On being a great leader:
It’s simple. We make it much harder than it needs to be. We create all these techniques, go to seminars, buy the newest $40 book on leadership. What crap! We make it too hard. It is really, really simple:
Be the boss you want to work for.
On leadership:
Leadership isn’t something you can just have. Leadership is practiced. There is no such thing as becoming a leader. You must practice leadership every day. Some days, you’re better at leading than others. Just keep practicing being the boss you want to work for. There are a few things that make up the practice of leadership:
1. Loyalty. Be loyal to your people. Respect them and their ideas. Back them. In the military, it is loyalty to your people that makes the difference – no one is going to be willing to put themselves in harms way if they do not believe that you will back them up.
2. Risk. Be willing to take calculated risks, especially if it’s an idea from one of your staff. (another way of showing your loyalty). If you are totally risk averse, you and your team will never accomplish anything.
3. Calmness. Be calm. In the Air Force, it is called “sounding good on the radio.” When Captain “Sully” Sullenberger was landing in the Hudson River with a full load of passengers and no engines, he didn’t freak out. He kept calm, and as a result, so did his crew and the passengers. Calmness exudes confidence, and confidence is contagious.
4. Humor. There is one basic rule: NO JOY SUCKERS. Keep your sense of humor and no matter how seriously you take your job, don’t take yourself seriously. It will help you and your team weather stressful times well.
5. Prioritize. DON’T CHASE CHIPMUNKS. Business leaders are the lions of their companies – lions require big game to survive, and don’t waste their energy or that of the pride on little chipmunks – they go for the zebra and wildebeest – and the pride gets fed. If you chase chipmunks and require your staff to do the same, you just missed the zebra going right past you! Moral of the story: don’t let minutia get in the way of the goal.
6. Take advantage of opportunity. GO TO ROME! Remember the story of Hannibal of Carthage? His army decimated the Roman army just 100 miles outside of Rome and then failed to march on Rome and take the city, allowing the Romans time to regroup and take their revenge on Hannibal and Carthage. When you are that close to a huge opportunity, TAKE IT! GO TO ROME!
7. Finally, be cheerfully persistent. No matter how many times you’ve told your team to stop CHASING CHIPMUNKS, you’ll have to keep reminding them and do it with a smile.
And remember, no one becomes a leader and gets the leadership stamp of approval – real leaders practice leadership every day, all day. And continue to practice.