is essential to the exercise of exemplary leadership.
To understand this leader-constituent relationship we have routinely been conducting surveys over the past 40 years about the personal values, traits, and characteristics that people indicate are most important to them in an individual they would willingly follow. A key word in this sentence is “willingly.” It is one thing to follow someone because you think you have to “or else,” and it's another when you follow an individual because you want to.
We've gathered responses from more than 120,000 respondents, and they have been striking in their consistency over the years.4 Our evidence shows that people must pass several essential character tests before they earn the designation of leader from other people, as demonstrated by the data presented in Table 1.2.
All the characteristics receive votes, and therefore each one is important to at least some individuals. What is most evident, however, is that over time, across continents, demographic, and organizational differences, only four have continuously received the majority (over 60 percent) of the preferences. What people most look for and admire in a leader has been constant. If people are going to follow someone willingly, they must believe the individual is honest, competent, inspiring, and forward-looking.
TABLE 1.2 Personal Values, Traits, and Characteristics That People Look for in Their Leaders*
| Value, Trait, or Characteristic | Percentage of Respondents Selecting This Category* |
|---|---|
| Honest (truthful, has integrity, trustworthy, has character, ethical) | 87 |
| Forward-looking (visionary, foresighted, concerned about the future, has sense of direction) | 69 |
| Competent (capable, proficient, effective, gets the job done, professional) | 67 |
| Inspiring (uplifting, enthusiastic, energetic, optimistic, positive about future) | 66 |
| Intelligent (bright, smart, intellectual, logical) | 45 |
| Broad-minded (open-minded, flexible, receptive, tolerant) | 38 |
| Dependable (reliable, conscientious, responsible) | 34 |
| Supportive (helpful, offers assistance, comforting) | 36 |
| Fair-minded (just, unprejudiced, objective, forgiving) | 40 |
| Straightforward (direct, candid, forthright) | 34 |
| Cooperative (collaborative, team player, responsive) | 27 |
| Courageous (bold, daring, gutsy) | 24 |
| Caring (appreciative, compassionate, concerned, loving, nurturing) | 22 |
| Determined (dedicated, resolute, persistent, purposeful) | 22 |
| Imaginative (creative, innovative, curious) | 22 |
| Ambitious (aspiring, hard-working, striving) | 19 |
| Mature (experienced, wise, has depth) | 16 |
| Loyal (faithful, dutiful, unswerving in allegiance, devoted) | 15 |
| Self-controlled (restrained, self-disciplined) | 10 |
| Independent (self-reliant, self-sufficient, self-confident) | 6 |
* Note that several synonyms are included in each category.
While the fact that what people look for in their leaders has remained consistent over time, despite the ever-shifting forces affecting economic and social life, there is another profound implication revealed by this data. These survey results have a solid conceptual foundation in what social psychologists and communications experts refer to as “source credibility.”
In assessing the believability of sources of information—whether newscasters, salespeople, physicians, or priests; whether business executives, military officers, politicians, or civic leaders—researchers typically evaluate them on their perceived trustworthiness, expertise, and dynamism. The more highly people are rated on these three dimensions the more credible they are perceived as sources of information.5
Notice how remarkably similar these three characteristics are to the essential qualities people want from their leaders—honest, competent, and inspiring—three of the top four items selected in our surveys. Link the theory to this data, and the striking conclusion is that people want to follow leaders who, more than anything, are credible. Credibility is the foundation of leadership. People must be able, above all else, to believe in their leaders. To willingly follow them, people must believe that the leaders' word can be trusted, that they are personally passionate and enthusiastic about the work, and that they have the knowledge and skill to lead.6
If you are going to ask others to follow you to some uncertain future, and if the journey is going to require hardships and possibly sacrifices, then it is imperative that people believe in you. People must be able to believe that your words can be trusted, that you will do what you say, that you are personally excited and enthusiastic about the direction in which the group is headed, and that you have the knowledge and skills to lead.
This all leads to the First Law of Leadership: If people don't believe in the messenger, they won't believe the message.
The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership
So what is it that leaders do to build and sustain credibility? What do they do that makes others see them as capable and trustworthy leaders? What are the behaviors that people exhibit that
