Leader's Guide for Success (Full Article)

Leadership involves many twists and turns. It is the essence of helping get things done; yet, it can be a roadblock to the same. It has many definitions but perhaps John Maxwell said it best, “Leadership is influence, nothing more nothing less…”.

So how do leaders then know what to do in order for success to follow? I have found that there are ten simple guides to enable leadership success:

First, it is critical to understand what the role is and isn’t. Would you be surprised to know that leadership is a very complex reality? It has many definitions but quite often common traits. Understanding those traits is what determines the virtue of leadership. 

• Leaders have direction and an unwavering desire.
• They strive to get their followers to realize their true potential.
• Leaders have the power of magnetism as well as reason and sound judgment. They listen and set the tone for all.
• They inspire confidence.

However, this doesn’t mean that the leader does all the work or leads every interaction. On the contrary, an effective leader allows others to do their job. They encourage action. They get followers to act on things that must be done but may seem impossible. 

• Leadership isn’t simply showing up with a title.
• It isn’t micromanagement.
• It isn’t necessarily telling.
• It isn’t saying without doing.
• It isn’t disowning responsibility.

When leaders know their role and apply their energy toward that end, trust is developed and a deep commitment toward effort and goal attainment becomes the norm.  

Second, always have the end in mind. Regardless of effort, there always exists some conclusion or destination to be reached. A true leader has a vision and an intuitive understanding of where the action will be assembled. They then work toward that direction to ensure work and plans are underway so that the team may be in the right place at the right time. 

Successfully achieving goals or applying a new focus can be an arduous task. It demands a very clear understanding of what the current trends show that potentially lead to a future need or destination. If a leader has a cloudy vision or is unable to express the reasoning behind a different direction in thought or service, then failure will be almost certain. However, when that vision is crystal clear and communication is true, the avenue toward success opens and the ultimate end desired should be reachable.

The hall of fame hockey player Wayne Gretzky was once asked how he reached such a high level of goals scored and overall success. His answer was simple: he simply skated to where he perceived the puck was going on the ice. In simple terms, that is what the successful leader must do day in and day out. When that occurs with consistency, “hall of fame” potential is almost a certainty.

Third, you must use two ears to listen and one mouth to speak and know which to use at the right time. It was once said that it is better to remain quiet and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt. The engaging leader listens. That same leader understands that it is difficult if not impossible to comprehend needs when your mouth outruns your ears. 

Intently listening enables the impactful leader to gain the input from many sectors critical to guide the leader’s sphere of responsibility forward. People will not effectively respond to a leader who is always talking. There is a time to set the tone and there is a time to listen to the tone. Both are critical if the leader will be successful in getting their followers or others to reach beyond themselves. In the final resolve, leaders who listen twice as much as they speak position themselves to achieve. Listening brings knowledge, insight and provides a clear focus on what’s most important. In doing so, indisputable accomplishment is a high possibility and leadership soars to make work more satisfying, exciting, and challenging for all parties.

Fourth, it is also critical to realize that mistakes happen, and saying you are sorry is not a bad thing. Face it, shortfalls occur. That is life. The problems arise when leaders fail to understand that cruel reality and then refuse to face the obvious. Those actions deflate trust, eliminate credibility and often lead to aloofness and arrogance. These are certainly not winning characteristics to embody.

People respect honesty. People will respond to honesty. Perhaps not always with a civil tongue or in a professional manner, but eventually, a deed wrongly done followed by a sincere apology will prove to be an effective first step toward recovery.

Leaders stand tall in the eyes of those they lead when their actions follow their words. Leaders also stand tall when they display leadership courage and admit shortfalls to those they lead. It does not diminish a leader’s position or status if that leader has expressed sorrow for an action taken that results in an unintended shortfall. Neither does it provide long-term harm when the leader acts for personal benefit but in turn admits that action was the wrong course in a sincere manner. Such actions show that position does not exempt wrong-doing or failure. Accepting responsibility will enhance a leader’s credibility and establish that leader’s commitment to instilling confidence in others.

Fifth is coming to grips with the fact that you do not always have the best solutions nor should you. In the bigger scheme of things, leadership deals with letting people do their job. It’s connecting with people that matter. One way of connection comes with the understanding that when you hire great people, most often they are very capable of producing great solutions to current problems or potential maneuvers. 

The story is told about a truck that got stuck when its trailer top became lodged underneath a bridge. Police and fire personnel tried as they could, but no one could get the trailer dislodged. Engineers were called in and after some evaluation, they determined the top of the trailer must be severed. The trucking company’s owner did not want that to happen so a violent argument erupted.  Along came a young man on his bicycle and inquired what was going on. After hearing the clamor, he asked, “Why don’t they simply let the air out of the tires?”  In the end, that is exactly what they did and the truck and trailer moved on.

Leaders do not have to be the end result for all solutions. It is OK and no sign of weakness for leaders to gain answers from others. In another perspective, this action solidifies that the leader made great choices in selecting team members who can contribute to success. It all lies in perspective. Is it more important to get the job done, the goal accomplished, or is it more important that the leader supplies all the answers? True leaders understand that great things happen when it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.

Sixth, time is as valuable to others as it is to you. No one can get back lost time. We all have the same hours in a day and to be productive, we must not allow others to waste that precious time we do have. As humorist Bob Murphey once said, “The only person to succeed while horsing around is a bookie.” 

Respect can be a funny thing. It seems to always work best when the other person utilizes it first. Leaders, by virtue of their position, most often gain a large margin of respect for their time from those they lead. Quite often they may have support personnel hold calls, hold appointments for so-called busy schedules when in part those busy schedules may not be as busy as claimed. However, when the boss calls, it should not necessarily mean that the individual being called must drop everything and immediately address the boss’s attention. If it is an emergency, the leader must convey that, but if there is not an immediate urgency, the leader needs to have respect for the team member’s time and their commitment to fulfilling their duties. The leader doesn’t want the team members walking into their office twenty times a day necessarily, but the team member doesn’t necessarily want the leader interrupting their time twenty times a day either. Time matters and all must make the best use of it.

Seventh, it is critical to realize, sometimes it is best to not say what you want to say at the moment even though it has to be said. A terse comment at a moment of confrontation or high emotion most often will destroy character much faster than a punch to the nose. There are situations confronting leaders where a closed mouth can bring a huge victory. It all boils down to timing and tact. Taking time to think through a response before actually responding tactfully can avoid harsh feelings and misunderstandings. It could be better to “bite your tongue” and have pain than to open your mouth and “leave a stain.”

A wise man once listened as a younger man came to him with a situation that for the most part was pure nonsense. From the younger man’s approach, the wise man gathered quickly that the question that was to come would present a paradox that regardless of how he approached or answered he could be made to look foolish. The younger man finally reached the pinnacle of his oration and asked, “Tell me oh wise one. Tell me the answer to this simple question. In my hands, I hold a small bird. Tell me. Is this bird alive or is the bird dead?” The wise man pondered his response. He resisted telling the younger man how much of an idiot he was in asking such an outrageous question. Finally, after several minutes of thought, the wise man rose from his seat, walked toward the younger man, and replied, “My son, the answer to that question lies totally in your hands.” 

Leaders will face multiple situations in which timing and tact are critical to potentially reaching satisfactory conclusions. What is not said is perhaps as critical as what could be said. Further, how it is said surely will impact whether or not the result is accepted. Perhaps business and political leader John Wanamaker said it best, “Whatever you have to say to people be sure to say it in words that will cause them to smile and you will be on pretty safe ground.”

Eighth, walk your talk even when it hurts. It has been said time and time again: “People will listen to what you say, but more closely watch what you do.”  Leaders solidify their influence by taking action and delivering on promises even when that action and promise may be challenging.

Judy was a senior executive with a Fortune 100 company. She was well known for her commitment to people and getting results. Judy was also well-known for her fashionable attire and long flowing red hair. During a mid-year campaign, she made a promise that should the division she led hit a 30% increase in sales she would cut her beautiful hair cropped short over her ears and wear casual clothing for two months. Her division, which led the entire company, had never achieved more than an 18% increase during even the best economic times. With the economy slowed, Judy felt she could spark some enthusiasm and perhaps meet or exceed by a small amount her best results ever. A safe bet she thought except for one thing. Her division took things to heart. They worked as never before and at the end of the period, they had achieved a 32% increase! What did Judy do?  Her people were happy with the success and even told her that cutting her hair and changing her wardrobe was not necessary. However, even though she did cry, Judy fulfilled her pledge. She fulfilled it at a special event for the entire division to see whether in person or by video conference. She walked her talk and walked it well.

Leaders do not have to be as daring as Judy, but the lesson of the moment is clear. Don’t simply speak your mission, live your mission. Even though it may challenge you, if you say it, do it. Whether they fully agree or not, people will respect and follow those leaders who let their actions follow their words. Trust is the end result. When people have trust in a leader, the sky is virtually limitless to what might be accomplished.

Ninth, be aware that a positive attitude is the foundation that will build your aptitude for success. It is often said but too often not followed, “Our performance depends on our attitude.” Positive attitudes can produce miracles.  You see, it is not so much what happens to us that matters but more importantly it is how we perceive what is happening that matters. Our mental approach will forever guide the reality that follows.

There is an often-told story of two rival shoe salesmen who were dispatched to a third-world market to examine whether or not the shoe products would be viable.  Both arrived at the same timeframe and in the same location. After surveying the landscape and doing other related market surveys, both submitted their reports.

One salesman reported the following: “The market has no future. No one here wears shoes.” The second salesman submitted his report, “This market has great potential. No one here wears shoes.” The difference in each salesman’s approach lies in his attitude. One had a negative attitude toward the potential and his rival had a positive attitude concerning the potential. We do tend to get what we think about.

With that sound positive attitude, negative experiences can be transformed into positive learning lessons. Positive attitudes alter abilities. These same attitudes also help leaders to keep success and shortfall in a realistic perspective. If you have a negative attitude about a situation, all the assistance that life can provide will never allow you to succeed. As the famed inspirational leader and author W. Clement Stone once said, “There is very little difference in people. But that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.” Not that a positive attitude will allow you to accomplish everything; but, that positive attitude will certainly allow you to accomplish much more than a negative attitude. The best course is to catch a positive attitude regardless of the expense or pain. Only then will you be positioned to gain the success which is possible.

Tenth, when in doubt, always look back to item #1: Understand what the role is and isn’t. It truly is all about direction. It is without a doubt about the leader unmistakably knowing what they need to do. 

In nearly fifty years of examining leadership and leaders, nothing says it better than this simple detail from an unknown author. Though it is lengthy, if you want to understand leadership and become a leader in more than name, it is worth the time to read it and employ its teachings. 

I went on a search to become a leader. I searched high and low. I spoke with authority. People listened. But alas, there was one who was wiser than I, and they followed that individual.

sought to inspire confidence, but the crowd responded, ‘Why should I trust you?“ 

I postured and I assumed the look of leadership with a countenance that flowed with confidence and pride. But many passed me by and never noticed my air of elegance.

I ran ahead of the others, pointed the way to new heights. I demonstrated that I knew the route to greatness. And I looked back, and I was alone.

“What shall I do?” I queried. “I’ve tried hard and used all that I know.” And I sat down and pondered long.

And then, I listened to the voices around me. And I heard what the group was trying to accomplish  I rolled up my sleeves and joined in the work.

As we worked, I asked, “Are we all together in what we want to do and how to get the job done?’

And we thought together, and we fought together, and we struggled towards our goal.

I found myself encouraging the fainthearted. I sought the ideas of those too shy to speak out. I taught those who had little skill. I praised those who worked hard.  When our task was completed, one of the group turned to me and said, “This would not have been done but for your leadership.”

At first, I said, “I didn’t lead. I just worked with the rest.” And then I understood, leadership is not a goal. It’s a way to reaching a goal.

I lead best when I help others to go where we’ve decided to go. I lead best when I help others to use themselves creatively. I lead best when I forget about myself as a leader and focus on my group…their needs and their goals.

To lead is to serve…to give…to achieve together.

Now, strive for success.  Lead!