by Rod Dunne on May 4, 2011, in Biz Dev., Creative, Human Side
As chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Colin Powell developed his own leadership skills list that
focus on the essential qualities, characteristics and traits necessary for highly effective, highperforming leaders and managers.
These skills can be applied to business, military and any form of management. This list of leadership
skills can, and should, be applied universally in managing people, technology and innovation
strategy.

1. Great leaders don’t expect to please all the people all the time:
   Your decisions will not always be approved of by everybody in your organization and poor leaders
   wrongly think this is possible. So let go of your ego! This is one of the more critical skills for highly
   effective managers, but sadly one that’s difficult to learn.
2. Top leaders are always available and open to criticism and hearing of failures:
   A poorly informed leader becomes distant and out of touch with the sentiment and day-to-day
   operations of their staff. Effective business communication is fundamental to making the right
   decisions.
3. Real leaders don’t lose sight of the people and capabilities within the company which
   actually caused its success:
   In any leadership skills list you always find the need for commanders to keep an eye on the big picture
   but not lose sight of the fine detail. This also relates to understanding what the key capabilities and
   key employees are within the firm that caused you so success. Don’t forget to maintain a customer
   driven strategy that all client facing staff are aware of, and buy into.
4. Leadership should always be questioning, especially of professional experts and
   advisers:
   It is key when developing leadership skills to ensure that no recommendations are taken on face
   value. There are always several options and potential solutions that should be considered and
   questioned.
   **5. Leading means delegating and empowering others, but you shouldn’t lose sight or
   neglect fine details:
   Out of sight does not mean out of mind. Just because you delegate doesn’t mean you abdicate
   Productivity – Guide to Better Business Decisions
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   responsibility or interest in smaller details within the firm. Leverage your in-house business computer
   services to harvest important information and metrics.
5. Leadership is meant to take risks. But be prudent, not reckless:
   A cautious leader will never make a jump on the opposition without having a strong feeling for how
   successful the outcome will be. You should note however that attitudes to risk are an essential part of
   any leadership style inventory and vary depending on the context. For example, startup companies
   require entrepreneurial leaders with a greater capability of handling risk. Whereas, mature companies
   are risk-averse so need a safe hand at the tiller.
6. Keep looking for the next opportunity and threat:
   The status-quo will not stay that way for long. Good commanders are always on the lookout for the
   next opportunity and potential threat. If cutting edge technology can be used then test it and
   prototype it. Likewise, unique promotional products can help give your final marketing stages a boost
   if applied effectively.
7. Knowledge management and therefore people management is critical to all
   businesses:
   Leadership has to foster the right environment and people within the company (since this is what
   powers modern knowledge economies). Focus on technical management 30% of the time, and assign
   the rest for people management. Your choice of performance appraisal/evaluation methods should
   feed into how you communicate with and assess the best people in your organization.
8. Real leaders understand that job titles have little bearing on where the true power
   lies:
   Sometimes the CEOs secretary has the most influence and power over what gets done within the
   company. Leadership realize that job titles do not always pinpoint the people with the keys to power.
9. Business is all about change. Effective leaders realize this and foster an
   environment where learning and change management is encouraged:
   Commanders are always developing leadership skills in their subordinates to foster learning and
   ownership of tasks within the organization. Effective use of change management strategies helps
   companies weather the storms of recessions and economic change.
10. Don’t get hung up on management techniques:
    Every situation is different and requires a unique approach to best accomplish your own goals. Some
    leadership skills list of items you read focus on specific methodologies and strategies. True leaders
    know they have to use the right tool for the right job, at the right time!
11. Optimistic and enthusiastic leaders cause a ripple effect through the organization:
    Lead from the top. No list of leadership skills would be complete without understanding the impact
    that a strong, enthusiastic and driven leader can have overall staff and subsequent departments. Just
    as motivational speakers can sweep up an audiences enthusiasm, senior management must instill
    their own enthusiasm in their staff.
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12. Leaders recruit and surround themselves with loyal driven individuals who have a
    sense of integrity, foresight and good judgment:
    The key to being a good leader is hiring people that are smarter than you.
13. Surround yourself with people who seek a good work/life balance:
    Managing teams of workaholics is a recipe for disaster. Well-balanced individuals are more motivated
    and more enthusiastic find people who work hard and play hard.
14. Great leaders can cut through the crap:
    Modern business is stifled by lingo and terminology. Strong leaders are always able to simplify
    arguments, debates and doubts in order to offer solutions which everyone understands. Keep it
    simple.
15. To lead effectively you must act promptly:
    Analysis paralysis is the curse of modern business. Managers who hesitate bring more risk upon the
    company and lose out on opportunities. Developing leadership skills in hesitant individuals is
    pointless since they will always be risk-averse.
16. Assign power and financial accountability to those subordinates who are actually
    bringing in the beans:
    Leaders realize that it is the command in the field who understands the environment best and
    therefore makes the best decisions. Don’t simply allocate powerful decisions and financial choices to
    your backline staff.
17. Good leaders realize that they have the final decision and that ultimate
    accountability lies with them:
    It’s lonely at the top and leaders have to make tough decisions which they can stand by.