What are we looking for in a leader?

by Stephan Fichtner
Chair, New Leadership Division
Germany

What are we looking for in a leader?

Calmness, experience, serenity, and a person who can assist you in word and deed. A fugleman whose values we internalize in a way that he or she becomes a role model.

We, the volunteer leaders of Israel Bonds, set these qualities as our personal guidelines. When we look at Israel Bonds, we see people who have already made these values part of their guiding principles.  One of the most important things our network has to offer are these incredible people - a tradition we want to continue as New Leadership Leaders.

A good leader enjoys the genuine respect of others, be they employees or members of their organization.  Anyone can give orders, yet true leadership is far more – it works best by inspiring rather than coercing.  It works based on mutual respect and a sympathetic ear. Whoever has a question, will get an answer.  Perhaps above all, what makes leadership effective is hard work. The most influential and long-lasting commit themselves to something that goes beyond personal agendas.  

A good leader does not convince by tricks or empty rhetoric, but by communicating with sincerity and enthusiasm, and taking action grounded in empathy.  Motivating others to join together and help bring an idea alive, it is not about ‘me’. It is always about ‘we.’

A good leader always stands up for the team. Issue are addressed openly.  The philosophy of ‘we’, of working together, is a way to solve problems and do things better.  Improving step by step and day by day, with a commitment to the long-term vision,  is a feasible roadmap to greater success.

The history of the State of Israel serves as an example for these guiding principles, of putting the greater cause in front of individual ambition. The founders of modern Israel turned an idea and a dream into a home for Jews around the world - a place where everyone can find their place.

Israel Bonds are an integral part of this story.  Without righteous, devoted and selfless pioneers, it would not have been possible to establish the Jewish state.  Further generations of leaders developed and sustained the land and, ultimately, transformed Israel into a success story that has now entered its 71^st year.  Despite all odds, today Israel has a dynamic, growing economy and is well-known as a start-up nation.

As leaders in Israel Bonds New Leadership, we benchmark our success against these remarkable achievements and we are motivated by the role models that constantly remind us of one undeniable reality: without will, the dream cannot come true.

The New Leadership Division helps young leaders developing their own leadership personality and skills (including in their respective industries) so that the succeeding generations are ready to assume responsibility and shape our shared future.