What Makes a Good Leader? Ask Uncle Sam

By Tim Knox

What do the major generals who are leading the war efforts in Iraq have in common with executives and entrepreneurs who are conducting business back home? When it comes to leadership, the answer is probably a lot more than you think.

In a recent study conducted by the Army War College, subordinates of the major generals who are leading the war efforts in Iraq were asked to rate the performance of their superiors.

The survey revealed that the best leaders:

• Keep cool under pressure
• Clearly explains the missions, sets standards and priorities
• See the big picture; provides context and perspective
• Make tough, sound decisions on time
• Adapt quickly to new situations; can handle bad news
• Give useful feedback; sets a high ethical tone
• Are positive, encouraging, and realistically optimistic

According to retired Gen. Walter Ulmer, coauthor of the study, "The study showed that even when tactical and technical competences are excellent, interpersonal skills are critical."

What's that? People skills are critical in fighting a war? General Patton must be spinning in his four-star grave.

According to Ulmer the survey revealed that it is easier to teach technical skills than to teach people how to gain trust and build teams. In other words, trained tacticians are important, but the worth of a true leader may best be measured by how he leads, motivates, and treats his troops.

The study further showed that many key behaviors these generals exhibit were learned by example. Their former superiors displayed people skills and whether intended or not, taught those skills to their subordinates. This means that good leaders produced good leaders. I'm sure the flipside is just as true. Bad leaders often produce the next generation of bad leaders. We see it in business everyday. The recent rash of corporate scandals didn't just involve the bad guys at the top. They often involved subordinate executive who were following the leader's example and carrying out his not-so honorable plans.

Not surprisingly, the same traits found in the generals leading the effort in Iraq are the same traits found in many successful executives and entrepreneurs.

Keeps cool under pressure:

Contrary to what many believe, being an entrepreneur is not always a walk in the park. There is constant pressure coming from many fronts. Pressure to make a sale, to meet payroll, to keep the doors open, to keep the employees in line, and on and on. The best entrepreneurs learn to thrive under pressure. Pressure becomes a motivator, not a detractor.

Clearly explains missions, sets the standards and priorities:

Successful entrepreneurs understand that the organization runs smoother, better, faster if everyone is on the same page. A good leader makes sure his subordinates understand the mission at hand. He makes sure that everyone understands the expectations, goals, and objectives. He shares his vision and lays out the plan of attack.

Sees the big picture; provides context and perspective:

Many executives and entrepreneurs can not see beyond the edge of their desk. Great leaders not only see the big picture, they make sure their team sees it, as well. They share their vision and perspective for the long haul, not just the battle being waged today.

Makes tough, sound decisions on time:

One trait of the successful entrepreneur is the ability to make decisions soundly and quickly. You must weigh your options and choose a direction with minimal consideration time. Procrastination has no place in battle or in business. Procrastinating entrepreneurs will quickly become someone else's procrastinating employees.

Adapts quickly to new situations; can handle bad news:

In business some days are diamonds and some days are coal. Successful entrepreneurs are prepared to deal with the day no matter what it brings. They do not stick their heads in the sand and wait for the bad news to go away.

Gives useful feedback; sets a high ethical tone:

A good leader listens more than he speaks. He takes input from the team and makes decisions based on that input and his own expertise. He sets the example that he expects his team to follow.

Is positive, encouraging and realistically optimistic:

A good leader never lets his team see him sweat. He does not broadcast his negativity because he knows negativity is contagious and will spread faster than the plague. A good leader encourages his team to perform no matter the odds. He is the positive force that keeps everyone motivated to win.

Every entrepreneur should take a lesson from these generals, as should every corporate executive. I'm sure it would cut down on the time many of them are now spending in the stockade.

About the Author: Tim serves as the president and CEO of three successful technology companies and is the founder of Dropship Wholesale.net, an online organization dedicated to the success of online and eBay entrepreneurs.

3 Essential "E"s for Leaders... Engage, Empower, Encourage!

By Bill Thomas

"Enflamed with the study of learning and the admiration of virtue; stirred up with high hopes of living to be brave... and worthy..., dear to God, and famous to all ages." John Milton

Leaders are by definition "stewards" of the trust, hope and beliefs of others. To perform their acts of stewardship, leaders must practice and master three essential tasks:

• Engage People
• Empower People
• Encourage People

Many leaders have a problem applying those 3 "E"s to their leadership goals, actions, and conversations. Here are a few strategic ideas you can use to inject the three "E"s into your leadership styles and behaviors.

Engage the Hearts, Minds, & Wills of People!

"No seed shall perish which the soul hath sown." - John Addington Symonds.

When you plant a positive vision into the fertile fields of their hearts, minds, wills, and emotions, your venture is sure to succeed.

Your task is to help your partners, associates, peers, and constituents or clients to:

• Connect with,
• Believe in,
• Commit to,
• Organize for

performing that mission-critical activity, reaching fora desired objective or completing some specific task. The intent, consistency, and integrity of your leadership style, behaviors, and attitudes must demonstrate the worthiness of your visionary ideal or principles. In a word, you use your dreams or ideals to motivate and inspire the confidence and commitment of others.

Empower the Skills, Performance, & Competencies of People!

Empowering people means:

• linking them with the knowledge, resources, assets, and processes they need,
• preparing them for the tasks, activities, objectives, challenges, and problems they will work through,
• directing them to the sources of tools or materials, supplies, and resources, specialists or networks to enable their efforts,
• guiding them in identifying, classifying, mapping or modeling, learning, analyzing, evaluating, innovating, and creating managing, venturing, and leading for any situation.

By empowering, we mean facilitating the supply of energy, mass, and capability to perform the work at hand. To provide people with the energy of a belief, competence, or meaning.

"True hope is swift, and flies with swallow's wings; Kings it makes gods, and meaner creatures kings." - William Shakespeare

Leaders encourage us to have hope, we use that hope to add speed and give flight to our dreams, our hope transforms our lives into the lofty desires of kingly beings, and transmutes our efforts into a reality of kingly treasures.

Encourage the Endeavors, Strenths, & Confidence of People!

When you lead by encouraging people, you give them a:

• purpose for being, for their inclusion, for making a difference and contribution, for reaching upwards or towards a higher plateau
• obligation to the mission, to help others, to fulfill an ideal, to belong, to a higher power or greater good
• trust in the common purpose, in goodness of others, love and mercy of God, in a promising potential for the venture
• affinity with a noble or worthy enterprise, with other positive or success-oriented people, with a great and righteous goal

You encourage people because you realize they will become transformed by the hope of a positive image or possibility.

"None without hope e'er lov'd the brightest fair, But love can hope where reason would despair." - Lord Lyttleton

Leaders in government, business, and public service can easily find ways to use one or more of these key actions -

1. They can engage the hearts or minds of people through compelling ideas or inspiring principles;
2. They can empower the ability and desires of people by connecting or educating them through applied energy;
3. They can encourage the commitment and heroism of people by showing them the hope or belief in a better reality.

Try out these concepts - when you do, you'll see the real improvement in your leadership effectiveness! Engage, empower, encourage your people to win!

About the Author: Bill Thomas presents "The Leadership Toolkit" - serious leadership training for professionals, managers, executives, entrepreneurs, and specialists. Discover how to energize your leadership skills, boost your confidence, and get new knowledge through our articles, newsletters, & programs at http://www.leadership-toolkit.com/tools.html