Soar to Success February 2020

manner or encourages others to make decisions. Maxwell says, “Not all good decision makers are leaders, but all good leaders are decision makers. • Agendas are multiplied – When the leader isn’t clear or present, then the people begin to pursue their own agendas. Teams need leadership to provide a unifying force. That unifying force creates a kind of synergy where the sum of the parts is greater than the whole. • Success becomes difficult – Leadership comes into play even when you don’t want it to. An organization will not, cannot, function the samewithout strong leaders in each and every department throughout the organization. When you think about what a good leader is, you might come up with this list of attributes: A good listener, enthusiasm, passion, shows appreciation, a visionary, role model, trusting, integrity, organized, knowledgeable, credibility, persuasive, charisma, team building, clarity of purpose, problem solver, attitude of service, leads by example, patience, willing to act without complete knowledge, understands followers, consistent, empowers other people, and adapts to change. These are the attributes that come up again and again when people are asked: “When you think of a leader, what are the characteristics of an ideal leader?” Notice what the list contains. All of these characteristics relate to the human side of leadership. That’s interesting because I often hear people minimize this side of leadership with terms like “soft” or “touchy feely.” Actually, applying these characteristics requires more strength than not. You can’t get production until you get relationship. Notice what the list excludes. Absent from this list are characteristics such as stern, mean, serious, short tempered, vindictive, tough, angry, harsh, punitive, controlling, violent, or ruthless. And that’s interesting because many popular representations of leadership emphasize at least one of these “hard” characteristics. In fact, these characteristics are the refuge of those who lack the strength (or the skills) to apply the human side of leadership. Many who exhibit these traits are relying solely on their title or position and that is the lowest level of leadership. Actually, it’s not leadership at all. How about you? How would you rate yourself as a leader compared to the list of positive characteristics? If you were to survey the people who report to you, howwould they describe your leadership? What is it like to sit across the desk from you? Peoplewant leaderswho treat themwith genuine compassion, courtesy, and respect. They want leaders who help them become more successful. They want leaders who inspire themwith a vision for a betterworld and showthemhowto go there. And that’s why John Maxwell says: “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” SOAR TO SUCCESS / Business Acceleration Strategies People want leaders who treat themwith genuine compassion, courtesy, and respect.