Riding the higher road of exceptional leadership can be a very lonely place. So many of those supposed "leaders" fall off the wagon during the journey, letting themselves and others down.

They may be too controlling, not listen enough (or at all), operate from hubris, or end up taking the spotlight that rightfully belongs to employees -- all traits counter to what good leaders do.

When you closely inspect the best servant leaders and the traits they put on display for everyone to see, you'll find careers advancing, employees thriving, and companies ultimately flourishing.

More specifically, four of those noble traits come to mind immediately.

1. It all starts with integrity.

When leaders work in integrity, you're seeing their character in full view. You don't question who they are or whether they have your best interest in mind (because they always do). Because their actions are open for everyone to see, you don't worry about whether they're hiding anything from you. Hall of Fame football coach, Tony Dungy, writes in his...