10 Characteristics of an Effective Leader

In the spirit of "full disclosure" the following list of characteristics of an effective leader are not mine. Somewhere along the way in all the information and notes that I squirrel away I kept this list because I thought it has merit and I have tried, sometimes successfully, to put into practice. I am not sure but I think the principles, if not the list, originated with Dr. Thomas Gordon a well known pioneer in leadership training. The work he began continues through an organization he founded in 1962, Gordon Training International. If these are not his thoughts, I apologize to the Gordon organization. However, I do believe they are good enough to have come from him.


Here are the 10 Characteristics of an Effective Leader:

1. Facilitator--Coach, Teacher, Mentor, Cheerleader. Facilitates as opposed to giving orders and controlling people.


2. Confronter--deals with problems right away.


3. Win/Win--solves most conflicts or disagreements where everyone wins, no one loses.


4. Meetings--conducts, at least once a month, an effective team meeting.


5. Task Clarity--make sure your people know what to do. Most people deviate because they don't know what to do.


6. Positive--encourage and affirm more than you criticize and put down.


7. Status--eliminate as many status barriers as possible between you and your people.


8. Integrity--establish an environment of honesty and fair play by personal example.


9. Listening--Listen more than you talk.


10. Fun--make coming to work in the morning an enjoyable time.

There they are. If you choose to adopt these characteristics in your own journey as a leader, I wish you all the best!

As Dr. Gordan asserts, "Being made a leader doesn't necessarily make you one."