Leadership can be defined as one's ability to get others to willingly follow. Every organization needs leaders at every level.
Leaders can be found and nurtured if you look for the following character traits.

A leader with vision has a clear, vivid picture of where to go, as well as a firm grasp on what success looks like and how to
achieve it. But it’s not enough to have a vision; leaders must also share it and act upon it. Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO
of General Electric Co., said, "Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision and
relentlessly drive it to completion."

A leader must be able to communicate his or her vision in terms that cause followers to buy into it. He or she must communicate
clearly and passionately, as passion is contagious.

A good leader must have the discipline to work toward his or her vision single-mindedly, as well as to direct his or her actions
and those of the team toward the goal. Action is the mark of a leader. A leader does not suffer “analysis paralysis” but is always
doing something in pursuit of the vision, inspiring others to do the same.
 

Analysis

Integrity is the integration of outward actions and inner values. A person of integrity is the same on the outside and on the inside.
Such an individual can be trusted because he or she never veers from inner values, even when it might be expeditious to do so. A
leader must have the trust of followers and therefore must display integrity.

Honest dealings, predictable reactions, well-controlled emotions, and an absence of tantrums and harsh outbursts are all signs of
integrity. A leader who is centered in integrity will be more approachable by followers.

Dedication means spending whatever time or energy is necessary to accomplish the task at hand. A leader inspires dedication by
example, doing whatever it takes to complete the next step toward the vision. By setting an excellent example, leaders can show
followers that there are no nine-to-five jobs on the team, only opportunities to achieve something great.

Magnanimity means giving credit where it is due. A magnanimous leader ensures that credit for successes is spread as widely as
possible throughout the company. Conversely, a good leader takes personal responsibility for failures. This sort of reverse
magnanimity helps other people feel good about themselves and draws the team closer together. To spread the fame and take the
blame is a hallmark of effective leadership.

Leaders with humility recognize that they are no better or worse than other members of the team. A humble leader is not self-
effacing but rather tries to elevate everyone. Leaders with humility also understand that their status does not make them a god.
Mahatma Gandhi is a role model for Indian leaders, and he pursued a “follower-centric” leadership role.

Openness means being able to listen to new ideas, even if they do not conform to the usual way of thinking. Good leaders are
able to suspend judgment while listening to others’ ideas, as well as accept new ways of doing things that someone else thought
of. Openness builds mutual respect and trust between leaders and followers, and it also keeps the team well supplied with new
ideas that can further its vision.

Creativity is the ability to think differently, to get outside of the box that constrains solutions. Creativity gives leaders the ability
to see things that others have not seen and thus lead followers in new directions. The most important question that a leader can
ask is, “What if … ?” Possibly the worst thing a leader can say is, “I know this is a dumb question ... ”

Fairness means dealing with others consistently and justly. A leader must check all the facts and hear everyone out before
passing judgment. He or she must avoid leaping to conclusions based on incomplete evidence. When people feel they that are
being treated fairly, they reward a leader with loyalty and dedication.

Assertiveness is not the same as aggressiveness. Rather, it is the ability to clearly state what one expects so that there will be no
misunderstandings. A leader must be assertive to get the desired results. Along with assertiveness comes the responsibility to
clearly understand what followers expect from their leader.
Many leaders have difficulty striking the right amount of assertiveness, according to a study in the February 2007 issue of the
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, published by the APA (American Psychological Association). It seems that being
underassertive or overassertive may be the most common weakness among aspiring leaders.

A sense of humor is vital to relieve tension and boredom, as well as to defuse hostility. Effective leaders know how to use humor
to energize followers. Humor is a form of power that provides some control over the work environment. And simply put, humor
fosters good camaraderie.

Intrinsic traits such as intelligence, good looks, height and so on are not necessary to become a leader. Anyone can cultivate the
proper leadership traits.

Building Excellence
Leaders do not command excellence, they build excellence. Excellence is “being all you can be” within the bounds of doing
what is right for your organization. To reach excellence you must first be a leader of good character. You must do everything
you are supposed to do. Organizations will not achieve excellence by figuring out where it wants to go, then having leaders
do whatever they have to in order to get the job done, and then hope their leaders acted with good character. This type of
thinking is backwards. Pursuing excellence should not be confused with accomplishing a job or task. When you do planning,
you do it by backwards planning. But you do not achieve excellence by backwards planning. Excellence starts with leaders
of good and strong character who engage in the entire process of leadership. And the first process is being a person of
honorable character.

Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one. — Marcus Aurelius

Character develops over time. Many think that much of a person's character is formed early in life. However, we do not know
exactly how much or how early character develops. But, it is safe to claim that character does not change quickly. A person's
observable behavior is an indication of her character. This behavior can be strong or weak, good or bad. A person with
strong character shows drive, energy, determination, self-discipline, willpower, and nerve. She sees what she wants and
goes after it. She attracts followers. On the other hand, a person with weak character shows none of these traits. She does
not know what she wants. Her traits are disorganized, she vacillates and is inconsistent. She will attract no followers.

A strong person can be good or bad. A gang leader is an example of a strong person with a bad character, while an
outstanding community leader is one with both strong and good characteristics. An organization needs leaders with both
strong and good characteristics, people who will guide them to the future and show that they can be trusted.

Courage — not complacency — is our need today. Leadership not salesmanship. — John F. Kennedy

To be an effective leader, your followers must have trust in you and they need to be sold on your vision. Korn-Ferry
International, an executive search company, performed a survey on what organizations want from their leaders. The
respondents said they wanted people who were both ethical and who convey a strong vision of the future. In any
organization, a leader's actions set the pace. This behavior wins trust, loyalty, and ensures the organization's continued
vitality. One of the ways to build trust is to display a good sense of character composed of beliefs, values, skills, and traits
(U.S. Army Handbook, 1973):

Beliefs are what we hold dear to us and are rooted deeply within us. They could be assumptions or convictions that you
hold true regarding people, concepts, or things. They could be the beliefs about life, death, religion, what is good, what is
bad, what is human nature, etc.

Values are attitudes about the worth of people, concepts, or things. For example, you might value a good car, home,
friendship, personal comfort, or relatives. Values are important as they influence a person's behavior to weigh the
importance of alternatives. For example, you might value friends more than privacy, while others might be the opposite.

Skills are the knowledge and abilities that a person gains throughout life. The ability to learn a new skill varies with each
individual. Some skills come almost naturally, while others come only by complete devotion to study and practice.

Traits are distinguishing qualities or characteristics of a person, while character is the sum total of these traits. There are
hundreds of personality traits, far too many to be discussed here. Instead, we will focus on a few that are crucial for a leader.
The more of these you display as a leader, the more your followers will believe and trust in you.

Traits of a Good Leader

Compiled by the Santa Clara University and the Tom Peters Group:

o Honest — Display sincerity, integrity, and candor in all your actions. Deceptive behavior will not inspire
trust.
o Competent — Base your actions on reason and moral principles. Do not make decisions based on
childlike emotional desires or feelings.
o Forward-looking — Set goals and have a vision of the future. The vision must be owned throughout the
organization. Effective leaders envision what they want and how to get it. They habitually pick priorities
stemming from their basic values.
o Inspiring — Display confidence in all that you do. By showing endurance in mental, physical, and spiritual
stamina, you will inspire others to reach for new heights. Take charge when necessary.
o Intelligent — Read, study, and seek challenging assignments.
o Fair-minded — Show fair treatment to all people. Prejudice is the enemy of justice. Display empathy by
being sensitive to the feelings, values, interests, and well-being of others.
o Broad-minded — Seek out diversity.
o Courageous — Have the perseverance to accomplish a goal, regardless of the seemingly insurmountable
obstacles. Display a confident calmness when under stress.
o Straightforward — Use sound judgment to make a good decisions at the right time.
 o Imaginative — Make timely and appropriate changes in your thinking, plans, and methods. Show
creativity by thinking of new and better goals, ideas, and solutions to problems. Be innovative!

Retreat Hell! We've just got here! — Attributed to several World War I Marine Corps officers, Belleau Wood, June 1918 (key
ideal — take a stand)

Attributes
Attributes establish what leaders are, and every leader needs at least three of them (U.S. Army Handbook, 1973):

Standard Bearers

establish the ethical framework within an organization. This demands a commitment to live and defend
the climate and culture that you want to permeate your organization. What you set as an example will
soon become the rule as unlike knowledge, ethical behavior is learned more by observing than by
listening. And in fast moving situations, examples become certainty. Being a standard bearer creates trust
and openness in your employees, who in turn, fulfill your visions.

Developers

help others learn through teaching, training, and coaching. This creates an exciting place to work and
learn. Never miss an opportunity to teach or learn something new yourself. Coaching suggests someone
who cares enough to get involved by encouraging and developing others who are less experienced.
Employees who work for developers know that they can take risks, learn by making mistakes, and winning
in the end.

Integrators

orchestrate the many activities that take place throughout an organization by providing a view of the
future and the ability to obtain it. Success can only be achieved when there is a unity of effort. Integrators
have a sixth sense about where problems will occur and make their presence felt during critical times.
They know that their employees do their best when they are left to work within a vision-based framework.

Goddamn it, you will never get the Purple Heart hiding in a foxhole! Follow me! — Captain Henry P. “Jim” Crowe, USMC,
Guadalcanal, 13 January 1943. (key words — follow me, NOT “go”)

Perspectives of Character and Traits

Traits (acronym — JJ did tie buckle)

o Justice
o Judgment
o Dependability
o Initiative
o Decisiveness
o Tact
o Integrity
o Enthusiasm
o Bearing
o Unselfishness
o Courage
 o Knowledge
o Loyalty
o Endurance

The Image of Leadership — John

Schoolland
What kind of a leader are you going to be — the kind who thinks he is the best? 
Or will you be one of the very few greats 
Who attributes success to the rest. 

The U.S. Army's Eleven Leadership

Principles
— Be tactically and technically proficient
— Know yourself and seek self-improvement
— Know your soldiers and look out for their welfare
— Keep your soldiers informed
— Set the example
— Ensure the task is understood, supervised and accomplished
— Train your soldiers as a team
— Make sound and timely decisions
— Develop a sense of responsibility in your subordinates
— Employ your unit in accordance with its capabilities
— Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions

Organizations consist
of three components:
1. The structure gives the organization its form and dictates the way it will interact.
2. The followers respond to the structure and the leaders.
3. The leaders determine the ultimate effectiveness of the organization as the character and skills that they
bring determine the way problems are solved and tasks are accomplished.

U.S. Army 23 Traits of Character

o Bearing
o Confidence
o Courage
o Integrity
o Decisiveness
o Justice
 o Endurance
o Tact
o Initiative
o Coolness
o Maturity
o Improvement
o Will
o Assertiveness
o Candor
o Sense of humor
o Competence
o Commitment
o Creativity
o Self-discipline
o Humility
o Flexibility
o Empathy/Compassion

Are managers leaders? Are leaders

managers?
Managers need to be leaders. . . their workers need vision and guidance! On the other hand, leaders need to be good
managers of the resources entrusted to them.

Is Character Developed Via Nature

or Nurture (Ridley, 2003)?
I do not believe that the nature vs. nurture debate is linear enough to put percentages on it — on one side of the fence we
have nature and on the other side we have nurture. And while nature (genes) certainly has its influences on us, the
environment (nurture) normally determines the impact of a gene.

For example, one of the classic examples for discussing genes is Konrad Lorenz's work on the imprinting that occurs in baby
geese — they have it within them to imprint whatever is moving near them, which is normally their mother. However, it could
be anything else that is moving around them, such as a person. But no matter what they imprint on, rather it be their mother,
a human, or an inanimate object, the piece of the environment that they actually imprint on is going to have a huge impact
on their life. Thus genes provide the goal, but the environment provides the process. And it is what happens during the
process that will determine the outcome.

Piaget was probably the first person to think of children as species equipped with a characteristic mind, rather than as
apprentice adults (little adults). He discovered they went through a series of five developmental stages that were always in
the same order, but not always at the same rate:

1. Sensorimotor
2. Preoperational
3. Concrete operations
4. In adolescence they have Abstract Thoughts and
5. Deductive reasoning

Piaget's two contemporaries, Konrad Lorenz and B. F. Skinner took up extreme positions. Lorenz as a champion of nature
and Skinner as a champion of nurture. Piaget, however, dived right down the middle of this debate. He believed a gene's
meaning depends heavily on its context with the surrounding environment. That is, while a child goes through five stages of
development (genes), it is the active engagement of the mind with the surrounding environment (nurture) that causes
development. The two main forces of the environment are feedback and social interaction. From this, the child assimilates
predicted experiences and accommodates it to unexpected experiences.

For some time it was believed that animals grew no new neurons in the cortex of their brains upon reaching adulthood, thus
their fate was basically sealed by their genetic nature. This was apparently proved by a Pasco Rakic, a neuroscientist.
However, Fernando Nottebohm soon found that adult canaries made new neurons when they learn new songs. So Rakic
replied that it was only adult mammals that could not grow neurons. But soon afterward, Elizabeth Gould found that rats
grow new neurons. So Rakic replied primates could not. Gould next discovered that tree shrews grew new neurons. Rakic
that higher primates could not grow new neurons. Gould then found them in marmosets. Rakic zeroed it down to old-world
primates. Gould then discovered them in macaques.

Today it is almost certain that all primates, including humans, grow new neurons in response to new experiences, and lose
neurons in response to neglect. Thus, with all the determinism built into the initial wiring of our brain, experience with our
surrounding environment refines and in some cases rewires that initial wiring.

Nature may be our internal guide (map), but nurture is our explorer that has the final say in what we do (destination).