Principally, it's showing up. It's being there. Never accepting no for an answer. Always coming back even when times are tough. You have to believe in yourself enough.
People respond to that.
I think the number one quality for a leader is to know where you're going. You can't ask people to follow you unless you can outline a clear and concise path that you are asking people to take with you. Well, the number one thing I look for is intelligence. The second is a sense of humor. I also look for people who are consensus builders-those people who are able to work together recognizing their work is a serious community effort.