The document discusses good and poor leadership traits. It notes that just having a leadership position does not make one a good leader, and identifies poor leadership traits such as inability to set direction, lack of vision, favoritism, lack of ethics, and untruthfulness. Good leadership requires being a role model with good character, vision, clear goals, effective communication, and encouraging positive actions from one's team. The effects of poor leadership can include low morale, decreased productivity, and absenteeism. The document encourages speaking up if one has a poor leader and not remaining silent, as both the leader and staff need to work together to move in the right direction.

1. Leadership
John Quincy Adams once said, “If your actions inspire others to dream more,
learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
It’s important to realize that just because someone holds a leadership position, doesn’t
automatically make him a good leader. There are poor leaders at every level of an
organization. What makes a poor leader? Inability to set direction, lack of vision, not thinking
about the big picture, blaming others for their mistakes, and covering up or hiding things. What
about showing favoritism or not being supportive? These can all be considered poor leadership
traits. What about being unethical, lack of morality and untruthfulness. These last three
particular areas go deeper into the person’s character and demonstrate character flaws. One
of the fastest ways to lose the respect of the team is to be untruthful. All of these things should
be taken into consideration when evaluating a leader’s skill and performance. Unfortunately,
poor leaders can hide these faults short term but over time they will be uncovered. For
example, one would not expect to hear the following from a good leader:
I hire managers for that...it’s not my concern…
I don’t get into the weeds…
I’m not tactical, that’s what my employers are for…
These statements are nothing more than excuses for poor leadership. Do you have a leader like
this, that’s heading in the wrong direction? The effects of poor leadership can certainly take its
toll on the staff. Impacts such as negative morale, decreased productivity, absenteeismand the
like can result.
Being a good leader takes work. A strong leader must be a role model, demonstrating to others
good character, leadership, and vision. He should be able to set clear and realistic goals. He
should understand the work and set reasonable expectations. He should be able to recognize
and reward positive performance. He should be an effective communicator and willingly share.
He should encourage staff to take the right actions to make a positive and real difference. A
strong leader makes a strong and productive team, which in turn produces long lasting, positive
results.
Don’t give up if you have a bad leader. Speak up. When asked for input through employee
surveys or round tables, let your voice be heard. Don’t remain silent. To be successful, the
leader and staff need to move forward together, in the right direction. Not being a good leader
can have devastating results and needs to be addressed.
Leadership is a privilege not an entitlement.
Vickie Gladieux