Qualities of a Strong Leader

I’ve spent the last several weeks thinking about the importance of leadership.  Specifically, I’ve thought about the qualities that make a great leader.  I’ve been in the field of education for over twenty years now: as a teacher, a literacy coach, a PhD student, and a professor. And, in those roles I’ve been led by a number of principals, vice-principals, professors, department chairs, and deans.  When I think about the leaders who were most effective, they had these qualities:

• Trustworthy:  A leader who is trustworthy fosters a trusting work environment.  When I first became a professor, I had a department chair who I could trust with my life.  Whenever I talked to him in confidence, he never betrayed my trust. I never worried about the words I said leaving his office if I asked him to keep something private.  It’s a quality I appreciate more and more as I grow older.
  
• Honors Choice: The most effective leaders, like the most effective literacy teachers, offer choices.  No one functions well under dictates or authoritarian moves.  No one wants to be told there is only one way of doing something.  I believe strong leaders think of multiple choices for their employees and allow the employee to have a voice in decision-making.  I became a literacy coach in a K-5 school when the idea of “literacy coach” was brand new.  The principal sat down with me and we fully fleshed out my role in the school.  I had just as much say in the decision-making as she did.  She respected my voice.
  
• Displays Integrity: A strong leader has integrity—someone you’re proud to call your leader.  They are the best representative of the workplace and someone you’re proud to called boss.  They don’t lie, cheat, or manipulate.  Over time, I’ve seen so many dishonest leaders take tremendous falls from grace.  And most of the time it was because they lacked integrity.
  
• Inspires:  A strong leader is innovative and inspiring.  They make you see things in new and fresh ways—without stifling your own creativity in the process.  In fact, they listen to your best ideas, give you credit for them, and find ways to bring your voice into the conversation.  The director of my children’s school is such an inspiring leader that teachers never leave.  They rarely have job openings.  The teachers at the school know how rare it is to have someone who is both visionary and inspiring at the same time.  It’s a rare gift.
  
• Personable: A strong leader greets you when you walk into the school, smiles, asks how you’re doing, and remembers that cultivating relationships is the most important aspect of leading others.  When my twin sons were born, I got a package in the mail a few days later—two matching Hannah Anderson outfits with sailor hats.  It was from the Dean of my college who told me she was thrilled to have two more Kissels in this world.  And even though she has since retired, it was such a sweet, sentimental token of affection I have never forgotten.
  
• Positive: The best leaders see the glass as half-full and are positive about the successes of others.  They don’t take credit for others’ work or feel threatened by it.  Instead, they celebrate it.  Because when your employees succeed, you succeed.
• Great Communicator:  Good leaders engage in conversation.  They talk, discuss, and have an open door that you know you can walk through when you feel compelled to speak.  Being a great communicator means you are able to articulate a belief system, but also open to hearing the thoughts of others.  Being a great communicator means being a willing listener. 
  
• If You Were Successful, They Left You Alone: Finally, the best leaders I ever had were the ones who, if I was doing a great job, left me alone to fly.  They didn’t throw unnecessary hurdles in my way, or find ways to tamp down on my success.  They allowed me to bring my strengths into the classroom, try new things, and thanked me when everyone left with a great experience.
  

 
I have been thinking about leadership recently because I think we’re desperate for great leaders—in our schools and in our country.  We can begin by being great leaders within our own classrooms.