left it.

Communication

Brains, and Example

1. Integrity
1A. Willingness to admit they don't know everything and at times get it wrong.

Transparency. A dedicated, honest, and committed leader will delineate his vision at front, listen to his staff and be forward in his guidance in a way that everyone me can understand his reasoning without asking and without questioning.

Nurturing. I don't mean a coddling mother figure, but someone who will put in the extra hours to take care of their soldiers and set them up for success.

Having soldiers obey your orders isn't all there is to leadership. I would argue that if that's all you have going, you're not a leader at all. You're just a boss.

Take care of your soldiers. They recognize and appreciate it, and (for the most part) will work hard for you if you do. Those problem cases can be tackled as needed.

Be there to ensure your team succeeds, not to punish them when they fail.

Honesty.

There are a lot of good traits in a leader and it would be hard to say one is greater than the other. If I had to choose one I would say Patience. Leaders today have to be in control and have a calm demeanor about themselves in order to effectively lead their troops. In front of your Soldiers you need to show them that you are capable of solving their problems without freaking your Soldiers out by escalating the issue. If you handle problems in that manner your troops will come to you with their issues. If you are always screaming and yelling and freaking out every time someone says their is a problem then you are that NCO no one will bring their issues to, which will render you ineffective as leader. I heard a quote a while ago that said A Leaders attitude is caught by his or her followers more quickly then his or her actions. How you carry yourself and how you solve your Soldiers problems measures in volumes.