True Leadership

Leadership has played an important role throughout the history of the human race. For our earliest ancestors, leadership was mainly linked to rulers or warriors. Undoubtedly, there were discussions about what comprised a great leader, but it was the Greek philosophers who were the first to write extensively on this subject.

 Although their ideas on leadership varied, most of them emphasized the importance of moral integrity, knowledge, and strategic thinking. As wise as they were, they never agreed upon a definitive list of traits and qualities which every leader should possess.

Nowadays, we don’t limit the concept of leadership to political or military roles. For many people, business leaders can have a greater impact on their personal lives. There are community leaders, spiritual and religious leaders, even heads of households are considered leaders. There is no denying that effective leaders are vital roles for us all.

But what are the characteristics of a good leader? Since this subject is so important and complex, it seemed my own thoughts and ideas about leadership might not suffice.

So, I reached out to seven people who are leaders and/or teach others to become leaders and asked them to give me 3 of their top leadership principles. Among these seven individuals, their ages, genders, and backgrounds were diverse because it was important I got a broad perspective. I was also curious to see if any of their thoughts would be clash or be contradictory. The answer, which you’ll soon see, was very intriguing.

To begin with, all leaders are humans, and that immediately opens them up to scrutiny and criticism. Leaders will have flaws and may make occasional mistakes, but that is not a disqualification for an effective leader. Overcoming personal shortcomings and learning from one’s own mistakes are also important characteristics of being a good leader. It has been a mantra I’ve tried to practice my entire life, and interestingly, it was a common thread with all seven participants.

Jim Vinoski, Co-founder and Principal Advisor for Firesteel Industrial Solutions, stated it a more directly, “If you make a mistake, admit it, own it, and take the consequences.”

He also stressed “Getting to know your people as individuals,” and “Having a willingness to do the same task you ask your people to do.” What I took away from Jim’s points were that leaders should have an intimate awareness of who they are leading, what they are asking them to do, and be accountable for their own personal actions.

These points were also echoed by “No Excuses” coach and host of “Raw and Unscripted,” Christopher Rauch. His number one principle for good leaders was, “Seek FIRST to Understand then be Understood.” He emphasized having open conversations with everyone, including making sure they knew what to expect from you, the company, and their coworkers. He also stressed the importance of following up with them after a few months.

Communication was another common thread with everyone, and it was first on the list for Nicole Tiffany Cruz, Life & Business Strategist. She also stressed the importance of communicating a vision that people will want to create with you. Additionally, she emphasized that being a problem solver and setting a good example will ultimately help you become a more effective leader and a visionary.

For Roger Martin, Co-founder of The Mindset Difference, being a Visionary also means benefiting humanity as a whole, adding value for all stakeholders, not merely focusing on making money or profiting a single group. Roger also underscored the importance of being a “Student of human experience.” That collaboration - with everyone whether they are employees, customers, or part of the supply chain – is how lasting solutions are created.

I was intrigued by how Mark O’Brien, Founder of O’Brien Communications, Author, and Host of The Anxious Voyage, had interwoven his concepts. The first was “Purpose, understanding what you were doing” and secondly, creating a “Vision” on how you see your purpose being realized. But his last point was very profound. Humility. Are you willing to let others do their work better than what you taught them, and are you willing to give them the credit and recognition they earned?

Elizabeth Falloon, a Leadership Development Coach, expressed humility in a unique way. “Don’t take anything personally,” which oftentimes takes discipline and patience not to allow any negative emotional responses. She also underscored “Presence,” or having the ability to create authentic connections, and always leading with the truth. This type of leadership will leave a lasting impression on all those you’ve inspired.

Perhaps the most amazing insight I gained after reading everyone’s thoughts was how similar many of their ideals were. But the two points that came up most often were humility and integrity.

In fact, Dennis Pitocco, Chief Reimaginator at 360 Nation, emphatically stated that integrity, “without exception,” was the most important principle. He also mentioned authenticity and accountability which seem to be impossible to achieve without integrity.

I want to thank all seven for taking their valuable time and providing their feedback with my inquiry. In today’s world where division and strife are a part of nearly every narrative, I was glad to see that with these seven diverse backgrounds, there was strong agreement from everyone on what comprises good leadership. I was thrilled to see how consistent and similar their thoughts aligned.

Leadership is undoubtedly a complex issue. It does require different styles and characteristics depending the circumstances. But my final conclusion was perhaps the most unexpected discovery. Every point stated above was given sincere consideration on how every good leader should live their lives. However, every single one of those points is also something everyone of us should be practicing regularly for the betterment of ourselves and this world.

This means that all of us are leaders in our own unique way. All of us should be humble, learn to communicate, have a vision, understand then be understood, learn from our mistakes, collaborate, be accountable, and cap it all off with a huge dose of integrity.