The Leader in you

We are all leaders in some aspect of our lives -- at work, as parents, in our churches and social circles. Is a great leader born or made? There are qualities all great leaders have in common. With work, dedication and perseverance, we can all become effective leaders.

In Dale Carnegie's book, "How to Win Friends and Influence People," he teaches us nine leadership principles. One important principle is "Begin with praise and honest appreciation."

Employees work their entire lives for the financial paycheck, but are never fortunate enough to receive an emotional paycheck. What is an emotional paycheck? It is what Mr. Carnegie teaches us -- praise and honest appreciation.

The employers I remember the most are the ones who earnestly said "thank you" after a difficult day. My employer, Carol Sealey of Dale Carnegie Training-St. Louis, always writes a brief comment of appreciation on my paycheck. I have received paychecks with a "PAYDAY" candy bar inside the envelope. Amazingly simple, yet amazingly effective.

A good leader can delegate. Many times a task has been delegated and then not completely finished to the supervisor's specifications. The supervisor then places blame on the other person. It is up to the leader to clearly define his expectations, the timeline to complete it, and the measurable results that should follow. By clearly defining these points, a great leader can share both the workload and a sense of accomplishment.

Good leaders are good communicators -- that means being concise and to the point. It also means exercising good listening skills. The best leaders are cognizant of everyone's time. When in meetings, good leaders come prepared with a written agenda. An effective manager will be short and to the point with the items on the agenda.

A good leader always asks questions. He values the input of everyone on the team. He or she has systems in place for regular team and self-evaluations.

Another of Mr. Carnegie 's leadership principles that is key to being successful is "Ask questions instead of giving direct orders." So many times a manager will "order" a project when it can be "requested." A good leader asks questions and offers suggestions. We would not order our customer to do something, so why would we order a coworker or spouse to do something?

Following are some thoughts about effective leaders. I did not write them, but came across them years ago. Refer to these ideas often to develop your leadership skills:

A leader never drives his people, he coaches them.

A leader depends on goodwill, not authority.

A leader never inspires fear, he inspires enthusiasm.

A leader avoids saying "I" and always uses "we."

A leader does not find fault with the breakdown, he helps find the solution.

A leader knows how it is done, enables others to do it, and does it with them.

A leader does not use people, he develops people.

A leader sees today, while always looking at tomorrow.

A leader never commands, he asks.

A leader makes time for things that count.

A leader is concerned with, and about, his people.

A leader works hard to help his people produce.

A leader never takes credit, but rather, he gives it.

Newt Gingrich once said, "Listen, Learn, Help, Lead are the keys to excellence in leadership. You have to learn everyday and set high standards for yourself."

Use these thoughts to check yourselves -- are we great leaders, or are we just managers, bosses and average parents and citizens?

Sharon Mueller is the regional manager for Dale Carnegie Training. She coordinates Dale Carnegie Training throughout Southeast Missouri. She facilitates needs assessments, develops training programs and motivates clients to improve themselves. (573-332-0900 or www.carnegiestl.com)