An Effective Leader

An effective leader can lead—even when they’re following. Sometimes it requires command of a situation, while others require simply knowing when to get out of the way.

Just as there is a great divide between business theory and business practice, so too are there great divides between dictatorship and leadership, and between leadership theory and leadership practice. 

Should one command obedience or inspire greatness? Can they do both?

Business theory provides the blueprint for setting up and running a business; it outlines the operational architecture one should create and the management hierarchy one should employ, all on the promise that this will lead to the land of milk and honey. 


However, theory and practice don’t always go hand in hand, as humorously—and accurately—displayed in a scene from the film Back to School with Rodney Dangerfield (below).

Leadership theory and leadership practicality can also have a wide disconnect. There is a great misconception that leaders “command” people to do things and that their force of will compels them to comply. But if one follows simply out of fear of a boss's threat --  of physical harm, financial ruin, loss of face and/or status-- is that leadership, or intimidation?

While fear can be a motivator that yields begrudging obedience, it also stifles motivation and creativity.   

One can lead by example, always working hard and earning a certain respect from their workforce, which then compels them to work equally hard. But leadership is more than that. 

The mark of a leader is that they motivate the people around them to be better, rise higher, and achieve more than those people thought they could. They educate, mold, and inspire.  

In the Three Fundamentals of Effective Leadership, John Ryan cites Vision, Communication, and Judgement.

"Leadership success always starts with vision. Henry Ford dreamed of a car that families could afford. Steve Jobs dreamed of an easy-to-use computer that would unleash creativity. Nelson Mandela dreamed of an integrated, prosperous South Africa. These were heady ideas, and they attracted more than a few sneers. But they weren't the daydreams of lazy people with too much time on their hands. They were deep-seated passions, magnetic enough to capture the minds of just a few devoted followers at first but ultimately the imaginations of millions of women and men."

FedEx became a world leader on one initial concept: on time, every time! And that edict echoed throughout the enterprise. To meet quality and delivery requirements, the enterprise needs to know the company's vision and what it represents.

Even in a small company like mine, we still adhere to a vision. Like many, we focus on quality over quantity, professionalism over speed. Our ongoing agenda combines the expansion of wholesale fulfillment (website, software, & mobile development) and online marketing services to clients in the U.S.A., with the in-house development of proprietary SaaS subscription products that address the needs of fragmented and underserved communities and demographics.

When I thought about Jon Ryan's mention of communication as a skill leaders have, I recalled a quote by Stephen Covey: "Most people do not listen with the intent to understand, they listen with the intent to reply." 

Communication is a vital tool for good leaders. But a good leader not only can communicate a message outward, but also takes the time to interact, listen, and engage in Q&A; they understand that they can be decisive without being dismissive. 

Great leaders don’t need to be the smartest person in the room. They don't need to be the only voice heard. In fact, many -- such as Richard Branson of Virgin -- seek out those with expertise beyond their own, and then allow those experts to thrive -- rather than conform. 

Judgement: John Ryan called this the third skill of great leaders. Judgement is derived from character. A leader has to know who they are and what they adhere to as their core values. Victor Hugo once said, "Change your opinions, keep to your principles; change your leaves, keep intact your roots." 

It is in the rooted predefined principles that a leader has come to own that they have the clarity to navigate through times of crisis. Their principles guide them like a fog-horn does the captain of a ship to emerge safely from the blinding midst.  

Through the above-mentioned skills and interactions, leaders lay the groundwork to motivate, challenge, and inspire those across the enterprise, even as they maintain a firm, consistent hold on the company's direction.