On Friday I had the opportunity to present my Leaders Leave Legacy Workshop to a group of about 20 employees of large investment firm in the Greater Toronto Area. During my presentation I made the point that an effective leader must have clear vision and goals. I used my personal experiences to show how having clear vision and goals can lead to commitment from team members and ultimately success. One of the examples I used was my Holiday Season Food Drive and the level of support I received from others. I also used the example of Elon Musk and his goal to colonise Mars, the Red Planet, with 80,000 people. When I mentioned Elon Musk, I posed the following rhetorical question to the participants: Do you think Elon Musk’s goal is ridiculous? I followed up by telling the audience that my goal for Holiday Season Food Drive was to collect 10 boxes of non-perishable food item for the benefit of the Salvation Army of Brampton. I went on to say that compared to Elon Musk my goal was simple and perhaps it meant I had low expectations or no ambition! My comment was purposefully. It was intended to be self-deprecating while eliciting reflection and introspection from the participants.

Since my presentation on Friday, I have being reflecting on my statement and I have concluded that there are five key attributes to be an extraordinary and effective leader. Today, I would like to share my thoughts on these five key attributes. One of the key lessons I have learned about leadership is that extraordinary leaders are extremely intentional about everything they do and say. In order to be intentional as a leader you have to be deeply committed to constant self-examination so that you can determine your path to becoming an effective and extraordinary leader.

Before I proceed to share the 5 key attributes to be an effective and extraordinary leader, please allow me to share one of my lofty goals. For the month of February I am committed to helping Regeneration Outreach Community of Brampton in its Coldest Night of the Year Fundraising Campaign on February 22, 2014. Regeneration Outreach Community cares for the homeless and those at risk of being homeless. They believe breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Regeneration’s goal for the Coldest Night of the Year Campaign is to raise $40,000. Participants can register to join a team or start their own team here. As a participant you can determine to walk or run 2K, 5K or 10K. As at the time of writing this post for my blog McKenzie’s Voice the amount raised so far is $11,735 or 29% of the target.

My goal is to raise $2,000 for Regeneration’s Coldest Night of the Year Campaign by February 22, 2014. Commencing today, Monday, February 3, 2014 I will walk 2K daily, 5K on Saturday and Sundays and on February 22, 2014 I will walk and run 10K.

However, I want to do a little more to test the attributes of effective and extraordinary leadership. Within the context of Elon Musk lofty goal to colonise Mars, I am committing to spend the entire night of February 22, 2014 outdoors at 156 Main Street in Brampton, Ontario. Please note that I have never spent an entire night outdoors during the winter. I am terrified of the cold but on February 22, 2014, I want to confront this fear with a mission and a purpose. I will need all your encouragement.

How will I achieve my goal of raising $2,000? I am pledging $50 from my fees from each of my speaking engagements during the month of February to Regeneration’s Coldest Night of the Year Campaign. In addition, by committing to walk 2K daily commencing today, 5K on Saturdays and Sundays as well as walk and run 10K and spending the entire night of February 22, 2014 outdoors, I am seeking your kind support and support of the wide public for the benefit of Regeneration’s Coldest Night of the Year Campaign.

You can register here to make your contribution. After you have registered, I am kindly requesting that you call or text me at 647-406-4622 or email me at mastmckenzie@gmail.com to share tips on how to survive the cold outdoors. Also message me on Facebook, Google +, Twitter and Linkedin with the hashtag #mckenzie2000.

Why have I set such a lofty goal? My goal may not appear to be as lofty as Elon Musk’s goal to colonise Mars with 80,000 people but it is specific and sufficiently challenging, it is measurable, attainable, result-focused and time-bound. More importantly with your kind support I can achieve my goal of raising $2,000 for the benefit of Regeneration’s Coldest Night of Year Campaign.

As I pointed out above I am using the opportunity to test the 5 attributes of effective and extraordinary leadership I mentioned below. More importantly I recognise that it is easy when we walk by someone living on the street to assume that the person is there because he or she is an alcoholic or drug addict. However, I know that this is not always the case as there are other factors such as mentally illness, lack of education, job training, employment, housing and abuse that can lead to an individual ending up on the street with nowhere to live or eat or take care of their personal hygiene. Regeneration Outreach Community of Brampton has a wonderful program to help provide breakfast and care for those who need food and care. To this end, I am committing to help Regeneration reach its goals of $40,000 for its Coldest Night of the Year Campaign. In addition, I want to use my skills and time to help bring public awareness to the issue of homelessness and care for the needy.

Here are the five attributes of effective and extraordinary leaders:

Effective and extraordinary leaders always have a clear vision, goals and plan. Vision is about tomorrow. It is about how leaders see the future or what they would like to happen in the future. Vision provides purpose and direction which are turned into goals, plan and activities. Vision solicits commitment and support from others. My vision is link to my core values of love and compassion for others and my strong desire to contribute to my community.

A S.M.A.R.T goals is defined as specific, measurable, achievable, result-focus and time bound. Your plan document your goals and the activities and tasks required to achieve your goals. Above I articulated and documented my goals and laid out my plan of action while seeking your commitment. A plan is a roadmap or guide used in the pursuit of your dreams and ultimately achieving your goals.

As a leader you have to be deeply aware of your emotions and how you respond or react to various situations. What level of emotional agility or flexibility do you possess? How do you respond when you are angry, confused or fearful? I am truly terrified of the cold. Should I allow my fears of the cold to prevent me from taking action to make a contribution to the Regeneration’s Coldest Night of the Year Campaign? Is it courageous to say I want to spend a night outdoors in the cold? Or is it, perceived by some people, as ridiculous as  Elon Musk’s goal to colonise Mars?

Victory or success for me is not about whether I stand or sleep outdoors on February 22, 2014. I am fully committed to executing my plan. I share it publicly because I want to be transparent. I want to be held accountable by you. I want to confront my fears of the cold during the winter months but my deeper battle is to help bring public awareness to homelessness and care for the needy. I don’t want to win my own battle and lose sight of the war. I am deeply conscious that my single act is not all that is required for public awareness on the subject of homelessness. It is only a small contribution but it is better than doing nothing. It will not create sustainable change but it is a first step. As an activist I recognise that public awareness and change must occur within the context of public policy and the overall social system. To be an effective and extraordinary leader you must ask the following questions:

What is the change you want to make?

What is the larger system or wide environment you to need to effect, and work in, in order to make that change?

Effective and extraordinary leaders are effective communicators. Leaders must communicate frequently and with precision to promote transparency and openness. A leader that wants to be taken seriously must lead with a steady hand and calming voice. Leaders must be patient. A leader must take time to explain complex actions in a simple manner. Leaders must speak bluntly without offending others. Leaders must leave a window for descending views and allow room for dialogue and discourse. In this post on my blog McKenzie’s Voice I have taken the opportunity to put to test the key attributes of effective and extraordinary leadership. My goals are very are clear.

One of the hallmarks of effective and extraordinary leaders is that they always surround themselves with a strong support team. By articulating my vision and goals I am hoping to inspire your loyalty and support. I am fully conscious that I cannot do this alone. If I am going to sleep on cardboard boxes I will need the best cardboard boxes to protect myself. I may even need a cup of coffee. You are part of my team.

Will you join me? Support Regeneration Outreach Community Coldest Night of the Year Campaign.

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.