What qualities make for the “perfect” leader - and does he or she even exist?

Posted on March 18, 2009 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.

“There are three rules for creating good leaders.  Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.” - W. Somerset Maugham

There are no perfect leaders – and that is why “good” leaders are always seeking to improve themselves through various methods, such as self-study, formal training and education, mentoring, soliciting feedback, and actively learning from mistakes.

And since there are no perfect leaders out there to use as an example, researchers have found it very difficult to build a completely comprehensive model of exemplary leadership – resulting in many different models being postulated.  Yet despite the array of ideas out there – common themes

do

exist regarding what skills/attributes make for a good leader.

**

These include

:

• The ability to formulate and articulate a

compelling vision

for the future that energizes their organization - a clear picture of where they believe their organization should should go in the future. 

• The ability to communicate and encourage followers to

align

their work toward that vision (while also helping their organization undergo whatever changes are required to achieve that vision).

• A

love of self-improvement

, both for themselves and their followers.  Their belief in continual improvement tends to make them effective coaches and mentors.

• The ability to

provide

the necessary resources, and then freely

empower

their followers to actively “get things done.”  (They understand the art of delegating to the right people.)

** Based on an interview with Donald Clark.