It has been my good fortune to have worked with a few very good leaders, and enough poor or mediocre leaders to be able to discern the differences. I could go on and on about the characteristics of a bad leader, and there would certainly be some cathartic relief in taking that approach, but I’ll set that aside for another time and focus on the best aspects of the best leaders I’ve known and worked with. I must note that I have spent virtually my entire adult working life in the non-profit world, so my remarks are almost certain skewed a bit toward that world, but I’m fairly confident that most of what follows applies to leadership generally.
A good leader listens. When a leader is willing to listen, carefully and with an open mind, to the ideas and opinions of those she leads, that leader opens the doors to innovation, and gathers useful information about her team–who can be trusted, what motivates each one, where the strengths and weaknesses are on the team, and much more. The leader who listens empowers team members to engage, to dream, and may find brilliance in unexpected places.
A good leader models humility. A good leader understands that he doesn’t know everything, that there may be areas of weakness in his skill set that he must rely on others to fill in. That good leader owns his failures and errors, and is quick with sincere apologies toward those whom he may have offended or misunderstood. The good leader understands that humility is not an indicator of weakness, but of strength of character.
A good leader casts vision. The leader’s job is to make the goals and aims and priorities of the organization crystal-clear, and to help the whole team understand why they are doing what they do. She keeps the vision alive and articulates it frequently, so that everyone remembers why they are there. She is also willing to revise and adjust the vision with changing times and opportunities.
A good leader gives clear instructions. Team members with a good leader will not be confused about what they’ve been assigned to do. His instructions and desires will be sufficiently clear without delving too deeply into the team member’s own workflow and expertise. The good leader will take whatever time is needed to help a team member fully understand what they are being asked to do. And when clarifying questions come, he’ll welcome the opportunity to clear things up.
A good leader celebrates wins. When her team hits a goal, does great work, advances the aims of the organization, or otherwise succeeds, the good leader celebrates these accomplishments, and carefully cultivates an atmosphere in which her team members know that their good work will not go unrecognized. One of the prime motivators for workers is a sense that their work is worthwhile, and that hard work and excellence are noted and celebrated.
A good leader rewards good work. The good leader knows that it really doesn’t take much effort or cost to reward good work, and that the rewards are helpful and appreciated. A personal note, a small gift, a moment of recognition in a team meeting–these things really do make a difference. There are plenty of complicating factors when it comes to compensation issues, but fair compensation should be the goal of every good leader. It may be a cliché, but the leader’s team members/employees are his most valuable asset.
A good leader keeps the team informed. “Silos”–smaller groups of people within the larger team who segregate from the rest of the team, protect information from other parts of the team, and develop a competitive relationship with the rest of the team are among the most problematic situations a leader can encounter. The good leader will make sure that she keeps her team in the loop, and fosters the free flow of information. She will be alert for the warning signs that silos are forming, and act quickly to counter that.
A good leader delegates. A leader who thinks he can do it all is deluding himself. His team is there to help distribute the work, and he will do well to entrust his people with the work he hired them to do, even if he feels he could do a superior job with it. The good leader knows his limits of time and skill and readily shares the work with the appropriate people.
A good leader deliberates. It’s great to be quickly decisive, but there is also some wisdom in taking enough time with a decision to make sure she’s made the correct one. There is no shame in seeking the opinions and counsel of other trusted people, and even after having done all of that, there is often wisdom in sleeping on it before she makes the call.
A good leader protects the team. Sometimes the leader has to have the backs of his team members, so to speak. A leader who is willing to be loyal to his team, doing his best to protect their jobs, to fight for fair compensation, to shield them from other forms of corporate malfeasance, will find that his team will likely return that loyalty. It’s not always possible, particularly when decisions are handed down from higher up the chain, but a leader who is willing to defend his team, or “take one for the team” when times get rough is one that his team will gladly follow.
A good leader makes the tough calls. There are inevitably times when the leader must make very difficult decisions–the firing of an employee is among the worst–and when the leader has concluded that a team member must go, she will do her best to take care of the matter firmly, but with grace and compassion. Putting it off is rarely the wise thing to do.
Whole libraries could be filled with the books that have been written on leadership; dozens of them sit on my own bookshelves, and no doubt, much of what I’ve written above has been highly influenced by those books. But most of what you’ve read here is based on the actual actions and character of the leaders I have worked with and most admired. Most of what I think I have learned from leadership came not from the books, but from those leaders’ examples.
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(Posted in response to 1/19/2024 prompt)
doug heacock: words 