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What makes a good leader?

Ray Allegrezza, Editor-in-Chief -- Furniture Today, July 13, 2009

As I put together the content for our upcoming Leadership Conference in December, I find myself spending lots of time thinking about the traits of great leaders.

While I think there is some truth to the cliché that some people are “born leaders,” I also believe that real leaders take the time to hone their inherent skills to help them become even more effective.

If you research the characteristics of a good leader, you mostly likely will come across the following traits.

An effective leader is a person of extraordinary character. He or she walks the talk. As a result, they earn our trust, respect and loyalty.
An effective leader inspires. Every leader I've met has been on fire for his or her particular mission. They are usually the first people to roll up their sleeves to get the job done.
An effective leader is confident in himself and his team. As a result, the leader usually gets the best efforts from those working with him.
An effective leader stays the course, even in adversity. They remain cool, calm and collected, which instills a similar reaction from their teams.
An effective leader is able to react compassionately and analytically. He or she can access a situation, break it down into manageable “next steps” and get the job done.
An effective leader strives for excellence. Good enough is simply not good enough.

The good news for our industry is that there is no shortage of great leaders. When I look at this list of leadership traits, I can't help but think of guys like Gallery Furniture's Jim McIngvale, Art Van Furniture's Art Van Elslander, and Michael Wilkov of Cantoni.

McIngvale overcame a devastating fire with dignity and grace and, true to his word, reopened his main Houston store on July 4 as promised.

Art Van, Michigan's top retailer, continues to give back to his community, most recently by spending $1 million to fund 50 grants for children's charities.

And at a time when the economy has given many of us sleepless nights, Wilkov of Dallas-based Cantoni opened a 7,500-square-foot concept home to inspire new dreams.

We may not be out of the woods yet, but we are far from lost.

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