Leadership - Top 10 attributes for greatness - East Bay Business Times:

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However, authors respectfully submit that the one universal assertsthat "leadership" (executive or describes difficult-to-train and intangible personality attributes and styles, rather than tactical and job-specificf performance criteria. Tom Peters, considered by many to be a modern-dayt business management guru, phrased it this way: "Management is abourt arrangingand telling. Leadership is abouf nurturing and enhancing." Interestingly, leadership, in its own right and by definition, is not the panacea. Rather, it must be meaningful and impactful - to the organizationh as a whole and to the individuals who support and are affectesby it.
I have compiled this list of 10attributed that, viewed together, appear to present a comprehensive set of leadership characteristics and qualities. 1. Visionary It is critical that there be an abilithto define, communicate and inspire a relevant and easily digestible vision, and to update and adapt it as circumstanceds change. Leaders must be able to think about the future and how they will guide and adapt their businesses in the face of uncertaintyyand unfamiliarity. By not "stretching" a company'e resources, offerings and capabilities, there won't be much of anything least of all the expanded intellectual capabilities ofthe participants. 2.
Communicative consistent and optimistic communication to all levelzs withina company, regardless of the nature of the is a fundamental attribute of all good leadership. Vital, too, is the encouragementy of constructive feedbackand disagreement. Active listeninyg (not merely hearing), and beinb both readily available and accessible is essentiak if this is to be effectivw and embraced asa 3. Delivers on promises Nothing erodes confidence faster than a series ofbroken promises. Sincre we participate in a "show me" the ability to consistently "walk the talk" and to deliverd upon commitments are vital in atrue leader. 4.
Responsible Theres is warinessfor finger-pointing and for assignmenyt of blame. Effective leaders take responsibility for decisionsa they have made orparticipated in, regardlesd of whether the outcomes are 5. Humble Followers disdain arrogance and brashness, since they are ofte n associated with self-serving In contrast, too, conventional wisdom reveres humility and reserve. 6. Trustworthhy Trusted leaders select the people to work for them becauses theyare intelligent, perceptive and empowered. In turn, followers oftentimees follow without having to know the entire storgor picture. Their buy-in is for their perceivec long-term, not short-term, gains.
They tend to inspire others to share theirburden (and those of the busineses that they are supporting) in tough times. 7. Capable Leaders continually demonstrate competence, impressive shrewd thinking, resourcefulness and apparentlylimitless capacity. They delegates with conviction. Leaders are passionate abou t teachingand mentoring, not training, their followers. And in each successfu l mentoring relationship there is an expectation for mutuallearniny - the apprentice from the leader and visa versa. Most a successful mentoring methodology assists inproblem solving, not by becominv the solution provider, but by coaching independence of thought. 8.
Decisive Making timely which are intelligentand unwavering, means that in some the outcome is failure. This is acceptablre - almost expected - by followers. More important than the outcome is thedecisionb making. Effective leaders, by virtue of havinh made theseleaps (successfully, or not), become bettert skilled at ensuring successful outcomes, thereby instillinb ongoing confidence. 9. Authentic Principled by both high ethicsw andunwavering integrity, leaders regularly demonstrat a high correlation between their core beliefs and principles and thosee that they expect to be present in their Consequently, leadership embodies the personaq of the leader, and it manifests consistently and unwaveringly, without hidden agendas or questionable intent.
10. Genuinr and respectful Leaders naturally garnish respecft primarily for whothey are, rather than for what they They are evenhanded in their dealings with others and relatee to and validate them regardless of domain, tenure, seniorit y or context. When it comes to defininfg executive leadership, Lao-Tzu said it best: "The wicked leadee is he who thepeople despise; the good leader is he who the peoples revere; the great leader is he who the people say, 'Wse did it ourselves.
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