[February 24, 2022] The ancient Greeks were advocates of great leadership but, like love, they found it an illusive idea that defied their ability to fully understand it. It follows, that in our modern times, for us to improve our leadership capabilities, we should also admit to those same special challenges.
We can make advances to understand better what it means to be a great leader. The study of leadership can advance if we consciously and carefully debate what is or is not those key dimensions of leadership.
For example, there as many books written on “leadership” as there treasties about the major wars of the 20th century. Read any book, article, blog, or listen to any self-proclaimed “expert” and you will find hundreds of definitions of great leadership; many good, and some a little misleading.
“Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others.”- Plato (429?-347 BC)
I am drawn to Plato’s quote for several reasons. He identifies the core premise of leadership; leaders “inspire” others to good. More than anything else, without that ability to inspire, no leader can lead.
What I’ve done is propose a list of 20 dimensions of great leadership. Some of these are taken from ancient philosophers, a bit from modern thinkers, and also from my personal experiences working for great U.S. military leaders.
As always, your comments are welcome. Here they are in no particular order:
| 1. Experienced Judgment | 11. Adopts American Values |
| 2. Being Present & Visible | 12. Dealing with Unknowns |
| 3. Clear Vision | 13. Humility |
| 4. Drives a Positive Culture | 14. Mental Toughness |
| 5. Accountability | 15. Has Big Ideas |
| 6. Decisiveness | 16. Zealous Commitment |
| 7. Intellectual Competence | 17. Adaptable |
| 8. Inspirational | 18. Great Communicator |
| 9. Gets Results | 19. Builds Trust & Confidence |
| 10. Honesty & Integrity | 20. Brings people together |
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Please read my new book, “Our Longest Year in Iraq,” at Amazon (link here).
Great list. Posted on my frig.
I’m going to point out the most obvious and not get hung up on trivia here. #9 Gets Results is the most important. Why? We are looking at “great” leadership, the kind required of all the main characteristics of leadership. Like the conflict going on between Russia and Ukraine. We are seeing results. Yes, I’m no Russian stooge but look what Putin is accomplishing. He is getting results and “damn the torpedoes.” We shall see how this turns out real soon.
I stand with Ukraine!!!!
Great leaders inspire.
Gen. Satterfield, this article should be one of your cornerstone blog posts. It lays out exactly what most folks would see as important dimensions of leadership. The next question, that follows logically, is how to do make it happen. Thanks for a thoughtful article.
True enough and I’m happy someone pointed out this blog for me. I read it every day.
People are not lazy. They simply have impotent goals – that is, goals that do not inspire them. Tony Robbins
Gen. Satterfield, excellent article that lays out the basics of leadership. These are not “traits” or “characteristics” in the traditional sense but actual dimensions that tell us a lot about what it takes to be a great leader. I will add that if you are missing any one of these dimension, you are not a great leader.
Other than “inspiration” which is the number one for me, I found “zealous commitment” to be number two. Just my thinking but I’ve seen very inspiring people go down the tubes when they are not, themselves, fully committed.
I don’t think any of us would dispute most on this list of leadership dimensions. Gen. Satterfield sure has done us a favor by providing the list. I look forward to future articles that discuss them in more depth. One however, I must reinforce the points made by Gen. S. INSPIRATION. Inspiration is the key to great leadership and the quote from Plato underlines that point.
Hi Mr. Kennedy III, we all miss your hard-hitting articles. I’m a fan of yours as are most of us here. We all look forward to another article to find out what you are doing to destroy the evils attacking America.
I will take issue with one on this list, No. 13. Humility. I certainly don’t think ‘humility’ was a great leader trait in ancient times. In fact, it was probably the opposite. Yes, they took good care of those who were close to them but they certainly did not project a sense of self-reflection. At least that is not what we get from reading the texts written about the ancient world’s greatest leaders. A number of tv documentaries discuss, for example, the ancient Egyptians and Romans and how their leaders put into stone and marble their great accomplishments. This has been going on for a very long time. Only recently, and I might add only in the modern West, do we now take on humility. Just a thought. Otherwise, a great article by Gen. Satterfield and once again, he nailed it.
Max, very well said. And, IMHO a great counter argument to one of the 20 dimensions.
Yes, but Gen. Satterfield did not claim this was a universal list but I think it does apply to modern Western leaders. 😊
Good point Watson. Still, his list is exceptional, nonetheless. Can anyone add to the list?
“Only have good men in your foxhole!” Add that one!
Max, debatable. I agree with you in part and disagree as well. I disagree because we are looking at today’s leaders and if that is one of the main traits of a great leader, then it is a trait .. period. Otherwise, excellent point.
Top-notch article. Made me think!
The Ancient Greeks didn’t start the study of leadership but they surely advanced it. We just have their writings, but others have advanced great leadership before them … a bit of history (we only know from what we can document).
Yes, good point but we do know what they were thinking. Plato, Socrates, etc. these are just a few.
A good man never complains, he is always a good man.
Rarely do you see such a list of the dimensions of great leadership – as distinguished from ‘good’ leadership that most articles are written about. Great job here, Gen. Satterfield. I would have made this a two-part article. A lot to absorb in a single write up.
#20. Brings people together. That means that Pres Joe Biden and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau are not good leaders. Surely you jest. Ha ha ha ha ha
Too funny. Dripping with sarcasm. Love it.
Interesting list. Thoughtful. Comprehensive.
Obviously well thought out and concise. I would like to see a leader – a modern leader we are familiar with – be used as an example juxtaposed with this list. See how they rate or compare on these dimensions. Now, that would instructive.
Leadership Comparison: Biden vs. Trump
https://www.theleadermaker.com/leadership-comparison-biden-vs-trump/
Gen. Satterfield has taken this already with a simple comparison of Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Simple matrix comparison but very informative.
Correct, you’ve got to be unwoke to believe what Gen. Satterfield has given us. The leftist liberal religion of big govt gets in their way of a coherent, logical argument to defend their anti-republic democratic ways.
Thanks Frank and Shawn. Got that right. 👍
Yes, Rev Cain, I was thinking the same thing. Max (above) makes a good argument that these 20 dimensions are not universal across time and perhaps across all cultures.