Today’s effective leaders are performing a high-wire act. They’re juggling priorities, projects, and people while trying to inspire their team and keep burnout at bay. It’s not just about hitting KPIs anymore. It’s also about integrating essential leadership skills to create workplaces where people feel seen, heard, and empowered to thrive. These workplace strengths are crucial in fostering collaboration within an organization.

But how does one start this journey? What are the leadership skills to develop in order to move the needle on employee well-being, performance, and organizational success? The answer lies not in some abstract theory but in the core of who we are: our character. Specifically, three strengths stand out in the latest research: judgment, fairness, and humility. These strengths are pivotal to effective management and shape how leaders interact with their team members.

Character strengths form the backbone of effective leadership models, and these three aren’t just “nice-to-haves”—they’re mission-critical (Monzani, Seijts, & Crossan, 2021). These qualities form a network of human-centered leadership practices that fuel positive team outcomes and lasting performance.

Now, let’s unpack how this science-backed trio for inspired leadership can be developed and lived out in today’s workplace.

1. Judgment as Thoughtful Decision-Making

Judgment isn’t about being the most intelligent person in the room. It’s about being wise enough to see all sides of a situation, staying open to new information, and resisting the urge to jump to conclusions. It also sets the distinction between fast thinking and deep thinking, with the latter relating to judgment. In leadership, this critical skill shows up when:

• You pause before reacting to a heated situation.
• You seek out diverse perspectives before making a team-wide decision.
• You admit when new evidence changes your mind.

Leaders with strong judgment and sound leadership skills create psychological safety because their teams know that decisions are made thoughtfully and not based on whims or assumptions.

How to Sharpen Judgment:

• Practice deliberation: Actively challenge your assumptions. Before making a key decision, write down three alternative viewpoints.
• Ask more than tell: Encourage input from across the team. Use questions like “What are we missing?” or “Who has a different perspective?”
• Reflect regularly: Use a judgment journal by noting a decision you made, how you approached it, and what you learned.

This type of self-aware thinking fosters trust, a crucial component for both leadership development and employee performance management. It also encourages others to bring their strengths in the workplace forward, knowing that their insights matter.

2. Fairness in Cultures of Equity and Respect If judgment is the brain of strong leadership, fairness is the heart. It means treating people equitably, without bias or favoritism. But it doesn’t mean treating everyone the same. Instead, it's about understanding employees' unique needs and offering consistent and compassionate support.

When fairness is a leadership priority:

• Recognition is inclusive and merit-based.
• Accountability isn’t selective, and standards apply to everyone.
• Promotions and opportunities are transparent and criteria-based.

This has a profound impact on well-being. It fosters positive work outcomes like morale, motivation, and commitment.

How to Embody Fairness:

• Audit your habits: Look at your 1:1 calendar. Who gets the most face time? Who gets overlooked?
• Set transparent expectations: Use clear, shared goals. Don’t leave room for ambiguity.
• Invest in equity training: Growth-oriented leaders know fairness is a skill, and skills can be learned.

Fairness helps you apply workplace strengths with integrity. When people feel they’re on a level playing field, their natural talents come alive, and they’re more likely to engage.

3. Leading with Humility

Now, here’s one that might make you pause: humility.

At first glance, humility might sound like a soft skill or even a liability in cutthroat industries. But it’s anything but that. In fact, humility is one of the most transformational leadership traits out there.

This is because humility is magnetic. It creates ample space for team members' communication, learning, and innovation to thrive. It empowers others in your organization to rise not because you've stepped back, but because you’ve stepped aside just enough to let creativity and growth shine.

Leaders who demonstrate humility as part of their leadership style:

• Admit mistakes and take ownership without blame.
• Celebrate team wins without centering themselves.
• Know their strengths but also their limits.

In Crossan et al.’s (2017) research, humility links directly with other high-performing leadership behaviors, particularly judgment and fairness. It’s the glue that holds these strengths together.

How to Hone Humility:

• Say “I don’t know” more often: It doesn’t diminish your authority; it deepens your credibility.
• Invite feedback and act on it: Ask your team how you can better support them, and take their words seriously.
• Practice servant leadership: Show up with the intention to serve, not to control.

Humility doesn’t mean shrinking. It means showing up as your whole self, with openness and authenticity. It’s a key skill for building leadership qualities that resonate across diverse personalities and teams.

Putting Strengths into Practice: From Intention to Impact

It’s one thing to understand the value of judgment, fairness, and humility, but it’s another to live them out consistently in your leadership role. That’s where many leaders get stuck. They know they want to lead with character, but competing priorities, pressure, and productivity get in the way.

That’s where the VIA Character Strengths Survey comes in. It gives leaders a clear view of their core strengths—but awareness alone isn’t enough. To turn that insight into real-world impact, leaders need practical guidance. Whether it’s through a course, a coach, or an in-depth report, the right support can help translate survey results into intentional, strengths-based leadership habits.

The best part is these leadership character strengths aren’t reserved for “born leaders.” They’re learnable, and they grow stronger with regular practice.

How Judgment, Fairness, and Humility Improve Well-Being & Performance

Let’s connect the dots. Here’s how these three strengths of a leader impact well-being and business performance:

1. Judgment = Clarity + Confidence

Employees are less anxious and more confident when decisions are grounded in thoughtful consideration. Judgment reduces ambiguity, increases trust, and creates a culture where people feel safe to share ideas without fear of knee-jerk reactivity. This results in higher creativity, better team collaboration, and fewer breakdowns in organizational communication.

2. Fairness = Equity + Engagement

When people perceive fairness, their loyalty to an organization soars. They feel respected, valued, and seen. This emotional validation drives commitment, motivation, and resilience —key ingredients for long-term team success. This leads to stronger retention, improved morale, and fewer conflicts.

3. Humility = Belonging + Growth

A humble leader invites professional growth for themselves and their team members. By modeling continuous learning, vulnerability, and openness, they create a safe environment for others to take risks and stretch beyond their comfort zones. The fruits of this labor are higher performance, stronger learning cultures, and more adaptive teams.

Strengths-Based Leadership in Action: Small Shifts, Big Wins

Becoming a leader who cultivates these strengths isn’t about a complete overhaul. It’s about intentional, daily choices that align with who you want to be and how you want others to feel in your presence.

Try this quick daily check-in to reflect and recenter yourself around your core values. This can help you stay aligned with the leader you aspire to be:

• Judgment: Did I pause to reflect before acting today?
• Fairness: Did I treat others equitably and not just equally?
• Humility: Did I own my mistakes and uplift others?

Building Leadership Strengths with the VIA Framework

One of the best ways to deepen these strengths is to explore your personal VIA Character Strengths profile. Whether you’re looking to refine your leadership skills, uncover new leadership skills examples, or simply become more self-aware, it provides a clear, science-based path forward.

You can also take advantage of:

• Team workshops that explore how to apply workplace strengths to real challenges.
• Learning paths designed to help individuals lead from their strengths and support others in doing the same.
• Reflection exercises that build character into the culture and not just the job description.

Final Thoughts: Leading with Character Is a Strategic Advantage

The modern workplace doesn’t need louder leaders. It needs wiser ones. It needs leaders who don’t just manage people but lift them, who drive results but also follow through to nurture them, and who ground their actions in core strengths like judgment, fairness, and humility.

As Monzani, Seijts, and Crossan (2021) affirm, when leadership is rooted in character, the ripple effects are real: higher well-being, stronger performance, and cultures where people want to show up and give their best.