Great leaders go beyond their title

Joan Lloyd  

Are you a leader others look up to? Whether your title is fancy or plain, would you say you are successful?

There was a time in my life when I looked up to people in powerful jobs and thought that they had it all ... success, power, happiness. After working my way up a few corporations and many years as a consultant with a bird's eye view, I came to know the truth: that there are many roads to success, happiness doesn't automatically come with a big paycheck and real leadership doesn't come with the title.

I study successful leaders. After all, my job is to help people build a successful career. And while there are many individuals who understand the technical parts of their business and are wizards in their industry, in my view, there are very few who have mastered the art and science of great leadership.

Here are some of the characteristics that I think make the difference.
• They are courageous. When times are tough and hard decisions need to be made, they step forward and make the call. While others are running for cover, they are willing to do what they think is right and take responsibility for the outcome.

• They can envision the future and are able to help others see it too. They believe so strongly in their picture of a desired future that their steps are a decisive march in one direction and their actions leave a clear path to follow.

• They make the most of even the smallest opportunity. Because they are so clear about their vision, they are quick to see a potential advantage or an alternative solution to a problem. Their pace may be slow and steady but they are alert to any avenue that will help them reach their goals.

• They don't need to waste time playing political games. While they have the emotional intelligence to deal with different personalities, they don't stoop to manipulation, social climbing or patronizing behavior. They don't need to.

• They add value. Rather than take the easy way out, they look for problems to solve and apply themselves to untangling the mess. They are willing to move laterally within the company or move to an undesirable area of the organization to get the job done.

• They are survivors. Rather than whine about fairness, they empower themselves to do whatever it takes to rise above adversity. Entitlement and victimization are not on their radar screen.
• They get a thrill from developing others. They make it a point to know the career goals of the people around them and then look for opportunities to put in their path. They are also quick to give credit and visibility to others.

• They believe in the inherent goodness and integrity of people and treat their coworkers and employees as though they have the best intentions. This trust is rewarded more than it's betrayed because people want to live up to this trust in them.

• They are students who never stop learning. They read books, attend classes and seek advice from those who can teach them how to approach challenging situations. They study behaviors and are close observers of people and strategies. Mistakes are opportunities to learn lessons.

• They have a servant mentality. They dedicate themselves to the outcome, not to personal recognition. Given the choice, they would rather see the team win and don't need to be the "star of the show."

• They are dependable to a fault. Everyone knows that their promise will be kept and a deadline will be met. Great leaders know that their word is the currency on which trust and credibility is built.

• When they're wrong they admit it and make it right. They don't blame others or faulty circumstances. They have the backbone and the character to own up to their mistakes. They don't wallow in their error or seek reassurance; they suck it up and move on.

• They have integrity. Even if it's easy to take the road to personal gain, they won't go down that path if it is at the expense of someone else. They make decisions as though a room full of people was observing each action. Instead of doing what is fast and easy, they will slow the process, if necessary to do what is right.

• They define success in their own terms. They don't let others make the rules for their own happiness. Often it's a balance of family life, personal achievement and doing good for others. They don't let other's "shoulds" and "musts" rule their choices. They make up their own minds and set the course for their own lives.