When I designed my first leadership development program I asked myself what core learning objectives I wanted to include. I considered, if I had a magic wand and could create the ideal leader, what would that ideal leader have in his or her toolbox? I came up with a pretty long list. For sure the ideal leader needs problem-solving skills. Leaders must be able to assess problems, determine what is causing them, and develop workable solutions. They must be able to work in teams consisting of different people who reflect different styles. Leaders can’t be effective if they can’t adapt to the unique needs of their followers. The ideal leader also must be able to influence others. Leaders are dead in the water if they can’t create a compelling argument. And what is a good argument without the ability to communicate? Communication is another key component of good leadership, because communication is what enables all the other components.
But the thing I consider most important in a leader is character. Good character is like having the perfect piece of clay. You can shape good character into whatever you need it to be. Without good character, you have just a dry piece of mud in your hands. Character means you have someone who wants to learn and will work hard to figure out what they don’t know. A leader with character is willing to accept feedback and to shoot you straight. I want my leader to have many skills and abilities, but I first and foremost want my leader to possess good character. With good character in place, the other components of leadership will fall into place.