There are many courses and books on leadership – what is it and how to you use it. How do you get and leverage leadership? And what are the qualities that separate ineffective from great leaders? Like most things in life, once we become awake and aware, we discover the answers are more simple than complex.
Great leaders care. They care more about their missions than they do about themselves. They focus and are crystal clear on their purpose, which relates to unrelenting passion.
Secondly, they “walk their talk.” They don’t so much have values as they are their values – not sometimes, but all the time. Their example becomes inspiring.
Finally, great leadership comes from within – with clarity of purpose. With clarity comes focus. It does not emanate from fears, but of love – not from the need to impress, but the loving desire to build, improve, and create.
Typically you will discover that great leaders are comfortable in their own skin. They don’t need to tell or show you how successful they are for it’s not part of their mission. Likewise, they don’t let their ego interfere with their missions. They are neither ostentatious nor loud of voice or mannerisms. Their values guide them and their mission drives them making them virtually ageless.
While great leaders may appear to be competitive, the truly great ones are more apt to communicate, cooperate, and collaborate to achieve their mission. They view “building the pie” as preferable to scrambling for a bigger piece of it.
If there is a lesson here, it might be that aspiring leaders are better served quietly reflecting about how they embrace these attributes as opposed to trying to buy success through books and seminars.
Leadership is common, but great leadership is rare and I believe that these simple characteristics are the difference.
Bob Fagan is a Coach and Consultant whose practice extends to business, sports, and life. He can be reached at rsf4653@aol.com.
