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The Leader In You

Jack Welch, former Chairman and CEO of GE wrote an editorial which appeared in the 1/23 edition of the Wall Street Journal about a question often asked of him - what makes a good leader.

For more than 20 years he used a principal called the Four E's to evaluate if a person had the right stuff to be a great leader, and he says, this simple measurement tool has never let him down.

Before the 4 E barometer is even turned on, he makes sure this person has INTEGRITY, which he defines as telling the truth, taking responsibility for past actions, admitting and fixing mistakes. He goes on to say he makes sure this person is fair, loyal, good and compassionate. A leader is a good listener, and values human dignity.

You also have to add intelligence in the mix he says, and not book smarts but a breadth and depth of knowledge. He weighs emotional intelligence heavily, saying self awareness, maturity and self control are key components. This person can withstand the heat, handling set backs and being joyful and humble at times of success.

Assuming this person has the above traits, he checks on the 4 E's:

1. Energy - do you have tons of positive energy?
2. Energize - can you inspire others to action?
3. Edge - do you have the courage to make tough yes/no decisions?
4. Execute - can you get the job done?

My belief is that leadership is visible all around us - enough to make the likes of Mr. Welch proud.