So, what does make a person a Great Leader? Is it focus, having a vision, being brought up in the right environment? Or is it something far more subtle? Experts tell us that "Leadership" is a learned set of attributes, and they are available to anyone.
Great, this should be music to everybody's ears! The 5 major points below put a spotlight on what my experience has taught me over the last 10 years.
Rule # 1.
Honesty: Always take the high road, and use honesty in good times and in bad.
This seems obvious, but from my perspective it usually doesn't get the attention it deserves.
Aside from simply just following mom's advice, there are many business advantages gained from being known as an honest person.
In short, people will trust you.
People will respect you.
And having others respect and trust is a huge advantage in business and in life, that is impossible to put a price on.
Rule # 2.
Become a Generalist: The world's top leaders have learned to be very good in many areas, but not necessarily the best in any one specific domain.
This trait requires a person to be able to step back, and regularly take a birds eye view of the over plan.
Doing this habitually, will provide a clear perspective on both progress, and areas that require immediate changes.
Rule #3: Embrace The Concept of Teamwork: My experience in starting my current company with a group of friends has been a great reminder, that nobody ever became a success in any business endeavour, working only by themselves.
Remember that expression? "Teamwork makes the Dream work!" Rule #4: Focus: Yep, everybody knows what it is, but nobody has it! Well, almost nobody.
The small few in this world who are what I like to call "laser-beam-focused-towards-their-goal," are destined for greatness.
Here is the simple explanation why this statement is so true today in business.
Having absolute focus gives you an advantage over 99% of the crowd, because just about any trivial topic, can easily distract them, 100% of the time.
And, when they get distracted, they encourage their team mates to follow their habits.
Pretty soon, the entire team is subconsciously working towards a result, that is miles away from their actual primary objective.
Rule #5: Commit to 'C.
A.
N.
I.
': Constant and Never-ending Improvement.
Include the idea of learning something new about business, every day of the week.
Doing so, will increase your value in the marketplace.
Everyday that you don't make a small effort to learn something new in business, should be considered a day wasted.
Yes, this seems harsh, and abrupt, but in this fast paced world, you will get left behind, if you don't make a habit of 'self-educating' your self.