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Lately, you can’t open a magazine or newspaper, let alone peruse the web, without finding articles about leaders who should have done a better job or managers who should have reacted better. From sports managers to politicians, it seems most everyone understands what makes a great leader, and these writers take great pride in dispensing their wisdom. For lack of a better analogy, this advice is similar to a “play-by-play” account of Frankenstein’s monster on the loose: “Now it’s running through the streets” (this problem is going to escalate). “Now the villagers are chasing him with torches and farm tools” (they don’t know what to do about the problem). “Now they’ve set fire to the building” (this is a long-shot, “Hail Mary” solution). This “armchair quarterbacking is useful for those who want to stay current, but it doesn’t really help people improve their leadership skills or allow them to be more effective as managers.
Good advice isn’t telling people what they should do. Good advice is suggesting to others what has worked for you before, and taking the time to share your trials and their results. It’s indicating where the pitfalls may be, but generally leaving the final decision of how to apply your advice to the leader. For me, a few key traits allow a leader to influence me:
Leaders are honest and sincere. Honest leaders give credit where it is due, a sincere recognition that others’ contributions really made the difference. These leaders thank others personally, not just as a fashionable announcement. That personal touch is one of their leadership traits. They show up at the funerals of relatives who were important to their employees. They ask about your family and know how many children you have and something about how your family functions. They see the best in you. A supervisor mentioned once during an annual evaluation that he saw me remove my shoe and pound in a loose nail on a piece of wood trim after some office renovations had been completed. For him that was an illustration of how much I cared about my workplace. Great leaders notice traits in their support staff that are keys to the team’s success. They gain respect by doing so. They are genuine, and genuine in their concern.