Dimensions of Leadership Effectiveness

By Brent Ruben, PhD
and Stacy Smulowitz, ABC

A fundamental tenet of leadership practice is that leaders are most effective when they are personally and visibly engaged in their work in a manner that demonstrates their commitment to particular organizational values and principles. Through their personal actions, leaders have the opportunity to reaffirm the importance of listening to and understanding the perspectives of those served by the organization, engaging and valuing colleagues at all levels, and encouraging coordinated leadership and accountability throughout the organization. Personal involvement, communication and consensus-building are important in all organizations.

Although there is no simple formula for effectiveness in leadership in communication organizations, many of the most critical dimensions can be enumerated:

• Having a well-defined and inclusive vision of organizational effectiveness and the competencies required for its realization.
• Creating a shared commitment to the organization’s purposes, needs and aspirations, and maintaining a focus on strategic goals and directions to achieve those ends.
• Listening carefully to the voices of individuals, groups and organizations that are the potential beneficiaries of the work of the organization, and encouraging colleagues to do likewise.
• Fostering a culture wherein ongoing assessment and improvement as well as fact-based decision making, resource allocation and planning are accepted practices.
• Developing an integrated system of leadership to encourage effective, responsible and coordinated oversight of communication processes and messages throughout the organization.
• Fostering accountability through the establishment of clear goals and the systematic assessment of outcomes.
• Encouraging and using feedback on leadership and institutional effectiveness.
• Engaging, coaching and motivating colleagues at all levels to contribute to the best of their capabilities.
• Promoting teamwork, collaborative problem solving and a sense of community.
• Promoting leadership and professional development, and recognizing the values of personal and organizational learning.
• Viewing change as a positive and necessary component of organizational effectiveness.
• Representing the organization with external groups and organizations effectively.
• Maintaining and promoting high standards of professional integrity and ethical and social responsibility.
• Learning about and educating colleagues about opportunities and political and economic challenges facing the practice of communication in general, and the organization, department or program, more specifically.

This article is an excerpt from Core Communication: A Guide to Organizational Assessment, Planning and Improvement, by Brent Ruben, Ph.D., and Stacy Smulowitz, ABC, now available http://iabcstore.com/eccommplanning/corecomm.htm.
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