| What constitutes effective leadership? If you ask | | | | possible results from all the resources available to |
| ten people you'll probably get a variety of | | | | him or her, human and capital, by developing |
| answers. During my leadership development | | | | focused commitment by all stakeholders on |
| programs we spend a great deal of time defining | | | | attainment of the primary vision. |
| what leadership means to the individuals in the | | | | Put plainly it means getting the best from |
| session. | | | | everyone and everything through commitment, |
| The simple fact is you can define it in many | | | | communications and buy -in. |
| ways, it almost becomes an individual preference | | | | Now ask yourself the question how many |
| of what each calls a great leader. That's | | | | managers or executives have you known or |
| understandable because different people respond | | | | worked with in your careers that fit this profile? |
| to different things. | | | | If you are like me it's down to just a few. |
| We begin by establishing the attributes of | | | | The bigger question is why can't you name more |
| effective leadership. We ask each participant to | | | | than a few? If nearly all leadership traits are |
| think if a person that they consider to be a great | | | | learned, and well known to most of us, why |
| leader. We then ask them to list the main | | | | aren't there more great leaders? |
| characteristics of that person that makes them a | | | | I can think of several ways to answer that |
| leader. We always get a variety of the same | | | | question based on my own experience. |
| answers: | | | | One is ego. People get put into a position of |
| Integrity | | | | authority and ego takes over. They no longer |
| Great communicator | | | | listen to advice, facts, metrics or much of |
| Innovative | | | | anything. They are the supreme leader, nobody |
| Intelligent | | | | can tell them anything. |
| Decisive | | | | Another is fear. If I commit to a vision it might |
| And many more. | | | | not work so I'll allow the direction of the business |
| We then discuss each of these traits and decide if | | | | to be decided for me. |
| their choice of leaders was born with that skill or | | | | Still another is commitment to results. Many |
| acquired it. The answer to everyone except | | | | executives confuse being busy with being |
| possibly native intelligence is they are acquired | | | | productive. They over schedule themselves in |
| skills. So the inference is made, 'leaders are made | | | | meetings and micromanage every task. They are |
| not born". | | | | "too busy" doing what they feel comfortable |
| But a lot of people are smart and not great | | | | doing to do what needs doing. |
| leaders, or honest and not considered leaders, | | | | All of the patterns above lead to poor results. |
| what makes one person with those attributes a | | | | Those poor results are too often the only thing |
| leader and another not? | | | | that they delegate well, leading to morale issues, |
| If I look back at my career I can honestly say I | | | | turnover, poor customer satisfaction and more |
| met hundreds if not thousands of managers, but | | | | poor results. |
| a handful of people I would consider leaders. If I | | | | My management career spans over thirty-five |
| were to try and define the difference from my | | | | years and I learned many things good and bad |
| experience I would have to say leadership is | | | | from many people. One gentleman told me |
| certainly defined by getting positive results, but | | | | something early in my management career that |
| that's too narrow. I've known many managers | | | | has always stuck. "If you want to be a great |
| and executives that got positive results but were | | | | leader give everyone else credit for the good |
| hated by their employees. I think it has to go | | | | things and take the blame for all the bad things |
| further than that. | | | | that happen". |
| To me great leadership is getting the best | | | | I don't know if it's that simple but it's a good start. |