Seeking the best
Director leadership:
what does it take?



By Jim Wadsworth, Program Leader, Education
and Member Relations
USDA Rural Development

he Greek philosopher Diogenes is said to have walked city streets, lantern in hand, looking for an honest man. While honesty is one quality cooperatives should seek in their leaders, there are many others.

As the statement at right implies, cooperatives need strong leadership to meet present and future challenges. But serious questions arise. What does leadership mean for a cooperative? What makes an effective cooperative leader? Precisely what skills or traits are required? What type of people fulfill this need?

There are many definitions for cooperative leadership. These may include: having the ability to lead the board of directors toward sound decisions; being loyal to the cooperative and inspiring loyalty in others; being unselfish and trustworthy; having courage to take on hard problems and the integrity to stand by decisions; understanding and upholding cooperative principles and concepts.

But do these definitions go far enough to enable members and directors to successfully identify and choose future leaders? To a degree. But other leader characteristics should also be considered.

Many would agree that effective leaders often have important personality traits that are intangible, or that lie below the surface. Indeed, there’s often something inexplicable that makes some people leaders. The strength of their personality be it charm or stature (i.e., they connect to people and carry themselves well) in itself makes them effective leaders. These people usually stand out from the crowd. They possess traits that are difficult to learn, since they often come naturally to such people. There may be some who try to “act out” these traits, but they are usually seen as just that: as actors.

However, certain leadership traits, behaviors and methods can be learned or acquired through experience, education, training and self-study. The following are traits commonly found among effective leaders.

Enthusiasm—Does the person show consistent enthusiasm toward the cooperative, people and life in general? Is the person positive and upbeat when challenged with difficult circumstances and issues? An effective leader confronts business and life with enthusiasm, isn’t a pessimist or a complainer. These people are willing to take on tough issues with the same enthusiasm that they display going about their everyday lives.

Listening ability—A leader listens to people and hears what they have to say. The listening is sincere and patient and shows respect for different opinions. A good listener listens to learn, rather than listens only to await a chance to talk. This trait inspires trust and confidence.

Think before speaking—Effective leaders are those who have the ability to think things through before constructing their words and phrases. Speaking very quickly or off the cuff works for some people, but others often find themselves saying things they didn’t actually mean or intend to say. Leaders need to have the ability to analyze information, and then form logical conclusions before articulating their thoughts.

Stubbornness vs. flexibility—Leaders often learn when to stick to their guns and when to be more flexible. This usually takes experience, because every situation is different. Effective leaders are those who have learned when to stay the course in their opinions and decisions and when to be flexible. Leaders must be careful not to be indecisive, stubborn or overly flexible. Rather, they should use a blend of those traits, depending on the situation. Consistency is key those being led must come to understand and know the decision making processes of their leaders.

Complete tasks—Leaders complete things when they’re supposed to be done, or make sure that those responsible get it done. Leaders are prepared for action and are able to instill in others the need to be prepared. Completing work and projects in a timely manner creates respect and allows people to witness the ability and integrity of their leaders.

Take responsibility—“The buck stops here” is a slogan good leaders adopt. They are willing to take responsibility for negative events or occurrences that fall under their jurisdiction. They don’t try to pass problems off on someone else, but take them on. They also know how to graciously take credit for success and even more important know how to give credit to others when it is due.

Thought provoking—A good leader is able to get others to think about things rather than just follow blindly. A leader involves people by provoking thoughts through challenges and by providing information. This trait often allows a leader to build relationships that will endure and create commitment needed to complete tasks.

Effective leaders will have many of the qualities or traits outlined here, and probably some others as well. Often, various traits compliment each other, giving the person even greater leadership stature and ability. If some traits are lacking, an effort should be made to improve in those areas.

Understanding and knowing what traits to look for while identifying perspective leaders is critical. In addition, it is also important to understand whether an identified leader will be a good fit in a specific situation. Even though a person may be identified as a suitable leader, it does not necessarily mean that the person will thrive in all leadership roles. Indeed, a person may be a tremendous leader in one situation, but not a good leader in a different situation, such as in a cooperative. These questions may need to be asked: These and other pertinent questions must be addressed when working to select quality leaders for cooperatives in the current competitive environment. Leader-quality people should be sought out, even though it may be a challenge to recruit them because they are often very busy and lack the extra time to take on additional responsibilities and leadership roles. Knowing the traits to look for and the questions to ask can help identify the best people to lead cooperative boards and cooperatives as we go forward into a challenging and competitive future.


November/December Table of Contents