Ten Qualities of a Good Human

A series of articles about ten qualities of a good human - dimensions of character to cultivate over a lifetime.

What makes someone a good human? I think it comes down to ten qualities, dimensions of character worth cultivating over a lifetime: being present, the art of listening, living with purpose, building authentic connections, living truthfully, quiet confidence, taking responsibility, embracing change, lifting others, and maintaining perspective.

Last year, I wrote a series of articles on LinkedIn on the qualities I believe are crucial for a good leader. I’m not a ‘trained’ leader. I didn’t finish university, I don’t have an MBA, and what leadership skills I’ve accumulated came mostly by osmosis: learning on the job, watching people I admire, trial and error, and a lot of reading. Eventually it struck me that the ten leadership qualities apply just as much to what makes a good human, not just a good leader.

So I wrote a new series on this Substack, connecting those ten qualities to how we show up for the people in our lives. I believe embracing them makes our relationships stronger and our lives more fulfilled. None of this is earth-shattering; it’s closer to common sense, but naming these ideas is what makes us pay attention to them on purpose.

You’ll find the whole series linked at the end of this piece.

Quite obviously, none of the qualities exists in isolation. They form an interconnected web of human behaviour and attitude. The ability to embrace change, for instance, is strengthened by maintaining perspective, while the practice of lifting others enhances our sense of purpose. Together, they create a virtuous cycle of personal growth and positive impact on others.

I don’t see how these qualities vary around the world or across cultures, professional contexts or personal circumstances. Whether in family relationships, professional endeavours, or community engagement, these attributes serve as reliable guides for navigating life's complexities with grace and wisdom.

In exploring each quality, I look not just at its theoretical importance but also at its practical application in daily life. We look at how these qualities manifest in different contexts, the challenges we face in developing them, and specific practices that can help us embody them more fully. As usual, I dig back into my lived experience and seek to draw on moments from my life and the world around me as illustrations.

This isn't a journey toward perfection but instead toward authentic human development. Each quality represents an ongoing practice rather than a destination – a direction rather than a final state. As we cultivate these attributes, we don't just improve ourselves; we contribute to the elevation of human interaction and understanding in our shared world.

Here are the articles.

1. (March): The Power of Being Present: The Simple Habit That Can Change Your Life
Being present isn’t about achieving some perfect state of Zen; it’s about making small, conscious choices to engage fully with life.

2. (April): Knowledge Speaks, but Wisdom Listens: The Art of Listening
To listen deeply is not just an act of kindness—it’s an act of courage. It requires us to set aside our egos, embrace vulnerability, and open ourselves to others’ truths.

3. (May): Living with Purpose: A Guide for the Beautifully Lost
Purpose isn’t something you find once and for all. It’s something you create, moment by moment, choice by choice.

4 (June): Building Authentic Connections
The path to authentic connection isn’t always easy, but it’s infinitely rewarding. By creating connections, we are building a community around us.

5 (July): Living Truthfully
In the end, living truthfully isn’t about being fearless or flawless; it’s about being real.

6 (August): We Rise by Lifting Others: The Quiet Power of Mutual Support
The remarkable thing about lifting others is that it’s one of those rare strategies that benefits everyone involved.

7 (September): The Quiet Power of True Confidence
Quiet confidence offers an alternative - a way of being that prioritises substance over style, depth over display, and connection over competition.

8 (October) Taking Responsibility
Taking responsibility creates the foundation for genuine intimacy. Only when we own our own stuff can we show up authentically for others.

9 (November) Embracing Change
Change will keep coming. The question isn’t whether we’ll face change, but how we’ll meet it. With resistance or curiosity? With rigidity or flexibility? With isolation or connection?

10 (December) Maintaining Perspective
Maintaining perspective gives us the ability to hold pain and beauty simultaneously, to acknowledge difficulty whilst still seeing possibility, to stay grounded in what truly matters even when life gets complicated.