Leadership Skills Anyone Can Develop
Some leaders are born with the right traits. But most develop them through hard work, observation, trial and error, and determination.
Line upon line. Precept upon precept. That’s how we grow, learn, and become. It’s a divine principle that requires faith, intellect, hard work, and the patience to keep moving forward one step at a time. Many of us feel like we have the faith but not the intellect. Many of us are hard workers but wish we were smarter.
Don’t be discouraged. Some of the world’s greatest leaders came from humble beginnings. Booker T. Washington and Frederick Douglass both rose out of slavery to become successful businessmen and two of the most influential thinkers of the 19th century. Their ideologies helped shape the modern world and the Civil Rights Movement. Mohed Altrad was born an orphan into a nomadic Bedouin tribe in the Syrian desert. He eventually made his way to France, where he earned a PhD in computer science. Today he owns a successful business worth over a billion dollars. Angela Merkel was raised in East Germany and watched the Berlin Wall come down. She worked as a scientist before moving into politics. She is now the Chancellor of Germany. Many other successful businesspeople grew up poor and without much opportunity, and yet they pushed their way through adversity.
Here are some of the traits these people share.
1. Take ownership of your life.
Whether you’re born into a nomadic tribe or into a middle-class suburb, taking responsibility for your life is the first step upward.
“In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves.”–Harry S. Truman
2. Be optimistic.
Believe that you can meet challenges and come out on top, no matter how many times you fail along the way. Encourage yourself everyday with an inspiring quote. Encourage those around you with praise. Reward positive behavior and good work.
3. Be honest.
Try to always be honest with yourself, your employees, your vendors, and your customers. Admit mistakes and make them right. Be humble enough to learn and strong enough to take the lead when hard work has to be done.
4. Measure results.
Measure progress both in your personal life and in your business. Ask yourself, “Am I better today than I was yesterday?” Never compare yourself to somebody else. The only measurement that matters is against your own past performance. And when you do improve, reward yourself: take a break, eat a treat, buy yourself that book you always wanted, watch a great movie, sit on a rock and cool your feet in the river. Whatever it is, identify a small reward and earn it.
5. Believe that God wants you to succeed.
Commit to give back so that others can also succeed: teach a class or join a mentoring group or trade association. That’s how it works. God helps us along the way, and in turn we help others.
