Jeff Severs is the chief operating officer of Greater Spokane Incorporated, a business and economic development organization in the Inland Northwest. Prior to his current role, Severs was president and CEO of SprayCool, a technology company headquartered in Liberty Lake. He joined SprayCool after a distinguished career with the U.S. Air Force, from which he retired as a colonel. He has a bachelor’s degree in information technology from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in logistics management from the Air Force Institute of Technology.

I’m kind of unique in that I’ve had three distinct careers—21 years with the Air Force, seven years with a technology company and now most recently with Greater Spokane Incorporated. I’m fortunate to have worked for some exceptional leaders—people from whom I learned a ton. I was also lucky to have had the opportunity to test the waters, applying these ideas while leading a wide variety of organizations, both large and small. My take-away: There are a few principles of leadership that are universally effective. Here are my top five:

Lead by Example

One of my early bosses told me to never ask someone to do anything you aren’t willing to do yourself and to always practice integrity even when you know no one is looking. In my mind, these are cornerstones upon which any good team or culture must be built—and this starts at the top.

Also, as an old boss of mine used to say, “Only thing in the middle of the road are stripes and dead armadillos.” (OK, OK, I’m from Georgia!)

Don’t Settle for Second Best

I learned early on never to settle for the easy path. (It will be crowded!) Treat deadlines as matters of life or death. Set lofty goals, then roll up your own sleeves while doing everything you can to help the team exceed them. I took those messages to heart early in my career, following in the footsteps of great leaders who mentored me. Those who know me only in passing may think I’m an easygoing guy, but ask my brother or my wife or my children what happens when you put me in a race. I’ll trip little kids and grandparents to win. (OK, I’m exaggerating!)

Treat Everyone with Respect

People really are a company’s best resource. You can have great plans, great strategies and great technology, but you won’t get anywhere without the right people. That’s why I pay particular attention to finding and developing good people and then treating them with respect. That doesn’t mean you need to always keep everyone happy. As Colin Powell once said, leadership requires that you piss off a few people from time to time. But even in those cases, I’ve found that if you treat people with respect, you’ll get respect in return. It’s a big part of leadership.

Practice Humility

Some people may disagree here, but to be effective, leaders must check their egos. Humility was firmly rooted in me by my parents, and I absolutely believe it is an essential component to company culture. I’ve always asked people, especially those on my management teams, to be very quick to share successes with others even when they themselves may have done most of the work. On the flip side, leaders should be very quick to accept responsibility when things don’t go as hoped. As a result, you’ll develop a high-performing team that cares more about producing results than getting credit.

Don’t Kill the Messenger

Ever see a boss who blows up when an employee delivers bad news? I have, and it taught me an important lesson. If the boss kills the messenger, people stop delivering bad news. Eventually, the boss gets the news, but often only after it has grown into a huge issue. I’ve learned to be approachable. Get the news early so you can have an opportunity to put out campfires before they rage out of control. IBC

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