True Leaders ARE rARE

Unfortunately, we are in a time of leadership decline. Whether it be politicians, of all levels, public and private sector managers, non-profit managers, volunteer groups or just the overall population, true leaders are very hard to find. We would be wise to rethink what effective leadership requires so that we can identify and support those people who currently have, or potentially could have, the leadership qualities that will help to make all our lives better. Here are a few items to consider in our evaluation.

Effective leaders are transformational. They are devoted to positive change instead of maintaining the status quo. Yes, they gain credibility by having the technical skills that their respective role requires. But more importantly, they have specific leadership personality characteristics that they use in specific leadership behaviours to “get things done”. Finally, they are able to change their respective organizational / group culture so that their plans are sustained over time.
 
Leaders have a vision within which they develop long-term realistic solutions. Since they can see the “big picture”, they understand the complexity and interrelatedness of issues, and therefore they address problem root causes rather than symptoms. And they communicate their vision in a way that resonates with people so that they get involved and participate in it.
 
Effective leaders understand that their role is to serve people rather than serve themselves. They do not see themselves as being entitled, nor would they accept special perks because of their position. They leave their ego out of it. Rather than needing to be the “centre of attention” they enable their followers to be recognized for their contribution. Sometimes the strongest leaders are the quietest people in the room. They are better listeners than talkers, thus enabling then to know what their followers want and need, and how they can help them.
 
They hold themselves accountable for their performance. They don’t make excuses for lack of performance, nor do they blame others for being uninterested, uninvolved and non-participants. They find new methods to engage and involve people. They do not divide people into opposing groups for their own benefit, but rather they bring people together based on collaboration, compromise and mutual benefit.
 
They don’t make promises that they cannot fulfill, and they don’t manipulate or cheat. People willingly follow leaders because they are trusted, and this trust in based on their core values of integrity and honesty. They have the courage to challenge what they believe to be wrong, despite it being easier, and sometimes more personally beneficial, to say nothing. They approach problems head on, and try to solve them, rather than avoiding them.
 
 
People are attracted or repelled based on the quality of leadership. Since strong leaders are not intimidated by people who are more talented than they are, they intentionally attract talent. Weak leaders block talent, thus losing good people which results in a decline in member retention and organizational performance. True leaders want power, not for their own personal benefit, but so that they can empower and develop the skills of the people around them. This is how their performance is measured and how they develop more leaders.