What Makes A Good Leader?

A former colleague of mine recently requested a recommendation on LinkedIn.  This colleague worked as a leader while I was the person responsible for coaching and developing leaders.  In writing the recommendation I couldn't help but reflect on the positive characteristics of this person as well as what makes a leader great.  


When I think of a great leader, first and foremost I have to ask "was anyone willing to follow?"  Regardless of the level of charisma and IQ, EQ, or whatever quotient we want to measure, if nobody is willing to follow, one can't be very effective can they?


That being said, Leadership is not a title and it's not dictated by one's pay grade.  We all know excellent leaders that are not in the role officially and terrible "leaders" with the right title.  It's also not based on likability although that certainly helps.  And unfortunately, it takes a different set of characteristics for a leader to be great in various situations.  For example, an acquisition or merger requires a more decisive, charismatic leader than a stable, sustaining environment.  It's possible for someone to be an excellent leader in one environment and terrible in another.  Lastly, the required characteristics also depend on the organizational culture, requirements of the role, and the business climate in which they will work.  


That being said, there are some characteristics that transcend all of the aforementioned variables.  They seem to work regardless of the situation.  Those are the characteristics I will focus on for now.  And they are . . . (drum roll please)

• An effective communicator
• A respected influencer
• A positive "can do, get it done, are we lucky to have this problem, and I'm willing to help you in any way" attitude.
• The confidence to make decisions (even if they end up being the wrong decision)
• The courage to lead (even if you are really scared to death)
• The conviction to do the right thing - for the business, stockholders, industry, environment, and employees.
• The wisdom to know that no matter how much you already know, you don't know it all and you have valuable resources that can help.  

So, this gives you a starting point.  I could elaborate on each of these characteristics and will in future posts but for now, if you are reading this in hopes of becoming a better leader, read and learn everything you can about each of these characteristics.  

Being an effective communicator is listed first for a reason.  If you can’t articulate your vision, expectations, and limitations in a compelling, inspiring way, it’s difficult for others to even know what you want, much less to get excited about it.  I understand public speaking is a great fear for many people.  And many leaders are rarely required to speak publicly.  However, the practice of learning to speak publicly forces one to learn how to articulate their thoughts more clearly and concisely.  When you take a public speaking class you are not only learning how to get over the fear of standing in front of group, you are learning how to organize your thoughts in a clear, direct, and powerful way.  This is a skill that will take you far professionally.  You will find yourself able to communicate better in every part of your life – personally, in meetings, and in front of your own team.  You will begin to realize that minutes count and if you don’t capture the other person’s attention in the first few seconds, you will miss your opportunity.  And as a bonus, you will overcome a fear and isn’t courage one of the other items listed above? 

The attitude should be self-explanatory.  You should exemplify the attitude you expect to see in others.   It's unfortunate that this is a characteristic I rarely see in the workplace.  

I'll be covering confidence and courage in another post but I do want to touch on the conviction to do the right thing,  The reality is, leadership is tough.  You often have the power to do things that others cannot.  That power can take people down a dangerous path as we see every time we turn on the news.  The conviction to do the right thing is one of the characteristics that will set you apart.  If with every decision you make, you first ask yourself these questions, you will be well on your way to doing the right thing.

Is this best for the company?

Is this best for the people in which I lead?

Is this best for the industry and/or environment?

Is this best for our shareholders?

Of course there will be times you have a dilemma - something is right for the company but not the employees or some other such problem.  we can't cover each of those situations here but you'll find more on the topic in the decision making post I'm writing.

The last bullet item is key to effective leadership.  The leader that continues to learn is the leader that continues to be inspired and full of ideas.  It is also the leader that is better equipped to develop others.  There are so many ways you can continue your development.  Read a book.  Listen to an audio book while you work out in the morning or in your car as you commute.  Attend a seminar or a public speaking class.  Get a mentor.  Take time to talk about development with your peers.  Ask your employees how you can be a better leader.  Hire a coach that will give you honest, open feedback (hey, I can help you with that one).

the most important thing is to take a step in the right direction - just one step.  If you start with this list, you will be well on your way!