What Makes a Great Leader “Great”

by Dan Jones

Some of us are not great followers by nature but are nonetheless willing to follow another’s tune. Reflecting upon who in my business career has won my discipleship evinces a small number of consistent characteristics.

First, my leaders need to have an engaging personality. That is, they need to engage me, to make me feel connected with them on the journey we’re taking together. The “charisma factor,” so elusive to pin down, is helpful in this regard but, in my experience, not the heart of the issue. What really matters is that this leader is someone with whom I can imagine doing great things…and with whom I am willing to spend important hours of my life. I need to be a partner, not a tool.

I need to understand the destination and trust the motives. What are we doing and why are we doing it? The goal doesn’t need to be world peace or a cure for cancer, but what we’re doing needs to leave the part of the world I can affect a slightly better place, and arise from motives that are somewhat nobler than naked self-interest.

I need from my leaders passion and commitment to our endeavour. Their persona can be fiery or intellectual, rough or smooth, saint-like or rascally – but they need to make me believe that they believe in what we’re doing together.

This emotional fervour needs to be supported by fact-based confidence that our journey has a reasonable chance of success. I’m not Sancho Panza and have no interest in following Don Quixote to tilt at windmills! Show me that the homework’s been done or ask me to help do it, but let’s spend our time in the realm of the doable.

I need regular communication from my leader: How are we doing? Is the goal still the goal? Where can I help?  My best leaders have been those that consistently shared the news, good and bad, and trusted that I could handle it appropriately. Conversely, I was able to share concerns or adverse developments with them without fear of negative consequences.

Finally, my good leaders have been effective at recognizing their followers. We all have vastly different needs in this regard – the frequency, intensity, and mix of financial and ego rewards needed by followers is as varied as their DNA. Great leaders know their people well enough to understand and meet those needs…which closes the loop with where we started, engagement.

About Dan Jones

Dan Jones is an amazing leader himself, as I know first hand from our days as colleagues at Johnson & Higgins.

He then went on to become Vice Chairman of Marsh. Today, he is a member of the executive committee of Beazley, and he focuses on deepening relationships with their key producers around the world.

Dan is a graduate of University of Chicago and University of Missouri-Kansas City, where he earned his Masters in Mathematics. He is also a world class mountain climber.