Leadership is about the Leader's Character

What I know now....Leadership is about the Leader's Character

Leaders are more powerful role models when they learn than when they teach. -Rosabeth Kantor

We have all come across various definitions and examples of leaders. Recently I had the opportunity to meet with a leader who pleasantly surprised me with her example.

Last month, I had a chance to meet with and interview Cora Tsouflidou. In May 1987, Cora purchased a tiny neighborhood canteen and turn the canteen into a restaurant that served innovative breakfasts, specializing in omelettes and crepes. Cora is the genius behind Chez Cora and Cora's Breakfast & Lunch restaurants and the founder of the 100-location chain franchise.

In my research of Cora prior to our interview, I found out that Cora has no debt and that while she started Chez Cora; she was also a hostess at famous Montreal restaurant, where she started as a day manager was then promoted to general manager. Her goal in simultaneously starting Chez Cora and working as a hostess, was to showcase and perfect her expertise. 100-chair restaurants later, it is clear that Cora has mastered her trade and has a great business model worthy of imitation.

We all know that the sign of a great leader is not how much money they have. For most of us, what makes a leader memorable is their example and how approachable they are. This is exactly who Cora is: approachable.

Cora's advice to business owners is "You don't always have to be intelligent, you just have to let you be you. Come back to your human quality. Let yourself be loving, let yourself teach and learn. Just let yourself be."

It was evident from my interview with Cora that this was not rhetoric, this advice was a passionate message that she lived and wanted entrepreneurs and employers to live. It is true that great leaders have many virtues worth imitating, but what makes them great, is their ability to inspire the minds and the hearts of those who work with them.

Regardless of your industry, here are some virtues that you want your employees to be able to imitate in you:

• Respectfully listen without judgment

• Have a sense of humour: being funny is not the same as sarcasm

• Be assertive not aggressive

• Treat everyone like people: remember the first to present his/her case; always seems right.

The ultimate way of learning what virtues describe you as a leader, is to learn from your team, what qualities they'd sincerely use to describe your leadership style. It might be a courageous task but it helps in establishing an atmosphere where creativity is promoted. And as any leader knows, creativity and atmosphere affect your bottom line and your employees desire to go the extra mile.