The World Is Craving for Leaders

The World Is Craving for Leaders

The purpose of the 7 Daily Nuggets is to teach us what we need to know to live a prosperous life; the things that we may not have learned or are not currently learning in church, school, home or at work. Let’s apply what we learn here and share these nuggets with others. We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. Be a giver in a world of takers.

Leadership is a lifelong assignment. Leadership can be lonesome yet rewarding. Leadership is influence in a positive vision driven way. Leaders are not born, they are made. Leadership is only second to love as the hardest thing to understand. We need to be around leaders and loving people to understand what leadership and love is all about.

A true leader, a person of character, is expected to be believed and when he/she is not, time proves him/her right. Character is the sum of integrity and courage.

The world is craving for leaders. Leaders are dealers of hope. Leaders inspire others by raising the expectancy that together they can achieve a future greater than the past. Are you one of those leaders? You can be. Leadership is a choice.

What are the traits of a leader? There are many, here are 7 important ones:

1.    Vision. Where there is no vision people perish. Where are all the leaders when our nation needs them? Vision is tomorrows realities expressed as ideas and pictures today. Vision is seeing with the mind. How good is it to be able to see and have no vision? Leaders cast a vision that is so clear and compelling that others buy into it. Leaders have a cause that is greater than them.

2.    Character. Leadership is character in motion. Character is the sum of integrity and courage. It takes courage to have a vision. Leaders are wholesome when it comes to integrity. Leaders do what they say they will do. No matter how grim the situation, leaders have the courage to endure and see their vision become reality.

  

3.    Attitude. Leaders have an attitude of gratitude. No matter how bad the situation, leaders see the good in the middle of chaos. Leaders create order where it seems impossible. Leaders have the attitude of “I will until.” Leaders know that crisis brings opportunities with them. Leaders thrive in crisis because it is in the crisis their character is forged and revealed for their follower to see and learn.

4.    Learner. Not all readers are leaders but all great leaders are great readers. Leaders are voracious readers. Leaders are learning from every situation. Leaders use their experiences to learn how to read people. Leaders know they can learn something from everyone they encounter. The day a leader stops learning the leader start dying. Leaders work for knowledge and wisdom, not money. Leaders love what they do and it shows. Leaders pile up skills through their experiences in the heat of the battles.

  

5.    Generous. Leaders give generous praise and recognition. Leaders are generous listeners. Leaders are generous with their talents and abilities to develop others leaders. Leaders are generous with their power giving it away to those with the hunger to become leaders, their followers. Great leaders are precious, great followers are priceless.

6.    Results. Leaders achieve results. Leaders keep their eyes on the scoreboard. Leaders have the courage to face the score and change what needs to be changed. Leaders plan, do, check, and adjust (PDCA). PDCA is the breakfast of leaders. Leaders know the leading indicators of what produces the results. Leaders keep shortening the time between problem identified and problem solved.

  

7.    Love. Leaders love their people. Leaders take time to develop lasting relationships with people around them. Leaders meet people where they are at and uplift them. Leaders know that people don’t care how much they know until people know how much leaders care. Leaders give grace to their people. Leaders ask for permission to give tough love. Leaders are great at building relationships.

The above traits can be all learned. Be a leader and leave a legacy.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others.

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy)