These quotes have resonated with me and I hope they do the same for you!
1. "The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things."
- Ronald Reagan
I firmly believe that a leader didn't have to have all the answers, they just have to be humble enough to admit when they don't know something. When a leader is humble, it makes it easy for everyone to bring their ideas to the table, and truly this is when something great happens when a collective of individuals come together in one mind for the benefit of one vision.
2. “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” – Warren Buffett
Transparency must be embedded in the view of every leader; I believe it's the "secret" element in obtaining longevity. Transparency for me means you have no hidden agenda - what you say is what you mean and your yes is a yes, and your no is no.
3.
“Outstanding leaders go out of the way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish.” – Sam Walton, founder of Walmart and Sam’s Club
I've written on this before, on empowering the people around you. I think when I started to work as part of a team and responsibility was being bestowed upon me, this was missing. It's not enough to delegate or encourage, the leader must empower. To encourage is to show a person the possibility but to empower is to show them they have the capability.
4.
“You don’t have to hold a position in order to be a leader.” – Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
Wherever I speak to people who tell me what they don't like about leadership I always reply by saying "be the leader unit wish to see." We assume that you've got to have a title to be a leader when it's not true. To work in leadership you must first lead this ship.
5. “I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.” - Alexander the Great
The lion doesn't ask if he's the king of the jungle, he simply believes it. Belief is a powerful thing because what you believe will dictate our actions. If a leader could help his team buy into the vision and believe in the mission, no one will be able to stop them.
6. “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”
- John C. Maxwell
Before anyone sees the vision, the leader should. You don't have to have it all figured out, just be a few steps ahead and be able to help guide those who are with you.
7.
A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.
- Max Lucado
Often we allow the comments or perceptions of others to dictate our actions, not knowing this can be paralyzing. The solution here is simple but bold: turn your back, give a blind eye, and let their words fall on deaf ears; focus on the vision that's ahead of you.
8. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
- Martin Luther King Jr.
It's easy to be a fan of a sports team when they are on a winning streak. When the Golden State Warriors were winning, their fan base grew (we call those bandwaggon fans). The character of the leader is revealed when things go astray.
9.
“The secret of leadership is simple: Do what you believe in. Paint a picture of the future. Go there. People will follow.” - Seth Godin
There is a moment in the 1989 movie Field of Dreams where we hear those magical words "if you build it, they will come". A leader's job is the 1st believe in the vision, then cast that vision into the world, and much like throwing a net into a river while fishing, it will attract many prospects.
10. Nothing comes easy. Success doesn’t just drop on your lap. You have to go out and fight for it every day.” - Dana White
All leaders are naturals fighters and not just fighters, but leaders want to win! The detail here is that success is defined differently for every person, but once defined it is time to fight, every day.
11.
"Sometimes you have to take a half step back to take two forward."
- Vince McMahon
Sometimes we are so close to the actions it impairs our judgment, it is in those moments we need to take half a step back with the intent to refocus.
12. "Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." - Mike Tyson
This may not seem like a leadership quote, but it is applicable! For us to walk towards a vision, we must develop a plan. The issue is that we think a plan is all we need, we have to take it a step further and strategize. Most people just create a plan and then get punched in the face by life and are paralyzed - they have no idea how to pivot when things don't go as planned. But if they would have strategized they would have been able to bob and weave, even do a shoulder roll and counter-attack with a strong right hook for the knockout blow. Life is going to punch you, hard, you've got to have a clear plan and a defined strategy that will allow you to pivot.
