On Friday, I attended an excellent seminar on leadership offered by Jenny Whitener, Chief Executive of Bridge Consulting International and alumna of Cap Gemini Ernst & Young. Among the many fascinating learnings she shared was a simple and elegant list of what “followers most admire in their leaders.” According to Kouzes and Posner in their book The Leadership Challenge:

• Honesty
• A Sense of Looking Forward
• Inspiration
• Competence

Does this constellation seem surprising to you? Are any of them “optional” in an effective leader? What other attributes and qualities are essential in the best leaders you’ve known?

What are some key questions you might use to assess your own leadership in each of these four categories? Here are a few of my favorites:

• What do you do to promote clear communication?
• Describe how your vision is communicated and integrated in the work you do every day.
• How do you communicate success?
• How do you model and share your new learnings?

What are your thoughts?

Plotting a Smooth Course When You Take the Helm – WSJ.com

One of our clients is adding a COO to his firm, someone to focus on running the business while he concentrates on being the “visionary” and the face of the firm. So this Wall Street Journal article with tips for incoming CEOs to smooth the transition, it caught my eye.

Sure enough, here are a few quick (but not easy…) pragmatic and helpful recommendations from an array of experienced consultants. It occurs to me that these are good reminders for ANY business head, especially during times such as these when they may need to act more decisively than usual.

Resist the pressure/temptation to be a “know-it-all”
Find some people you really trust to give you the lay of the land
Consider worst-case scenarios with cash flow, aligning costs with revenues
Set an agenda, and be decisive – demonstrate leadership
Communicate constantly – it may feel like over-communicating, but do it anyway

These times of uncertainty (and enhanced creativity!) offer an opportunity to introduce the kind of change that more stable times don’t afford. Leadership will count more than ever. Don’t blow it!

Crisis Advice from GE’s Immelt – Harvard Business Online’s HBR Editors’ Blog:
“Keep your company safe but keep building the future”

Terrific brief article from GE’s CEO Immelt about Leadership and Change he teaches his management teams. While he acknowledges that adjustment is necessary in light of current economic troubles, it doesn’t mean turning from growth.

Immelt had some final advice for leaders, which struck me as especially valuable in tough times:

Be decisive: Make decisions, including some occasions when you don’t have perfect information.

Be accountable: Stand by your decisions, admit when you’ve made a mistake, and make sure you and your team are accountable.

Be transparent: Don’t just tell the truth, share the intent behind your decisions.

Be a unifier: Make people feel like they’re part of something that will last.

Be willing to change yourself: Embrace personal growth.

Good advice for entrepreneurial businesses as well as this member of the Fortune 5.