The 2 Most Important Keys to Effective Leadership

According to a study by the Hay Group, a global management consultancy, there are 75 key components of employee satisfaction (Lamb, McKee, 2004). They found that:

• Trust and confidence in top leadership was the single most reliable predictor of employee satisfaction in an organization.


• Effective communication by leadership in three critical areas was the key to winning organizational trust and confidence:
  
  
  
  1. Helping employees understand the company's overall business strategy.
  
  
  2. Helping employees understand how they contribute to achieving key business objectives.
  
  
  3. Sharing information with employees on both how the company is doing and how an employee's own division is doing — relative to strategic business objectives.
  
  
  
  

Principles of Leadership

1. Know yourself and seek self-improvement - In order to know yourself, you have to understand your be, know, and do, attributes. Seeking self-improvement means continually strengthening your attributes. This can be accomplished through self-study, formal classes, reflection, and interacting with others.


2. Be technically proficient - As a leader, you must know your job and have a solid familiarity with your employees' tasks.


3. Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions - Search for ways to guide your organization to new heights. And when things go wrong, they always do sooner or later — do not blame others. Analyze the situation, take corrective action, and move on to the next challenge.


4. Make sound and timely decisions - Use good problem solving, decision making, and planning tools.


5. Set the example - Be a good role model for your employees. They must not only hear what they are expected to do, but also see. We must become the change we want to see - Mahatma Gandhi


6. Know your people and look out for their well-being - Know human nature and the importance of sincerely caring for your workers.


7. Keep your workers informed - Know how to communicate with not only them, but also seniors and other key people.


8. Develop a sense of responsibility in your workers - Help to develop good character traits that will help them carry out their professional responsibilities.


9. Ensure that tasks are understood, supervised, and accomplished - Communication is the key to this responsibility.


10. Train as a team - Although many so called leaders call their organization, department, section, etc. a team; they are not really teams...they are just a group of people doing their jobs.


11. Use the full capabilities of your organization - By developing a team spirit, you will be able to employ your organization, department, section, etc. to its fullest capabilities.

(U.S. Army, 1983)

Words that Inspire!

We can get acquainted with quotes of leaderships through schools, colleges, libraries, universities and they can be of great help as these are inspiring for the young generation for improving their leadership potential. After all, they are going to lead this future universe. These quotes of leaderships from famous people are often displayed by hanging them on furnished walls of interiors of the classrooms of the schools, colleges and universities.

In his quote “When I give a minister an order, I leave it to him to find the means to carry it out”, the great French King like Napoleon Bonaparte tells us about the basics of the administration. According to him, never impose your opinion on others though you are a final decision maker. Always analysis the suggestions from your subordinates and in critical situations try his capabilities, decision making and his approach to such situation. The great Bonaparte stuck to his quote and so he was the strong leader and a wise administrator.

Another quote from the famous American president like Woodrow Wilson is incorporated with very valuable message that “Leadership does not always wear the harness of compromise”. It means that sometimes, there is no place for compromise, negotiations in the governance. The leader has to take hard decisions for a peaceful cause and safety of the nation.

As a president of America, the tenure of Woodrow Wilson was the significant example of his powerful and sensible decisions, his governance. He was firmed to his opinions according to his quote and got a significant place as a true leader of America.

Likewise his quote such as “No man is good enough to govern another man without that other’s consent”, in his presidential inning of America, Abraham Lincoln gave importance to the teamwork and co-understanding between his administrative staff.

In the modern corporate world, these quotes on leadership are used as the guidelines for all those executives and mangers for carrying out the managerial and regulating administration more accountable and responsible. These quotes on leaderships facilitate them with various kinds of phrases, usages, rules, and theories of how to get excellence in the leadership qualities.

Such Quotes on leadership really facilitate them to how to make co-ordination between the employees, how to make himself strong for decision making in critical situation, how to persuade the employees from organizational threats like strike, low productivity and loss.

In the business leadership coaching sessions, leadership journals, online leadership columns, articles; the reader views and read a wide range of quotes of leadership. Therefore, such quotes instrumental with accountability and responsibility while managing any business organization. Some of the quotes of leadership facilitate you with the secret of leaderships. By arranging the special session on such quotes of the leadership, we see the enhancement in the potential and productivity of the employees.

The usability of such quotes from famous people of leadership is not limited to only business sectors. These are instrumental in every field of society like science, politics, educations, sports, space research, music, etc. so in adverse situation, these quotes on leadership reinforce our talent and confidence to overcome such situation. So according to these quotes, for acquiring success, satisfaction and development in life, proper   execution of leadership has to be there.

Source successfuleducation.com

The Heart of A Leader!

When you think of leadership what comes to mind? You can ask a hundred people and get a thousand different answers.  Some of the quotes gathered here will allow you to look at the heart of a leader and provide an overview of how only true leaders lead from a place of love and admiration.

"Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things." - Peter F. Drucker

"If you don't understand that you work for your mislabeled 'subordinates,' then you know nothing of leadership. You know only tyranny." - Dee Hock

"A leader is best when people barely know he exists. When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say 'we did it ourselves.'" - Lao Tzu

"The led must not be compelled; they must be able to choose their own leader." - Albert Einstein

"The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why." - Warren Bennis

"The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you." - Max DePree

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." - John Quincy Adams

"The leader has to be practical and a realist, yet must talk the language of the visionary and the idealist." - Eric Hoffer

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." - Abraham Lincoln

"Lead and inspire people. Don't try to manage and manipulate people. Inventories can be managed but people must be lead." - Ross Perot

"Those who try to lead the people can only do so by following the mob." - Oscar Wilde

"All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership." - John Kenneth Galbraith

"Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions."- Harold S. Geneen

"Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them." - John Maxwell

"The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision."-Theodore Hesburgh

"The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority." - Kenneth Blanchard

"Leaders conceive and articulate goals that lift people out of their petty preoccupations and unite them in pursuit of objectives worthy of their best efforts." - John Gardner

"Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"The ability to summon positive emotions during periods of intense stress lies at the heart of effective leadership." - Jim Loehr

"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity." - General George Patton

As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others." - Bill Gates

"Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy." - Norman Schwarzkopf

I'm sad to report that in the past few years, ever since uncertainty became our insistent 21st century companion, leadership has taken a great leap backwards to the familiar territory of command and control." - Margaret Wheatley

"The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership." - Harvey S. Firestone

"One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency." - Arnold Glasow

"The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers." - Ralph Nader

"You don't lead by hitting people over the head. That's assault, not leadership." - Dwight D. Eisenhower

"Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out." - Stephen Covey

"No institution can possibly survive if it needs geniuses or supermen to manage it. It must be organized in such a way as to be able to get along under a leadership composed of average human beings." - Peter Drucker

"The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good people to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it." - Theodore Roosevelt

"A leader is a dealer in hope." - Napoleon Bonaparte

"To be able to lead others, a man must be willing to go forward alone." - Harry Truman

"Example is not the main thing in influencing others; it is the only thing." - Albert Schweitzer

"People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader works in the open, and the boss in covert." - Theodore Roosevelt

The Ability to Lead with Integrity

Leadership is about character, integrity and courage more than being the smartest, strongest or the best at something. The foundation of a leader is integrity and must be displayed. The dictionary states integrity as; soundness of moral character; honesty. Simply put integrity means true to your word, owning up to your mistakes, not making excuses and taking responsibility for your actions. Courage is doing the right thing, for the right reasons even when no one is around. The ability to act is truly courage, action is how you are courageous to go against all the odds when you know something is right.

Do what you say. The saying, lead by example, are the actions of a leader. Think of someone you have personally known who you thought was a good leader, but it turned out they were not. They were saying all the right things and you probably believed them, but their actions did not reflect what they were saying. These are the actions of a leader who have their own agendas and do not possess the courage to do what is right for their people.

Leaders never give up on something, once they have chosen their dream. Many leaders have failed countless times, that is how they have learned. If you try to avoid failure, you will also be avoiding action. The ability to persevere and never give up is how you become a leader.

Integrity, lead by example and perseverance these are the qualities of a great leader. The greatest leaders are also compassionate towards others, but are not easily influenced. I will now leave you with a quote that shows the power that a single leader can produce. “I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion”… Alexander the great.

Source successfuleducation.com

Leadership DNA

What’s your definition of Leadership? In thinking about the comments I’ve received from readers on the topic of leadership I noticed an interesting paradox…while many of you vehemently disagree on the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of different leadership styles, most of you are in total agreement on the qualities and attributes possessed by great leaders regardless of style. In further pondering this dichotomy an interesting thought came to mind – If I could genetically engineer the perfect leadership gene what qualities and characteristics would constitute the architecture of leadership DNA? In today’s blog post I’ll attempt to paint the portrait of the perfect leader…

So, what traits would my perfect leader possess? Courage, character, vision, wisdom, integrity, empathy, persistence, compassion, aggressivity, discernment, commitment, confidence, a bias to action, a servant’s heart, determination, creativity, self-discipline, love, loyalty, confidence, outstanding decisioning ability, engaged, authentic, transparent, a great strategic thinker, passion, a positive attitude, intelligence, humility, great communication skills, common sense, generosity, the ability to identify and develop great talent, creating a certainty of execution, attention to detail, faith, an active listener, a prolific learner, respect for others, innovative, excellent tactical capability, charisma, extreme focus, a high risk tolerance, a broad range of competencies, and the list goes on…

If any of you possess all the above attributes please forward your resume to my attention! All kidding aside, the longer my list of desirable qualities became, the more I realized the frivolity of this exercise…There is no perfect leader; only the right leader for a given situation. As I’ve said in other posts, great leaders have the innate ability to call on the right skills in a contextually and environmentally appropriate fashion. No single leader can possess every needed attribute. It not the traits you possess as a leader, but what you do with them that matter. If I were successful in my genetic engineering exercise I would no doubt have created a leader who would be driven crazy by emotional and intellectual conflicts.

Leadership DNA aside, I recently crafted my definition of leadership. It contains what I believe to be the necessary qualities a leader must possess to be successful. While it’s a bit wordy, I’ve found it to inclusively articulate the principles needed for effective leadership :

“Leadership is the professed desire and commitment to serve others by subordinating personal interests to the needs of those being led through effectively demonstrating the experience, wisdom and discernment necessary to leverage trust & influence to cause the right things, to happen for the right reasons, at the right times.”

Since one of the leadership qualities I noted in the laundry list above is wisdom, I thought I’d leave you with the wisdom of others…Spend a few minutes pondering the quotes below as you consider some of the qualities which play into the make-up of great leaders:

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”
- Abraham Lincoln

“There can be no power without mystery. There must always be a ‘something’ which others cannot altogether fathom, which puzzles them, stirs them, and rivets their attention…. Nothing more enhances authority than silence. It is the crowning virtue of the strong, the refuge of the weak, the modesty of the proud, the pride of the humble, the prudence of the wise, and the sense of fools.”
- Charles de Gaulle

“Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.”
- Albert Einstein

“Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.”
- Stephen R. Covey

“It’s not the will to win that matters…everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.”
- Paul “Bear” Bryant

“You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get you anywhere.”
- Lee Iacocca

“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.”
- Willa A. Foster

“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.”
- John Wayne

“The true leader serves. Serves people. Serves their best interests, and in doing so will not always be popular, may not always impress. But because true leaders are motivated by loving concern than a desire for personal glory, they are willing to pay the price.”
- Eugene B. Habecker

“Doing the same thing over and over, yet expecting different results, is the definition of crazy.”
- Unknown

“Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There’s plenty of movement, but you never know if it’s going to be forward, backwards, or sideways.”
- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

“The future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious.”
- John Scully

“The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people.”
- Woodrow Wilson

“Even if you’re on the right track you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”
- Will Rogers

“When we are debating an issue, loyalty means giving me your honest opinion, whether you think I’ll like it or not. Disagreement, at this state, stimulates me. But once a decision is made, the debate ends. From that point on, loyalty means executing the decision as if it were your own.”
- General Colin Powell

“Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.”
- Dale Carnegie

“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”
- Helen Keller

“Let no pleasure tempt thee, no profit allure thee, no persuasion move thee, to do anything which thou knowest to be evil; so shalt thou always live jollity; for a good conscience is a continual Christmas.”
- Benjamin Franklin

“A person who is fundamentally honest doesn’t need a code of ethics. The Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount are all the ethical code anybody needs.”
- Harry S. Truman

Please comment below sharing your thoughts and insights on what you believe defines great leadership.

Source Mike Myatt