What differentiates Leaders from Nonleaders?

Written by Mark S. McIntosh, CPA, MBA

What differentiates leaders from nonleaders? Is it their traits, ability to articulate a vision or bring about significant change in others’ lives, passion for inspiring and serving others, or ability to lead others during times of change? The answer is yes! Reflecting back in history, a few of the great leaders I think of include Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King, and Vince Lombardi. Many of the former U.S. presidents, including George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and John F. Kennedy are also viewed as being a few of the greatest leaders of all time. Whether they were religious or civil rights leaders, presidents, or coaches, these leaders had one thing in common: people followed them. Opinions vary as to the traits, principles, and attributes that make up the “ultimate leader”; however, I will focus primarily on the following four attributes of leaders: 1) character traits, 2) roles of a leader, 3) leadership behaviors and 4) other dimensions of a leader’s life. My leadership theory outlines the guiding principles that I want to emulate in my own life.

Character Traits:

Character traits include things that are relatively stable such as personality and values. Although traits alone do not make a great leader, I believe that effective leaders possess similar traits including: (1) drive, (2) honesty/integrity, (3) conscientiousness, (4) self-awareness, and (5) cognitive ability.

Strong leaders are usually motivated and driven to lead others. Leaders tend to be self-starters with high energy who actively seek leadership opportunities as they arise. Leaders take action when there is hesitation. They act instead of react. They show initiative and are very ambitious about their careers and strive for continuous improvement and success in their lives. Strong leaders are very proactive as they pursue challenging opportunities that exemplify their drive, determination and dedication.

Honesty and integrity are very important traits for leaders. Honesty, integrity, and ethics are essential to my theory of leadership. Followers want to be reassured that their leaders are truthful. Without these traits, leaders would not be able to gain the necessary trust and respect from their followers. Leaders should be truthful to their followers during good and bad times. Followers will have more respect for their leaders if they are consistently honest. In addition, effective leaders should possess a high degree of integrity. Maintaining integrity is important for a leader’s credibility.

Successful leaders are also conscientiousness. They are responsible and dependable and need to be organized and work efficiently in order to handle multiple priorities. In addition, a strong leader is goal-oriented. These are all aspects of conscientiousness.

Effective leaders usually possess a high degree of self-awareness, which enables them to be self-confident and gives them the ability to assess themselves realistically. Leaders need to be able to recognize and understand their emotions and drives, in addition to their effect on others around them. Having a deep understanding of their strengths and weaknesses, as well as their needs and desires, is very important for effective leadership. Self-aware leaders know their limitations and strengths and are candor about their feelings.

The last trait I believe leaders should have is cognitive ability. There are many reasons why a leader needs to have cognitive ability. Being able to think critically, analyze situations, solve problems, and make good decisions are very important skills for leaders to master, especially in today’s fast–paced, technologically advanced society. Leaders are required to understand an enormous amount of information in order to plan effectively, formulate winning strategies and make difficult decisions. Cognitive ability enables leaders to make good decisions when solving problems, setting visions, and developing strategic plans.

Roles of a Leader:

Leaders play four key roles for their organizations: (1) vision setter, (2) change catalyst/innovator, (3) coach, and (4) diplomat.

A leader is a creator of vision and a pathfinder for their organization, especially during times of transition or change. Leaders need to be able to articulate a vision for their organization and demonstrate how to achieve it. Without this vision and direction, many followers would wander aimlessly and without motivation.

Leaders must also promote innovation and change throughout their organizations. Being a change agent is one of the most important roles that leaders have to play. As technological, political, and economical changes continue, leaders will be expected to set the vision and goals for their organizations. Leaders of the future will need be able to lead others during “war time” and other difficult times of change. Leaders will be required to take risks as they learn perpetually and focus on continuous improvement.

Another role that leaders must play is that of a coach and mentor. A leader must encourage and help others when they need some guidance. Just as the coach of the football team rallies the team on a 4th down play, leaders must be able to motivate others to act during difficult times. In order to be effective, leaders must be able to manage conflict among team members. Conflict decreases the efficiency and effectiveness of the team in meeting their goals.

Therefore, leaders must also play the role of the spokesperson or diplomat for the team. As a spokesperson for the team, it is very important that a leader be confident and optimistic about the followers. As diplomats, leaders must be skilled in conflict resolution and be able to influence others to work together towards a common goal.

Behaviors:

When I consider the impact that leaders have on others around them, I find five critical behaviors that leaders must do to create a strong sense of leadership. Leaders must (1) lead by example, (2) show humility and empathy, (3) communicate effectively, (4) show a willingness to learn, and (5) serve others.

Leaders must lead by example by working hard and remaining optimistic, especially during difficult times. Leaders should consistently praise their followers, as well as make sacrifices for the team. Effective leaders lead by example by accepting responsibility for their actions. Leaders should also lead by example by empowering others and generating hope for the team. By leading by example, leaders are able to influence the behaviors of others around them.

In addition, leaders should show humility and empathy to others around them in all circumstances. Remaining humble and empathizing with others are very important behaviors for leaders to demonstrate. I believe that followers have more respect for leaders that show these types of behaviors. In the end, followers will also perform better for leaders who are humble and show empathy towards their them.

It is critical that leaders be able to communicate effectively. Leaders must be able to articulate well as they communicate their visions to their followers. Leaders need strong communication skills and must be able to effectively communicate with others using written, oral, electronic, and non-verbal methods. Whatever the means, the ability to communicate effectively is very important for all leaders. In addition, leaders need to be able to persuade, inspire, and inform others when called upon to do so. Because communication is a two way process, leaders must also be able to listen well and provide useful feedback.

Another important behavior that leaders should demonstrate is a willingness to learn and improve. Recognizing that there is always room for improvement is very important for effective leadership. Striving for continuous improvement, whether by participating in the company’s I-Power continuous improvement program or by taking courses to improve their skills, is very important for leaders. Leaders should work relentlessly to create added-value ways of improving and learning.

Finally, leaders need to serve others. Servant-leadership requires that leaders make goals clear and serve for their followers by rolling their sleeves up and doing whatever it takes to help their team win. Servant leaders encourage, support, coach, facilitate, and do everything possible to help their followers be successful.

Other Dimensions:

In order to find true happiness, leaders should establish priorities in their lives and maintain balance between their professional and personal lives. In my opinion, neither a great job, nor a lot of money will lead to happiness. Leaders should have other dimensions to their life such as: (1) an active faith, (2) a strong presence in her family and community, and (3) a healthy life style.

I believe it is important for the ultimate leader to have an active faith. Faith helps people to handle difficult situations and to maintain perspective, especially during arduous or changing times.

Moreover, leaders should be active in the community and have a strong presence in their families. They provide leadership to the children by teaching them discernment and to remain focused on the important things in life. I believe that leaders should be actively involved in their organizations and the community. Whether they are little league coaches or members of the school board, leaders should serve others in the community.

The final “other dimension” is that leaders need to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Living a healthy life style helps leaders manage stress in their lives. Managing stress is very important as leaders continue to work long hours, accept additional responsibility and make strenuous decisions. Leaders may maintain a healthy life style by exercising their bodies, relaxing their minds, and regulating their diets.

As I mentioned to begin, opinions vary as to the traits, principles, and attributes that make up the “ultimate leader”. Leaders, whether they are religious or civil rights leaders, coaches, political leaders, or company CEO's, all have one thing in common: people follow them. Do people follow you? If so, you are a leader. Are you an effective leader? Maybe, but you can always lead more effectively. So I ask, what will you do today to become a more effective leader? Are there certain traits you need to develop? What roles and behaviors do you need to emulate at work, in the home, and within the community?