The first list is from Warren Bennis, a professor of Business Administration at the University of Southern California and the best selling author of “On Becoming a Leader” and many other books on leadership.
Warren Bennis’s Ingredients for Leadership
| Concept | What it means |
| Guiding Vision | You have a clear concept of what you want to do — professionally and personally |
| Passion | You love what you do |
| Integrity | You know your strengths and weaknesses and are true to your principles |
| Trust | You have earned people’s trust |
| Daring | You are willing to take risks |
| Curiosity | You want to keep learning |
Our experience is that the strongest attribute that a leader can have is a clearly defined vision and the ability to communicate that vision and get your staff and community to be willing followers and allies to you in achieving that vision.
Source: Warren Bennis, On Becoming a Leader.
Henry Ford, Walt Disney, Sir Winston Churchill and Martin Luther King all had the ability to communicate their personal vision.
Martin Luther Kings famous speech expressing his dream is well worth repeating.
How many of us could articulate our vision to our staff as effectively as that?
Now we will visit Stephen Covey’s list of Leadership characteristics.
Stephen Covey’s Eight Discernable Characteristics of Principal-Centered Leadership
| Characteristics | What it means |
| Continual learning | Seek training, take classes, listen, ask questions |
| Service orientation | See life as a mission, not as a career |
| Radiate positive energy | You are cheerful, pleasant, happy, optimistic, positive, enthusiastic and hopeful |
| Believe in other people | Don’t label, don’t overreact, don’t carry grudges or prejudge people |
| Synergize | You are productive and “smart working” |
| Lead a balanced life | You are temperate, wise, sensible, physically active, socially active, and well read |
| See life as an adventure | You are courageous, unflappable, totally flexible explorer |
| Balance your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual characteristics | You engage in exercise, reading, writing, creative problem solving, you pray, meditate, and watch what you eat |
Source: “Principle-Centered Leadership” by Stephen Covey.
Now you can rate yourself against the issues that have been highlighted above. As in all these things there are no definitive right or wrong attributes that fit great leaders.
Peter Drucker, known as a great respected authority on leadership and still active in coaching and teaching the subject in his nineties stated that there are no set fundamental traits for great leaders.
We are all individuals, however in my opinion the key issues are to be able to “command and not demand respect” and to be able to listen effectively and have empathy for the other persons point of view. Its all about relationships.
Article written by Bill Winter, Mindshop Facilitator
