The Leadership Challenge

Shared values are the foundation for building productive and genuine working relationships. Exemplary leaders honor the diversity of their many constituencies, but they also stress common values.

Leaders don't wait for permission or specific instructions before jumping in. They make something happen when they notice what isn't working, create a solution for the problem, gain buy-in from constituents, and implement the desired outcome.

A small win is “a concrete, complete, implemented outcome of moderate importance.” It identifies a place to begin.

Recognizing the hard work of others is significant for encouraging team members.

Be clear about your choices and principles.

If you want to accomplish amazing things you have to empower your team members to make their own choices.

Foundation of Credibility: Honest, Forward-looking, Competent, Inspiring

Set an example: Take personal responsibility and set an example of the behavior you expect of others.

Forward-thinking: People want their leaders to have a clear idea of where they are headed. They want them to envision a better future and work toward it, rather than merely living with the current status quo.

Inspiring: The emotional energy that a leader puts forward will infect her whole team. A leader must be able to communicate her vision in such a way that other people understand her passion and believe that it will improve lives.

Competent: People want their leader to be capable, effective, and experienced; no one wants to follow someone who may lead them into failure.

Honesty is considered a personal quality more than a professional one, and its importance illustrates that people want to follow leaders they can personally respect and identify with.

Leadership is a skill—one that can be learned, practiced, and mastered by anyone willing to put in the effort.

Anyone can be a leader. Exemplary leaders exist everywhere, in every geography, industry, and demographic. In the best organizations, everyone is encouraged to act like a leader

Leaders recognize contributions by showing appreciation for individual excellence.

You can't command commitment; you have to inspire it. You have to enlist others in a common vision by appealing to shared aspirations.

Leaders foster collaboration by building trust and facilitating relationships.

Exemplary leaders know that if they want to gain commitment and achieve the highest standards, they must be models of the behavior they expect of others.

The domain of leaders is the future. The work of leaders is change. The most significant contribution leaders make is not to today's bottom line; it is to the long-term development of people and institutions so they can adapt, change, prosper, and grow.

Trust comes from understanding each other's values and understanding our experiences and what we stand for. In order for that to happen, we've got to be vulnerable, and we have to be open.

Leaders forge unity of purpose by showing their constituents how the dream is a shared dream and how it fulfills the common good.

When you strengthen others by increasing self-determination and developing competence, they are more likely to give it their all and exceed their own expectations.

Genuine acts of caring draw people forward, which is an important lesson.

When leaders breathe life into dreams and aspirations, people are much more willing to enlist in a common cause.

People continue to want their leaders to be truthful, to know what they are doing and talking about, to demonstrate genuine enthusiasm and a positive outlook, and to have a sense of direction.

Honest, competent, inspiring, and forward-looking are the essential characteristics people want in a leader, someone whose direction they would willingly follow.

Leaders are expected to have a point of view about the future and to articulate exciting possibilities.

Credibility makes a difference, and leaders must take it personally. Loyalty, commitment, energy, and productivity depend upon it.

When words and deeds are congruent, 'credible' is the judgment handed down.

If you want to get the best results, make sure you practice what you preach.

Exemplary leaders are forward-looking—a quality constituents clearly expect of leaders. They envision the future, and gaze across the horizon seeing greater opportunities to come.

Being able to envision the future is decidedly important and has a tremendous impact on people's motivational levels and workplace productivity.

People commit themselves fully and deliver their best only if they share the same passion as the leader does, and it's critical that they can picture their own aspirations in the shared vision.

A very important part of a leader's job is to clear away the fog so that people can see further ahead, anticipate what might be coming in their direction, and watch out for potential hazards along the road.

People need vast reserves of energy and excitement to sustain commitment to a distant dream. Leaders are an important source of that energy.

The prerequisite to enlisting others in a shared vision is genuineness.

Quiet confidence works, too. Introverted individuals like Patrick and myself can be effective leaders. All that you need are conviction, sincerity, and passion.

Exemplary leaders understand that it’s not their personal view of the future that’s important; it’s embracing the aspirations of their constituents that matter most.

Leaders seize the initiative themselves and encourage initiative in others. They want people to speak up, offer suggestions for improvement, and be straightforward about their constructive criticism.

A leader needs to be brave enough to go against the tide in order to improve a process.

Knowing that ideas can come from anybody allows a leader never to miss an opportunity for innovation.

Leaders should dream big but start small.

Success does not breed success, researchers conclude; success breeds failure. It is failure that breeds success.

Learning is the master skill. When you fully engage in learning—when you throw yourself wholeheartedly into experimenting, reflecting, reading, or receiving coaching—you are going to experience the thrill of improvement and the taste of success.

Building trust is a process that begins when someone (either you or the other party) is willing to risk being the first to open up, to show vulnerability, and to let go of control.

Active listening involves more than simply paying attention. The best listeners, according to a study involving nearly 3,500 participants in a coaching skills development program, did much more than remain silent while the other person talked.

Demonstrating empathy goes a long way in building trust. Empathy is the critical twenty-first-century skill.

Exemplary leaders know that you need to see the world through others' eyes and make sure that you consider alternative viewpoints.

For them to be open to sharing their ideas, their frustrations, and their dreams with you, they have to believe that you'll be caring and constructive in your responses.

One way to demonstrate your competence is to share what you know and encourage others to do the same.

Exemplary leaders Foster Collaboration by building trust and facilitating relationships.