Leadership Ideas

It is said that a leader is someone who has followers. Even poor leaders have followers - but usually not for long. That’s because the goal of leadership is to get results. It’s hard for poor leaders, who abuse and harass, strive to control or pretend to have all the answers only to get nothing but short-term results.

Good leaders get long-term results by motivating and freeing people to focus on their assigned responsibilities. Even if leaders have no common traits; they share characteristics that; in total; define their work. Leaders:

Stand on Values

• There has never been a successful leader who did not stand for something. The longest lasting organizations have all known what their core principles and purpose were. The United States, for example, has concrete values put forth in the Constitution. Our values shape our lives and daily experiences. Take some time and define for yourself; and especially with those you lead; the core mission of your organization. Then measure your performance by whether or not you are fulfilling the purpose that has been set out. If you start with your foundation on values, you can build a strong leader within you.

Don't Over-Control

• Leadership has nothing to do with ordering people around, threatening them, or micro- managing their work. A slogan that can be heard within the FedEX organization says it well, "An ounce of inspiration is worth a pound of control." Old-fashioned, "command and control" managers work a lot harder than good leaders. They need to be everywhere, solving people's problems and telling them what to do and how to do it. Good leaders, in contrast, do what's necessary to prepare people to make their own decisions and achieve goals. Then they can attend to more strategic matters, safe in the knowledge that their people are most likely doing the right thing. (And if they are not, at least they are learning.)

Anticipate and Avoid Problems

• One of the foremost functions of a leader is to look ahead and make changes when called for, even drastic changes. Bill Gates of Microsoft apparently shut down whole programs in midstream to put people on what he considered a more pressing issue: dominating the World Wide Web. Perhaps Gates moved a tad slower than he could have. After all, companies generally follow Microsoft, not show it where to go, but few chieftains would recommit corporate resources as swiftly or massively as did Gates.

Dress and Act the Part

• Never deny the aspect of leadership concerned with outward appearances. Looking and dressing like a leader, talking like a leader, and playing the symbolic role of a leader even when you don't feel like it will impact your success as a leader. Consider your role in the context of your organizational life. To motivate people properly and to maintain your chapter's relations with other entities (i.e., the university, the community, other Greek organizations), you may need to put on a three-piece suit. In some situations, jeans and running shoes may work better. People won't look far beyond your grooming and clothing when considering the job you have. You'll know how people want you to look and act. Satisfy them so you can get on with the job of leading.