People don't always mean what they say and say what they mean. But for many leaders, knowing the difference does not come automatically. Often, they must be diplomatic, and learn to listen and pay attention to what their workers are really saying. George W. Bush appears to be off to a good start in his presidency. At least part of the explanation lies in the fact that so many people, even those of the opposite party, like him as a person and respect him as a leader.
Some questions remain.
The answer is that being relationship oriented must be balanced with being task sensitive. A leader cannot get so bogged down in personal relationships that goals are not reached. A clearly articulated mission statement helps leaders stay focused on the task at hand. In the next article, we will discuss six more traits and six more behavior patterns that can increase your LQ, or Leadership Quotient. 2 Jennings, Eugene E. An Anatomy of Leadership.