Characteristics that count: nine leadership traits that translate to on-target actions.

As I AWAIT MY TURN TO PRESENT A report at a client's board of directors meeting, I notice the human dynamics that are occurring before me. A respectful discussion is taking place, with the board chair clearly in charge and the board members comfortable in engaging in constructive debate. Then I think about times when a board meeting was not pleasant nor were discussions respectful. What was going on there? What are the differences between a healthy, productive meeting and one that is combative and hostile? A majority of that difference is due to the staff and volunteer leadership and how they function together and with the larger membership body.

Since leadership skills can be learned, we can constantly improve our ability to lead. We can grow through shared experiences and anecdotes. As an observer of boards and leaders, I know that I have certainly learned a lot during my 18 years engaged in this work.

In my work as a consultant, facilitator, and speaker to associations, I typically work with the president and board chair. The engagement may be related to strategic planning or other issues requiring consensus building. Representing both trade and professional societies, the clients vary by size and constituency, with the majority in the $7 million to $40 million budget range.

True, in the association world, as well as in other arenas, there are different leaders for different times and situations. Regardless of particular circumstance, however, I've identified a number of characteristics of effective leadership at work drawn from my experiences with associations. When both staff and board leadership exercise these characteristics in their work, positive things happen.

Tracking time-tested traits

To attract effective leaders to your organization--and to be an effective leader yourself--you need to know what traits translate into desired action. I suggest deliberately looking for people who exhibit nine specific traits and consistently apply them to their work. Are these traits included on your nominating committee's list of must haves when recruiting new leaders? If not, they should be. Let's explore these concepts and the association leaders who have put them into action.

1. Trust. One of the most pronounced characteristics of effective leadership is 360-degree trust. As we all know, who you trust can change in an instant. Therefore, leaders must be consistently trustworthy to continue to earn that confidence from others. The leaders earn that trust through their behavior: acting with integrity and being businesslike, honest, and respectful.

But it is not enough to have only one-way trust, meaning trust in the leader. The leaders need to be able to trust their members and staff. To collaborate and achieve goals, the relationships and activities of the organization should not be built on fear of reprisal, but rather on trust. For example, when The American Institute of Architects (AIA), Washington, D.C., with more than 70,000 members, wanted to test potentially controversial ideas during early stages in its strategic planning process, leadership decided to convene a town hall day with 600 members who served in local or national volunteer roles. The debatable topics included new definitions for membership and new approaches with educational institutions. There was great passion for the topics and potential on both sides for generating distrust and being forced to a predefined outcome. However, leadership trusted the will of the members to be constructive and collaborative. They truly wanted thoughtful feedback, were prepared to listen, and trusted the people and the process to deliver. Norman Koonce, executive vice president and chief executive officer of AIA, says, "Pew things build trust more quickly than open, honest, and regular communication; and no aspect of the resulting dialogue is more critical than the art of listening, really listening by putting yourself in the other person's shoes." A town hall day with 600 participants could not have been successful unless trust was present.

2. Respect. Respect is also a two-way street. Not only is the leader respected for his or her expertise, but effective leaders respect others as well. One of the best examples of respect is demonstrated by the American National Standards Institute, Washington, D.C. Many staff members have worked at ANSI for more than 25 years. They are truly experts in their fields, and they behave professionally and courteously to each other and with members. ANSI leadership respects the staff and listens carefully to their input. As a consultant working with the senior staff, I continue to be impressed with the sincere collaborative approach they take. One ingredient that supports their respect and collaboration is the fact that egos are in check when celebrating successes or solving challenges. Staff are focused on the bigger picture and they respect what each has to offer. Mark Hurwitz, CAE, chief executive officer of ANSI, says, "The ANSI staff is truly committed to the mission of the organization and believe in its impo rtance to the U.S. economy. There is a culture of collaboration that places significant value on the input and contributions of all members of the staff."

3. Vision. As expected, an effective leader sees the big picture for the organization and understands how its mission interacts with the external and internal environment. Leaders who can grasp the effect and importance of new connections and ideas are instructive visionaries for their associations. They have clarity in what the end goal is and they stay focused. Yet, while they are clear on the destination, they are open to suggestions on how the journey should unfold. The word macro is frequently applied to this visionary perspective, with an avoidance of micromanagement. The effective leader promotes the association's vision in every action of the organization.

A good example of "living the vision" is found at the Urban Land Institute (ULI), Washington, D.C. Both board and staff continually use the organization's articulated vision as a focal point for board discussions, retreats, and staff work assignments. Leadership points to the vision statement at forums and meetings where discussions of internal ULI matters take place. They continually communicate the talking points of the vision, which promotes leadership in improving land use--with specific emphasis on ULI's major areas of programming, including shared experiences, global outreach, and education. Annually, they revisit scenarios that project where the organization desires to be, and breathe new life into reinterpreting how they can implement that vision in today's environment. At leadership retreats, they use the vision concepts to help focus committee improvement plans. Staff work assignments are mapped back to the specific goals of the vision through stated programs of work. Cheryl Cummins, COO and executi ve vice president at ULI, comments: "ULI encompasses every sector related to land use. We have to stay focused on the bigger vision in order to fulfill our mission. Otherwise, we could stray off-course, given the variety and number of projects and programs we are involved in." Leadership supports these efforts by maintaining a macro perspective and constantly being alert to new connections and opportunities for realizing the vision of the organization.

4. Self-confidence. You know it when you see it. Leaders who are deemed to be strong have a presence about them; they know their strengths and weaknesses and exude composure and self-assuredness. These leaders are not afraid to interact with others and let others know them. They may be folksy or formal. Their body language, posture, voice, and speaking style support the self-confident leader. ULI's former chair, Ron Terwilliger, is a self-confident leader. Cummins from ULI states: "All of our leaders bring significant professional success to the table. Ron was very effective as a ULI leader because of his comfort and ease in a variety of situations and in groups both large and small. He could talk to all members with knowledge, self-confidence, sincerity, and commitment."

Self-confident leaders are also assertive and comfortable in dealing with conflict or controversy. For example, when AIA's staff and elected leadership were willing to put everything on the table for discussion in their strategic planning process, they exhibited self-confidence in being able to deal with potential controversy that might arise from a task force's work. Both staff and volunteer leaders were willing to examine a transformed association and what it would take to get there. It is a long road that requires self-confidence to stay on course through fair and difficult times. Says Koonce from AIA: "At one of our recent planning meetings, a participant suggested that one test of a good plan is its capacity to annoy someone or some constituency. I'm not willing to go on record as saying that provocation is always a good tactic. But a leader must be prepared, after listening to all the options, to act decisively, even in the absence of consensus, if the organization is to move forward. Compromise that is not in the true interest of the members is not the hallmark of leadership." Decisiveness requires self-confidence.

5. Communication skills. An effective leader has personable and professional communication skills. This is one trait that can make or break the leader's ability to achieve results with others. Through his or her speaking and listening style, the leader can demonstrate respect, intelligence, and sincerity. A leader needs to be articulate to explain the organization's vision, or to explain risks and benefits of a certain proposed action or plan without appearing defensive. An impassioned communicator can make members and staff feel part of a motivated and excited team.

Strong communication skills can be either instinctive or learned. One elected leader with instinctive communication talents is Tom McChesney, the former chair of Building Owners and Manager's Association International (BOMA), Washington, D.C. The current executive vice president, Henry Chamberlain, CAE, who was BOMA's communication vice president during McChesney's term, has this to say about such assets in an elected leader: "There is nothing more valuable than an elected leader who can deliver the association's messages in a genuine, relaxed style. Having a leader who truly understands the issues and can present his or her views without relying on a script is a tremendous asset."

6. Enthusiasm. Passion is contagious. An enthusiastic leader can mobilize staff and volunteers to excel no matter what the circumstances. They make the job fun when it normally would not be fun. ANSI's Mark Hurwitz, CAE, is a true example of an enthusiastic leader. Working with Mark years ago in the turnaround of another association, I saw him serve as chief cheerleader and morale booster. His enthusiasm, passion, and commitment were evidenced every day. He showed care for the staff and maintained an optimistic spirit for elected leaders. His personal, humorous style and high energy-level were crucial in maintaining the momentum to see the turnaround completed. Hurwitz comments: "Enthusiasm is contagious and is a fundamental element of leadership. If the leader does not fully embrace the organization's mission with passion, energy, and commitment, the team will not reach its full potential."

7. Feedback. Strong leaders give sincere praise and recognition to staff and volunteers. The effective leader is able to listen and receive constructive input. Leaders listen also because they have a thirst and curiosity to learn; they are engaged in the conversation. ANSI's Hurwitz knows the importance of feedback as well. That is what kept staff motivated during the turnaround mentioned earlier. Bringing in an ice cream truck to provide staff treats; publicly praising volunteers and giving them credit for ideas and accomplishments, all contribute to high performance feedback. Hurwitz also knows that "the highest form of praise is when others adopt your ideas as their own. Stand aside and shine the light on others."

8. Ability to fulfill commitments. Leaders earn greater respect and team commitment when they do their homework. This may involve reviewing materials prior to a meeting, responding to questions in a timely manner, or simply just doing whatever they said they will do. Effective leaders take responsibility for their words and actions. Their credibility, and thus their effectiveness, increases when others know they can count on the leader to fulfill commitments made.

9. A focus on growing more leaders. The effective leader knows that the organization will be better by nurturing future leaders. This requires being accessible to new and existing members who express a capability and desire to get more involved. Leaders can help by identifying other effective leaders to nurture new prospects and provide personal introductions as well as personal anecdotes about their own journey of leadership development. They coach, counsel, and mentor as they walk the talk of growing more leaders.

I worked with an international association that devoted a leadership retreat weekend to enhancing skills in coaching and mentoring. The members were already in leadership roles at the highest levels of business success. However, the association felt that they could still benefit both personally and professionally from more learning. After hearing an expert coach review important elements of how to help leaders and workers succeed, the volunteers practiced specific coaching skills on each other during the session, such as asking key questions for following up on commitments and complimenting action-oriented behavior.

For the remainder of the weekend, volunteer leaders were encouraged to continue practicing coaching in different situations such that they were comfortable in using enhanced skills with their committee members and future leaders. At the end of the retreat, each leader verbally made a commitment to actions they would take to implement coaching and mentoring skills into their work with others. The association had invested in its future by ensuring that the next wave of leaders was nurtured by current members who had positive skills and experience.

Leadership's bottom line

So, as I sit here in the board meeting waiting for my turn to present a report, I think about what would be most important for my 10-year-old son to learn in order to be a great leader. Are the truly effective leaders academic geniuses? Not necessarily. In fact, many extremely intellectual people are ineffective in leading teams to great results, sometimes due to communication constraints. Is it the smooth and motivating talker? No, sincerity and competence must be present in addition to just being able to speak. As we nurture our future leaders, I believe effective leadership comes back to being a team player who is honest and enthusiastic, who can grasp the big picture, and who has the capacity to share expertise and learn from others. That is what I wish for others growing into leadership positions. Best wishes in your own journey to great leadership.

Nancy R. Daly is president of Daly Strategic Directions, Winter Park, Florida, which focuses on strategic planning and facilitation. Daly also consults on calculated methods of life redesign. E-mail:[e-mail].