The ultimate definition of a leader...

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.

Many of the defining characteristics needed for effective leadership -- like having a vision, integrity, commitment and flexibility – are essential. Another quality, as essential for success as the others, can be learned. It is the ability to motivate employees to help the leader realize ambitious goals. This quality can be developed by observing the behaviour of leaders who use these skills to generate the needed employee commitment.

The power of the leader’s position alone cannot guarantee enthusiasm and dedication from today's workforce. Instead, employees must be convinced that the leader’s objectives are achievable, understand that meeting the goals will provide a personal payoff and be inspired to make their own contribution. To generate the needed support from everyone in the organization, the leader has to put his leadership up to the test: He must be visible, crystal clear about his message and take every opportunity to demonstrate, live and in person, his passion for his goals. Unless he shows how deeply he cares, few others will care and his plan may be seen as another great idea that never took off.

Some leaders believe it is sufficient to communicate their goals to the workforce through the organization's internal media: employee publications, intranet, videoconferencing, etc. thinking that the more sophisticated the technology the better. Many have become obsessed with blogging because it makes possible instant communications with large numbers of employees, assuming they make the effort to log on.

All this is useful because it allows for repetition of the leader's message, which is essential for making an impact. But using media is not a substitute for interacting with employees face to face. Media cannot convey the intensity of feeling the leader has for his plan nearly as well as human contact does. The fact that the leader is there, that he has left the comfort of the office to communicate with employees, gives the message importance.

I hear you loud and clear

The leader must make his case loudly, clearly and consistently. He should take up every opportunity to speak from the heart in personal encounters with the employees. Doing this lets the leader express his message with absolute clarity and address any concerns the employees may have about it. There is an additional payoff: The workforce's views about other company issues will come through unfiltered.

Personal interactions with the workforce can take many different forms. The leader can make presentations in front of large groups. There can be smaller, more informal departmental meetings, where participants will feel free to ask questions or present problems. When the leader appears at these meetings it shows that he is approachable and welcomes interaction.
The leader also can conduct spontaneous walkabouts to fill in the time between planned events, have lunch in the organization's cafeteria, and drop in on the back office, the factory floor or a remote office where employees may never have seen the leader and will be particularly impressed. When a leader presents employee awards at presentation ceremonies the awards become particularly special. Praise from an employee's direct supervisor is a strong motivator; from the organization’s leader it is even stronger. Effective leaders are generous with their praise whenever it is deserved.

Presenting with impact

Putting leadership on to the test does not come naturally to some leaders, particularly those who have led primarily by issuing directives. But presenting with impact is a skill easily learned. Once learned, it becomes a habit and each presentation becomes increasingly effective. In any meeting, large or small, the effective leader captures the listeners' attention immediately, holds it for the duration of the presentation, and creates the kind of energy that generates action.

The leader should organize the message so it is clear and compelling. Doing so his message makes an impact to both the heart and head. He tells stories that involve the audience and reveal his humanity, which is important for establishing trust. The stories paint pictures, with characters, settings and action. The leader makes deliberate use of wording, voice tonality, posture, movement and timing. And his most powerful communications tools are his eyes.

Steady, warm eye contact is a sign of credibility. Failure to make eye contact can signal unease, defensiveness or perhaps lack of honesty. When talking with one person, the leader looks at the other's eyes, then moves away to avoid causing discomfort. With a large group, he makes everyone feel included by making eye contact with one person in the audience for as long as it takes to express a thought, and then moves his eyes to someone else in a different part of the room.

When a leader is able to zero in with eye contact toward one audience member, surrounding audience members benefit too; studies have shown that all the audience members in the area around the person being addressed feel they’re being spoken to directly. Using the eyes this way makes whatever anxiety the presenter has to go away because speaking one-to-one to an individual comes naturally. In contrast, nervous speakers scan the audience, never finding one focal point, which increases their anxiety because the brain has too much information to process.

Using the eyes appropriately is the single most important factor for communicating effectively; it has been shown in a study conducted at the University of Santa Cruz California back in the 1970s. The study evaluated the relative importance of 10 different presentation skills factors in presentations made by participants in presentations

Don’t use the Podium

Leaders who are effective presenters do not use a podium, a barrier that separates the leader from the audience. They have no need for podiums because they do not read from a written text. They understand that presentations that are read are considered old news and, as such, undermine the spontaneity that creates energy in the audience. Doing a presentation without visuals can be particularly effective when the presentation is intended to inspire the audience rather than convey information.

Effective leaders demonstrate their passion by putting their whole body into the presentation. They support every statement with an appropriate gesture and make large body movements to stress important points. They further emphasize these points with pauses or by raising or lowering their voice. Their choice of language demonstrates they are real because they avoid jargon.

Though the presentation may appear spontaneous, it has been carefully rehearsed. Unnecessary content has been left out. Questions that may be asked have been identified and concise, persuasive answers have been prepared well in advance. As noted earlier, though an initial presentation like this may require serious rehearsing, the process becomes easier as the leader seeks out opportunities to continue presenting. An expert speaker who gets a deep sense of pleasure from presenting can become encouraged to present his views about significant issues on the annual general meeting of the company. This further helps strengthen leadership positioning.

Knowing the Organization

The “putting the leadership on test” process must begin with honest assessments by the leader of how the workforce perceives him and how he in turn views the employees. Mistaken impressions can destroy communication and, with that, the leader’s effectiveness.

A leader may misunderstand the workforce's values, particularly if he is new. He may have come from a company whose employee’s value making lots of money but his new culture emphasizes a concept like "everything we do is for a good cause"

The workforce may not have a good understanding of the leader either. The leader may have served for many years but has not been very visible. Unknowingly, the leader may be sending out opposing signals.

This is not a call for the leader to improve his "image.” For honest, effective communication there must be authenticity.

Characteristics of Outstanding leaders

Whatever your point of view at the end of the day, outstanding leaders share the following characteristics:

1. Mission. Leaders know what their mission is and every employee should be able to identify with the mission and strive to achieve it.
2. Vision. A vision needs to be abstract enough to encourage people to imagine it but concrete enough for followers to see it, understand it and be willing to fulfill it.
3. Goal. Goals should be specific and measurable if you want them to be achieved.
4. Competency. You must be seen by employees and the public as being an expert in your field. As crises and challenges arise, those at the top of the hierarchy have key opportunities to demonstrate to others that they are in fact, qualified to be leaders.
5. A strong team. A wise leader assembles effective teams of experienced, qualified and capable individuals who can supplement the leader’s skill set.
6. Communication skills. The leader must easily and effectively convey his ideas to the employees and shareholders of the company.
7. Interpersonal skills. The leader must seem approachable, likeable and confortable in their position.
8. Inspiration. The leader must be able to inspire and motivate employees at all times.
9. Ambition. Employees need to be constantly aiming to improve the company and achieve its goals. When the boss is seen as someone who works to attain increasingly higher goals, employees will be impressed and will be more willing to copy that behaviour.

A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.