Leadership Characteristics

Proactive vs. Reactive

The exceptional leader is always thinking three steps ahead. Working to master his/her own
environment with the goal of avoiding problems before they arise.
Flexible/Adaptable
How do you handle yourself in unexpected or uncomfortable situations?  An effective leader will adapt
to new surroundings and situations, doing his/her best to adjust.
A Good Communicator
As a leader, one must listen...a lot!  You must be willing to work to understand the needs and desires of
others. A good leader asks many questions, considers all options, and leads in the right direction.
Respectful
Treating others with respect will ultimately earn respect.
Quiet Confidence
Be sure of yourself with humble intentions.
Enthusiastic
Excitement is contagious. When a leader is motivated and excited about the cause people will be more
inclined to follow.
Open-Minded
Work to consider all options when making decisions. A strong leader will evaluate the input from all
interested parties and work for the betterment of the whole.
Resourceful
Utilize the resources available to you. If you don't know the answer to something find out by asking
questions. A leader must create access to information.
Rewarding
An exceptional leader will recognize the efforts of others and reinforce those actions. We all enjoy
being recognized for our actions!
Well Educated
Knowledge is power. Work to be well educated on community policies, procedures, organizational
norms, etc. Further, your knowledge of issues and information will only increase your success in
leading others.
Open to Change
A leader will take into account all points of view and will be willing to change a policy, program,
cultural tradition that is out-dated, or no longer beneficial to the group as a whole.
Interested in Feedback
How do people feel about your leadership skill set?  How can you improve?  These are important
questions that a leader needs to constantly ask the chapter. View feedback as a gift to improve.
Evaluative
Evaluation of events and programs is essential for an organization/group to improve and progress. An
exceptional leader will constantly evaluate and change programs and policies that are not working.
Organized
Are you prepared for meetings, presentations, events and confident that people around you are
prepared and organized as well? 
Consistent
Confidence and respect cannot be attained without your leadership being consistent. People must have
confidence that their opinions and thoughts will be heard and taken into consideration.
Delegator
An exceptional leader realizes that he/she cannot accomplish everything on his own. A leader will
know the talents and interests of people around him/her, thus delegating tasks accordingly.
Initiative
A leader should work to be the motivator, an initiator. He/she must be a key element in the planning
and implementing of new ideas, programs, policies, events, etc.
10 Characteristics of Superior Leaders
Do you have these essential traits?
BY Dr. David G. Javitch | December 9, 2009|

Thousands of articles and books have been published describing what it takes to be a superior
organizational leader. Some researchers and authors claim a superior leader possesses certain traits or
abilities; others say it's all personality. Still others maintain it's the behaviors--not necessarily the
intentions or thoughts--that are crucial.

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

1. Mission: Leaders know what their mission is. They know why the organization exists. A
superior leader has a well thought out (often written) mission describing the purpose of the
organization. That purpose need not be esoteric or abstract, but rather descriptive, clear and
understandable. Every employee should be able to identify 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
encourage people to imagine it but concrete enough for followers to see it, understand it and be
willing to climb onboard to fulfill 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 and results can't be readily measured, then it will be difficult to know
if you have achieved your purpose. You may have wasted important resources (time, money,
people, and equipment) pursuing a strategy or plan without knowing if it truly succeeded.
 
4. Competency: You must be seen by your advisors, stakeholders, employees, and the public as
being an expert 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 the hierarchy have key opportunities to demonstrate to others that they are in fact,
qualified to be leaders. In actuality, greater competency can be achieved as a leader gains more
on-the-job experiences.
5. A strong team: Realistically, few executives possess all of the skills and abilities necessary to
demonstrate total mastery of every requisite area within the organization. To complement the
areas of weakness, a wise leader assembles effective teams of experienced, credentialed, and
capable individuals who can supplement any 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 to understand 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 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 understand the message is with face-to-face interactions.
 Getting out of the office or touring different sites is an irreplaceable method of building rapport
and sending and receiving messages. "Management By Walking Around," or MBWA, meeting
employees at their workstations or conference rooms, or joining them for lunch are just a few of
the many effective approaches leaders can use to develop positive contacts with employees.
7. Interpersonal skills: Successful entrepreneurs are comfortable relating to other people; they
easily create rapport and are at least more extroverted than they are introverted. These factors
help leaders seem approachable, likeable, and comfortable in their position. Those qualities
contribute to staff wanting to interact with their leader. They also help motivate employees to do
a better job. When workers can relate to their boss, they believe that their boss is more
concerned about them, with their performance, and with their output. Furthermore, they believe
that they can go to their boss with problems they encounter on the job 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 a course, choose a mentor or locate a therapist to help them build interpersonal skills. The
intangible cost is too high to not improve these abilities. In addition, here's where a strong team
comes into play. The less experienced 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.
When employees see that their boss can lead and direct, has a clear vision and attainable goals,
and actually gains results 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 appreciate and 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-motivated individuals. 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 delivery of services looks like "it is all going well," the leader may
at times need to step in personally to offer a suggestion 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.
Employees need to be constantly striving for improvement and success; and they need to see the
same and more in their leaders. When the boss is seen as someone who works to attain
increasingly higher goals, employees will 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 them using any of a variety of methods that show them you are worthy of being
followed. Make that process inspiring and positive and you can almost guarantee that your results will
be consistent with your efforts