Ten Principles of Good Leadership

by Lenora Murdock

Leadership is second nature for some people. Others learn principles of leadership through education and try to apply their knowledge in the world of work. Some learn the principles of leadership in the school of hard knocks. Learning leadership can be a difficult process, but the benefits of the knowledge gained can never be lost when leadership knowledge has been hard won.

I've learned leadership each of the three ways. Often, I learned things in books, written by experienced leaders, but chose to try things my own way. When I failed I realized the wisdom of those who have led before. Trying new leadership styles is not always a bad thing; innovation always comes about because of innovation and thoughtful change.

There are, however, some indisputable facts that no good leader should overlook. A compendium of leadership skills would take volumes. However, below are ten principles that a good leader should not ignore.

Leadership Principle: #1: Be prepared.

Regardless of the task or role set before you it is your job as leader to be prepared. That means learning as much as possible about your department, your role in the organization, and the expectations of your superiors.

The Two Most Important Keys to Effective Leadership

• Trust and confidence in top leadership was the single most reliable predictor of employee satisfaction in an organization.
• Effective communication by leadership in three critical areas was the key to winning organizational trust and confidence:
  1. Helping employees understand the company's overall business strategy.
  2. Helping employees understand how they contribute to achieving key business objectives.
  3. Sharing information with employees on both how the company is doing and how an employee's own division is doing - relative to strategic business objectives.

By F. John Reh

 These are the things that can help all of us be a little more of a leader.

He knew what he wanted to do. It is awfully hard to get others to do what you want if you don't know what you want. If you manage a customer service center, is your goal to have the lowest cost operation or to answer all calls within 90 seconds.

 The goal isn't as important as knowing what it is.

He told people what to do, not how to do it. He was a very smart, well educated man, but he knew he wasn't smarter than everyone. He encouraged people to think, to innovate, to be creative. He didn't blindly accept what you came up with, but he expected you to come up with something appropriate.

He did his homework. Before starting a new challenge, he always tried to find out what others had tried that had succeeded or failed. He researched the obstacles and opponents. He tried to give himself the best chance of winning by learning as much as could at the beginning. He was always learning and always thinking.

He led by example. He pushed his people hard. He demanded a lot of them. But no one ever worked harder than he did. He was the first one in and the last one to leave. And he worked hard the whole time he was there. He knew how to play, but he knew how to separate that from the job.

He demanded excellence, not perfection. He expected you to work as hard as he did and to be as committed to the goal as he was. He didn't expect you to do as much or as well as he did, he insisted, however, that you do as much and as well as you could.

He took care of his people. He knew everyone who worked for him as an individual. He knew their strengths and weaknesses, their aspirations, their fears. He always took the criticism from outside the group, but let each of them take the praise for what they contributed.

He was humble. I never understood why. With all he had done and had accomplished in his life, he was always modest. There was one time, about ten years ago, when he made a little boast. That one probably doesn't count though - he was stating a fact and we were both a little drunk.

He had character. He was honest and truthful. He was dependable. When he gave you his word, you always knew you could count on it. He didn't cheat. He didn't try to find the easy way out of a tough situation. He didn't waffle on his principles. He was not inflexible, but there simply were limits that he wouldn't cross.