"LEADERSHIP IS THE MOST OBSERVED AND LEAST UNDERSTOOD PHENOMENON ON EARTH"

"Recently I was reading in Success magazine...and found this article that inspired my business. It reads:" What is it that makes the Roosevelts, Gandhis and Churchills of the world so powerful? What do they possess that allows them to lead multitudes? And is such leadership inherent, or can it be learned? Early studies focused on the traits of successful leaders, believing that such personalities were cut from a different cloth. But, in Leaders Who Transform Society: What Drives Them and Why We Are Attracted, Micha Popper writes, "Perhaps the reverse is true, leaders are like everybody else, but they behave in a way that has powerful influence on others."

What practices do leaders execute daily, monthly and yearly to achieve success? John Maxwell says, "Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course." (This is Law No. 4 in his The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.) "[Leaders] see the whole trip in their minds before they leave the dock," he writes. "They have vision for getting to their destination, they understand what it will take to get there, they know who they'll need on the team to be successful, and they recognize the obstacles long before they apperar on the horizon."

The days of the tyrannical CEO presiding over his evil empire are long gone. Today's effective leader is humble, yet no less driven. In his book Good to Great, Jim Collins examines how certain companies made the jump described in the title--rising from mediocrity to a sustained level of extranordinary success. In all of the "great" companies researched, the leader in charge during the acceleration toward success was what he classifies as "Level 5,"

"Level 5 leaders channel their ego needs away from themselves and into the larger goal of building a great company." Collins writes. "They are incredibly ambitious--but their ambition is first and foremost for the institution, not themselves."He says, "Level 5 leaders look out the window to apportion credit to factors outside themselves when things go well (and if they cannot find a specific person or event to give credit to, they credit good luck). At the same time, they look in the mirror to apportion responsibility, never blaming bad luck when things go poorly."

The Law of the Picture: John Maxwell says, People Do What People See. "the leader's effective modeling of the vision makes the picture come alive."

The best leaders are the ones who talk about what other people are thinking about and what they're fearful of, and they demystify it. They're very clear in their approach in terms of what they're going to do about it. This may be difficult for some leaders, especially given today's economic climate, but it's more important now than ever. Frankly and publicly addressing a problem--and sharing a solution--shows employees that your're on top of the situation, that you acknowledge and care about their concerns, and that you're capable of adapting to changing times.

In Good to Great, Jim Collins encourages leaders to "create a culture wherein people have a tremendous opportunity to be heard and, ultimately, for the truth to be heard."

No matter what happens, Staci Wallace says, "Never, give up, It's Not Over Till I Win." It's keeping your commitment and making your actions consistent with your word. In her song "It's Possible" no matter what it is that your mind conceives, the power's in your hand. It's your destiny. "Anything Is Possible....When You Believe!" having a don't quit attitude......Those are the people who impact the world.

A leader has to grow and improve, because the world keeps changing....and you have to evolve, develop, create and reinvent sometimes to be an effective leader.

The knowledge and experience of history's greatest leaders are as relevant today as ever.

Franklin Delanor Roosevelt never faltered in the face of a daunting challenge, whether polio or the Great Depression. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself----nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."

Theodore Roosevelt was a man of action who made his own rules and strived to continually improve himself-both physically and intellectually. "I care not what others think of what I do, but I care very much about what I think of what I do: That is characher!"

Abraham Lincoln was humble, yet had unshakable self-confidence, which allowed him to empower those around him. "I desire so to conduct the affairs of this administration that if at the end, when I come to lay down the reins of power, I have lost every other friend on Earth, I shall at least have one friend left, and that friend shall be down inside me."

Living with excellence,
Jo Silvey