The Eight Traits of Successful Leadership

Leadership means different things to different people. There are different leadership styles, approaches, and methods as well as differences among cultures and countries. When we get right down to the heart of the matter, leadership is a motivating way of interacting with people that inspires responsibility and commitment.

We have been blessed with many leadership lessons throughout the ages from biblical figures to U.S. presidents to military icons, and there are common characteristics that all great leaders possess.

Successful leaders genuinely care about others and are passionately motivated to make a positive difference in people's lives. They understand it is not about their own personal advancement and they put others first. They have the ability and desire to remove themselves from the equation and focus on people, purpose, and cause. Did Martin Luther King Jr. have a dream for himself? No. He stood for justice, peace, and righteousness for all.

Strong leaders are visionary. They have the ability to passionately articulate their visions in a way that makes others want to get involved. Passion is contagious.

What other characteristics do strong leaders share? Take a moment to reflect on someone you know who is a successful leader. What makes that person successful? Do you see the following traits?

Leadership Traits

1. Discipline. Strong leaders have the discipline to focus on the vision and direct the actions of their teams toward a specific goal. Action is the mark of a leader. A strong leader is always doing something in pursuit of the vision and inspiring others to do the same.

2. Integrity. Leaders who possess integrity do not veer from their inner values and therefore can be trusted to act consistently regardless of the situation. Building trust is a key trait of successful leaders.

3. Dedication. Successful leaders inspire dedication by walking the talk and leading by example. They do whatever it takes to complete the next step toward the vision and they set expectations for others to do the same. Setting an excellent example demonstrates the kind of behavior that creates dedicated teams who achieve great things.

4. Fairness. There are two aspects of this trait; giving credit where credit is due and dealing with people in a consistent manner. Successful leaders purposefully spread recognition as widely as possible to ensure everyone involved receives credit. A good leader also checks all the facts before reaching a decision to avoid leaping to conclusions based on incomplete evidence. When people feel they are treated fairly, they reward a leader with loyalty and dedication.

5. Approachability. Successful leaders listen to and encourage new ideas. They suspend judgment and accept new ways of doing things to build mutual respect and trust, and capture new ideas that can advance a vision.

6. Creativity. The most important question a leader can ask is, "What if …?" and then be open to a plethora of ideas that may ensue. Creativity is not just an innate ability that few people possess. Creativity is the ability to open the minds of others and let the possibilities flow to find new and innovative ways to reach goals.

7. Sense of Humor. This is vital to relieve tension, boredom, and defuse hostility. Effective leaders know how to use humor to energize their people. Humor is a form of power that provides some control over the work environment and fosters good camaraderie.

8. Continuous Improvement. Successful leaders are always looking for new ways to learn, grow themselves and their people, and find new ways of doing things more efficiently. They are life-long learners who know their primary role is to teach.

Woodrow Wilson said it best when he said, "You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself (and others) if you forget the errand."

Continuous learning and sharing enables effective leadership. People don't have to agree with you, but they do need to feel you're willing to share what you've learned to support their development and participation in a shared vision and journey to success.

General Electric's CEO Jeff Immelt has a checklist of 'Things Leaders Do' that he uses to teach up-and-coming leaders at GE. Topping that list is the ability to "like" people. Jeff states, "Today, it's employment at will. Nobody's here who doesn't want to be here. So, it's critical to understand people, to always be fair, and to want the best in them. And when it doesn't work, they need to know it's not personal." 

Summary

The hallmark of leadership is genuinely caring about others. Helping people grow, reach established goals, and acquire a sense of personal accomplishment and satisfaction are the keys to successful leadership that builds on a foundation of continuous learning and sharing. Effective corporate leadership is achieved through developing the ability to understand what drives individuals to take specific actions, and the skills to create opportunities for them to meet personal and organizational needs at the same time.

The following resources are chock-full of research-based information for those who want to lean more.

• Bass & Stogdill's Handbook of Leadership by Bernard M. Bass. There are hardbound and Kindle versions of this book for less than $100. 
• The Art and Science of Leadership

Blogging with Bliss contributor and EB consultant, Peggy Rang, MS.Ed, is an accomplished executive coach, certified trainer, instructional designer and distinguished speaker. She is the president and senior consultant of Rang Training and Consulting where she provides business coaching and training services for organizations looking to improve performance and increase talent retention.

Escoe Bliss Professional Resources will provide your organization with the expert consultation it needs to build successful leadership. Please contact us if we can partner with you on your leadership and training needs.

What to Look for in an e-Learning Consultant

Now that you have decided to contract with an e-learning consultant, what do you look for in the individual? What skills and experience do you highlight on the resumes you will receive?

The answers to the questions above vary depending on the type of project you have and your company’s culture. In this blog post, I’m going to highlight a few skills that I feel are essential for the success of your e-learning project. Please keep in mind that these are my opinions only, gained from “boots on the ground” experience. It’s important for you to know your organization’s needs intimately and to select a consultant who will be a good fit for you and your team.

Project Management Skills
In an ideal world project plans are always on time (or early) and always under budget. In reality, milestones slip and change orders may become frequent discussion items. To keep your e-learning project on task and in scope, look for a consultant who has three to five years proven experience either in project management or as a business analyst. In addition, ask if they have had some formal training or certification in either of these disciplines.

If the consultant has completed some training in project management or business analysis, and has worked in these disciplines, you will find a consultant who not only understands your global project plan but who can also help you manage it in terms of the specific e-learning deliverables.

For example, let’s say you are rolling out a new, Web-based administrative system to replace tasks currently completed in a paper-based environment. You see the need for an e-learning course to demonstrate this new system and explain its benefits to your staff. You have an extensive, six-month project plan where the e-learning development is one of many tasks you manage.

The e-learning consultant with experience in project management or business analysis can take a look at your overall plan and its milestones, and make realistic learning design and development recommendations. Most e-learning consultants follow ADDIE (Analyze Design Develop Implement Evaluate) for the management of learning projects. However, you need a consultant who truly understands the big picture so that you have a project team member who champions appropriate e-learning deliverables in a way that works best for both your project plan and your learners.

Instructional Design Skills
Yes, I know, this topic seems too obvious to mention. However, in addition to the project management skills, I feel you need to look for an e-learning consultant who not only has proven instructional design skills but also has a heart-felt passion for the adult learner. You are focused on your organization and its business results, and rightly so. That’s your job and you do it well. In the middle of hectic projects, the needs of the adult learners could get lost amid the razor-sharp focus on business results.

To have a successful, effective e-learning program that produces the workplace performance results you seek, you need a consultant who will remind everyone about the learner and what the learner needs from the course. You need an advocate for the learners who litigates for them in the court of your organization’s many opinions.

Communication and Relationship Skills
Although I list business communication and relationship skills last, they are the most important skills of all. You need an e-learning consultant who has excellent people skills. When your subject matter experts (SMEs) and your project stakeholders meet with the consultant you’ve chosen, you want someone who will effectively communicate the reasons why he or she recommends certain learning deliverables as an advocate for your learners. And yet, you also need someone who can do this with grace and respect, and who will work with your colleagues. You want to look forward to seeing the consultant instead of dreading his or her arrival at meetings. Look for someone who can collaborate with your colleagues and compromise when it’s important for your business.

How Escoe-Bliss Can Help You
With over 15 years of leadership in consulting and workforce learning and performance, the professionals at Escoe Bliss have a large database of local talent at their fingertips. They can quickly assess your needs for an e-learning consultant, and work within your organization’s budget. They can find the talent who will help you bring your e-learning project to successful completion.

Jenise Cook, M.A., will be a featured guest blogger for the Escoe Bliss team throughout 2010. Her posts will appear monthly on Blogging with Bliss. Her professionalism and passion for her work in documentation design, e-learning development, and media production radiate from her writing and we consider ourselves extremely fortunate to count her among our guest bloggers. The first blog in her series on e-learning was Why Use an e-Learning Consultant.