Great leaders inspire others

by Joseph G. Greiveldinger

Are leaders born, or can they be developed? While most people agree that natural born leaders do exist, is it because they are born with qualities that the next person doesn’t have, or do they just happen to have an innate sense of the qualities that leaders command and put those traits to use?

I believe the answer is that leaders can be developed. I believe that so-called natural born leaders either just have a natural sense of the qualities that leaders need to possess, or that at a young age they learned to model the qualities of successful individuals around them.

Therefore, to develop leaders we need to do two things.

First, we must identify and make real the qualities that leaders possess, and show how the leader developed these qualities. Most leadership qualities do not spring complete and fully formed to the mind at the moment they are needed. Instead, they are slowly developed through a series of human interactions and experiences. By using the real examples of great leaders as they go through the challenges of learning the leadership characteristics, we can help future leaders accelerate their leadership development.

Secondly, we must train future leaders so that they develop the skills necessary to effectively demonstrate the leadership qualities to others. Understanding the leadership qualities but not being able to demonstrate and make them real to others will prevent the future leader from reaching his or her potential.

At MRA, a non-profit management association, our training theme is that “great leaders inspire others,” and we use this theme to guide our leadership model development.

From these great leaders, we have been able to distill out the six qualities that all people of their caliber seem to possess. Those qualities are:

1) A stirring vision of the future

Great leaders paint a visual picture of the future in the minds of their followers. It is this stirring vision of the future that makes people feel comfortable and safe compared to the present situation. It is a place to which people will allow themselves to be led.

2) A long-term view of the world

Great leaders define the future using a timeframe of years or longer. They recognize results and successes today, but always in the context that those successes are only a step in accomplishing the larger mission.

3) Inspiring and big dreams

Great leaders have as part of their stirring vision of the future at least one inspiring and big dream that, if successfully completed, will accomplish much of the leader’s objective. The inspiring and big dream draws people to the leader. People come from all over to be part of the team, to be part of the dream.

4) The need to speak out and sometimes provoke

Great leaders recognize that they must constantly be delivering their message of the future. They talk about it at every opportunity and create opportunities to spread their word. When necessary, they provoke their audience to get the action they want.

5) A defining philosophy of right 

Great leaders maintain a strong and firm belief in the correctness of their position. They never sacrifice their philosophy of right, even if it means that they must sacrifice the attainment of numerous other goals to which they are strongly committed.

6) A dominating presence

Great leaders command the attention of everyone in a room with their entrance, not because of their activities but simply because of their presence. People recognize they are there and defer to them.

It is these six qualities that future leaders need to demonstrate if they are going to be successful. By understanding these qualities and always keeping them at the forefront of their mind, future leaders begin to see the world in a bigger light. They see a world that they can change. It matters not if the world they see is at the department, plant, business, community or global level. Leaders exist at all levels, and great leaders change their environment.

Great leaders inspire others. Do you? Do your people?

Joseph G. Greiveldinger is vice president of MRA – The Management Association. If you have a leadership or management question, contact him at:

Phone: 262-696-3365
E-mail: Joseph@mranet.org

This article appeared in the October/November 2002 issue of MRO Today magazine. Copyright 2002

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