Ten rules of leadership

(Aug. 2016)

Rule 1            A leader must be…SELF-CONFIDENT. Confident from within. Believing in yourself. Getting right up if you’re knocked down. Knowing you’re good. It means proud, not arrogant.

Rule 2            A leader must be IN CONTROL. A person who can’t control himself or herself can’t control others. This takes concentration, self-discipline, calmness under pressure, no flying off the handle allowed.

Rule 3            A leader must be FAIR. That means being impartial, tolerant, having a keen sense of justice, being consistent in how you treat problems, people, praise and punishment.

Rule 4            A leader must be DECISIVE. Know how to make decisions, have the courage to make them, to make them quickly, to stand behind those decisions.

Rule 5            A leader must be PREPARED. This is a big one. You have to know your job, you have to know the jobs of those you lead, you have to do your homework, understand goals and priorities and the process of planning. No guesswork allowed.

Rule 6            A leader must be A TEAM PLAYER. You’re not a loner but part of a team. Be loyal to that team. Listen as well as talk. Motivate. Teach, tell people why, so that understand their roles on the team. The whole team must be aligned.

Rule 7            A leader must be HONEST. With yourself, with others! Integrity is the big one here, character. No one can teach you this. No one can order you to have it…it has to come with you and from you.

Rule 8            A leader must be COMMITED. Ambition, ego, drive, dedication…all come into play here. Commitment means you don’t just make goals, you try to reach them. It means you make commitments, not idle promises.

Rule 9            A leader must be COURAGEOUS. Not afraid to fail. Not afraid to admit a mistake. Not afraid to fight for an idea or person you believe in. Not afraid to make an unpopular decision.

Rule 10          A leader must be HUMAN. Strong enough to be gentle. Empathy is important here, understanding those you work with are people, not machines… people have problems. People aren’t perfect. Understanding we’re all in it together in this game of life.