CHARACTERISTICS OF GREAT LEADERS
CARING "No person can be a true leader unless he takes genuine joy
in the successes of those under him" (W.A.Nance). And Charles Dickens said
"there is a great man who makes every man feel small. But the real great
man is the man who makes every man feel great." The great leader will say,
"That was superb. I really liked that." Without such caring, those
who work with a leader lose interest, enthusiasm ebbs out.
CELEBRATION In a functional family, children enjoy the regularity of meals
and birthdays, bed time rituals, story telling, fun times, and holidays. But we
remain children at heart in the business of life. So a good leader values the
traditions, and history, and stories of his people. Hard work is interspersed
with times of celebration.
CHEERFULNESS We all hate the whining, miserable person. But
we love the leader who smiles, laughs at himself, and has an optimistic outlook
on what is happening.
CHOOSING A leader is only as great as those who work with him. That is why
"A leader’s job is to find persons who have particular knowledge and
skills, and then delegate responsibility to them" (Anne Wilson Schaff, Women’s reality, 1981). That is done by defining what is needed
for the job, interviewing possible candidates, and picturing them as part of
the team. But we are all imperfect, and a great leader can recognize a
weakness, and still trust us to develop into excellence.
CLARITY Nobody enjoys working for someone who is muddle
headed. We may not always agree with a great leader, but he or she must have a
clear picture of what has to be done immediately, see several steps ahead, and
define the final result to be achieved.
COMMUNICATION Clarity of vision does not help if the leader
cannot communicate it warmly, lovingly, and preferably with good humor. This
kind of communication needs constant contact in informal meetings, phone calls,
and in passing by with a smile and a sign of recognition. And the communication
must be two-way with the leader listening carefully to what each person wants
to say.
COUNSEL The need to take counsel is not the same as government by
majority vote. The good leader likes to hear alternative solutions, discover
the desires of all concerned, and then seeks a solution which will satisfy as
many as possible. As far as possible the great leader has already achieved
agreement about a new direction before the decision is published.
COURAGE Having listened to others, and then decided on
what has to be done, the good leader has the courage to act. That will often be
very risky if things do not turn out as expected. But nobody trusts the person
who cares about preserving status and reputation at any price.
COURTESY Great leaders know how to respect the dignity of the least of
those who work with them. Nobody should be humiliated. There is a right way and
a wrong way to administer discipline.
CREATIVITY People long to escape from boredom and routine. They appreciate
leaders who are open to unexpected insights, new ways of doing things. Like
artists and musicians, great leaders are not afraid of change, variety,
playfulness. They can be quirky without losing their dignity.
