Question

1. What are the characteristics of an effective leader? Give an example of an effective leader you know, and explain why and how s(he) is effective.

Answer 1

Characteristics of an Effective Leader
It is an honor to be elected as an officer of your organization. An officer must not only possess
superior organizational, communication, and managerial skills, s/he must assume great responsibility
and provide consistent, inspired and principle-centered leadership for other group members.
Most importantly, s/he must possess the ability to lead by example, in attempts to gain the respect
and confidence of his/her fellow group members. Self-discipline will enable you to hold others
accountable for their actions. After all, if you as a leader do not pay your bills, come prepared to
meetings, and act responsibly in a social atmosphere, why should the members?
Other traits of an exceptional leader include:
Proactive vs. Reactive - The exceptional leader is always thinking three steps ahead and works to
master his/her environment with the goal of avoiding problems before they arise.
Flexible/Adaptable - How one handles oneself in unexpected or uncomfortable situations… an
effective leader will adapt to new surroundings and situations, doing his/her best to adjust.
A Good Communicator - As a leader, one must listen...a lot! He/she must be willing to work to
understand the needs and desires of the membership. A good leader asks many questions, considers
all options, and leads the organization in the right direction.
Respectful - An officer should show respect to those who elected him/her to the position. Showing
others respect will ultimately bring respect.
Confident - Be proud of the organization and let the pride emanate to others within and outside of
the group.
Enthusiastic - Excitement is contagious. When a leader is motivated and excited about the
organization, the group will follow his/her lead.
Open-Minded - Work to consider all options when making decisions. A strong leader will evaluate
input/constructive criticism from all stakeholders and work for the betterment of the organization
as a whole.
Resourceful - As a leader you must utilize the resources available to you and the organization. Your
advisors, the staff in the Campus Life Office, and other members of the Knox community are all
here to help you. Use them!
Rewarding - An exceptional leader will recognize the efforts of other officers/members and
positively reinforce those actions. We all enjoy being recognized for our actions!

Well Educated - Knowledge is power. Work to be the officer who is well educated on the
organization, the Campus Life Office, campus, and community policies and procedures. Further, your
knowledge of issues and information within the organization will only increase your success in leading
the group.
Open to Change - A leader will take into account all points of view and will be willing to change a
policy, program, or tradition that is out-dated, or no longer beneficial to the organization as a whole.
Interested in Feedback - How do your members feel about your performance as a leader? How can
you serve the members of the organization better? These are important questions that a leader
needs to constantly ask. It is important not to get defensive if someone offers you feedback, but
rather to work to understand and work to better meet his/her needs.
Evaluative - Evaluation of events and programs is essential for an organization to improve and
progress. An exceptional officer will constantly evaluate and change programs and policies that are
not working.
Organized - Are you prepared for meetings events and confident that other officers are prepared
and organized as well?
Consistent - As an officer, you need the confidence and respect of the organization members.
Confidence and respect cannot be attained without your leadership being consistent. Members must
have confidence that their opinions and thoughts will be heard and taken into consideration.
Delegator - An exceptional leader realizes that he cannot accomplish everything on his own.
He will know the talents and interests of his members, thus delegating tasks accordingly. Be sure to
be inclusive of all members.

Bill Gates appears everyone’s list of the Top 10 most admired U.S. business leaders – ever. That’s pretty lofty company.

When he retired from Microsoft in 2008, Gates left a legacy as a demanding and, at times, abrasive boss.
Yet he encouraged and nurtured enormous creativity and innovation from people, and made a point of recognizing achievements.

The programmers, engineers, designers, MBAs and others who regularly attended Gates’ development meetings said he frequently interrupted to question and challenge assumptions.

Given those details, there’s little doubt Gates relied heavily on an authoritarian leadership style.

He took charge and let everyone know he was in charge.

But like so many successful people, he relied on a blend of other styles as well.

He was aware that his authoritarian style was not conducive to innovation. Control freaks hinder creativity. (It’s said Gates required so much control in his early years that he even signed off on the expenses of his second-in-command, Steve Ballmer.)

The authoritarian style is very effective in fast-changing situations, where quick decisions are required. Much of Microsoft’s success can be attributed to Gates willingness to make decisions on the run.