Indispensable Qualities of Leadership

- Prakash Joshi(Referred from John C Maxwell’s Book)

What is Leadership?

• Leadership lies in character qualities of individual person.

• Kind who attract people and make things happen effectively.

• Do you have qualities to live out the boldest dreams, ones so big that you never shared with anybody? THINK AND ASK YOURSELF

• You need leadership for yourself• Becoming leaders takes time, develops daily

not in a day.• Leadership develops daily

Character

1. Character

• Be a piece of the rock!

Example

• Lear Jet• Bill Lear: Inventor, Business Leader• Start1950, 1963 prototype, 1964 delivered first jet

• Success was immediate

Example…

• Two plane crashed in air• At that time 55 jets were privately owned• Lear sent message to ground all plane, until they

analyze• Thought of lives were important than adverse

publicity• Lear tested personally in the air to recreate

problem, he risked his life• Created new part and fixed in all 55 planes

Example…

• Lear never regretted decision • He was willing to risk success, fortune and

even his life to solve the mystery of those crashes but not his integrity, that's take character.

Character (cont.)

• Character brings lasting success• Talent is gift but Character is a choice• Crises reveal Character• Adversity is a cross road that makes person choose

Character or Compromise• Every time you choose character it makes you stronger• Character more than talk, action is real indicator• Your character determine who you are, who you are

determine what you see, what you see determine what you do

Character (cont.)

• Leaders cannot rise above the limitation of their character

• 4As which affect Leadership: Arrogance, Painful feeling of Aloneness, Destructive Adventurousness seeking, and Adultery

Character (cont.)

• Ask your self whether your words and action match

• Can people trust your handshake• Your character is most important asset

How to Improve

• Search for the cracks (professional, personal)• Identify anywhere you might have cut the

corners• Look for patterns, examine responses you just

identified• Face the music: apologize, deal with

consequences• Create a plan that will prevent you from same

mistake again

Charisma

2. Charisma

• First impression can seal the deal• Being more concern about other and make

other feel good about themselves• Approach toward people• Charisma is ability to draw people to you • It can be developed!

Example

• William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli, Great Britain in second half of 1850

Example…

• Gladstone was PM 4 different times, master of finance, many reforms, great orator

• Established National Education System

Example…

• Disraeli served 2 times as PM• Entered politics as Diplomat and Social

Reformer• Great achievement was purchase of Suez

Canal shares

Example…

• Both leaders achieved a lot for Great Britain• What really separates them was their approach

to the people• Once women had meeting with Gladstone she

thought Gladstone is cleverest man in England• When she had meeting with Disraeli she

thought she is the cleverest woman in England

How to Improve

• Love life: they are passionate and celebrator• Expect best of people• Survey of 100 self made millionaire Only 1

common denominator: they see only good in the people

• The greatest good you can do to another is not just share your riches but reveal to him his own

• Appreciate others and encourage them and help to reach their potential, they will love you for it

• Give Hope: leaders are dealers in hope• Share yourself: share wisdom, resources• Bottom line is other mindedness

Roadblock

• Pride• Insecurity• Moodiness• Perfectionism: unrealistic expectation• Cynicism

How to Improve

• Determine how much of your conversation is focused on yourself

• Focus on his interest• Be positive• Share your resources• If you can do it for a day you can do it forever!

Commitment

3. Commitment

• It separates doers from dreamers• People do not follow uncommitted leaders

Example

• Michelangela, Italian Sculptor, Painter

• Born sculptor

Example…

• To sculpt magnificent project, then asked to work penning project

• Didn’t want to work on project which will be seen in small chapel in Vatican

• Pope pressed him, he reluctantly accepted the assignment

• He thoroughly committed himself to it• Include more than 400 figures, 9 seen in book

of genesis

Example…

• 4 grueling years, artist lay on his back, penning ceiling on 16 chapel

• Paid great price, work permanently damaged eye sight, at 37 looked like old man

• He made huge impact on artist community• When asked why he working diligently on

dark corner on 16 chapel which no one will see?

He replied God will see!

• Only real indicator of commitment is action!• To each person commitment means different:– Boxer: Getting off one more time than knockout–Marathoner: running another 10 miles when

strength is gone– Soldier: Going over the hill, without knowing what

is waiting on other side– Leader: all these and more, as everyone you lead is

depending on you

• World has never seen great leader who lacked commitment

• Commitment starts in the heart• Look into your heart if you are really

committed• Commitment always precedes achievement• Winning horse run out of oxygen after first

half miles, and he goes rest of the way by heart

Types of people

• Cop out: no goals and do not commit• Hold out: don’t know if they can reach so

afraid to commit• Drop out: start toward the goal quit and going

get tough• All out: set goals, commit to them, and pay the

price

How to Improve

• Measure it: how you spent time/money/activities

• Know what is worth dyeing for it, see your action match your ideals

• Accept it publically like Thomas Edison

Courage

4. Courage

• One person with courage have majority

• The auto racer who set world speed record in Deltona 1940

• The pilot who had highest number of victories in aerial combat during world war I

• The secretary war special adviser who survived plane crash in pacific for 22 days on raft during world war II

• They all lived through dangerous circumstances

• They all displayed courage• They all happen to be same person, The Ace of

Aces

• Eddie Rickenbacker

• When 12 he worked in shoe factory/sold news paper, milk

• As teenager worked as race car mechanic, at 22 began racing 2 year later set speed record

• At the time of WW I, he tried to enlist as aviator, but because of under education and over age he couldn’t

• Entered as chauffer, through request to senior got flight training

• By the time war was over• 300 combat hours• Survived 124 aerial encounter• Claimed 26 killed• Known as American Ace of Aces

• 1933 become Vice President of Eastern Airline• At the time all airline existed because of

subsidized by govt.• He thought airline should be self sufficient• Within 2 year he made it profitable, first in

aviation history• He led Eastern Airline successfully for 30

years

• Leader make courageous decision• The willingness to risk• It is not absence of fear, it is doing what you

are afraid of doing• Courage is making things right: where you

stand in time of challenge and controversy• Courage deals with principle• Courage inspires commitment from followers

• Fear limits a leader• Courage opens doors

How to Improve

• Skydive/rock climb/talk to person: face the music (as long as it cause genuine fear)

• You must do the things that you think you cannot do

• Take giant step• Courageous act often bring unexpected

positive results (e.g. Peter Cartwright, Andrew Jackson in convocation)

Discernment

5. Discernment

• Put an end to unsolved mystery• Always at the heart of matter

• Ability to find root of the matter, relies on intuition as well as rational thoughts

• Effective leader need discernment• Organizational effectiveness lies in clear

headed logic and powerful intuition• Evaluate your option for maximum impact• Embrace change and ambiguity

Example

• By 1940s Swiss produced 80% watches• 1960 inventor presented new type of watch• Every Swiss company rejected his design• Believing his design had merit• He approached Japanese company Seiko• Today 80% of watch are his design i.e. Digital• One discernment driven decision changed

entire course of destiny

How to improve

• Analyze past success, what was root issues in each problem

• Learn how others think• Read biography of leaders you admire• Listen to your guts• Look into your pattern of guts and results, this

may give insight of your intuition ability• Your intuition will improve with use