There have been thousands of books
and articles written about leadership. There's also a plethora of companies
today that teach leadership skills. In my experience, however, these resources
are mostly someone's ideas or theories about the specific behaviors that define
great leaders. Yet, if you look closely, you'll find that the behavior of
inspiring leaders does not fit a specific mold. The wildly different Gandhi and
Vince Lombardi were both great leaders, for instance.
So, regardless of behavior, what
truly defines leadership? To me, it's the following seven inside-out traits:
1. Great leaders know (beyond a shadow of a doubt)
that their feelings come from their thinking, not their circumstances.
What's the main reason that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the finest
leaders of all time? He knew that his feelings came from inside of him. In
spite of the dysfunctional actions of many, King realized that his perceptions
of other people were based on the normal ebbs and flows of his own thinking
(and subsequent moods). In short, great leaders look inside of themselves for
explanations. This allows them to live in clarity more often -- a necessity if
you want to motivate others.
2. Great leaders know that judgment is not helpful.
Here's a simple rule: Judging another person says more about your state of mind
than the other person's. When your head is cluttered, you'll be prone to judge.
When your head is clear, you won't be. Great leaders know that when their
feelings are cluttered, disquiet, or insecure -- they're not capable of making
sound assessments. They wait for clarity, peace of mind, or understanding to
set in -- and evaluate the actions of others from this perspective.
3. Great leaders act from a feeling of inspiration,
not desperation.
This trait might seem obvious. Yet, no matter how hard a person tries, if he or
she doesn't understand the purpose of feelings, acting from desperation will
occur too often. Great leaders understand that an "off" gut feeling
is an intuitive sign that they're not seeing things quite right. So, making
decisions from this psychological disposition won't pay dividends. Leadership
is about acting only from inspiration -- when a person feels unencumbered,
compassionate, and free.
4. Great leaders are genuine.
Following another person's approach to leadership will not work for you. Great
leaders do not act like someone else. They're real, spontaneous, and natural --
never scripted. Remember: Genuineness is an offshoot of clarity, which
originates from not blaming the outside world for one's feelings. Those who
look inside for explanations are wonderfully unique. All leaders are.
5. Great leaders know that their words are less
important than the state of mind from which they speak.
Words do not convey truth; feelings do. That's why people can say the same
words with opposite connotations. Great leaders know that their words are
merely an echo of a feeling -- and positive feelings only originate from
positive states of mind.
6. Great leaders keep goal setting in perspective.
Those who appreciate the inside-out nature of life know that the more people
focus on an outside "prize," the more they obstruct their awareness,
shrink their perceptual field, and limit possibilities. Great leaders
understand that achieving goals does not elevate self-worth or happiness.
Instead, they relish the journey -- the relationships and experiences -- as the
path toward creating what they want turns clear.
7.
When in doubt -- great leaders look to love.
Great leaders set guidelines based on one overriding principle: Love for
others. They grasp, above all else, that love is the epitome of a clear mind.
So, when they're jammed up and not reaching their audience, great leaders look
to love. How to help others then becomes obvious.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/garret-kramer/success-and-motivation_b_5567039.html
