6 Traits of Top Leaders

I spent the early part of my career--my pre-entrepreneurial years--as a political consultant working with candidates around the country. I've felt far removed from that world for many years. Now, however, as I conduct workshops on leadership presence and executive communications, I find constant and significant parallels between corporate leadership and the current presidential campaign.

The need for the country (and the world) to be inspired has been a central issue in the campaign. Each candidate openly discusses it as a critical element. On the Democratic side, it was so important that an inspirational presence actually trumped experience, judging by which candidate triumphed from a wide pool of initial candidates.

Senators Barack Obama and John McCain are now center stage in the inspiration game. It will be interesting to see who can win and how much of an impact presence will have.

Obama and McCain are no different from other leaders--being able to inspire others to act is essential to the job. A CEO cannot manage, direct or cajole enough to get the job done; she must light a flame in others to make things happen.

But the thing about inspiring a feeling in others is that you must have it in you first. It's impossible to get others excited if you're burned out. And you can't get others to take something seriously if you don't think it's a big deal yourself.

Remember, great leaders inspire others. That's not by accident. If you want to emulate the leaders who will garner more than 50 million votes on election night, aspire to these characteristics:

• Great leaders are intentional about what they communicate and the reaction they seek. Being an inspiring leader isn't accidental; you have to work at it. Every great leader I've worked with has believed that inspiring others is a craft that needs constant practice. Inspiring leaders are intentional about what they want to communicate and what emotion they want to impart. They have an ability to see the bottom line of a situation and communicate that straight to their objective.


• Great leaders are self-aware and authentic. Motivational leaders have a keen sense of how others perceive them. They pay attention to their own body language and that of others, to make sure their intent is clear. Many consistently seek out communications training to improve their skills. They don't try to be someone they're not. They know who they are and use that awareness to draw others to them. They try to be themselves rather than someone else.


• Great leaders form strong individual connections. We are drawn to people as individuals, not as concepts or titles like business owner or boss or CEO. Great leaders take the time to really know others--whether customers, employees, partners or friends--to foster strong relationships. They remember your kids' names and ask about your weekend softball league. Even when talking to large groups, they make a connection based on shared characteristics and set a tone of commonality.


• Great leaders listen. Listening is a gift you give to others. Yet most leaders do too much talking and not nearly enough listening. Inspiring leaders make people feel heard--whether or not they agree with what they hear. They give people the courtesy of their full attention. They don't check their BlackBerry or scan the networking event while you're talking.


• Great leaders acknowledge--and leverage--failures and struggles. Entrepreneurial leaders often feel the pressure to be perfect: acting stoic, having the right answers and hiding weakness. Why? Humans are naturally drawn to one another's weaknesses. Inspiring leaders don't hide their failures; they admit them and use them as learning experiences. They share struggles openly when it makes sense to leverage them for moving the company forward. They aim not to stand on a pedestal; rather, they aim for common ground.


• They are storytellers. People don't remember lists of facts. We remember stories. Humans are innate storytellers. We use stories to create understanding for ourselves. Stories transport us and form a lasting connection. Great leaders share their stories to make their points come alive and to motivate others.

Pay Attention and Learn
As business leaders, we can learn from the political environment and also from each other. When someone inspires or motivates you, think about what caused that to happen. How did that individual affect you? What made you remember him or her? How can you apply what you've learned to a pressing business issue you have?

Your stakeholders want to be inspired. They want a company they can believe in. And they want you, the entrepreneur--the only one who can do the job.

Herein lies the leader's great challenge and greatest possibility.