The Great 8: Traits of Highly Effective Leaders

Charisma that counts and Emotional Intelligence at work

George Haines, PWLF

Adjunct Instructor, Norwich University, MPA Program Member, Small Cities/Rural Communities Committee

The APWA Leadership and Management Committee has introduced a new series of articles entitled “The Great 8” which focus on leadership traits and qualities. This is the eighth series of articles contributed by the committee over the past several years. The Leadership and Management Committee, working with a subcommittee composed of public works leaders with decades of experience, has identified a number of qualities required for success as a leader of a public works organization. The series will explore the following traits over the next eight months:

1. Vision 2. Charisma 3. Symbolism 4. Empowerment 5. Intellectual Stimulation 6. Integrity 7. Knowledge Management 8. Power of Relationships

“Charisma, plainly stated, is the ability to draw people to you.” – John Maxwell, The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader

I personally have mixed feelings about the word charisma, but I realize it is not the word that gives me the mixed feelings but the people I associate with the word. Charisma can be used for good or ill. The difference between good charisma and bad charisma is character. For those of us who aspire to be great leaders, let’s discuss the charisma that counts.

Using John Maxwell’s definition, the one person in my lifetime who I associate with the word charisma is Ronald Reagan. As you can see from the photo, I had the opportunity to meet him on several occasions at his ranch near Santa Barbara while I was serving in the Navy Civil Engineer Corps. On this occasion I was reenlisting a chief petty officer. President Reagan took time out of his day to join us. In his wood chopping clothes he participated in the ceremony, told us some stories, and even cut the reenlistment cake with my Navy sword. What was special about this occasion was that he made us all feel like there was nothing more important on his plate than

Reenlistment ceremony performed by LCDR George Haines (left) and assisted by President Reagan. (Permission by George Haines)

spending time with us. It wasn’t that he was there to show us that he was the most powerful leader in the world; he was there to let us know how important we were. In his book, The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, John Maxwell lists four pointers to be the kind of person who has the ability to attract others:

1. Love Life – Are you the kind of person who enjoys getting up every day? What is your attitude at work? Does your staff look forward to seeing you each day or do they wonder which person will show up that day, Jekyll or Hyde?

2. Put a “10” on Every Person’s

Head – A person with charisma sees the good in people. It is easy to see our flaws. They are there for everyone to see. A good leader looks beyond our outward flaws and helps reveal our potential.

Another word for that kind of person is “mentor.”

3. Give People Hope – Hope is a feeling that everyone wants.

Hope for a better future. Hope for meaningful work where I can make a contribution. When you can give people hope, they are forever grateful. At the cancer center at the Rapid City Regional

Hospital, where I have been through 36 rounds of chemo and 25 radiation treatments, there is a sign on the reception desk where you check in. It simply says

“HOPE.” Without hope, what is left?

4. Share Yourself – Think about others before you think about yourself. How can you help your employees grow and develop personally and professionally?

How can you add value to the people in your organization?

Recognize them, send them to training, send them to Congress, urge them to take a class, take them to lunch. It isn’t that complicated. Charismatic leadership draws you in and may even get you motivated to do things beyond the call of duty. In his text, The Leadership Experience, Richard Daft says:

Charismatic leaders have a passion for their work. Charismatic leaders are engaging their emotions in everyday work life, which makes them energetic, enthusiastic, and attractive to others. Their passion for a mission inspires people to follow them and galvanizes people to action.

One person in the news these days who fits this definition for me is Tim Tebow. New York Jets star cornerback Darrelle Revis had this to say: “Some people have it. Some guys don’t. He’s very positive. He has passion for what he does and you could see it. You can see it on him when you have a conversation with him. He’s just a leader.”

Another point that Daft makes about charismatic leaders is that “their source of influence comes from personal characteristics rather than formal position of authority. People admire, respect, and identify with the leader and want to be like him or her.” People who have developed the set of skills defined as charisma have an advantage. Having charisma helps you get people’s attention, but you will only retain their attention as long as you can continue to connect with them and be in-tune emotionally. There is a strong emotional component to charisma and that leads me to part two of this discussion, the closely-related subject of Emotional Intelligence.

Emotional Intelligence – “the ability to manage ourselves and our relationships effectively.” – Daniel Goleman

While the term Emotional Intelligence (EQ) has only been widely used since Goleman’s 1995 book, Emotional Intelligence, Why it Can Matter More than IQ, the components of EQ are timeless. There are those of you reading this that may be starting to squirm at the thought of bringing emotions into the workplace. After all, this is public works. We deal in infrastructure. Many of us are engineers. Everything adds up. There is no gray area. Why do I need to learn about this “touchy-feely” stuff? It is because of the most important ingredient in our business, PEOPLE. People are emotional creatures. There is no formula or one-size-fits-all solution to the people part of public works. If you think you should leave your emotions at home, think about this. In a previous article called “A Leader’s Legacy” (APWA Reporter, May 2007), I quoted Kouzes & Posner who said: “We will work harder and more effectively for people we like. And we will like them in direct proportion to how they make us feel.” You may never hear this in an exit interview, but in most cases when you lose an employee, they aren’t leaving the organization, they are leaving their boss. This has nothing to do with how smart someone is or how technically competent they are. It is about relationships! You will also find out that the higher you go in the organization, the more important Emotional Intelligence becomes to your success. Goleman’s organizational research determined that the difference between average and top performers was two-thirds emotional competence and one-third technical skill.

When you think about it, we don’t need a huge research project to figure this out. Let me briefly cover the four components of Emotional Intelligence that are also shown in the table below:

• Self-Awareness – This may be the foundation of all the other competencies. If you have a good handle on your emotions, understand your strengths and weaknesses, and have self-confidence, you are better equipped to deal with others.

• Self-Management – Still dealing with self, when you can control and manage your own emotions under difficult conditions, you will be better able to have healthy relationships with others. Selfmanagement means being able to adapt to changing circumstances, take initiative and not let anxiety, worry, or fear cloud your judgment.

• Social Awareness – This is your ability to understand others. The term empathy, being able to put yourself in other people’s shoes, is an important skill. Being able to read the needs of the organization and the needs of your customers/ citizens are also components of social awareness.

• Relationship Management/

Social Skill – There are a lot of traits in this component.

You know how to develop and maintain good relationships, utilize your communication skills, cast a compelling vision and inspire others, persuade and influence, manage conflict, build trust and teamwork, recognize the needs of others and help develop their skills.

To wrap thing up, let me say that having charisma will open the door for you. It gives you the positive first impression that will help you develop and then solidify your relationships with staff, customers, citizens, and elected officials. You continue to develop your own skills, self-confidence, and relationships with others by understanding the importance of Emotional Intelligence. You can learn and develop these skills, just as you can develop the other “Great 8” leadership traits and qualities.

SELF OTHERS

AWARENESS Self-Awareness • Emotional self-awareness • Accurate self-assessment • Self confidence Social Awareness • Empathy • Organizational awareness • Service orientation

BEHAVIOR Self-Management • Emotional self-control • Trustworthiness

Relationship Management / Social Skill • Development of others • Conscientiousness • Inspirational leadership • Adaptability • Influence • Optimism • Communication • Achievement-orientation • Change catalyst • Initiative • Conflict management • Bond building • Teamwork and collaboration

Table adapted from Richard L. Daft, The Leadership Experience

“How can you have charisma? Be more concerned about making others feel good about themselves than you are making them feel good about you.” – Dan Reiland

George Haines can be reached at ghaines@bresnan.net.