Let’s be honest, it takes someone special to be a good leader. Leaders are only successful when people want to follow them. Just having leadership skills and your MBA is not sufficient. Think about the best leaders you know – whether in your company or at another company. What makes them a good leader? Why are they successful and good at their job?
Two good books on leadership you might enjoy:
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (John C. Maxwell), and
The Leadership Challenge (James Kouzes and Barry Posner)
What makes a good leader? (Select the top 3)
- Strategic vision and the ability to communicate that vision (34%, 18 Votes)
- Inspires others (21%, 11 Votes)
- Honesty and integrity (17%, 9 Votes)
- Thought leader (15%, 8 Votes)
- Gives credit where it’s due (6%, 3 Votes)
- Listens to others’ suggestions (6%, 3 Votes)
- Outgoing personality, approachable (2%, 1 Votes)
Total Voters: 21
Loading ...In the Comment field, please let me know what else makes a leader effective that may not be captured on this list. Describe the ideal leader in your opinion. Give examples if you can. Thanks for participating!
Hi Ron,
No arguments from me – all excellent, well thought out points. I particularly like, “I believe our reputations as leaders are built on what we do when people are looking…but our integrity is built on what we do when they’re not.” I also appreciated – “Today’s leader must surround him/herself with excellent people … men and women of talent, skill, energy, and promise.” Those individuals may have more talent and skill than the leader and that is OK. A leader cannot be expected to be great at everything – that is why they must surround themselves with the right individuals to ensure success for the organization as a whole and, frankly, for each individual. But those individuals, as you pointed out, must be able to develop and grow.
It makes me wonder, if I sit down and really think about it, who are some exceptional leaders? Individuals who fall in the category of what you have noted in your comment?
Thanks for your comment!
Best,
Gina
Hi All –
Great discussion! My $0.02:
I believe some key attributes of a successful leader include: Vision, Teamwork, Discipline, Integrity, and Courage. But it’s not enough to know these words, we need to know what they mean. And, it’s not until we actually live them that we can leverage them to achieve a noble cause.
A leader needs to come to the game with a compelling vision for the future. S/he then needs to inspire people to embrace the vision and do whatever it takes to make it happen. The vision must be bigger than they are individually (even bigger than they are collectively).
Today’s leader must surround him/herself with excellent people … men and women of talent, skill, energy, and promise. And we need to inspire those people to dream, do, and become more than they are, as they are contributing to the accomplishment of the vision.
I believe our reputations as leaders are built on what we do when people are looking … but our integrity is built on what we do when they’re not. Trust is crutial to successful leadership and trust comes from a life lived with integrity.
If we want to achieve something different, we need to do something different. No one gives us permission to lead … we just have to do it. If we want our actions to inspire others, we have to take inspiring actions … and thus, we have to be willing to fail. That takes courage.
I don’t know about you, but I believe, as leader’s, it is our opportunity and our responsibility to create something amazing and meaningful … something that can make a profound difference in our world. And that’s what keeps me going.
Thoughts?
Regards,
Ron
Hi Sandra,
I’m glad you thought the poll of value. I agree with your comment completely. A true leader really stands out in difficult times (like the economy today and what many companies are going through). The ability to handle this kind of downturn and to keep employees motivated and morale high takes a leader with all of these skills and attributes plus more! If employees lose faith in their leader, they move on – and while they may not move on immediately (because they are afraid of what’s out there in a difficult economy), they will move on when things improve in the economy overall – even if their company improves. Bottom line – when employees lose faith in their leader, it is difficult to get that back.
Thanks again for your comment and insight! Greatly appreciated.
Best,
Gina
This is a great poll and a great activity. The more we talk, vent and describe leadership, the closer we get to understanding what we must expect from our leaders and what behaviors and skills (and attitudes/postures) we must use ourselves.
THE list is very interesting. In order to inspire a leader must understand how to communicate the vision and cascade it. In order to build trust, a leader must have exceptional listening skills and recognize the contributions of others with skill. So really, they are all top priorities and these skills and activities are inextricably linked.
Great poll!
Hello John,
I am not sure I’d be able to choose a “top priority” – although if I had to it might be “strategic vision and the ability to communicate that vision” and adding to that Melanie’s point that “leading the way by blazing the trail” is essential. I agree that leadership does require keeping interests aligned – your military example was a good one. I’ll have to research a bit further the concept of cognitive dissonance – interesting.
Any leadership books or other readings you might recommend?
Thanks much for your comment and insight – very interesting information and I appreciate you sharing.
Best,
Gina
I couldn’t bring myself to vote because I think all of the components you listed are necessary. They all contribute to a good leader, but less so if any of them are missing. Perhaps another question would be: which is the top priority?
The way you have framed the question reveals your insight that leaders are only leaders in relation to those whom they lead. This is the phenomenological aspect and essence of leadership. Where successful leaders often lose their mantle of leadership is when their own interests and the interests of those whom they lead part ways. Therefore, I would suggest that at the core of leadership is the alignment of interests. Sometimes this shows up as “taking care of those whom one leads.” Military leaders often exhibit this trait when defending (or opposing) the merits of warfare in a specific context. Also soldiers usually exhibit willingness to sacrifice when the larger interests are aligned.
A corrollary to the concept of leadership is the concept of cognitive dissonance. Wikipedia has this to say: “Cognitive dissonance is an uncomfortable feeling caused by holding two contradictory ideas simultaneously. The “ideas” or “cognitions” in question may include attitudes and beliefs, and also the awareness of one’s behavior. The theory of cognitive dissonance proposes that people have a motivational drive to reduce dissonance by changing their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, or by justifying or rationalizing their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.[1] Cognitive dissonance theory is one of the most influential and extensively studied theories in social psychology.”
I would suggest that leaders are leaders by function of alignment, and removing cognitive dissonance is one important way to advance alignment. The economic concept of “objective functions” is relevant. We can see this throughout free-market societies, and also in firms everywhere that must align interests vertically (i.e. in the management hierarchy, e.g. parents versus subsidiaries) and horizontally between functions (e.g. Marketing department versus Delivery functions).
Regards,
John Schlichter
CEO, OPM Expers LLC
http://opmexperts.com
Hi Melanie,
Agreed completely!! Follow through is key – just “talking” is not sufficient. (What is the saying…”Walk the talk”) An excellent point! Too many leaders sit in the corner office and are not in touch with what is happening throughout the organization.
Thanks for your comment.
Best, Gina.
Hello
The thing I have begun looking for most is follow through from my leaders! Saying and doing are two different things. There’s a lot of “leaders” so busy saying visionary things, they are neglecting to make sure actions follow. I have a very difficult time respecting this type of leadership. Inspiring is only the first part – lead the way by blazing the trail!