I’ve been talking about leadership a lot lately. It’s an interesting topic because the qualities that create a great leader are sometimes difficult to define. The concept of emotional intelligence has become better understood in recent years and there are some good books on the subject. Great leaders have vision, integrity, good communication skills, and tend to be above most things that are petty. But the quality I admire the most in leaders is grit – people who persevere and just find a way to get things done. They don’t wait for instructions or direction; they know what needs to be done and they find a way to get it done. This is the ultimate form of leading by example. It is usually not the smartest or the most skilled people who rise to the top, it’s the people who are the problem solvers. The people who rise to their challenges and who are at their best when their best is needed. People spend a lot of time and money educating themselves and honing their skills, but very few of them focus on the skill that will take them the farthest, which is true leadership. Find a good book on leadership, deploy what you learn, and become conscience of whether you are becoming the type of leader who you would want to follow. Unlike other skills, leadership is not something you can turn on and off. To be a true leader, you have to be on all of the time. It’s a lifestyle choice, but one that will pay dividends in your life.
There are two types of people in the world: those who add stress and those who subtract stress. Simon Sinek says...if you must choose between loyalty and productivity, always go with loyalty.
Terms like “great, genius,” and “world-class” are overused, perhaps because they mean something different to everyone. Greatness is subjective. Some might say you must be great just to be employed in the film business or to play professional sports, but I don’t think Will Smith or LeBron James think that way. The concept of being great also requires context. You could be a great high school athlete but only an average college player.
The most valuable skill in today's economy is storytelling. O'Leary wasn't the first to say that. Ten years ago, I remember asking Bill Clinton what made him a great speaker, and he said he was a good speaker because he is a good storyteller. As our economy evolves, the ability to communicate will become even more valuable.