THE TOP 7 QUALITIES OF AN EFFECTIVE LEADER
BY HEATHER LANGONE
W
e often publish articles on leadership, so I thought during this post-pandemic phase, that it might be important to bring it back to basics and remind our readers of the qualities that make a good leader. You can pass all the tests, create the most intricate strategies, and employ the best technology, but without the qualities in place to be a good leader, to lead by example, you may as well be a Lamborghini without an engine. If you hope to lead your company or companies to success, you must model the very qualities you expect in others. One of our most formidable leaders, Mike Schwartz, CEO of Daikin Applied Americas Inc., and whom we interviewed back in 2018 for 20 Questions, answered it best when he was asked, “What makes a good leader?” Schwartz answered:
12
HVACR BUSINESS MAY 2022
Be the boss you wish you had. Your leadership commitment to lead by example, will take you farther than any ‘do it because I said,’ motto ever could. …it’s never a simple one-dimensional answer. Number one is having great character and a strong moral compass. People need to know who you are and what you stand for. Another part is fundamental: lead by example. One of my favorite parts of leadership is coaching.
1. LEAD BY EXAMPLE Let’s start by tailgating what Mike Schwartz said. If you wish to inspire others,
you must lead by example. If you lead with integrity, people will want to model that quality. If you are open to coaching and elevating the people you lead, they will feel empowered to be better. Many successful companies, Daikin being one of them, have this as part of their leadership model. Empower employees to be better. Empathize. Treat others with respect. If you look at Marriott, HP, JetBlue, Daikin, and other billion-dollar companies, they have built this mantra into the company creed. But it’s not merely a philosophy.
It starts at the top with the leaders who model the qualities they wish to inspire, by example. Be the leader you wish you had. Even if you are just starting out with a small brick and mortar shop, commit to being that kind of leader. Be the boss you wish you had. Your leadership commitment to lead by example, will take you farther than any “do it because I said,” motto ever could.
2. DECISIVENESS Lee Iacocca famously said, “The one word that makes a good manager – decisiveness.” Notably, he referenced decisiveness, not decision making. The trait that separates extraordinary leaders from ordinary managers, is the ability to be decisive. The willingness to make a tough decision or any decision, and stand by it, is one of the most important traits of an effective
www.hvacrbusiness.com
