In my over three decade career of involvement in leadership, as a volunteer leader, a staff member, a corporate executive, a trainer, consultant, speaker, etc., I have urged others to learn all they can about being an effective leader, because a leader needs a wide variety of tools to achieve even the best of goals. Merely having a vision, goals, good ideas, being well- meaning, etc. is simply not enough, without the knowledge and wisdom to bring forth the necessary action to accomplish. This requires developing the tools, and then using them. Just as a carpenter needs tools, so does a leader. Abraham Maslow wrote, "If you only have a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail."
1. One's experiences create certain prejudices or biases for doing something a certain way. Sometimes, because someone experienced a hard time previously when bring forth alternatives, individuals become gun- shy and become more reserved, and often to the point of becoming stifled in terms of creativity. A great leader must be able to objectively look at and analyze numerous alternatives, and not simply conform to the norm, but have a willingness to think, and even to act, outside the box. In order for someone to be able to do that successfully, however, he must be thoroughly trained and allowed himself to learn. Unfortunately, training and learning do not always go hand in hand, because unless someone is willing to take the training and learn from it, that training is incomplete. When training does not become learning, some leaders grab a hold of certain information out of context, and over- rely on certain techniques or methods, instead of making them simply part of their arsenal. They therefore are not using all the tools at their avail.
2. An essential part of effective leadership is attitude related. Unfortunately, many otherwise talented and well trained individuals seem to "poo- poo" the importance of attitude, or believe (or make themselves believe) that they have a positive attitude while it really is not. Without a positive, glass have full (not half empty), can- do type of attitude, someone struggles to accomplish their goals. Only positive leaders are truly able to continuously and effectively motivate others to action, and without doing this, someone in a leadership position never develops true followers, and without having followers, how can one be a leader? Attitude is an essential tool for effective leadership.
There are many tools needed to be an effective leader. Few individuals who ascend to leadership are either willing, able, or committed enough to provide the type of leadership that organizations need, if they are to flourish.
Richard Brody, with over 30 years consultative sales, marketing, training, managerial, and operations experience, has trained sales and marketing people in numerous industries, given hundreds of seminars, appeared as a company spokesperson on over 200 radio and television programs, and regularly blogs on real estate, politics, economics, management, leadership, negotiations, conferences and conventions, etc. He has negotiated, arranged and/ or organized hundreds of conferences and conventions. He's a Senior Consultant with RGB Consultation Services, an Ecobroker, a Licensed Buyers Agent (LBA) and Licensed Salesperson in NYS, in real estate.
Richard has owned businesses, been a Chief Operating Officer, a Chief Executive Officer, and a Director of Development, as well as a consultant. He has a Consulting Website, and his company PLAN2LEAD, LLC's site (http://www.plan2lead.net/), and can be followed on Twitter @rgbrody and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Plan2lead
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