There are many types of leaders: presidents and mayors, captains and majors, grandfathers and coaches, CEO’s and managers. Two leaders I know have shared some insight into the foundations of a good leader. I find that all of these fit very easily into business.
Give. Number one is that you must be ready to give more than those around you. You don’t have to give up everything for everyone. You don’t have to work 14 hours every day. You must be ready to stop what you are doing and help those around you often. You must be watching those around you so that you can step up and give: encouragement, wisdom, or even a few minutes’ of your ear.
Vision. You must work to see what could be. An idea about where your business is going is essential. This is a detailed goal set in the future. Now one thing that people seem to assume is that this doesn’t change. It DOES. Often, it will change drastically. Don’t be afraid to adjust things; embrace adjustments.
People. Surround yourself with solid people. It’s tough to get something small and make it into something IPO-worthy if you hire 4 part-time high school kids at $10/hr. It’s much more likely to happen if you find people who are willing to work effectively and hard. Not only will they pull their weight, but they will get on you when you need to make more adjustments. This is key.
Character. I have trouble putting the last point into one word. It’s really all of the things that will give you and your company character:
accountability to all of the solid people you have surrounded yourself with;
discipline to spend time working on each item regularly and working hard at each task;
training each and every person on the team including yourself;
supporting each member of the team;
giving to each person and giving them regular time to rest or vacation;
Not only is leadership doing what you are doing very well, it’s also making sure that everyone else can too. Good talk guys!
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