How You can be a Better Leader.

Let us resurrect leadership by breathing new life into our rolls and into those who are depending on us.  As one who had been a leader and studied and taught leadership, I have learned that there are several highly critical attributes of a good leader that we need to emulate.

They Establish the Organizational Culture.
Like a parent, great leaders lead by example and establish the organization’s culture.  This includes standards for treating coworkers, appropriate language, elimination of gossip, putting internal and external customers first, a servant mentality, and appropriate attitudes. Dee Hock, Founder of Visa believes that if the leader does not get it right, no one else on their team will either.  Says Hock, “If you seek to lead, invest at least 50% of your time in leading yourself—your own purpose, ethics, principles, motivation, and conduct.”

We all Lead Something.

Some of us have “leader” titles like Chairman, President, CEO, Pastor, department head or project leader.  Regardless of our station, whether a manager leading a department, a mother leading her children, or the President of the United States, we all lead something.  Everyone can aspire to being a better leader, myself included.  A major part of our job is to bring out the best in those we work and live with.  Novelist, historian and politician, John Buchan writes, "The task of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there."

Where have all the Great Leaders Gone?

In the arena of government, the President has been characterized by “Watergate” journalist Bob Woodward as possessing poor leadership skills.  Just down Pennsylvania Avenue, Congress has the lowest confidence of Americans in its' history.  At home, the local politician’s highest priority is not leadership but their donors who assure their reelection.  In business, leadership has suffered a severe hit as well.  In many organizations, a struggling economy has replaced leaders who innovate with fearful managers who protect their jobs. Even in families, leadership has diminished as parents sometimes work multiple jobs to make ends meet with no time left over for leading. This multi-level leadership crisis is creating great disillusionment in those who follow and begs the question “Where have all the great leaders gone?”

Leadership is Having a Crisis!

Do you remember Sheriff Woody Pride?  He was the toy leader in the movie "Toy Story."  While we may best remember space ranger Buzz Lightyear, he didn't have what it took to solve the toys' crisis.  It was Woody who came to their aid and led them.  According to Pulitzer Prize winner Gary Wills, "The leader is one who mobilizes others toward a goal shared by leaders and followers.  Leaders, followers and goals make up the three equally necessary supports for leadership." So we see that leaders mobilize people toward a goal.

If you tour a Disney property you will eventually come across this slogan.  “Always remember that this whole thing was started with a dream and a mouse.”  As one who believes that every person on earth was created with a God-sized purpose, I know that whatever your dream is that “All things are possible…”