Installment #2 of the Leadership Series.
Great leaders are virtuous people. It is the foundation upon which all other leadership skills are built.
Leadership is built on trust. Be a trusting person. Make leaps of faith all the time. Unless you do, you will not create the sense of empowerment in people that allow them to grow into leaders in their own right.
You must be completely trustworthy. Your followers will buy into your vision only if they trust you explicitly. Never violate that trust, even if the violation might be considered “small” or “reasonable” under the circumstances. Leaders who violate trust do not recover. Be transparent and open in your relationships.
Integrity means that you represent yourself consistently to everyone with whom you interact. You know you’re going off-course when you have a conversation with one person that you wouldn’t want another person to hear. Whether it’s the CEO or the janitor, you must be the same to all.
I must constantly remind myself to be humble. It is my own personal weakness. As you become a better leader over time, and a more capable person in general, it’s easy to allow your sense of confidence to affect of your behavior and interactions. I have a couple of close friends who do me the favor of correcting me when I need it – which happens more often than I care to admit. There is no room for arrogance in the halls of leadership. It reduces your effectiveness.
Leadership is inherently about proactively managing change. That can be incredibly hard to do, because change is scary to most people. Leaders take us to a place that is different from the status quo. To lead is to be the first person traveling down a new path – exposed to risks and dangers unknown. It requires confidence and discipline to overcome the fear that the unknown creates within us all.
Approach challenges with discipline and a positive attitude. Learn to balance idealism and pragmatism to get the job done, and have the strength of character to do the right thing – always.
