Qualities of a good leader in a recession: Your view?
Posted by: rlebeaux
Leadership and strategic planning
A story on SearchCIO.com this week about eight qualities of a good leader during a recession included a lot of leadership advice for IT professionals. While I was doing the interviews for this piece, a nugget from leadership expert Jason Jennings, about being a “fish out of water” leader, really stood out to me:
Jennings identifies several traits that set conventional leaders apart from great leaders, who he terms “fish out of water.” Conventional leaders cast themselves as larger than life and sure in their stances. They are secretive and avoid signs of weakness. A fish-out-of-water leader, meanwhile, is humble and expresses self-doubt when appropriate. He is honest and admits fault when necessary.
Unfortunately, many “conventional” business executives have made news in the past several months as corporate scandals and mammoth bailouts have grabbed headlines, Jennings said. And that’s why leaders should aim for something different.
“‘Fish out of water’ is a good way to describe people who buck conventional wisdom and don’t just go along,” Jennings said.
I couldn’t agree more strongly with Jennings on this. Clearly, the leadership model that has defined much of the past decade is not working out the way anybody hoped. A confident leader is one thing; a deluded manager with the attitude, “I’m sure I’m right and this is how it’s going to be done and I’m not interested in anybody else’s opinions on this” is not.
Sure, that might seem obvious to some, but I’m surprised how many workplace “leaders” I’ve encountered who don’t seem to understand that humility and honesty will get them further with their staff – and even their superiors – than blatant posturing.
Do you agree with the traits listed in our leadership qualities article? What leadership qualities do you view as crucial during tough times? Feel free to share your comments below.
Also, I’m thinking of writing a companion piece about the qualities of a good IT employee during a recession. If you’re a CIO or IT leader who would like to talk to me about what you look for in employees during rough times, please e-mail me.
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