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“The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say ‘I.’ And that’s not because they have trained themselves not to say ‘I.’ They don’t think ‘I.’ They think ‘we’; they think ‘team.’”

—Peter Drucker

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Leaders establish a vision, formulate strategies, scan the horizon for future problems and opportunities, generate ideas, and initiate new ways of doing things. Importantly, they also motivate employees.

Leaders do this by modeling the right behavior, setting high goals and standards for the company and for themselves, and displaying character and courage in their decisions and actions. The sense of purpose they exhibit, the image of a promising future that they paint, and the sense of urgency about the goals that can be achieved together make people excited about the company—and about them as a role model. In all of this, they motivate their followers to achieve.

Leaders can be found at all levels of a company, not just at the top. In The Leadership Engine, author Noel Tichy expresses the idea that the best companies actively develop leadership qualities up and down the ranks. As a manager, you are in a position to lead your group, but you have to earn the right—and the privilege. You do that by your contributions to the company.

You are consistently reliable; demonstrate intelligence, broad-mindedness, and a sense of fair play; show imagination and a willingness to innovate; and are direct and honest day in and day out. You support your colleagues and take the high road through conflict. You consistently exceed expectations. Through your actions, your colleagues learn that they can trust you. They come to have faith in your decisions, and know that you will always do the right thing, morally and ethically. Employees who feel that you are listening to them and employees who are learning from you are growing. And a growing, learning employee is, most likely, a motivated one.

Inspiring motivation in your staff yields loyalty and longevity. Without a strong leader, a business may plod along and never achieve greatness. But strong leaders who do all of these things make for stronger companies.

LEADING DURING CHANGE

Many people like to settle into a routine. They are comforted by the prospect of doing the same tasks tomorrow, in the same way, that they did today. They embrace the idea of a secure future in a known, static environment. They view the prospect of change as disruptive, difficult, and demanding. Change itself is de-motivating for these people.

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“Leadership seems to be the marshaling of skills possessed by a majority but used by a minority. But it's something that can be learned by anyone, and taught to everyone.”

—Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus, authors of Leaders

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Dos & Don’ts

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A CHECKLIST FOR LEADERS

Remember that having the title of leader doesn’t make you one. First, you must earn the trust of your people.

Don’t lead without a vision.

Do communicate your vision to your staff.

Do present a long-range view of problems and opportunities.

Do remain positive and upbeat.

Don’t hide bad news.

Do recognize that people need to be managed as well as led.

Don’t assume that success energizes employees as it does you.

Do empathize with employees struggling with growing pains.

Do communicate frequently with employees to let them know their efforts will be rewarded—and follow up on your promises.

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Yet in today’s business world, with consumer tastes evolving and technology expanding our world with every passing day, change is also a constant. The Japanese, revealing their understanding that change is essential in order to better oneself, have a philosophy they call “kaizen”—continual improvement.

As a leader, it’s up to you to make change the status quo, and to bring those who resist change—and that may be a significant portion of your staff—into alignment with those who are energized by it.

Resistance to change can take the form of complaining about the new boss or grousing about new rules and processes