Copyright National Research Bureau Feb 2007Do you believe you are a good leader? You may not be able to answer without making a self-analysis. In the process of doing so, you may learn whether you are a true leader or just someone who gives orders and hands out assignments.
How your people see you is important because their feelings may be reflected in their degree of co-operation and their productivity. Your success as a supervisor depends on whether your people consider you an effective leader.
The supervisor who is cold, unfriendly and demanding often creates fear or resentment in people. Nobody works willingly for someone he fears. When subordinates respect their supervisors, they plan and discuss problems with them. They go along with what their supervisors want them to do. True leaders build confidence and enthusiasm in their people.
A boss relies on authority and gives orders to get work done. A leader asks for help and relies on cooperation. People working for a boss often do the work belligerently. People working for a leader usually do willingly. Bosses frequently use the word "I." Leaders prefer to say "we." Bosses feel they should run the show and claim credit for what is accomplished. Leaders want their people to participate in decisions and share with them the credit for getting the job done.
A boss seldom has time to talk with workers while a leader will go out of his way to greet them. The boss doesn't know what the workers' problems are. The leader asks the workers what they need.
Characteristics of Good Leaders
Studies of leaders reveal many common features. People aspiring to leadership should note how they measure up to the following characteristics:
* Energy. Leaders exude optimism and determination. They show their own commitment by working hard and setting the pace for others.
* Ideas. The person with a plan that benefits the group will quickly have followers. Leaders come up with ideas for almost every situation.
* Success. Followers coommit themselves to leaders if they have confidence in their plans and or their abilities.
Usually this is based on experience with their previous ideas. Aspirants without leadership experience need an especially good plan.
* Responsiveness. Leaders make sure they know what their followers want and think. Leaders quickly conform their plans to take advantage of the group's direction.
* Command. Perseverance in promoting a plan and quickness in reacting to challenges are typical leadership traits. People willingly follow leaders religiously if they believe the leaders have the best plans available and are doing their utmost to carry them out successfully.
Leadership Demands Believability
Whether you're expected to hold a meeting or direct a special project, don't let any fear of leading obscure your believability and ability. If this happens, you will appear indecisive and hesitant; people may patronize you rather than follow your suggestions. People must believe in you before they will accept your plan or try to work with you to complete a project.
If your objective is to meet your goals with the help of others, you want to be free of the most common fears that deter leadership - fear of failure, fear of making mistakes, fear of responsibility and fear of winning.
* Failure. A leader who is afraid to fail isn't likely to take the risks that many leadership decisions require. With this fear, you don't even try several approaches to meet a goal even though one or more may seem viable.
* Mistakes. While being cautious and considering all possibilities gives you a broad leadership view, if you monitor everything you say and do, you eventually become tired and overworked. When some decisions require more study, separate these from the routine ones. Otherwise, you risk becoming an inactive leader.
* Responsibility. An anxiety-producing aspect of leadership is being responsible for the outcome of how well your people perform. You risk being blamed or praised for your people's efforts, and in turn you are noticed for your own effort.
* Winning. Don't be afraid of appearing too pushy and aggressive at the expense of peers or workers. Remember, the fact that you will helps the department. If people sense you are afraid to win, then their motivation decreases, too. Periodically, you may be asked to handle a difficult project. This is where your believability really counts. Overcoming fears is a major step toward getting yourself, and others, to recognize your best leadership style.
The Importance of Delegation
To be an effective leader, you must know how to foster trust with your subordinates. An excellent way to establish trusting relationships is through intelligent, consistent delegation. Inexperienced leaders may avoid delegating because they are unwilling to give up what they consider as control over jobs and projects. They fail to see that this attitude is counterproductive.
When you, as a leader, attempt to handle everything yourself, you might accomplish good results in the short term. But you won't gain the commitment and cooperation from others that you might need for your continued success. Sooner or later, you're going to need help. You will have to part with some of the tasks to get the job done.
To build commitment and promote a productive team spirit, share your tasks. Recognize that delegation is not an issue of control or power but an opportunity for getting people' involved. When you delegate effectively, your subordinates will gain experience and confidence in their abilities. Both of these qualities will enable them to be more productive and advance in the company. Here are some tips on how to delegate effectively:
* State your goals. Clarify the objectives and the importance of the tasks you assign. Set a firm deadline for completion.
* Define responsibility. Specify what an individual is accountable for. Assign tasks that interest, stimulate and challenge people.
* Identify resources. Learn which people currently have the most know-how of the tasks at hand. Delegate accordingly.
* Establish controls. Plan step-by-step procedures and list priorities. Call frequent meetings to discuss problems and report progess.
* Motivate. Be aware that extra responsibility may motivate some people but not everyone. Be sensitive to the personal goals of each subordinate and supply whatever encouragement is necessary. Positive reinforcement is essential when delegating.
Abilities of Effective Leaders
If you were asked to sum up your leadership abilities, what traits would you put on your list? Are one or more qualities outstanding? Or would you select several, all equally important? After you have assessed your leadership strengths, compare them with the following descriptions of important qualities of effective leaders:
* Do what they expect others to do. Leadership always means adopting the same standards you expect others to follow. If you have a group of standards for yourself, and another for your subordinates, you simply cause confusion. Better that you exceed your own standards while expecting those who report to you to follow your direction.
* Realize they will never be able to solve all problems by themselves. Astute leaders know that suggestions are not necessarily criticisms. When a subordinate suggests a different course of action, it demonstrates the very cooperation the leader has been looking for and encouraging. Not all suggestions will be adopted, of course.
* Look for answers by applying the principles of good management. The best supervisors study successful management techniques. Training is as important for supervisors as it is for employees. Books and articles, videos and seminars keep supervisors creative and on their toes.
Leadership Roadblocks
Most people on the job react poorly to indecisive leadership. They react downright negatively to leaders who fail to exercise good judgment and common sense. Effective leaders are aware of the following roadblocks to good performance, and they go all-out to avoid them:
1. Not making clear the difference between their orders and their suggestions. This usually results in confusion that leaves people suspicious of future directives. If people don't know what you really want, they will suspect you are trapping them and will try to play it safe. Your indecision will cost you their respect.
2. Being fair to a fault. Blanket statements that overlook incompetence, as well as superior performance, turn people off. The only way to be fair with people is to give plaudits and brickbats wherever they are due. Otherwise, people soon get the idea that whatever they do makes no real difference to you.
3. Overlooking extra effort. If people complete their assignments and then voluntarily do something more for you, they deserve recognition. While you don't have to make a big issue of it, to ignore a special effort is a slap in the face. You won't get that extra effort again.
4. Underplaying your own importance. Playing humble is pure foolishness. People know who makes the decisions and whose decisions count. To pretend you are not important (for whatever reason) is to diminish your own stature and to insult the intelligence of your subordinates.
* Leadership Influences People's Performance
Workplace studies have shown that employees' emotional reactions to existing working conditions influence their on-the-job behavior. Thus, people's perceptions of their work environment affect and control their performance. Here are some perceptions that influence employees' success.
* Fairness and Justice. People are much more effective and efficient when working in an environment tempered by fairness.
Employees should feel that everyone is being treated the same. There should be no political motivation or preferential treatment. Rewards and promotions should be based on individual achievements.
* Assignments and Objectives. An effective leader makes sure that employees fully understand their work assignments. The best way to do this is to go beyond simple explanations by indicating the results you're looking for. When you focus on specifics, people better understand, are more motivated and more likely to achieve the desired outcome.
* Appreciation. People may not do their best when they feel their work is no longer appreciated. Therefore, you should always make an effort to make them feel they play an important role on the company team. Just saying "Thanks" often means a great deal.
* Acknowledgment. Employees need to feel that the company is responsive to their needs. For example, if the rest areas need sanitary attention or if certain supplies are frequently unavailable, employees may feel that the company isn't really concerned about their needs. This can seriously affect morale. People should be given a commitment that their concerns will be addressed as soon as possible.
* Positive Action. Companies who "police" employees can expect considerable job dissatisfaction, dissent and high turnover among individuals. If for example security people are permitted to to examine packages or brief cases when employees leave the work place, the search sends a message of distrust. Since the chances are few people are violators, it's demoralizing to imply all employees are guilty.
Being A Manager Doesn't Guarantee Leadership
All managers are not leaders. Just because a person has a title of authority such as a supervisor does not mean he or she has anything more than certain responsibilities. Being a leader, instead of just a manager, is a position granted by subordinates. You'll never find how to become a leader written into a job description. Following are the differences between a typical manager and a true leader:
Responsibility:
* The Typical Manager accepts responsibility.
* The True Leader looks for it.
Status:
* The Typical Manager demands respect.
* The True Leader gains respect through achievement.
Goals:
* The Typical Manager follows company objectives.
* The True Leader adds to company objectives.
Rules:
* The Typical Manager follows company line.
* The True Leader exceeds them when necessary for results.
Getting Results:
* The Typical Manager meets requirements.
* The True Leader betters requirements.
When Dealing With Subordinates:
* The Typical Manager protects self at all costs.
* The True Leader fights for subordinates even at personal cost.
Dealing With Superiors:
* The Typical Manager accommodates to their requests.
* The True Leader suggests ways to improve operations.
Leaders show they can help followers achieve their personal goals. To win that confidence takes effort well beyond that of a manager. But the effort is worthwhile. Once leadership is established, operational results and personal relationships show marked improvement.
| [Author Affiliation] |
W. H. Weiss is a consultant in industrial management. He has a B.S. in chemical engineering and an M.B.A from  Kent State University. He has written books and free-lance articles on human relations, management and engineering. |
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