1. Lead by example – Great leaders operate with humility and a “Do as I do” rather than a “Do as I say” mentality. They never ask anyone to do anything they are not willing to do themselves.
2. Use the 7 P’s – In the military, I learned that
Proper
Prior
Planning
Prevents
Pitifully
Poor
Performance. Great leaders are visionaries who see an objective and are able to work backwards to figure out what must be done, and then possess the ability to inspire and motivate those around them in order to accomplish the mission.
3. Respond, don’t react – While emotion may play a part in the decision-making process, great leaders take time to be proactive and process information. They are extremely careful not to make reflexive decisions.
4. Take accountability – Great leaders are quick to give credit where credit is due and let others shine before themselves. They praise in public, criticize in private, and always accept the blame for failures en route to future success.
5. Develop leaders, not followers – The best leaders are those who inspire and develop others to become leaders in their own right. They possess an ability to maximize the leadership capacity of those around them by firing up vision and imagination and then relinquishing control.
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