How To Be A Successful

Leader
Laura L. Koppes, Ph.D.
U.S. Fulbright Scholar
Eastern Kentucky University
 HELP WANTED
 Individuals able to learn and keep
learning; determined to listen,
watch, and recognize what’s
happening; committed to change
wherever and whenever needed,
opportunity seekers who know how
to identify the best people and get
the most out of them.(Management
Notes, 1998)
 Content
 Successful Leadership: Why
important?
 Who is a successful leader?
 Management and Leadership
 The Leadership Challenge
 Leadership Definition
 How to Be a Successful Leader
 Conclusion
 Successful Leadership:
Why important?
 21st Century: a period of unprecedented
and transformative change
 Global Economy and Workforce
 Turbulence in world
 “The old organizational pyramids of the
nineteenth century are crumbling, being
replaced by upside-down pyramids and
circles and connections.” (Greenleaf
Center, 1997)
 Without leadership, organization’s falter in
times of change and turmoil.
 Successful Leadership:
Why important?
 Companies rated in the 20 percent of leadership
skills and development outperform their
industry’s average return to shareholders by 22
percentage points. (Lombardo & Eichinger, The
Leadership Machine)
 Companies with above-average leadership-team
strength enjoyed above-average revenue growth,
relative to their industries (Holden, 2003.
Corporate Leadership Council)
 Dr. John Kotter, Harvard leadership expert,
maintains that successful organizational
transformations are 70 to 90 percent attributable
to leadership ability. (Holden, 2003)
 Successful Leadership:
Why important?
 Lack of confidence in leaders
 Conference Board Report 2002 (Holden,
2003)
 In 1997, only about half of all employees
in a survey rated their organization’s
leadership as excellent or good.
 By 2001, one out of three employees
rated organization’s leadership as
excellent or good.
 Fall of companies (e.g., America’s Enron,
Italy’s Parlamat, Switzerland’s The Erb
Group).
 Successful Leadership:
Why important?
 Leaders in the News
 “Nepal: Thousands protest again
King.” (New York Times, April 2)
 “An Indian Champion: Vajpayee is
stunningly popular and appears
ready to lead his party to another
election victory. But can one man’s
charisma carry the weight of a
nation?” (Newsweek, April 12)
 Successful Leadership:
Why important?
 “President Jacques Chirac and his party
just got creamed in elections. Now the
real fun begins.” (Newsweek, April 12)
 “Argentine President Nestor Kirchner has
seen his approval ratings rocket to more
than 70 percent…Kirchner’s tough stance
on human rights, though, is generating
increasing opposition.” (Newsweek, April
5)
 Successful Leadership:
Why important?
 “Arab leaders Thursday condemned
President George W. Bush’s Middle East
policy shift as a dangerous move that
could stir violence…(International Herald
Tribune, April 16).
 “President Václav Klaus’ April 9 veto of the
country’s proposed new value-added tax
(VAT) act could plunge the economy into
chaos in the markets and spell trouble for
European Union relations.” (The Prague
Post, April 14-20)
 Who is a Successful Leader?
 Alexander the
Great
 Who is a Successful Leader?
 Napoleon I
 “A leader is a
dealer in hope.”
 Who is a Successful Leader?
 John F. Kennedy
 “Leadership and
learning are
indispensable to
each other.”
 Who is a Successful Leader?
 M. Ghandi: “…we must be the
change we wish to see in the world.”
 W. Churchill: “The price of greatness
is responsibility.”
 Martin Luther King, Jr.: “A genuine
leader is not a searcher for
consensus, but a molder of
consensus.”
 Who is a Successful Leader?
Are you?
 Do I get results?
 Do I provide direction and a sense of
meaning to others by reminding
them of what’s important?
 Do I create authentic human
relationships?
 Do I generate and sustain trust?
 (Management Notes, 1998)
 Who is a Successful Leader?
Are you?
 Do I give people a sense that they
are investing in the future?
 Do I convey a feeling of hope?
 Do I motivate others?
 (Management Notes, 1998)
 Management and Leadership
 The manager has his/her eyes on the
bottom line.
 The leader has his/her eyes on the
horizon.
 The manager imitates.
 The leader originates.
 (Management Notes, 1998)
 Management and Leadership
 The manager is the classic good soldier.
 The leader is his/her own person.
 The manager does things right.
 The leader does the right thing.
 The manager asks how and when.
 The leader asks what and why. (W.
Bennis)
 (Management Notes, 1998)
 The Leadership Challenge
 “Each of us contains the capacity to
be a leader.” (Warren Bennis)
 The challenge: to realize this
capacity.
 Leadership is a global issue: crosses
all boundaries, cultures, religions,
etc.
 Leadership Definition
 Leadership: an elusive concept.
 Numerous research studies.
 Many theories and explanations.
 Traits: The GREAT Man theory
 Styles/Behaviors
 Situational/Contingency
 Charisma/Transformational
 Leadership Definition
 Leadership: A process of influence
among leaders and followers who
intend real changes that reflect their
mutual purposes. (Appleton, 1999)
How to Be a Successful Leader:
Essential Elements
 Successful leaders must have the
ability to develop a vision of the
possible.
 Leaders guide the skills of others by
the sheer weight of their visions.
 (Appleton, 1999)
How to Be a Successful Leader:
Essential Elements
 Successful leaders have a clear
understanding of:
 themselves;
 the expectations, experiences, needs, and
interaction patterns of others in the group
or organization;
 and, appreciate the specifics of the
environment and the tasks to be
accomplished.
 (Appleton, 1999)
How to Be a Successful Leader:
Essential Elements
 Successful leaders depend as much
on personal influence and
competency power as on the
elements of legitimate power.
 The successful leader will be a
transformational leader.
 (Appleton, 1999)
 Transformational Leader
 Develop a vision that is both clear and
highly appealing to followers.
 Articulate a strategy for bringing that
vision to life.
 State your vision clearly and promote it to
others.
 Show confidence and optimism about your
vision.
 Express confidence in followers’ capacity
to carry out the strategy.
 Transformational Leader
 Build confidence by recognizing small
accomplishments toward the goal.
 Celebrate accomplishments and
successes.
 Take dramatic action to symbolize
key organizational values.
 Set an example.
 Coach and mentor.
How to Be a Successful Leader:
Essential Elements
 A successful leader will not only ask
questions and wrestle with their
individual and organizational
interests, but will also ask the
question:
 “Leadership for what purpose and
what public good?”
 (Appleton, 1999)
 How to Be a Successful Leader:
Strategies
(Technical Management Services, Inc., 2004)
 Make your  Reward cooperation

expectations clearly and hard work.

known.  Maintain good

 Share your goals, relations with boss.

 Accept diversity.
visions, motivations,
and reasons.  Admit your mistakes.

 When you promise-

 Give feedback about
contributions.
 Listen
 Build team players.
deliver.
 Periodically, disengage
from daily pressures.
 Don’t take yourself
too seriously.
How to Be a Successful Leader:
Characteristics
 Drive
 Honesty and integrity
 Leadership motivation
 Self-confidence
 Cognitive ability/intelligence
 Knowledge of the business
 Emotional intelligence
 Flexibility
Culture Contingent Leadership?
 GLOBE Research Project
 60 countries
 12 years
 Universally accepted leadership
attributes
 Culture –specific characteristics
 Universally Accepted
Leadership Attributes (GLOBE)
 Integrity-trustworthy, just, honest
 Charismatic, visionary, inspirational-
encouraging, positive, motivational,
confidence builder, dynamic
 Team oriented-team building,
communicating, coordinating
 Excellence-oriented, decisive,
intelligent, win-win problem solver
 (Landy & Conte, 2004)
Culture-Specific Characteristics
Czech Republic
 The following characteristics were found to
facilitate outstanding leadership:
 Integrity
 Performance
 Administrative
 Inspirational
 Nonautocratic
 Visionary
 Participative
 Self-sacrificial
 Team integrator
 Diplomatic
 Conclusion
As citizens of this turbulent dynamic
world, we each have a responsibility
to be a successful leader.

 Citizen Leader: influencing others to

create a better and peaceful world.
 Conclusion
Citizen Leader
 To create an environment where
people can thrive, grow, and live in
peace with one another.
 To promote harmony with nature and
thereby provide sustainability for
future generations.
 To create communities of reciprocal
care and shared responsibility.
(Allen, et. al, 1998)
 Conclusion
 “Leadership is not the private
reserve of a few charismatic men
and women. It is a process ordinary
people use when they are bringing
forth the best from themselves and
others.” (author unknown)
Děkuji !!
 Bibliography
 Allen, K.E., et al (1998). Leadership in
the 21st century. Rethinking Leadership
Working Papers, Academy of Leadership
Press.
 Appleton, J. (1999). Successful
leadership: An elusive concept at best.
www.redlandsfortnightly.org
 Holden, B. (2003). A 3-D View of
Leadership. Dynamic Women in Business
Conference, Harvard University.
 Landy, F. & Conte, J. (2004). Work in the
21st Century. McGraw Hill.
 Bibliography
 Lombardo & Eichinger, The
Leadership Machine
 Management Notes (1998).
www.markelinc.com
 Technical Management Services, Inc.
(2004). 19 strategies for successful
leadership. www.spectra-soft.com