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10 Characteristics of Superior LeadersDo you have these essential traits?Dr. David G. Javitch | December 9, 2009

URL: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/204248

Thousands of articles and books have been publisheddescribing what it takes to be a superior organizational leader.Some researchers and authors claim a superior l eader possessescertain traits or abilities; others say it's all personality. Stillothers maintain it's the behaviors--not necessarily the intentionsor thoughts--that are crucial.

Whatever your viewpoint, it boils down to this: successfulleaders share the following characteristics or views:

1. Mission: Leaders know what their mission is. Theyknow why the organization exists. A superior leader hasa well thought out (often written) mission describing thepurpose of the organization. That purpose need not beesoteric or abstract, but rather descriptive, clear and

understandable. Every employee should be able toidentify with the mission and strive to achieve it.

2. Vision: Where do you want your organization to go? A vision needs to be abstract enough to encouragepeople to imagine it but concrete enough for followers to see it, understand it and be willing to climbonboard to fulfil l it.

3. Goal: How is the organization going to achieve its mission and vision and how will you measure your progress? Like a vision, goals need to be operational; that is specific and measurable. If your output andresults can't be readily measured, then it will be difficult to know if you have achieved your purpose. Youmay have wasted important resources (time, money, people, and equipment) pursuing a strategy or planwithout knowing if it truly succeeded.

4. Competency: You must be seen by your advi sors, stakeholders, employees, and the public as being anexpert in your field or an expert in leadership. Unless your constituents see you as highly credentialed--either by academic degree or with specialized experience--and capable of leading your company to success,it will be more difficult for you to be as respected, admired, or followed.

Practically speaking, not all executives immediately possess all of the characteristics that spell success.Many leaders learn along the way with hard work. As crises and challenges arise, those at the top of thehierarchy have key opportunities to demonstrate to others that they are in fact, qualified to be leaders. Inactuality, greater competency can be achieved as a leader gains more on-the-job experi ences.

5. A strong team: Realistically, few executives possess all of the skills and abilities necessary to demonstratetotal mastery of every requisite area within the organization. To complement the areas of weakness, a wiseleader assembles effective teams of experienced, credenti aled, and capable individuals who can supplementany voids in the leader's skill set. This ability is what sets leaders apart from others. However, the leader needs to be willing to admit he lacks certain abilities and go about finding trusted colleagues to

complement those deficiencies. After building the team, the entrepreneur needs to trust that team tounderstand issues, create solutions, and to act on them.6. Communication skills: It does little good to have a strong mission, vision, and goals--and even a solid

budget--if the executive cannot easily and effectively convey his ideas to the stakeholders inside and

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outside of the organization. He must regularly be in touch with key individuals, by email, v-mail, meetings,or other forms of correspondence. Of course, the best way to ensure other people receive and understandthe message is wi th face-to-face interactions.

Getting out of the office or touring different sites is an irreplaceable method of building rapport andsending and receiving messages. "Management By Walking Around," or MBWA, meeting employees attheir workstations or conference rooms, or joining them for lunch are just a few of the many effectiveapproaches leaders can use to develop positive contacts wi th employees.

7. Interpersonal skills: Successful entrepreneurs are comfortable relating to other people; they easily createrapport and are at least more extroverted than they are introverted. These factors help leaders seemapproachable, likeable, and comfortable in their position. Those qualities contribute to staff wanting tointeract with their leader. They also help motivate employees to do a better job. When workers can relate totheir boss, they believe that their boss is more concerned about them, with their performance, and withtheir output. Furthermore, they believe that they can go to their boss with problems they encounter on thejob without fearing consequences for not knowing how to resolve issues.

Not all entrepreneurs are adept at interpersonal skills. Those that aren't, might find it helpful to take acourse, choose a mentor or locate a therapist to help them build interpersonal skills. The intangible cost istoo high to not improve these abilities. In addition, here's where a strong team comes into play. The lessexperienced leader who is still learning these skills can rely on the team to get out and to "press the flesh,"

interact with employees, and spread a positive attitude to help develop morale.8. A " can do, get it done" attitude: Nothing builds a picture of success more than achievement, and

achievement is the number one factor that motivates just about everyone across all cultures. Whenemployees see that their boss can lead and direct, has a clear vision and attainable goals, and actually gainsresults in a timely manner, then that person's credibility increases throughout the organization.Entrepreneurs must modestly demonstrate their skills to give their constituents valid reasons to appreciateand value their efforts.

9. Inspiration: Quite often, employees need someone to look up to for direction, guidance, and motivation.The entrepreneur needs to be that person. Hopefully, Human Resources has hired self-motivatedindividuals. Nevertheless, there are times, when many employees need the boss to inspire them by word or action. Employees need someone to look up to, admire, and follow. Even when the production or deliveryof services looks like "i t i s all going well," the leader may at times need to step in personally to offer asuggestion or encouragement to ensure that employees perform their jobs in an optimal manner.

10. Ambition: Resting on your laurels is bad for employee morale and entrepreneurial credibility. Employeesneed to be constantly stri ving for improvement and success; and they need to see the same and more intheir leaders. When the boss is seen as someone who works to attain increasingly higher goals, employeeswill be impressed and more willing to mirror that behavior. It's a win-win for everyone.

The basic message in this article is that you as the owner/entrepreneur need to "be out there" for your employees.Continually demonstrate to them why and how you earned the position you now hold. Communicate with themusing any of a variety of methods that show them you are worthy of being followed. Make that process inspiringand positive and you can almost guarantee that your results will be consistent with your efforts.

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