Are You an Effective Leader?

Let’s review some of these key traits common to effective leaders:

• They promote the vision, mission, and purpose of their organization. Employees need to have a clear picture of where the organization is going, why it’s important to do so, how the organization plans to get there, and what’s their role in the scheme of things.
• They are ethical and trustworthy. They do the right things for the right reasons and they expect their employees to do the same.
• They empower and inspire others. Their goals are outward focused rather than self- focused. They emphasize the strengths and contributions of other and not their own.
• They show appreciation. They praise in public and criticize in private. Giving praise in public will encourage people to excel. Public criticism tends to embarrass and alienate people.
• They make a game out of competition. The natural competitive drive of most leaders can be a valuable tool if it’s focused on team goals and rewards team members who exceed those goals. However, they never create competition between themselves and their employees.
• They listen. They listen because it’s a way of showing concern for subordinates and that fosters cohesive bonds, commitment, and trust. Effective listening also tends to reduce the frequency of interpersonal conflict and increases the likelihood that when conflicts emerge they will be resolved with a “win-win” solution.
• They are visible. They talk to their people and visit other offices and/or work sites. By doing so, they gain new insights into their business and learn new ways to keep their people motivated.
• They admit when they’re wrong. They don’t worry their credibility will be lost or marginalized if they’ve been wrong on an issue; in fact, they know the opposite to be true.
• They treat other people as they would like to be treated. The “Golden Rule” philosophy will draw others (especially very talented individuals) to them and will create a climate of open communication and trust.
• They know everyone makes mistakes. But, when they do make a mistake, they immediately own up to it, fix it, and they endeavor to ensure it doesn’t happen again. This creates an environment where mistakes are just learning opportunities. They know if a leader hides his/her mistakes, their people will hide their mistakes.
• They are both coachable and flexible. While they may hold strong opinions, they don’t let their ego get in the way of being open to new ideas or ways of doing things.
• They are life-long learners. They are motivated to learn and develop; not only because they want to, but they do it because it’s critical to their success in this age of rapidly changing technology. Henry Ford once said “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.”
• They remove barriers. They help their people by removing barriers that get in the way of getting things done. They work hard to make work simple for their employees.
• They recruit, develop, and promote talent. They don’t accept unqualified candidates and they never hire someone just to fill a position. They not only provide timely feedback, but they delegate greater levels of responsibility as they help their employees grow and develop. Then, they find ways to promote people even when it’s inconvenient to do so.
• They are focused on process improvement. They live by the saying, “If what you’re doing is not value added, it should be waste elimination. If it’s neither, what you’re doing is a waste.”
• They lead by example. Employees mirror the work habits of their boss, what time they arrive and leave, how long a lunch break they take, if they consistently demonstrate the values of the organization, how hard they work, how they treat others, etc.
• They hold people accountable. Poor performers are a drag on any organization and they create significant morale issues when they’re not fairly and effectively dealt with on a timely basis.