What Makes a Great Leader? (PDF) - Union Plus

Mentoring Tip – What Makes a Great Leader?
The Union Privilege Mentoring Program is focused on developing Leaders of the
Future. There are many great thinkers and writers on leadership; and much in the
literature about what it takes to be a great leader. At its core, being a great
union leader involves:
• Knowing yourself as a leader—What are your values? What do you
believe? Why do you want to be in a leadership position? What are
your strengths and areas for development?
• Knowing what you want to make happen—What is your vision?
What are your goals? What do you want to influence?
• Putting your vision into action—How are your goals informing your
actions day to day? What do you need to do to put your ideas into
action?
At one of your next Mentoring sessions, please have a conversation about
leadership and how you can put your own leadership into action. Following is
guidance for this conversation:
1. Mentee, prior to the session, answer the following questions:
• Who are you as a leader—What are your values? What do you believe?
Why do you want to be in a leadership position?
• What do you want to make happen—What is your vision? What are
your goals at this time? What do you want to influence?
• What are you doing to put these goals into action? What else do you
want/need to do to move your leadership forward?
• What leaders are inspiring you as you develop as a leader? What are
their traits, qualities?
• What would you like to know from your mentor about leadership?
2. Mentors, prior to the session, consider the following:

• Who most inspired when you were developing as a leader? What were
their traits, qualities?
• What have been your own lessons-learned as a leader? What key
pieces of advice would you pass on to your mentee?
• What feedback would you offer your mentee in terms of what you are
seeing that is “leader-like” and what you are seeing as areas for growth?
• What ideas do you have for your mentee in terms of specific actions
they can take to practice and build their leadership skills?
• What are some of your favorite readings on the topic of leadership?
3. Make agreements for actions the mentee can take:
• What one next step will the mentee take to accelerate their growth as a
leader?
• What will the mentee read on leadership?
Resources: Following are some classic and current readings on leadership:
Primal Leadership, Daniel Goleman
The Extraordinary Leader: Turning Good Managers into Great Leaders, John
Zenger and Joseph Folkman
On Becoming a Leader, Warren Bennis
Leadership on the Line, Ronald Heifetz & Marty Linksy
“The Work of Leadership,” Ronald Heifetz and Donald Laurie, Harvard
Business Review, January-February 1997
“Level 5 Leadership: The Triumph of Humility and Fierce Resolve,” Jim
Collins, Harvard Business Review, January 2001

“What Makes a Leader,” Daniel Goleman, Harvard Business Review,
November-December 1998
“Primal Leadership: The Hidden Driver of Great Performance,” Goleman,
Boyatzis, McKee, Harvard Business Review, December 2001
“What Leaders Really Do,” John Kotter, Harvard Business Review, May-June
1990
Leadership from the Inside Out, Kevin Cashman
Getting it Done: How to Lead When You are Not in Charge, Roger Fisher
Getting Things Done When You are Not in Charge, Geoffrey Bellman