10 Characteristics of Superior Leaders

David Javitch wrote a nice piece, in his Entrepreneur's column, with the characteristics of superior leaders. According him, the successful leaders share the following characteristics or views:

1 - Mission: Leaders know what their mission is. They know why the organization exists. A superior leader has a well thought out (often written) mission describing the purpose of the organization.

2 - Vision: Where do you want your organization to go? 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 climb onboard to fulfill it.

3 - Goal: How is the organization going to achieve its mission and vision and how will you measure your progress? Like a vision, goals need to be operational; that is specific and measurable. If your output and results can't be readily measured, then it will be difficult to know if you have achieved your purpose.

4 - Competency: You must be seen by your advisors, stakeholders, employees, and the public as being an expert in your field or an expert in leadership.

5 - A strong team: Realistically, few executives possess all of the skills and abilities necessary to demonstrate total mastery of every requisite area within the organization. To complement the areas of weakness, a wise leader assembles effective teams of experienced, credentialed, and capable individuals who can supplement any voids in the leader's skill set.

6 - Communication skills: It does little good to have a strong mission, vision, and goals--and even a solid budget--if the executive cannot easily and effectively convey his ideas to the stakeholders inside and outside of the organization.

7 - Interpersonal skills: Successful entrepreneurs are comfortable relating to other people; they easily create rapport and are at least more extroverted than they are introverted.

8 - A "can do, get it done" attitude: Nothing builds a picture of success more than achievement, and achievement is the number one factor that motivates just about everyone across all cultures. When employees see that their boss can lead and direct, has a clear vision and attainable goals, and actually gains results in a timely manner, then that person's credibility increases throughout the organization.

9 - Inspiration: Quite often, employees need someone to look up to for direction, guidance, and motivation. The leader may at times need to step in personally to offer a suggestion or encouragement to ensure that employees perform their jobs in an optimal manner.

10 - Ambition: Employees need to be constantly striving for improvement and success; and they need to see the same and more in their leaders.

Why Generation X Has the Leaders We Need Now

Tammy Erickson published a great article in Harward Business Publishing, where she explains why she thinks that Generation X has the leaders we need now. The Generation X is a term used to refer to a generational cohort born in the 1960s and '70s.

"Future leaders in all spheres will have to contend with a world with finite limits, no easy answers, and the sobering realization that we are facing significant, seemingly intractable problems on multiple fronts. Perhaps the biggest change from the past: leaders will have to listen and respond to diverse points of view. There will be no dominant voice", she said.

She is convinced that Gen X'ers will be the leaders we need, below are her main reasons:

- Your accelerated contact with the real world, for many through a "latch-key" childhood, has made you resourceful and hardworking. You meet your commitments and take employability seriously.

- Your distrust of institutions grew as you witnessed the lay-offs of the '80s and has prompted you to value self-reliance. You have developed strong survival skills and the ability to handle whatever comes your way with resilience. X'ers instinctively maintain a well-nurtured portfolio of options and networks.

- A sense of alienation from your immediate surroundings as teens, coupled with rapidly expanding technology, has allowed you to look outward in ways no generation before could or did. You operate comfortably in a global and digital world. Many of you are avid adopters of the collaborative technology that promises to re-shape how we work and live.

- Your awareness of global issues was shaped in your youth, and you are richly multicultural. You bring a more unconscious acceptance of diversity than any preceding generation. Your formative years followed the civil rights advances of the 1960s. High divorce rates during your youth meant you are the first generation to grow up with women in independent authority roles. You welcome the contributions of diverse individuals.

- Your preference for "alternative" and early experience in making your own way left you inclined to innovate. You tend to look for a different way forward. Your strongest arena of financial success as a generation has been your entrepreneurial achievements.

- Your skepticism and ability to isolate practical truths have resulted in rich humor and incisive perspective. You help us all redefine issues and question reality.

- Your childhood made you fiercely dedicated to being good parents, prompting you to raise important questions about the way we all balance work with commitments beyond the corporation.

- Your pragmatism has given you practical and value-oriented sensibilities that, I believe, will help you serve as effective stewards of both today's organizations and tomorrow's world.

Tammy Erickson is a respected expert on collaboration and innovation, and her work is based on extensive research on the changing workforce and employee values, and on how successful organizations innovate through collaboration. She also published a book about this issue, called What's Next, Gen X?: Keeping Up, Moving Ahead, and Getting the Career You Want. The book is in Amazon's pre-order. Based in her article, I think this is a good book.

10 Mantras for Emerging Leaders in 2009

Vineet Nayar wrote a nice article in Harvard Business Publishing, called 10 Mantras for Emerging Leaders in 2009, where he said "with the challenges facing businesses today--versus even six months ago--emerging leaders find little solace in the best practices that have worked so far." He has put together 10 mantras that might guide us ahead:

1 - Listen to the Cry for Accountability
Across the world of business, there is a blood cry for 'accountability'. With the most revered role models run aground--and more being bailed out--it is high time we open our windows to let the feedback in, even though we know it will not be pretty.

2 - Get into the trenches
Emerging leaders are moving up to the top floors. To corner suites. Away from the shop floors and the real action. We need to roll up our sleeves and get back into the trenches. I cannot repeat myself often enough - we need to demolish the 'CEO office'. We need to break down the walls of hierarchy, for our future role as leaders is not about leading from the top, but co-innovating at the front lines.

3 - Get emotional
With the increasing commoditization of people as "resources selling time," we risk not seeing people as individuals any more. And these individuals - employees and customers alike - are hurting and wary of the future. As leaders, we need to feel their pain and find the right solution. We need to understand the real pain points of our customers and help them find real solutions to their business problems.

4 - Chase the rainbow
As everyone watches the thunder, emerging leaders are the ones who will look hard into the dark and spot the light at the end of the tunnel. There is a rainbow waiting to break out, and abundant opportunities beyond. The sooner you spot it the greater the advantage your organization can reap.

5 - From Me to We
Collaboration is the need of the hour. The world needs the collective strength of all countries, organizations and individuals to pull together today.

6 - Nimble feet
The world will continue to flirt with unpredictability for a while ahead. As leaders, we need to stay agile, alert and nimble footed to change tactics mid-course with our eyes unwavering from the goal.

7 - Keep it Simple
The sub-prime crisis has made the world wary of complex financial instruments and foggy conditions. Somewhere along the way, complexity has gained respect in the world of business. It is time to wipe the mist off the glass and master the art of converting complexity into simplicity.

8 - Ask the right questions
Leadership today has changed from providing all the answers to asking the right questions. Keep an open mind and let fresh minds provide you with fresh ideas.

9 - Adapt to the new work order
Business today works across geographical borders on the back of a cross-culture, cross-currency, cross-product, cross-time zones workforce. So in 2009, emerging leaders will have to adapt to the reality of time zones, to multiple cultures, multiple currencies, multiple pricing.

10 - Yes we can
I think we have all realized by now that there are no question marks about this. Change comes to those who believe in it. As leaders, our greatest responsibility is to bring back confidence and the forward momentum and catalyze the positive energy of our people today to light the way to a brighter tomorrow.