Copyright Bill Communications Nov 1994SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE LEADERS
Which of your employees has what it takes to lead? According to executives and consultants, there are at least seven key traits that most employees with leadership skills possess:
EXCELLENCE IN THEIR FIELD.
A simple rule of thumb is, mediocrity doesn't breed respect--only excellence can. "It's a matter of credibility," says George Hunter, a senior vice president and director of sales for Wells Fargo Bank, in San Francisco. "Someone who is successful at what he or she does will be admired, and is more likely to be followed."
SELF-KNOWLEDGE.
It's not enough, however, to be a top performer. Great leaders know why they're great, and can teach their talents and expertise. They aren't necessarily "naturals." "If you engage a top performer in a conversation about her success, could she explain it?" says Randall Murphy, president of the Acclivus Corporation, a consulting and training company in Dallas. "If her talent is something magical, and she doesn't know why she's good, she won't be very patient with other people's development. Great leaders are also great teachers."
STRATEGIC THINKING.
This is what George Bush flippantly called the "vision thing," but it may be the most important trait a leader needs. some employees do their jobs well, but don't see the big picture, or just don't care about it. Budding leaders, no matter where they are on the corporate ladder, think and care about the strategic direction of their companies. They also bring imagination to problem-solving. "When we look for people who think strategically, we watch their creatively as they take on assignments," says Dom De Young, director, leadership development, for IBM U. S., in White Plains, New York. "We want to see if they go down the standard path in looking for solutions, or if they bring fresh, new ideas."
THE ABILITY TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS.
"Leaders need followers, and people will follow only someone whom they can trust," says Benson Smith, executive vice president of operations for 
C. R. Bard Inc., a medical devices company in Murray Hill, New Jersey. "To find out if someone can lead, look at that person's history in the organization, find out if he has supporters or a constituency. Ask yourself, 'If that person left, how many people would follow him out the door?'"
WILLINGNESS TO HELP OTHERS SUCCEED.
When many top performers become managers, they bring their egos with them to the corner office. Big mistake. The best potential leaders are employees who often go out of their way to assist their colleagues. "Leaders must have low ego needs, because their main role is to let other people excel," says Ken Blanchard, founder of Blanchard Training and Development in Escondido, California, and co-author of The One-Minute Manager. "Good managers know the old saying that it's amazing what you can get done if you don't mind who gets the credit."
A DESIRE TO CONTINUALLY LEARN.
In a hyper-competitive, knowledge-driven marketplace, education isn't a frill--it's a must. "I always look to promote people who take responsibility for their own training," says Richard Fruit, vice president of sales and general manager for Diversey Water Technologies Inc. in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. "I like someone who, if you're not offering a course she needs, will go out and take the course somewhere else on her own."
THE ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE.
This isn't about giving fiery speeches. It's about clearly telling people where a company or division is headed, and why. "Many managers cut staff or resources, but they never explain why, or convey any sense of direction," says John O'Neil, president of the California School of Professional Psychology, in San Francisco, and author of Paradox of Success. "Leaders have to let people know where they're taking them, and why they're taking them there. If they're making moves to increase profits or market share, they must tell their people that." In addition, he says, "Great communicators can do it graphically, visually, one-on-one, and in groups."
My Research
