Qualities of a Good Leader

Let us forget about the law for a while. Today, we will discuss the qualities of a good leader. Before I took up Master in Business Administration, I never got to know the textbook concept of a leader. I got to know such a concept only by experience as I was given an opportunity to organize projects and lead a diverse set of people.

Then I came upon this amazing book that led me to read it from cover to cover. The book is entitled: "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership," by John C. Maxwell. For brevity, here are the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership which I have always been reminded every moment of my life:

1) The Law of the Lid -- You lead not for efficiency but for effectiveness.

2) The Law of Influence -- This applies when people will follow you everywhere because you have touched their hearts, not just their minds.

3) The Law of Process -- You do not become a leader in a day. It involves a lot of patience in training and learning from mistakes. This law becomes more effective when you admit that you committed the mistake as you move on.

4) The Law of Navigation -- A leader is one who sees more than what others see, who sees farther than others, and who sees before others do. Anyone can steer a ship. But a leader must know how to chart the course.

5) The Law of E.F. Hutton -- A real leader holds power, not just the position. And power can be seen from people who have real influence during meetings. Try using this principle whenever you need to convince a lot of people in executing a program. Just try talking to E.F. Hutton, the one who has power to influence people.

6) The Law of Solid Ground -- A leader must have solid ground in terms of integrity and value. That way, people will respect you, no matter how inexperienced you are in terms of skills and education.

7) Law of Respect -- When a leader creates a major change in an organization and takes chances despite the risks involved, people who were skeptical will respect the leader once the implementation of the change becomes successful.

8) Law of Intuition -- John Gokongwei of Universal Robina Corporation has played this principle in opening Cebu Pacific and C2 Green Tea. He just read the situation and instinctively knew what play to call.

9) Law of Magnetism -- Leaders are always on the lookout for good people and allowing them to enter their inner circle. My friend would do this by hiring good people who are better than him, with no feeling of jealousy or threat of being replaced. Some good business advice: "Hire people who are smarter than you, then get out of their way."

10) Law of Connection --Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand. I do this to my students all the time. It is called "value added" and provides good service when teaching students.

11) Law of the Inner Circle -- A leader's potential is determined by those closest to him. If you have people in your inner circle with (even the slightest) questionable track record, will that be a reflection of the kind of leader you are? A leader following this principle always surrounds himself with the best people, with unquestionable integrity and track records, no more no less.

12) Law of Empowerment -- Only secure leaders give power to others. A person who does not know how to mentor and delegate without fear of being removed is not a leader, but an angsty know-it-all.

13) Law of Reproduction -- You become a leader when you create leaders.

14) Law of Buy-In -- Before a leader influences someone to enroll into his vision, he must make an example of himself. Providing a good background for yourself is key before influencing someone to buy into your vision.

15) Law of Victory -- Leaders always have a winning mindset. They always strive for victory with a positive attitude.

16) Law of the Big Mo -- Whenever you have led a team to win its first International Business Plan Competition in Harvard, don't you want to multiply that kind of recognition a hundred times? Everything starts with little progress, but if you break the momentum by cutting the budget for training students, you have committed a violation of the Law of the Big Momentum.

17) Law of Priorities -- A leader must not sit and wait for his people to deliver. He must know what his priorities are when leading a large group of people. He must evaluate his strengths and weaknesses. Evaluating his capabilities will help him prioritize.

18) Law of Sacrifice -- When you become a leader, you lose the right to put yourself first. Take for instance Wang Chua-Fu, Chairman of BYD, the largest electric car industry in China. From the moment he put up BYD, he would always think about the people working for him. Never did he think about himself once revenues increased. He had adopted a simpler lifestyle by living among his people and acquiring cars for purposes of learning and scrutinizing the parts.

19) Law of Timing -- When to lead is as important as what to do and where to go. You become a great leader because you took the lead at the right time.

20) Law of Explosive Growth -- Opening a lot of opportunities to potential leaders in your department will multiply into great results in the long run. Potential leaders can provide more vision for growth. That is why it is better to give more opportunities to potential leaders and
deny opportunities from individuals who have no vision for improvement.

21) Law of Legacy -- A leader will always leave a legacy, a permanent imprint of what he has achieved. If you call yourself a leader, have you already done so to show the world what you have accomplished?

It is not easy to follow all the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. But it would be nice to take small steps and try to take a big leap once in a while. That way, you can assess whether you have become an effective leader.