Most organizations can survive in good or in bad times, if they have well-thought-out business strategy plans. But it takes more than plans to really succeed. It takes leadership, which includes bold decision-making, and management skills to motivate people to work to build an organization or to use its products or services.

What determines leadership in any organization? The Oxford American Dictionary defines a leader as someone whose example is followed, or who has a senior position as the head of a group. Leadership can result from a person’s skills. A person can also be seen as a leader because they inspire loyalty or trust, due to their passion, management skills and ethical behaviors.

The wait for a delayed airplane last week, in Washington, D.C., presented me an opportunity to meet a really interesting leader, a member of the United States Special Operations Command.  Known as USSOCOM, the organization develops strategic policy plans. These plans direct, synchronize and respond with military strike forces globally, against terrorists, threats or missile attacks that may be used against our country. USSOCOM’s mission is to train, equip and deploy all four military service units, using special operation combat forces to accomplish its goals. In our meeting in Washington, D.C., we discussed the responsibilities and happenings in our own childhoods and those of our children today. Some people, when they were young, did not have a mentor or role model to follow, in either of their parents. It takes a courageous person, with honesty and commitment, to say he or she sought a role model elsewhere.

Some, without mentors, have pulled themselves up. They have developed leadership capabilities through their own experiences and adaptability, often through serving others, which sometimes propels them into eventually becoming strong leaders. The true hallmark of a leader is the ability to listen to other people’s concerns and let them know you understand their issues, whether or not you agree with their positions.

Planning by the Special Operations Command works similar to the way most successful businesses operate their business plans and strategies. Careful planning, and consistent follow-through on the mission, is what counts. Basically, good outcomes are the result of developing and executing the right operations strategy, just as in the private sector.

The children of the USSOCOM officer were taught that leadership, to be effective, should have a shared vision with others, on their needs, inspirations and values. That is a major element for leaders. Another important aspect of good leadership is communications. It is vital to know what has to be done, and the more a leader understands each person’s job, the more likely the plan will fit the skills and needs of the staff and organization. In the military, it is essential to get the right people committed to securing the objectives of the unit. In business, knowing what your team has to do and preplanning your business strategy, helps to bring success in your business ventures.

Leadership can also mean helping other people grow in their jobs, by teaching them and giving them the authority to accomplish their objectives with their own teams. Even when people fail or make mistakes, the end result can be learning and building the confidence to work towards a future leadership position.

Anyone can become a leader, at any age in life. It is never too late to step up to the plate, for a cause you care about, if you are willing to act on it. Leadership involves vision and adaptability, and taking responsibility for your own work, and for the people whose energy you want to harness. Leadership involves working hard, taking risks, stepping out ahead of the crowd, and being willing to take your lumps, if you make mistakes.  All leaders have to be sensitive to how other people feel about what they are doing. In government, we get regular chances to let our leaders know how we feel about their efforts. This November, for example, voters will make decisions about who they want to give a chance to be new leaders.

The world, and our own community, needs more good leaders. We need talented retired people to take on volunteer leadership efforts. And we need to prepare our youths by teaching them the basic principles of leadership early, in order for them to take on leadership roles in the future.  

— Bernard Featherman is a business columnist and past president of the Biddeford-Saco Chamber of Commerce. He can be reached by e-mail: bernard@featherman.com.