Why Not Establish Key Elements for Leadership Success?

"If your actions inspire others to dream more,
learn more,
do more and become more,
you are a leader."
John Quincy Adams

Leadership is more than just a title or a position. Comprised of numerous and often undefined facets, leaders struggle until they define some simple, fundamental elements that can help to focus energy and talent around those leadership components that will have a positive impact on their business. For me, there are five elements that can help set apart the mediocre from the extraordinary in terms of leadership that can lead to ultimate business and life success.

1. Results centered. The results centered person has not only clearly defined objectives and goals for themselves, but they always communicate and clarify those results to key stakeholders.
2. Influence people. Not through coercion or manipulation, instead, the successful leader has the ability to inspire others to get on board with the key desired results.
   
3. Initiate and manage change. not waiting until the year end financials or customer service complaints arrive, successful leaders proactively measure and monitor consistently employee and customer interests and satisfaction.
4. Business acumen. Understanding the critical elements of their business, successful leaders have an understanding of their products and/or services, as well as their roles and responsibilities.
   
5. Build partnerships & teams. Leaders appreciate that without followers there is no need for leadership. Establishing strong relationships, selecting the right employees, the right partners and the right customers takes skill and talent.
   

Being labeled The Leader can be a daunting responsibility. Establishing key elements can help successful leaders focus time, talent and energy towards cultivating attributes that can lead to thriving relationships, growing business and sustainable communities. I thought I would share with you my key elements. Now, I am interested in learning what others identify as those key elements that have led them to business success.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

How Clear Are You on What You Really, Really Want?

One would think that when a person is asked what they really, really want in work, in life, in a relationship, that the response would be immediate. Surprisingly, or perhaps, not so surprising, the responses are: silence... or "Let me think for a minute," or more sadly, "I really don't take time to think about what I really want, I'm too busy doing."

Silence or "Let me think for a minute"...

These two are interesting responses. They to me indicate that the person is stopped short for several reasons.

1. Genuinely, I need time to give a thoughtful response because it is important to me
2. Actually, I am afraid to express what I really want
   
3. I need to think about a response that will sound interesting and important enough to share and impress you
   
4. I don't trust you and so I'm not willing to share

This third response, "I really don't take time to think about what I really want, I'm too busy doing," indicates several things to me.

1. I'm not worthy of investing thinking time in myself to fully appreciate what I really want
2. I'm not used to stopping all the crazy busyness to think
   
3. I'm clueless to how important understanding what I really want is to me and to anyone involved with me
   

Whatever the reasons or stories we have for not clarifying what we really want, it has become profoundly clearly to me, that this is one of our greatest limiting factors in success in business and joy in life. The more I am clear about what I want, the more likely I am to attract that want (positive or negative into my life).

And so, I am leaving you with this question, "What do you really, really want out of ...?"

Or in the words of Henry David Thoreau....will you "live your life in quiet desperation."