How To Guide

Developing Stronger Leaders

Executive Summary:

What makes a great leader? How can leaders improve?

This report has been designed to provide practical advice for both
aspiring and accomplished leaders.

Read this brief 8-page report to learn:

 Definition of Organizational Leadership

 Difference between Leaders & Managers
 Essential Leadership Qualities
 Key Leadership Styles
 Leadership Principles & Best Practices

Read this report to identify opportunities to further develop and

maintain strong leadership in your organization.

www.demandmetric.com Call a Principal Analyst:

(866) 947-7744
 2

Table of Contents Page

What is Organizational Leadership 3

Leaders vs. Managers 3

Essential Leadership Qualities 4

Key Leadership Styles 5

Leadership Principles & Best Practices 6

Conclusion 8

www.demandmetric.com Call a Principal Analyst:

(866) 947-7744
 3

What is Organizational Leadership?

From an organizational perspective, leadership can be defined as: the

ability to influence, motivate, and enable people to attain goals and
contribute toward improving the effectiveness and efficiency of an
organization.

Why is developing strong leaders such a top priority?

Leaders initiate and sustain the cycles of organizational change. Without

encouraging and inspirational leaders, organizations are fragmented,
unaligned, and demoralized. Top companies recognize that they are only
as successful as their next great leaders, and work to constantly groom
and develop key staff.

Leaders vs Managers

In 1977, Abraham Zaleznik documented some of the key differences

between leadership and management. He viewed leaders as inspiring
visionaries who are interested in prospects; while managers he viewed
as planners who are concerned more with processes.

Following in his path, Warren Bennis (1989) documented the

leader/manager dichotomy to help organizations evaluate their key
players.

www.demandmetric.com Call a Principal Analyst:

(866) 947-7744
 4

Leaders Managers
Power by Influence Power by Position
Inspire Innovation Manage Administration
Ask What and Why Ask How and When
Focus on People Focus on Systems/Processes
Do the Right Things Do Things Right
Inspire Trust Rely on Control
Long-term Perspective Short-term Perspective
Develop Maintain
Challenge the Status-Quo Accept the Status-Quo
Eye on the Horizon Eye on the Bottom-line
Originate Imitate
Free Thinking Rigid Thinking

Essential Leadership Qualities

Many studies have shown that there are common traits or qualities that
most leaders share. Review the following list of qualities and evaluate
yourself to identify your areas of strength and opportunities for self-
improvement.

 Vision - the ability to articulate a vision and outline the gaps

between the current state and future state.

 Confidence - outstanding leaders are confident, determined,

and persistent with reaching their goals.

 Role Model - leading by example and setting the standard by

demonstrating that goals are attainable.

 Flexibility - being able to quickly adapt and positively respond

to changing conditions.

 Optimistic - leaders must have a positive attitude.

 Talent/Technical Skill - many leaders are selected because of

their natural aptitude or ability to complete a specific task.
www.demandmetric.com Call a Principal Analyst:
(866) 947-7744
 5

 Initiative & Drive - having enthusiasm to do the job and

displaying entrepreneurial tendencies are vital qualities of
effective leaders.

 Charisma - being attractive to others and leveraging this esteem

to inspire and motivate others.

 Dedication and Commitment - being a top leader requires a

firm commitment and can sometimes even consume much of the
leader’s life.

 Results-Oriented - actions are prioritized and directed at

achieving personal and team goals & objectives.

 Able to Delegate - encouraging others to grow by sharing

responsibilities and credit for a job well done.

 Self-Aware - accurate understanding of abilities.

Key Leadership Styles

This section will differentiate 6 key leadership styles and discuss when
each style is appropriate.

 Visionary - this style builds positive momentum by motivating

people to accomplish shared dreams. Visionary leadership is the
most positive style, and is best used when organizational
changes require a new vision or strategic direction.

 Coaching - is the process of aligning personal and corporate

interests, such as earning commission by making sales. Coaching
is a very positive method, appropriate when developing
capabilities and skills.

 Affiliate - connecting people to each other can have a positive

impact on culture, such as arranging a company volleyball
team.

www.demandmetric.com Call a Principal Analyst:

(866) 947-7744
 6

 Democratic - a democratic style, by nature, develops

commitment by leveraging the ideas of the constituents and is
useful for driving consensus, or gathering feedback from staff.

 Pacesetting - this works most effectively with a motivated and

competent team. Leaders communicate challenging goals and
build an environment of excitement. Often, this style has a
negative impact on culture, especially when the leader is unable
to implement this strategy properly. Set the pace when the
engine is already running very smoothly.

 Commanding - this style can be effective when clear direction

needs to be given to deal with an crisis or when a massive
organizational change needs to be made.

The best leaders are able to seamlessly transition between styles as

circumstances change. Work to understand each style and determine
the appropriate time to pull it out of your leadership toolkit.

Leadership Principles & Best Practices

“How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie has sold
over 30 million copies. Amazingly, this book was written 70 years ago.
These leadership principles are time-tested and applicable in every
country of the world.

Following is a recap of the 30 principles Dale Carnegie taught developing

leaders. Periodically reviewing this brief listing is a beneficial exercise for
new and seasoned, competent leaders.

Fundamental Techniques for Handling People:

1. Don’t Criticize, Condemn, or Complain.

2. Give Honest & Sincere Appreciation.
3. Arouse in the Other Person an Eager Want.

www.demandmetric.com Call a Principal Analyst:

(866) 947-7744
 7

How to Make People like you:

4. Become Genuinely Interested in Other People.

5. Smile.
6. Remember that a person’s name is to that person the
sweetest and most important sound in any language.
7. Be a Good Listener.
8. Talk in Terms of Other People’s Interests.
9. Make the Person Feel Important; and do it sincerely.

How to Win People to your Way of Thinking:

10. The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it

11. Show respect for the other person’s opinions.
12. If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
13. Begin in a Friendly way.
14. Get the other person saying, .Yes, Yes. Immediately.
15. Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.
16. Let the person feel that the idea is his or hers.
17. Try to see things from the other person’s point of view.
18. Be sympathetic with the other person’s ideas and desires.
19. Appeal to the Nobler Motives.
20. Dramatize your Ideas.
21. Throw Down a Challenge.

How to Change People without Arousing Resentment:

22. Begin with Praise and Honest Appreciation.

23. Call attention to people’s mistakes indirectly.
24. Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing people.
25. Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.

www.demandmetric.com Call a Principal Analyst:

(866) 947-7744
 8

26. Let the other person save face.

27. Praise the slightest improvement and praise every
improvement. Be “hearty in approbation and lavish in your
praise.”
28. Give the other person a Fine Reputation to live up to.
29. Use Encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
30. Make the person happy about doing what you suggest.

Conclusion

Becoming an effective and inspiring leader requires constant diligence.

Focusing on people and opportunities, rather than systems and
processes, is the key differentiator between a strong leader and a
devoted “manager.”

While processes are certainly critical for every business, rigid thinking
about policy and procedure leads to stagnation and demoralized staff. A
business needs to view its inner workings as an organic process where
creativity and change invoke efficiencies.

If you are in a leadership position, or are charged with developing new

leaders, be sure to pay attention to the essential leadership qualities
and styles. Challenge yourself to select one quality or style to improve
upon each month and ask a close colleague for feedback.

Finally, remember to review the Dale Carnegie leadership principles for

winning friends and influencing people. Remembering to apply these 30
best practices is guaranteed to improve your ability to facilitate change
in any organization.

www.demandmetric.com Call a Principal Analyst:

(866) 947-7744