W HAT C HARACTERISTICS M AKE A N E FFECTIVE L EADER ? Professional Development Offered By: John Simpson 7 th & 8 TH Mathematics Rosspoint Elementary

S ELF -A SSESSMENT Everyone complete the self assessment that is in front of you. After completing the survey, add up all individual scores to tally a final number Scores results are as follows: Excellent; exceptional High; very good Average; needs improvement Low; much work needed Deficient; poor

W HAT IS AN EFFECTIVE LEADER ? Everyone possesses certain qualities, but LEADERS possess these qualities to an exceptional degree. Effective leaders possess high intelligence, strong values and a high level of personal energy. Effective leaders are persons who others look to and have confidence in when it comes to taking on a task and/or solving a problem

10 Q UALITIES OF AN EFFECTIVE LEADER Vision Ability Enthusiasm Stability Concern for others Self-confidence Persistence Vitality Charisma Integrity

V ISION Q UALITY An effective leader must present a strong sense of purpose and have a clear vision for what needs to be done in order to solve a problem. Vision inspires others and allows the leader to accept responsibility for leadership. Effective leaders have a plan of action and a plan on how to carry out that action.

A BILITY Q UALITY Plain and simple---the leader must be able to do the job. Followers need to know that their leader has the proper tools and experience in order to lead them through an event. Do you have the experience? Have you ever dealt with any similar issues? Can you prove that you have the knowledge to deal with this? If you answered “NO” then you probably need to rethink you leadership stance on this issue.

E NTHUSIASM Q UALITY Can you get someone to run through a brick wall for you? Enthusiasm is contagious. Leaders must be able to “amp up” their base similar to a political party. Effective Leaders must CARE about what they are doing. It has to hold a deeper meaning than just an ordinary everyday common task. How bad do you want it?

S TABILITY Q UALITY An effective leader must be stable in their own personal life as well as their work duties. Can you keep your personal feelings out of the problem solving equation? Effective leaders can keep their composure under the most diverse situations. You CANNOT allow outside influences to have an effect on your decision making abilities.

C ONCERN F OR O THERS Q UALITY Effective leaders must not look down on their employees or view them as machines— replaceable and interchangeable. E effective leader must be selfless and have the ability to put others above themselves. Caring for others requires loyalty and patience. Loyalty to the followers returns loyalty to the leader.

S ELF -C ONFIDENCE Q UALITY The effective leader displays confidence even in the most gut-wrenching times. Roger Staubach stated, “Confidence comes from days, weeks and years of preparation. When I am in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter in a December playoff game I draw confidence off of wind sprints I ran the previous March.” Displaying self-confidence allows others to maintain their confidence in you during the tough times.

P ERSISTENCE Q UALITY Effective leaders must be able to stick with their vision through the thick and thin…even when others are wavering around you. When facing what seems to be impossible odds an effective leader can rally their troops in order to carry out the task effectively and efficiently. Bulldog your way through…

V ITALITY Q UALITY Effective leaders are electric, vigorous and full of life. Leaders require tremendous energy and stamina to achieve success. Min Bahadur Sherchan became the oldest man to climb Mt. Everest in He was 76 years old. You are the only determinant on what you are Age is no excuse whether it be too young or too old. YOU decide your own vitality.

C HARISMA Q UALITY Effective leaders maintain a positive outlook and inspire others to be like them. Being charismatic creates a sense of optimism, thus allowing your followers to maintain a positive and hopeful attitude. "How can you have charisma? Be more concerned about making others feel good about themselves than you are making them feel good about you." -Dan Reiland

I NTEGRITY Q UALITY This is the most IMPORTANT quality of effective leadership. If your followers cannot trust your decisions then you have no hope for the first nine qualities. Without integrity there is no trust. Without trust there is no leadership. “A liar requires a good memory. Someone who tells the truth need not to remember anything” --Mark Twain

C LOSING C OMMENTS One cannot be an effective leader by simply mastering a few of these qualities. To be an effective leader we must attempt to perfect all 10 qualities in order to give our followers the best chance to succeed. Effective leaders lead in a way that elevates others and makes it more about the group and less about the leader themselves. The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.