Jetrader - March/April 2012 - 46

How to Be a Memorable Leader
Leading with vision and a commitment to company values
By Jean Kelley, Managing Director, Jean Kelley Leadership Alliance If you look back over your career, chances are you can identify one or two people who stand out as memorable leaders. Even if these people didn’t hold an ofﬁcial leadership role, their actions and words rallied people together to achieve a common goal. And whether that goal was large or small, far reaching or contained, you remember these leaders for a long time. While there are many great leaders in the world, not all of them are truly memorable—that is, they don’t leave an impression that lasts beyond their current accomplishment or focus. But being memorable is essential if you want longterm success. So what makes one leader memorable and puts another in the “out of sight, out of mind” category? It comes down to three key elements. Develop these characteristics in yourself and you, too, can be a memorable leader. some of the week, so it’s easy for them to get off track. Memorable leaders keep communicating the vision, so everyone is always on the same page. Living your vision and your company’s core values means everyone—those you report to and those who report to you—knows the vision as well. If you don’t understand your company’s vision or core values, have a conversation with your boss about them. Without vision and values, both companies and people lose their way—people are ﬂoundering, no one knows what they should be doing, and people hide their potential talent. Not a good situation for sure! For example, in a manufacturing company, getting the product out on time isn’t a core value and has nothing to do with the company’s vision. In order to have a healthy and synergistic team, people need to connect to something bigger than a goal of moving product. Vision and values make the difference. Also realize that communicating a vision does not mean the leader needs to be talkative. Many memorable leaders are quiet and reserved, such as presidents Truman and Eisenhower. People follow memorable leaders because they exemplify their vision, not just tout it.

Memorable leaders teach other leaders and are interested in the development of people beneath them.

Know Your Vision, Communicate It, and Live It
A Harvard Business School professor once said, “The only thing a CEO needs to do is communicate their vision, communicate their vision, and then communicate their vision.” Why is communicating the vision so important? Because if you don’t know where you’re going and tell others where you’re going, then you and everyone around you are going to lose the way. With all the things employees have going on in their lives, they’re distracted during

Know Who You Are
Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” While that’s a little harsh, it does make the point

46 The ofﬁcial publication of the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading

http://www.ISTAT.org

Jetrader - March/April 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Jetrader - March/April 2012