WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A LEADER
WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A LEADER by Peter Wink One thing I want to say upfront is that all the information in my blog posts comes from my personal experience as well as that of others I know very well, or studied in-depth. Please note that I'm in no way trying to sway your opinion, nor do I claim that any of my information will work for you --- or that I'm even right for that matter. After all what's right for me, may not be for you --- and vice versa. Information "just is." I say with earnest, I have zero desire to be right and claim someone else is wrong. That's a losing proposition. It's all perspective and my ego is well rested. Thankfully that's out of the way and you're still reading. :-) Now on to the my thoughts... To be a leader of an organization, or any other team/group/individual, requires one to possess a few very important characteristics which I'm going to share in a moment. First and foremost always consider that you can't give what you don't possess. So to instill these characteristics in others, you must possess as many of them as possible or you may find yourself having a credibility issue. Consider working at them daily and eventually they'll form a rock solid foundation for leadership built on strength, character, logic, ability, wisdom, and trust. The marks of a GREAT leader! (Remember --- you can't build a foundation for a skyscraper on matchsticks.) Here are what I believe to be of vital importance when it comes to being a leader. To become a leader you must...
Always speak your mind
Lead others with their best interests at heart
Demonstrate far reaching vision
Hire the best people and fire the worst
Train people properly
Lead by example
Look for the good in everyone
Treat others as they want to be treated
Have compassion for those less fortunate
Grow those with ambition
Be kind to everyone around you
Ignore naysayers
Surround yourself with top talent and strong mentors
Take the bull by the horns
Build your talent
Delegate task to others
Turn weaknesses into strengths
Make decisions from sound logic; and not from fear
Educate yourself in our field of interest
Be stingy with advice
Stay positive even in the worst of scenarios
Treat your significant other like gold
Feed your body healthy, life-filled foods
Get regular rest and exercise as often as possible
Plan and act
Take consistent action
Get over procrastination
Spend time with those who have your back
Trust only those who have earned it
Attack only when the time is right
Stay patient when everyone else is frantic
Build future leaders
Lead by example
If this resonates with you, consider working at each characteristic each day. Let each build on each other until you form a rock-solid foundation as a leader. Think BIG, be fearless, and live today as if it's your last! Peter Wink
Author, Getting Clear Of FEAR