Working with a group of corporate sales managers recently I was trying to get across the real differences between being a manager and being a leader. I used the simple concept that a true leader is the one who has a plan for success for those he or she leads, i.e., "the man with the plan". (In deference to the politically correct who will point out that "MAN with the plan" had a slightly un-PC ring to it, all I can say is that "person with the plan" just doesn't have the same ring to it. Oh well ...)

But if there is one characteristic of leadership that defines "leader" it is the Plan. Effective leaders are viewed by others as having a plan for success that will benefit each member of the team. Consider anyone who you would generally consider a leader such as a politician looking for votes in an upcoming election. Savvy politicians try to communicate their plans for programs or initiatives which will benefit the voters and so gain their support. As business leaders we need to do the same thing whether that is to our team member, employees, and even customers.

So here are the four most important characteristics of effective leaders ... how do you measure up?

• Creates the Plan - do you have a Plan for Success for yourself and those you want to lead?
• Communicates the Plan - does your team (1) know that you have a plan, and (2) know what it is?
• Collaborates on the Plan - do you give your team members an opportunity to contribute to the plan ... to share their ideas and give input to make it better?
• Coaches the Plan - great leaders focus their time on actively helping those they lead to follow and achieve the plan.

It's interesting to me that when I ask people if their managers or leaders meet these criteria how often they say "No", especially to the first one.

Being a manager doesn't necessarily make someone a leader but it provides a great opportunity to become one if you follow the four "C"'s: Create, Communicate, Collaborate, and Coach.