Leadership can make or break an organization.  If an office has great leadership, they have happy employees that produce great work.  If an office lacks leadership, then all you are left with are disgruntled employees that spend more time on the job hunt in the office than they do actually doing their job.  Here are 4 ways that having great leaders can impact the work environment:

1. They are excited about their job, and therefore make you excited about doing your job:  Everyone always says “Find a job you love and it won’t feel like work.”  Well, how often do you actually come across someone who really loves their job?  There are more of them out there than you think.  And, they’re not all like my uncle, who is a professional ski instructor and gets to live and work in Jackson Hole, WY (one of the most beautiful places on the Earth).  My uncle even owns a beer koozie that says “My job is better than your vacation.”  But there are people out there that truly enjoy their jobs, many of which require sitting behind a desk and in front of a computer.  Generally, it’s not the work itself that excites them, but the outcome of what they do.  For instance, when I worked for New Century Software, the president seemed constantly excited about what we were doing.  NCS was a company that provided GIS software and services for clients in the oil and gas pipeline industry.  And while the oil industry comes across as the bad guys in many instances, the mission of NCS was always safety.  In fact, I remember our old mission statement: “Safer Pipelines through GIS.”  I mainly remember it because it was plastered in our production area where I sat for 8+ hours a day.  It has since been updated, but, the premise is the same nonetheless.  The president, Ron Brush, was always really really excited to be doing what he was doing and about what our company was doing.  Having a leader like that really made me want to give 100%.  I wish I could remember some witty/inspirational remark that he said, but, it wasn’t so much what he said, but his attitude towards everything.  I remember seeing him at the ESRI-UC a year after I had moved to Florida and he hugged me.  That was something I never expected.  He also seemed genuinely happy that I had continued in the career of GIS.  And that is the attitude that brings me to my next point.

 2. They thrive on helping their employees excel:  A great leader will always push for someone to supersede them.   And, not just to mold their replacement, but someone that will go even further in their careers.  A good leader won’t be afraid to have someone smarter than they are under them.  That person won’t be viewed as a threat, but as an opportunity to drive the business to a level beyond their current position.  Investing your time in someone who can be great for the company will prove to be a greater pay off than you anticipate.  If mentoring wasn’t important, then top companies like GE, Nokia, IBM, and Proctor and Gamble wouldn’t waste time with developing their employee mentoring programs.  If it works for them, it will work for you too.  For those of you who aren’t in the position to create a formal mentoring program, you’re not out of luck.  Just do what I did.  Take it upon yourself to find a mentor.  Look for someone who inspires you and shares your career goals; don’t pick someone just because they have the corner office and make a lot of money. 

3. They get things done:   A great leader will never leave you hanging.  They will do what they say they will do.  If they set a goal, they will attain it.  The age old saying “actions speak louder than words” holds true in regards to leadership.  People are more likely to follow a leader’s actions than their words.  By following through on their word, they build trust and integrity.  And by showing this in their actions, they are more likely to have employees who also have integrity and are trustworthy.  People want to work for people they like and people they respect.  If their leader is constantly falling short on promises and babbling out good ideas but never doing anything about them, then they aren’t leading, they’re breeding cynicism. 

4. They work smart:  Leaders are not one-man bands.   They know how to utilize people around them to get things done; whether it’s delegating tasks to their employees so they can complete a project or consulting experts for technical advice and direction.  They aren’t afraid to surround themselves with smart people.  For example:  We’re building our GIS database utilizing ArcServer from the ground up.  When I came to work for the DOT Surveying & Mapping office, there was no formal GIS in place.  Part of the reason I was hired was to initiate and convert all of our General Highway County Maps into a GIS format.  Currently we’re trying to implement ArcServer and come up with a multi-user/multi-editor geodatabase workflow.  Well, we’ve never done anything like this before.  So, I go to the FDOT GIS Coordinator (who also happens to be my mentor) and tell him we need help.  The first thing he does is call up a consultant the DOT is partnering with and ask them if we can set up a teleconference with their geodatabase workflow expert.  He didn’t try to solve my problem himself, he didn’t throw textbooks at me and told me to “read up and see what you can figure out,” he went straight to the people he knew would give us information fast. And not just any information, expert information.  My dad always says “Work smarter, not harder” and I believe good leaders have mastered that ability.

Having a great leader can really improve attitudes within a business.  If employees are inspired and have respect for their leaders, they will have more motivation to do a job well done and be willing to work towards achieving a common vision.