This is Leadership

Coach: Start by thinking of leadership as a long line of people. At the front of the line is the leader.

The leader is the one who knows where the group is going.

The leader knows how they are going to get there.

The leader has told everyone the route they will be taking.

The leader has told each person their role in ensuring that the group arrives safely, on time and within the limits of the resources they have available for the journey.

The leader has made the vision of the outcome of the journey into a glowing magnet that attracts everyone in the group to feel great about the achievement of their ultimate goal.

The leader is constantly motivating and caring for each member of the group.

When a challenge arises that threatens the success of the mission the leader assesses the challenge in terms of the overall goal, develops a strategy for dealing with the situation (perhaps in conjunction with appropriate lieutenants) and implements the new strategy with vigour.

When the group arrives at its destination the leader praises every member of the group for their part in the successful conclusion of the mission.

When asked for his opinion the leader praises the efforts of the group.

Client: You make leadership sound very simple. What qualities make a good leader?

Coach: The qualities that enable the leader to carry out all of the leadership tasks I have just outlined.

The leader must be confident so that people automatically trust and believe in him/her.

The leader must be a clear thinker capable of developing good visions.

The leader must behave with integrity, honesty and consistency so as to earn the trust of his/her followers.

The leader must be decisive. Once his/her mind is made up he/she must not waver in his/her conviction. Vacillation causes confusion and undermines belief.

The leader must be able to make his/her thoughts, ideas and visions look, sound and feel simple.

Good leaders are good listeners. They are tuned in to the thoughts and feelings of their team and give respect to the opinions of others.

The leader must be able to distill his/her thoughts into simple messages that everyone can easily understand and believe to be achievable.

The leader must be a good communicator who can share his/her visions with the team in a way that inspires and motivates them.

The leader must be a good strategist, capable of planning clear routes to goals.

Good leaders are courageous. They stick to their guns when under fire from different opinions and ideologies.

The leader must be energetic and set an example of moving forward with enthusiasm.

The leader must have the charisma that makes people want to follow him/her.

Good leaders take responsibility for their actions and for their outcomes. They never blame others when things do not go as well as planned.

The leader must constantly review progress and make necessary course alterations to keep the team on track for achieving its goal.