Leadership Words of Wisdom

I’m not going to write a long drawn out article on the subject of leadership. Instead, I am going to share some quotes that I have collected over the years which I find to be paramount to being a true leader. Some people can summarize everything they have learned in a few bullet points or paragraphs. I can’t. I have to use several bullet points.

So, without further ado, let’s get started.

To Be a Leader:

•  The task of a leader is to get their people from where they are to where they have NOT been.
•  When the pressure is on, great leaders are at their best.
•  A good leader is a person who takes a little more than their share of the blame and a little less than their share of the credit.
•  When you become a leader, you lose the right to think only about yourself.
•  A boss relies on authority.  A leader relies on cooperation.
•  A boss creates fear.  A leader creates confidence.
•  A boss knows how.  A leader shows how.
•  A boss assigns blame.  A leader fixes mistakes.
• Leaders who win the respect of others, are ones that deliver more than what they promise.  Not the ones who promise more than they can deliver.
• A legacy is created only when a person puts their organization into the position to do great things without them.
• The real test of leadership is not where you start out, it’s where you end up.

A Leader’s Principal Responsibilities

• Ensure the organization has a vision and values which are understood and embraced throughout the organization
• Ensure the organization has a viable strategy and goals for fulfilling the vision.  And mechanisms to adjust the strategy as conditions change
• Ensure the organization has the people, funds, information, communication, training, and capabilities to execute the strategy
• Ensure the incentive systems are in place, aligned with the vision and strategy, and executed with fairness

Now let’s talk about your customers as part of leadership.

Why a Customer Might Fire You:

• You may not understand their needs.
• You may not make them feel valued.
• Your workers may show up late, or too early.
• You may not be educating them.
• Your company may be failing to innovate.
• You may not KNOW them.

Customer Focus

• A “No Complacency” attitude and a huge sense of urgency.
• “We must not assume that something which has never been done before, cannot be done at all”. Mike Duke retired Walmart CEO
• “Seek to achieve not only what is asked, but also use creativity to provide solutions above and beyond what is expected.  There is little traffic on the extra mile.”  Roger Staubach
• When you don’t know what to do, do what is right.
• You can’t manage what you can’t measure.
• “An ordinary person can get the job done when the circumstances are right.  But an extraordinary person can get it done no matter the circumstances”. Don Soderquist retired Walmart Vice Chairman

What are your favorite leadership quotes? Let us know!