Defining a Great Leader

Great leadership entails the best assets of the person identified as a leader.

The definition of leadership is continually debated and there are as many schools of thought as there are leadership styles, both good and bad. A great definition comes from Tom Peters, the author of numerous leadership books, including In Search of Excellence, and an acknowledged expert in leadership. He says “Leadership is about the development, the inducement of people to grow, to go way beyond where they believe they could go.”

Examples of Leadership Styles

• Bureaucratic: Leaders impose strict and systematic discipline on the followers and demand business-like conduct in the workplace.
• Charismatic: Leaders gain followers through their likable personality, their ability to distill complex information into simple ideas, their use of analogy and stories, and their ability to inspire instead of intimidate.
• Autocratic: Leaders do not typically involve others in decision making, their word is “law” (dictators utilize this type of leadership most commonly), and may resort to intimidation or threat.
• Democratic: Leaders and followers are equally involved in decision making.
• Laid back (Laissez Faire): Followers are empowered to make all decisions.
• People-oriented: Leaders are totally involved in the organization, support and development of their team, versus the tasks involved in the project.

Traits of a Great Leader

Many people believe leadership is innate, not developed. Though there may be some truth to this, leadership traits should be nurtured in all employees to ensure that they reach their maximum potential.

According to many experts, these are some traits of great leaders:

1. The Ability to Inspire. A great leader possesses passion, determination, and commitment, not only to their job but to the role of leader and mission of the project and/or organization. Team members are moved to emulate those values and to, on some level, make the person in the leadership role proud as they develop pride in themselves. Great leaders want to see their employees succeed and move them to do so!

2. A Great Leader Sees the Light at the End of the Tunnel. Leaders have an eye for and understanding of the bigger picture, and the objectives of the mission. These objectives should be feasible and measurable and leaders must have the capacity to monitor progress and make corrective plans in cases of organizational crises and internal conflict.

3. Great Leaders have Integrity. They are not perfect, but great leaders are people who keep their word more often than not, who set great examples of honesty and business ethics. They are principled and understand that acting with commitment and sincerity encourages others to do the same.

4. Great Leaders are Accessible. They have an “open door” policy, encourage questions, keep appointments, provide number where they can be reached, and are available for answers when needed. They don’t just return emails and phone calls to clients promptly, but they do so for their team and encourage this type of accessibility from everyone.

5. Great Leaders Let Employees Do Their Jobs! They know how to delegate and that they have to trust employees to do the job they were hired to do. They encourage innovation, new ideas, interaction among the team and dissenting ideas. An effective organization is the one run by a person who knows how to identify the right person to do the job and gives them the autonomy to do so. Great leaders empower their team!

6. Great Leaders are Emotionally Intelligent. Daniel Goleman wrote the first definitive book on Emotional Intelligence, most simply defined as “the awareness of and ability to manage one’s emotions in a healthy and productive manner.”There’s no such thing as a perfect organization. There will always be storms, crises, and conflicts that need to be effectively managed. A great leader is able to remain firm and steadfast and has the ability to effectively manage their own emotions and to recognize the emotions of others.

7. Great Leaders Strive for Excellence. It isn’t about meeting goals and passing standards. It’s about surpassing expectations and setting new standards as much as possible. Great leaders are different in this way. They want to and strive to be the best at what they do.

8. Great Leaders are Aware. They know what the team is working on, which group is overburdened, what issues the group is struggling with. They don’t micromanage, but they are involved and have an understanding of the work world of their group, of their project teams and of the organization as a whole. They disseminate necessary information to the group to keep them aware as well.