4 P rin c ip le s
E ff e c t iv e L e a d e r s h ip of
PA R T 1
by dr. sharon h. porter for urban sentinel How do you define a leader? There are a plethora of definitions of leader. I absolutely love John Maxwell’s definition: A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way… That sums it up for me. In order for a leader to demonstrate effective leadership, one must embody the mindset and actions of a leader. It doesn’t matter the industry, I am a believer that as a leader you demonstrate certain characteristics, specific qualities, and common traits. As part of my research for my Women Who Lead, Next in Line to Lead, and Young Ladies Who L.E.A.D., book series, I have interviewed more than 100 leaders in various industries around the United States. From this research, I have identified four principles of effective leadership: Integrity, Execution, Competency, and Collaboration.
“Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody;s going to know whether you did it or not” -Oprah Winfrey Integrity refers to being trustworthy and honest. Do your actions align with your words? Are you reliable? A leader that demonstrates integrity has no problem owning up to their mistakes. Your leadership reputation is dictated by your level of integrity. As a school leader, I learned early that transparency was the key to building trust with staff, parents, and all stakeholders. That same lesson
This article will highlight part 1 of 4; Integrity.
has allowed me to build trust as a business owner and
Integrity
the organization I lead. You cannot say one thing and do
entrepreneur. As a leader, my behavior is a reflection of something entirely different and expect others to respect
URBAN SENTINEL MAGAZINE | DECEMBER
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