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Talk about the importance of leadership abounds these days. But can leadership truly be defined? Moreover, are the qualities of leaders identifiable and measurable? Thankfully, the answer is yes.

Individuals who possess five vital skills can be identified as leaders, given that they first must possess a compelling vision. Without this, most people see no reason to follow a person.

1. Accountability: Now that they have a compelling vision, leaders must be personally accountable, or possess the capacity to be answerable for personal actions and avoid placing unnecessary blame on others. There is a great deal of evidence to support people stop following anyone who does not have nor demonstrates personal accountability.

Most importantly, people who have personal accountability will do what it takes to be successful in any endeavor. If they need to develop additional skills to accomplish things, they will take the initiative to do so.

2. Powers of Persuasion: Having a compelling vision without the ability to persuade people to follow that vision tends to lead nowhere. Leaders who have mastered persuasion get immediate feedback when communicating with others and, while respecting differences, they convince others to change the way they think – and behave.

3. Going for a Goal: Along with persuasion, being goal-oriented is a must. Persuading people of a compelling vision will go nowhere unless the leader has a goal in mind. The goal becomes a part of the vision and is one of the traits of defining a leader. Part of being goal-oriented is being able to identify and prioritize activities that lead to a goal that is relevant, realistic and attainable. Leaders are those who identify and implement plans and milestones to achieve specific business goals.

4. Pleasing the People: A leader is a master of interpersonal skills – otherwise known as people skills. Leaders must be capable of working with all types of people. Mastery in this skill gives the leader the ability to keep all the people on the team engaged and to avoid conflict, which may actually work against their vision.

5. Self-Management: Excellent self-managers walk the walk in order to reinforce their compelling vision and strengthen their persuasion. In addition to the ability to manage time and priorities, self-managers can also manage their emotions and impulses. Those who fail at self-management talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk. For example, if a leader believes it is OK for them to miss deadlines, it sends messages to their team missed deadlines are acceptable.
Leadership is much less ephemeral than one might believe. Spotting an individual who possesses these five skills will put organizations well on their way to identifying the leader in their midst.

By: Bill J. Bonnstetter People Energizing People Newsletter 01/24.2012

“The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind.” William James

How does a leader cultivate an attitude that will cascade throughout the organization to get results? It’s a tradition to begin each new calendar or fiscal year by taking stock of our business and thinking about how we want it to grow. Altering the life of the business starts here, and if employees are truly engaged, it sets the tone for the year.

In every industry there are businesses that really stood out in recent years. The ones that weathered the fluctuating economic landscape and pressed on to produce growth were driven by flexible people who were able to adapt as events unfolded. These leaders held themselves personally accountable for managing the changes that impacted their organization. This is the attitude that leads to innovation and profits.

How a business handles change is more important than ever, and will be in the future. Change is pervasive, thanks to the stream of technological advances that will continue to benefit every aspect of our lives. And change comes whether we’re ready or not.

“The best way to predict your future is to create it.” Abraham Lincoln

Leaders need to be personally accountable for truly engaging employees in moving the company forward. Resist focusing on the economy, because it casts your company as a victim of circumstances and distracts you from the elements that you do have the power to impact. To move your business in the right direction, build an organization that can roll with changes as they come your way.

Successful 21st century businesses, like their employees, thrive by cultivating continuous learning and flexibility so they can do more than just respond to change—they can lead it. Continuous learning is not a once a year event, it’s an every day, every week, keep-the-information-flowing-attitude. Leaders who recognize this provide books, magazines, trainings and other growth opportunities for their people. They make sure the team is empowered to be on the leading edge of their industry. When employees who want career advancement get a chance to grow, they’re motivated to make the most of it. And the company is rewarded with performance results that lead to innovation and profit.

“Here’s the way to engage your employees in growing the business now: involve them in continuous learning. Most jobs today require it for superior performance. It doesn’t make sense to have positions in your company that require continuous learning and not have a budget for it. Management needs to set the attitude from the top.”
Bill J. Bonnstetter

The substantial, both-feet-on-on-the-ground components that build success in any business are the competencies of the company’s leaders and staff. Skills like flexibility, personal accountability and continuous learning can be cultivated as part of the strategic plan.

TTI People Energizing People Newsletter Jan 14, 2011