I look for three C’s in leaders –
Character, Competence and Communcation
What is Character? In a word “integrity” – doing what’s right when no one else is looking. Staying on the job until the job gets done, right. This separates the leaders from the followers and shows you are committed to the company/agency and your responsibilities.
Next I look for Competence of two types:
Technical – The ability to actually do the job you are supervising. This allows your subordinates to follow you not just for your title and position but also because they respect your ability. If you can’t do the job technically, you at least need to know what the outcome should be and the right questions to ask and metrics to measure the activity’s success.
Leadership – The ability to get others to follow you and accomplish tasks. Too often people get promoted because of their technical prowess but never are taught to lead. They might be surprised that now not only are they accountable for their own work but also for the work outcomes of those they supervise. Good companies ensure new leaders are trained in the art of leadership.
Finally I look for the ability to Communicate effectively. This is the #1 skill set of the 21st century leader.
“Without a progressive vision, we dwell carelessly” – wisdom
Leaders should be able to communicate their vision effectively in both verbal and written form. You must be able to inspire and motivate your team to action. Without the ability to “win their hearts and minds” your team will only follow while you are looking and thus will not effectively implement your goals for the long term.
Three C’s that we must each continue to focus on in order to be outstanding leaders in our field.
(c) Copyright, 2017 by Paul Comfort, All Rights Reserved
