By Bill Blades

Everyone knows that quality leadership is an important part of every successful business. A good leader can drive an organization to ultimate success, while a bad leader can potentially run a business into the ground. But what exactly makes one leader better than another? That question is extremely difficult to answer, as a good leader seems to possess a varied combination of traits, rather than a carbon copy of one specific personality type.

Still, today’s volatile business environment demands a definition of the ideal leader. Without at least some idea of good leadership traits, a business won’t survive against the competition. Part I poses five key questions associated with leadership with attendant comments. Part II will continue with a further five questions.

Q1:  What is the most important attribute of any organization?

Without a doubt, it is communication style. And communication is present in organizations with good and bad leadership. Either a leader paints a clear picture of the company’s vision for all the employees to embrace, or he or she adopts a “my way or the highway” communication style.

A study conducted in 2001 looked at over twenty thousand exit interviews and found that the number one reason people left a job was poor supervisory behavior, or in other words, bad bosses. And, one of the biggest factors cited in these interviews was poor communication skills.

With every interaction, employees become either more engaged or less engaged with their work and the organization. If the interactions are more negative than positive, you will produce disengaged individuals who become more and more disconnected from their work. Then, they settle in to a routine of apathy, and usually end up costing the employer a chunk of money.

Every leader must realize that each one of their employees is part of the company’s financial assets. For those assets to perform at maximum levels, the executives must focus on creating and nurturing a great environment within the organization. And, a huge part that environment relies on communication.

Q2:  What communication traits are found in bad leaders?

Everyone has heard the statement, “I’m the boss.” You can often find bad leaders shouting this statement at people, which is not only unprofessional, but it’s also obvious that the leader lacks respect and vision of organizational goals. And people naturally translate this into, “I don’t value you.”

Everyone knows that to teach dogs certain behaviors, treats and praise work better than whips. I’m not sure why more leaders don’t approach people in the same manner. When you verbally abuse someone, they usually withdraw. Being loud, getting red in the face, and pounding the desk has gone out of style, that’s if it was ever in style.

Poor leaders are also quick to assign blame and point fingers. They don’t understand that they should share the glory, and accept the blame. All leaders need to understand that mistakes are part of life. Everyone makes them. But when a leader criticizes someone, the whole organization loses part of its potential. In actuality, bad leaders create zombies by destroying the potential of their employees.

The Glengarry Glen Ross style of management, which fosters competition rather than teamwork, is dead. The Equation Research Survey revealed that ninety-six percent of 377 executives interviewed believe that yelling can never be an effective management tool. The message is many leaders need makeovers. Not in the form of adding new methods, but identifying what methods need to be modified or taken away.

Q3:  What communication traits are found in the good leaders?

Strong leaders, no matter the economic environment, display respect, trust, integrity, and reliability. But perhaps honesty is the most important quality a leader must possess. By being honest with themselves and their employees, good leaders foster an inspirational work environment that supports good behavior and innovation.

Another effective approach that good leaders often take is servancy leadership. This means they lead by asking what their followers need in order to be successful. Essentially, this approach treats every employee almost like a client. Good leaders must figure out what each of their employees needs, what makes them tick, and what they ultimately want to achieve. This approach leaves employees feeling empowered, respected, and important. And it makes them want to work harder toward the goals of the organization.

Good leaders also have vision. They maintain a steady focus on a long-term approach to a successful business that can weather the evolutionary nature of the economy. By combining that focus with great communication skills, the major battles are won.

Q4:  How important is culture of an organization to their overall success, and how do leaders influence this culture?

Outside of having a great product, culture is everything. It determines the ultimate success or failure of every business. In simple terms, culture means everyone going in the same direction, with shared beliefs, behaviors, and assumptions, for every single co-worker and client.

Everything, including culture, starts at the top. The top executives and the top managers are responsible for what happens in an organization, and they are the ones to blame when things go wrong. Therefore, leadership determines the culture, and culture determines performance. So improving the behavior of the leadership should be the initial course of action for a struggling business.

A large part of the culture is dictated by communication. Not just in what the organization itself communicates, but how it communicates it. A leader can chew on people all he or she wants, but all that accomplishes is a short-term drop in morale and a long-term drop in revenues. A constructive culture on the other hand, will drive people to better performance. Unfortunately, many leaders take a passive approach to the culture of their organizations. And many times the business leaders don’t know any better. In these cases, an outsider perspective may be extremely beneficial.

Q5:  How does a leader’s positive attitude affect their organization?

The positive leader takes time to express a genuine interest in people. And he does so because he feels it is the right thing to do. The positive leader listens to people, and understands their concerns. He knows that he isn’t always right and makes an effort to find solutions, even when he is actually part of the problem.

And positive leaders aren’t concerned with what they can get out of people. Rather, they focus on how to invest in their people and how to help them succeed. They focus on the positives, not just to be nice, but because it leads to enhanced performance. They consider keeping a positive attitude as setting employees up for greater success.

Leaders can check themselves for a positive mindset by tracking the number of times in a work day they pay a compliment to one of their employees. A good leader should strive for at least five compliments per day.

A positive attitude can make a great difference in a person’s ability, and not just as far as leadership is concerned. For example, when one negative job candidate with more skills and ability goes up against a positive job candidate with a shorter resume, most leaders would choose the positive person without a second thought. That person’s positive attitude will carry over into eagerness, creativity, and better communication skills and results.

Leadership for the Success

The universal ideal leader does not exist, but all good leaders possess certain traits. Listening to concerns with an understanding ear, a positive attitude, 100 percent honesty, and an approachable personality are the foundations of the quality leadership any organization needs to reach a higher level of success. And with an understanding of these characteristics, leaders can improve their methods and lead their organizations to rise above the competition. By applying these good leadership traits, any leader can be ideal.

(Note: A further five thought provoking questions will appear in the next issue of Ideas for Leaders. Ed.)

Bill Blades CMC, CPS is principle of William Blades, L.L.C., a sales and leadership consulting firm. He can be reached at 480-563-5355 or bill@williamblades.com.  See also www.williamblades.com