What separates a leader who gets things done from one who simply holds a title? Research into public administration and leadership points again and again to a small set of characteristics — and civility, in one form or another, runs through most of them.
Traits of a successful leader
- They have a Mission Vision.
- They encourage followers to carefully think for themselves in how to implement the organization’s mission
- They are good models of what they want to see in others
- They account for individual differences
- They provide followers with the resources to implement expectations
- They expect reasonable participation to make the organization successful
- They support a system that rewards beneficial behavior
None of these traits require agreement. They require respect — the working assumption that the person across the table is operating in good faith until proven otherwise. That assumption alone changes how a conversation unfolds, and how likely it is to end in a workable solution rather than a stalemate.