I don't believe that a "blueprint" is what makes a successful leader. The bottom line are the results, Was the goal(s) achieved? Is the team morale high? Efficiency, effective results?
Mark Salinas, Viscom, MN

I'm currently serving my second combat tour in Iraq. I can tell you that the common traits of great leadership do exist, however each person has to have their own unique way about them.

My personal theory on leadership is that in life, there are managers and there are leaders. Managers tell you what to do and have to "manage" the project to every last detail. Leaders give their people the sense of responsibility and accomplishment that make them want to contribute 100% towards the team every day.

suBJECT TO FURTHER DEBATE ONE WOULD FEEL THERE CERTAIN FUNDAMENTALS OF ANY GOOD LEADER, THE ABC'S , THERE SOME BLUE CHIPS

I do not feel there is a blueprint to being a successful leader. It does however depend upon what is meant by the term successful. A successful leader is one who sets an example for others to follow. Those that conduct themselves with integrity of character in everything they do are examples for others to follow. The true successful leader is one who leads by example. It is providing an example for others to do their best in everything they do. Leaders are created through circumstance in many cases but it is a position for which individuals must have the personality to bring out the best in others.

Actually Jay, many of the points you laid out are so valid, I am wondering if you may not have a new future in developing leadership "systems." It is needed so badly in this day and age...

The Bible is a great place to start and it is obvious that you are a pillar of HIS strength to apologize on a public forum. I thank you and accept.

Know that you have a friend and my undivided attention from here on out.

Brad

Humility is a wonderful thing and I have to thank Brad Szollose for pointing that out to me in his response to my response to the intial question. I apologize to Brad, and others, for calling the question into question. Isn't it interesting, though, that simply challenging the question of a blueprint for successful leadership is so provacative? If the intent of the question is to create a dialogue and amass intelligent answers from others in various fields, one might conclude that said responses might create a dialogue and actually amass intelligent answers, though I am somewhat skeptical at this point that dissenting opinions would be considered intelligent which leads me to wonder whether amassing emotional answers would be given the same weight as intelligent answers. I'm just not sure. Might me an interesting point to consider in discussing successful leadership, whether the blueprint analogy works or not, since successful leadership is really more emotional than cerebral. I regret to say, however, that I have never read the Clue Train Manifesto (I'm Appalachian by birth) and always understood that my strength comes from the Lord, not my network, so I'm gonna have to do some reading to get caught up with the Intelligencia of the world. I have read The Holy Bible, Generation to Generation, Friedman's Fables, and A Failure of Nerve and these tend to bias my worldview when it comes to successful leadership. I would also like to apologize to Brad for calling a spade a spade. I remarked in my first response to the question that Brad's shameless self-promotion of his 9 Steps might not be adequate and suggested that it was shameless, self promotion. Clearly, I was mistaken. I still don't think it is adequate but I recant the slur given the lack of moral and ethical guidance on my part. Successful leaders, in my profession, ask for forgiveness when they err. I can do no less.

Thank you Jay Tatum for keeping my ego in check. Your comments did give me a good chuckle, after all, is there a system that works for everyone? Probably not...but we can start with some sort of structure.

Understand this- sometimes I get carried away...but my heart is in the right place: I want people to succeed, especially in this age of transience and lack of moral and ethical guidance.

I have been on the board of directors for my own company and done well financially. So I can teach a better style of leadership...after all, I've done it, especially during the most chaotic period of financial history in American history: the Dot Com Boom.

But let's lay a few ground rules for all messages on this string:

1) Give more than one word answers. We don't know who you are responding to when it is posted several pages later.

2) Give us all some knowledge from your expertise. These questions on Fast Company have a purpose - to amass intelligent answers from other professionals in various fields. It is a magazine after all.
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3) Bashing others says more about you than the person you are bashing. Read the ClueTrain Manifesto...after all, your network is what gives you strength. If you want access to my network, you have to prove to me that you can play nice with other adults.

4) Please, please, please say something we can all use for our own success. I for one look forward to every ones input on this site...I am ALWAYS learning.

Thanks Jay, and please, feel free to email me offline as well.

Brad

Is this a trick question? It assumes an answer one way or the other - which is really kind of linear in the sense of a continuum with success at one end and failure at the other. I prefer to conceive the answer to be far more dynamic than a progressive schedule that suggests a good, better, best track record of success. Can you imagine how long that list might have to be to define success? Are Brad Szollose's shameless self-promotion of "9 Steps to Developing the Leader Within" realistically going to be enough? Why not 900 steps or 9000 steps? One could be selling one's self short if success is too limited to just a few benchmarks.
I wonder whether the concept of "blueprint" is also too limiting. I wonder whether one could ever create a blueprint for self-discovery that isn't limited to the choices we make and don't make. I wonder whether leadership is more of a state of being than a function we perform. I guess it even comes down to defining the word and concept of leader, for me.

I see many great qualities listed, I believe one very important quality not listed is responsiveness. I think it is very important to communicate consistently. If an employee is feeling ignored, you run into the chance the individual coming to conclusions that may not be accurate. This could lead to lower morale etc. Again it
is important to provide feedback whether it be positive or not.

Mark Salinas, Viscom Technology Group, MN

Hummmm, that's a tough one, again, I agree with others here there is no one blueprint, but similiar characteristics.
to add on to M Donovan's list
4. Charisma, lets be honest are we going to follow a Mr Burns other than to pay the bills !
5. Accountability - this is huge ! a great leader that is accountable and can hold others accountable is already a head of the game.
6. Knowledgeable, Hey now that is a great quality.