What does being an effective leader mean to you?

Lee by example

President Dwight D. Eisenhower said, "Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it." I believe Ike had it right.

This philosophy requires several things of the leader.
-The leader must have a clear picture of what needs to be done
-The leader must have an understanding of their subordinates (knowledge, skills, abilities, motivations, communication styles)
-The leader must communicate the something that needs to be done to the subordinates in a way the subordinates understand
-The leader must know how to motivate the subordinates to take action to accomplish the something
-Although not directly stated in Ike's quote, the leader also must follow up with the subordinates to make sure the something was done.

I am more confident in a leader if I know they have done, or at least can do, the something they are asking or directing me to do. People who lead by example inspire this type of confidence. It also makes criticism easier to take if I know the person passing out the criticism can actually do the work as well or better than I can.

Good leaders use "positional leadership" only when necessary. Positional leadership comes from the job or rank the person holds. It's similar to your parent telling you to do something "because I said so." This type of leadership is best used on time-critical situations where hesitation can cause loss of life or extreme damage to property and resources. Good leaders know if their subordinates have the training and skills necessary to handle the situation. They give the direction to put those into action. Later they can explain why. Using this type of leadership in non-critical situations builds resentment from subordinates because the leader has neglected the "he wants to do it" part of Ike's statement.

Be,Know,Do.
Live by the NCO Creed.