10 TRAITS OF LEADERSHIP. Garry Ridge – May 2010

The traits of leadership are difficult to measure, hard to observe and probably can’t be learned in a classroom or in the absence of having responsibility/accountability.

• DO WHAT YOU SAY YOU’RE GOING TO DO –
Organizations don’t pay much attention to what we say. Organizations pay intense attention to what we do and the examples we set, particularly if the actions are inconsistent with the words. Any inconsistency is corrosive. I hear what you say, I read what you write, I believe what you do
• YOU ARE EXPECTED TO BE COMPETENT –
Organizations expect their leaders to be competent and act with integrity. (I mean integrity in the broadest sense of the word to include team play and respect shown to subordinates.)
• HIGH SELF ESTEEM / SELF WORTH –
Leaders need to have a strong sense of self worth. This brings the ability to accept failures and criticism but without being so egotistical and hubristic that the person is not open to opinions of others. I’ve heard it said that good leaders have a level of self confidence that is slightly more than what is justified by the facts. They probably have experienced adversity at some point.
• LEADERS MOVE FORWARD –
Leaders are not afraid to act with a sense of urgency. They pay attention to the details (not by micromanaging but by taking the occasional deep dive to test what they’re hearing).
• GOOD JUDGEMENT COMES FROM HEALTHY LEARNING MOMENTS -
Leaders exercise good judgment, usually a result of learning from mistakes. Our successes normally don’t bring with them the introspection that mistakes do. Good judgment is also a result of a wide variety of, e.g. international, experiences. Good judgment comes from experience, experience comes from bad judgment
• LEADERS ARE CONNECTED & AWARE – TUNED IN – w/ MoJO!!!
They outwardly act and display what they believe internally. Leaders are particularly tuned in to the people around them and to subtle behavioral clues. They read a room well. This is akin to a good sixth sense about how to act in foreign cultures. They listen well. They have high EQ!!
• LEADERS VALUE THE GIFT OF CONTRARIANS & RESISTORS –
Good leaders don’t like yes men and sycophants. They know these people will cause them to fail. They are not afraid of surrounding themselves with strong people.
• BE A LEADER OF HOPE -
Leaders of hope have a belief that “this too will pass” – they keep the passion of their people – they exercise patience against panic, they gather the facts in a sense of calm.
• INVOLVE YOUR PEOPLE -
Involve the people, the best ideas and greatest support will come when people are involved and contributing – in the end – every decision will be made by the person who can make the decision – an informed decision maker has the people involved.
• ALWAYS STAY IN SERVANT LEADERSHIP MODE -
Remember leaders are there to serve – the Sheppard is there on behalf of the sheep – the sheep are not there on behalf of the Sheppard.
Note how in most of these a good quality e.g. self confidence becomes fatal when carried to excess e.g. hubris.

May you always find new roads to travel, new horizons to explore, and new dreams to call your own – life is about memories, as a leader – make new positive memories you’re calling –

Believe in yourself
Never give up
Take one day at a time

We all have something significant yet to do……

In this tough economy, companies need to do whatever they can to succeed, and that means helping employees do their best. As discussed in my new book co-authored by Ken Blanchard, Helping People Win at Work, there are a few things you can do as a business leader to motivate employees and keep them performing their personal magnificence on a daily basis:

• Stop building failure into your mentoring system. Trust is key to effective coaching. Build trust with your employees and help them succeed by accentuating the positives and celebrating successes. Everyone has “learning moments,” but don’t mark their papers – help them get As.

 • Agree with each employee on exactly what to evaluate and how to evaluate it. All good performance starts with clear goals. Create short-term goals that are specific, motivational, attainable, relevant and trackable. Then, build a partnership relationship with employees and coach them day-to-day to help them reach those goals.

 • Transform performance review into a powerful competitive advantage. Performance reviews should be about retaking a final exam. Mutually agree with employees what they’re going to be evaluated on in their review, and then help them be successful. In the end, the company gets the A.

• Build a tribe and culture that shares knowledge and encourages non-stop learning. In many companies, employees are forced into a normal distribution curve, or even worse, rank ordered. Not only does this type of system erode trust, but it also fails at holding managers responsible for coaching people and helping them win. Build an open, honest atmosphere that helps people develop professionally.

• Help people reach their full potential. You can build a truly great place to work, even in tough times. Every employee has his or her own set of skills, so it’s up to you to help develop those skills and create an environment where employees can thrive, lead and succeed.

Garry Ridge is President and CEO of WD-40 Company, based in San Diego. He teaches leadership, talent management, and succession planning at the University of San Diego’s Executive Leadership program

Learning moments and leadership lesson will soon be shared on the Learning Moment blog – I hope you will join in.

Garry Ridge