Ever in your life felt like screaming, “Help, we need a highly effective leader!”
You can find literally countless books published on the subject, with no shortage of ideas and programs. Why then is effective leadership so hard to find and how do we know what constitutes an effective leader?
First of all, you have to describe what does effective leadership convey to you and your organization? In order to improve anything you have to have a clear understanding of 3 things.
• What does it look like when it is better?
• Where is it now?
• How do you measure progress?
First of all a leader brings results. The big difference between a leader and an effective leader is how those results are achieved.
In today’s complex, technical, and global environment, effective leaders must learn to utilize all available assets. This can be a change from the days when the leader was supposed to understand everything and touch everything.
To do that you have to attract and keep exceptional people, you need to establish an environment which is open to communication and innovation, and you must allow them to fail. Innovation with penalties for failing generates a “don’t rock the boat” attitude. Remember also, as a leader, you get what you reward and deserve what you tolerate.
So an effective leader obtains results, develops great people and is an active listener and communicator. They are open minded, non –threatening and just as important non-threatened.
So the next step is where is your company currently? One way to tell where your company or organization is, apart from purely results, is to consider the following warning indicators:
• Excessive meetings with no goal and no outcomes
• Lack of individual accountability
• Poor communication between entities
• Reluctance to terminate inadequate performers
• Apathetic and unmotivated personnel
• Inconsistent results
• Poor time management
• Reactive ınstead of proactive effort
• Lack of teamwork
• Duplication of effort
Most of these are signs and symptoms of leadership concerns.
Effective leadership creates an environment where things get completed, employees feel valued and part of an overall team. And do not forget, effective leadership begins with effective self-leadership. Are you currently demonstrating the characteristics that could cause others to want to follow you? The effective leader the organization needs may be hiding within you!
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I like and thank you for your blog. I retired from working in a government lab and in private industry and observed all of the bullet points that you listed. An early observation was that when our higher “managers” were holding lengthy meetings behind closed doors, things were not going well. As your blog also addresses self leadership, I feel that Steven Covey has an important contribution concerning character driven leadership. If we do not inspire trust, based on our own character and behavior, our followers not as trusting and committed.
Al
Al,
Yes, I enjoy Covey’s work as well. Started reading his material a long time ago when I was a military officer.
Thanks for your comments.
Blessings,
~John
Thanks for a awesome post and interesting comments. I found this post while surfing the web for free downloads. Thanks for sharing this story.
Hi John,
Thanks for bringing this important topic to mind.
For me, highly effective is included in the definition of a leader.
If a leader is not highly effective, it is not a leader.
Thanks for valuable reminder.
The more powerful high vibrating energy leaders, the better.
Thank you for producing such.
Gratefully,
´s last blog ..Who Are You Really? (part 1) =-.
Venus
.-= Venus
Great to connect with you John… I love your attitude towards effective leadership… The world needs more leaders I reckon!!
And you’re doing a wonderful job of training the art of true leadership.
I’m currently reading an amazing book called “The Servant Leader” by James A Autry… recommended to me when I participated in Tony Robbins Leadership Academy by his CEO Sam…. have you ever done any Robbins events? I know you’d love it.
There’s certainly a lot to learn here on your site.. thanks for sharing your wisdom and leadership.
.-= Sandhan´s last blog ..You are Brilliant and the Earth is Hiring! =-.
Sandhan,
Thanks for your gracious words.
Not sure if I have read Autry’s book. I have read several with a similar title though.
I am a fan and student of the late great Jim Rohn. Tony was one of his proteges. I have not done any of Tony’s workshops yet. I do hope to do so in the near future.
Blessings,
~John
Hey Dr. J.,
I loved your post. I wish more of our leaders…in business, and politics at all levels, would have – as a condition of employment prior to assuming their duties – the type of effective leadership training discussed in this article.
I look at my local “leaders” and shake my head at the lack of direction they provide. There is another side to this dilemma though… and that is the apathetic attitude prevailing among any group that permits this kind of ineptitude to exist in the first place.
I know everyone can’t be a leader… but everyone SHOULD be exposed to such a course in a mandatory high-school, college or university program.
If that’s not an option for some, it becomes be even more important that this type of information was available at the community level… delivered as even a rudimentary introduction.
Alas, a program designed to educate the public about the hallmark qualities of a competent leader would not serve most “leaders” well.:)
Look forward to your next post!
Chris
.-= Chris McCargar´s last blog ..SIVA’s Table =-.
Ah yes no one shoe fits all leaders and the trends affecting us all if life or business should regularly be assessed to insure we are not settling for okay but for exceptional!
.-= Robin Lynn Brooks´s last blog ..Listen for that Real Connection in Relationship Building =-.
Dr. John,
You are bringing up such a wonderful topic about leadership and I love the title “Help, We Need a Highly Effective Leader!”.
What has been on my mind lately about our leaders of today is that I feel Integrity must be openly displayed within their character. Like why don’t we all want to read or watch a speech on integrity done by whoever we are voting for President of the United States for or of any land, or employer we work for or place we do business with, or go to school at, why do we put people in places of power that do not have integrity is just plane silly to me. But it is what it is and that is our karma, is it not?
It is also very cut to me to see all the political, social, religious and emotional issues there are out in the world of today. War on terror is a little funny to me as well, when you think about that vibration and the issue of it, should we do this or should we do that to protect ourselves from the war on terror. If leaders of today would focus more on educating the world about integrity then the new focused energy of integrity would consequently work itself out with all these issues we seem to be having on this planet today.
I would bet my life that if for just one full month or less, if all there was on TV, on all channels 24/7 was “integrity vibration education” this world would be transformed over night, or in 30 days.
But that would literally shake things up and change life as we now in now, tuning our would right side up instead of upside down and backwards. Power structures would crumble and fall as we all collectively transcended this karma of pain and suffering, of poverty and starvation, of fear and loneliness that we all share at some level.
This is why we are here, to make a difference and transcend the fear, to clear the karma for peace to appear.
Having integrity is a path of clearing karma on all levels.
When we see someone with integrity, we see a leader.
Thanks for this post
Blessings,
PS.
.-= Jeremy Creager´s last blog ..You’re Invited To The Integrity Challenge =-.
Jeremy,
Thanks for your comments and your great discussion.
Based on what you have written, you may also enjoy two of my other articles: “A Leader and Honesty” and “A Leader and the Bible.”
Blessings my friend,
~John
Hey Dr. John,
Great Post! Thanks for sharing it.
Anyone can say they want to be a leader. But a true, effective leader is, like you said, someone that will create results. It is someone that continues to grow and share their knowledge, each and every day.
Regards,
Sharon
.-= Sharon Hartman ´s last blog ..Hold On To Your Dreams… =-.
Sharon,
Your comment made me chuckle about something I used to tell my lieutenants, “You can say you are the leader, but if no one is following you, you’re just taking a walk.”
Thanks for your comments.
Blessings,
~John
John,
You gave so many great tips to use as markers for your business. I feel the lack of goals and communication of any goals are top issues in many organizations. A clear, defined path is key.
Thanks so much for sharing this with us,
Val
.-= Val Wilcox´s last blog ..Discover Your Purpose in Life =-.
Val,
I agree. Clear communication and clear goals would solve a host of problems for just about any organization (and most individuals!).
Thanks for your comments.
Blessings,
~John
Hey Dr. John,
Great Post! Thanks for sharing it.
Anyone can say they want to be a leader. But a true, effective leader is, like you said, someone that will create results. It is someone that continues to grow and share their knowledge, each and every day.
Regards,
Sharon
.-= Sharon Hartman ´s last blog ..Hold On To Your Dreams… =-.
Interesting that most of the issues that are mentioned are skills based, that is things that people learn and sometimes apply. I think the area that really needs to be addressed are the “fears, worries, anxieties, …” that people face, the energy dreains. Understanding what makes people angry, upset, complacent or apathetic as a leader or follower would enable much more effective leadership to take place.
For example, http://energyleadership.com “Energy Leadership” is one such place that is putting a focus on the energy levels we operate in everyday. Knowing how we show up as leaders or followers certainly helps determine the potential of the organization or individual to achieve.
What are people not performing to their potential?
– Is it the inability of an individual or is it a boss who as the “Set up to fail syndrome.” It seems there is often a quick judgment to remove someone without understanding the issue first. My notion would be to understand the cause and get the person back into the game and hopefully they will produce at levels that are exceptional. Hiring a replacement is potentially risky and certainly expensive.
If organizations had “coaches” that helped people remove their own energy blocks imagine the potential that could be released, somewhere near 30-40% improvement in results, that would be pretty amazing.
http://coachwithheart.wordpress.com
Dan
Dan,
Thanks for your comments. I agree with you on many of your points. While helping and coaching others to understand Emotional Intelligence is critical, I have found at times (and for some individuals) it is just easier to address the immediate behavior / skills. In many ways, it comes down to the issue of Situational Leadership.
Thanks again & Blessings,
John