Leadership

I just spent a few very hectic days at a leadership conference. It was draining and at times a little too rah-rah, but it comes at a good time since leadership is a topic that's been on my mind quite a lot recently. I have a leadership role at work and have also had the opportunity to be a leader in a number of different capacities in my favorite community organization (and I've made plenty of mistakes in both arenas). I've also worked and/or volunteered with leaders who range from the gifted to ones that fall more or less under the category of if you can't be a good example, you'll just have to be a horrible warning. I think it's possible to learn from all of them, even if it's learning about how not to succeed.

There are a great many qualities and skills (which are not the same thing) that contribute to making a person a talented leader. It's hard to pick out the most important, but there are a few that particularly resonate with me:

1. Ability to inspire
A good leader respects his or her people and motivates them to think on a grand scale. Anyone can dream big, though; a good leader also gives his or her people the tools to draw up a battle plan and put it into action. He or she doesn't demand excellence as much as help find people a spark within that makes them both want to excel and willing to learn how. Part of inspiring others also means showing grace under fire while remaining open, warm, compassionate, and very, very human.

2. Willingness to share
Good leaders don't lay down the law from above and expect people to follow it. On the contrary, a good leader encourages people to speak up, listens to their ideas, and engages them in collaborative problem-solving. Giving people the chance to share in creating a solution motivates them to take ownership of, responsibility for, and pride in their work. Sharing also means sharing the credit: a good leader gives his or her people the opportunity to shine by recognizing and publicizing their contributions.

3. Willingness to protect
Despite all efforts to the contrary, sometimes things go south. When something gets focaccaed up through simple human error, a good leader swoops in to protect his or her people, even if it means taking a few dings for the team. A good leader doesn't punish his or her people for mistakes, but instead uses them as opportunities to learn and improve. A leader who is willing to protect his or her people and help them learn from mistakes inspires trust and loyalty through actions, at the same time recognizing that trust and loyalty are never given but rather earned over and over again, each and every day.

4. Ability to take calculated risks
Doing the same thing over and over the same way leads to stagnation. A good leader welcomes change, but he or she doesn't do it haphazardly. On the contrary, a good leader encourages new ideas, listens to them with an open mind, and implements them by working to maximize the likelihood of success and minimize the probability of adverse outcomes.

5. Humility
Every lousy leader I've ever known has an outsize, overblown ego. Every truly outstanding leader I've ever known is a humble person who knows that he or she owes success to a multitude of other people. These other people include trusted advisors who saw potential and helped the leader grow; team members who contributed to the entire team's achievements; and even rotten, horrible leaders who demonstrated every day all of the many things a good leader shouldn't do. A good leader knows that he or she is fallible: instead of sweeping his or her own mistakes under the rug, a good leader gives other people the opportunity to understand and learn from them. A good leader also welcomes and accepts constructive criticism from all sides, including people on the ground. Overall, a good leader remains open to understanding and improving his or her own faults, and he or she never stops wanting to become a better leader, a better listener, a better strategist, and a better friend.

I could keep going, but I'd rather hear from you. What makes a good leader in your eyes? I'd also like to hear about some of the best and worst leaders you've ever known and what made them so good or bad.