Listen to clients, employees, and peers and stay open to their ideas, feedback, and answers. Doing so is vital to the success of any leader.

Empowering those around you to be heard and valued makes the difference between a leader who simply instructs and one who inspires.

A leader who listens is one who is malleable and willing to refine her views and actions as she learns new information or hears a better idea.

Many women try to advance in their careers by having all the answers; by being the go-to person for information and advice; or by building expertise in a particular field. However, as they progress, gain broader responsibilities, and grow into leadership roles, they realize that their span of control is too vast to be able to know every answer.

New products, new markets, new investors, and new ways of doing things are the lifeblood of growth. And while each innovation carries potential risk, businesses that don't innovate will eventually diminish.

The culture the leader creates impacts the feedback a leader receives.