Leadership.....Some Assembly Required

I often speak about, and I am often asked about what makes a good leader. One of the programs I offer speaks about this very issue, and I will share some highlights of that program here with you.

I truly believe that we become the sum total of all of the leaders and teachers who have influenced our lives in either a good or a bad way. We might have said "Gee, I want to be like that, or said I hope I never turn out like that!" I think that we all know that we take on the charachteristics of those who have influenced us, but it is how we assemble these traits and truly use them in our everyday decision making process.

In order to begin this thought process of thinking like a leader, I ask each one of you to write down five leaders that have affected you either positive or negatively.

The next step always raises a few eyebrows, but here it is....Write a note or an e-mail to the persons listed thanking them for what they have done. If the person has past on, then write a note to a son or daughter that remains and tell them what legacy their love one has left.

Pretty powerful stuff , Huh? I am certain that only a small percentage of you will actually do this but it is an important dramatic step in your life and it will give you very positive feelings to start your leadership journey.

Of the leaders that you listed, do you see some common traits in all of them. They all have common strengths, but their individual weakness all vary. I want you to now take a look at the above named leaders and identify their one weak point or trait. Sometimes when we view role models we don't see their weaknesses.

Another facet of what a leader has to do involves conflict resolution.

Some basic tips that relate to conflict resolution are:

Separate the people from the problem.

Focus on interests not positions.

Generate a variety of options before deciding.

Seek and use objective standards for your decision making.

Leadership is a multi-faceted concept. Although leadership skills can be taught they are best learned through experience.

If you aspire to become a good leader, pick up traits from the good leaders you know and try to apply them in your everyday dealings with others. When dealing with conflicts use the steps above to get to the real problem facing you, not just the symptom.


Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013