Sixteen Dynamic Inspiring Qualities of Leadership (from 'Steps to Success, Prosperity and Happiness')

Article Title: Sixteen Dynamic Inspiring Qualities of Leadership (from 'Steps to Success, Prosperity and Happiness')
Shared by: Craig Lock
Category (Key words: Leadership, Self Help, Self Help Books, Personal Growth, Success, Success Skills, Empowerment, Positive Psychology, Motivation (enough there now)
Web sites: : www.creativekiwis.com/index.php/books/74-craigs-books https://www.xinxii.com/adocs.php?aid=16831 (e-books) http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/craiglock + www.lulu.com/craiglock

Craig's blog with thoughts and extracts from various writings is at www.craiglock.wordpress.com

Other Articles are available at:
http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/user/15565 and http://www.ideamarketers.com/library/profile.cfm?writerid=981
(Personal growth, self help, writing, internet marketing, spiritual, 'spiritual writings' (how 'airey-fairey'), words of inspiration and money management, how boring now, craig

We hope that the following article (an extract from one of Craig's first manuscripts ("rather crazy and wacky") titled 'Steps to Success, Prosperity and Happiness' may be informative and helpful to your ezine readers, or on your web site. If it helps others "out there" in any way, then we're very happy.

"We share what we know, so that we all may grow."
*
"SIXTEEN DYNAMIC INSPIRING QUALITIES OF LEADERSHIP (from ' Inspirational Books')

"Enthusiasm is the match that lights the candle of achievement."
- William Arthur Ward

"Your belief determines your action and your action determines your results; but
first you have to believe."
- Mark Victor Hansen

* Author's Note:
I researched and originally wrote this work about a twenty years ago; but seem to recall that this piece may have been adapted from Napoleon Hill's classic work, 'THINK AND GROW RICH'. I have added some personal thoughts of my own at the end.

Are you a leader of men (and women)? At least, do you believe that you have leadership potential? Do you WANT to be a leader, or a follower? If you want to be a 'great' leader of men", here are a few thoughts on the qualities needed. When we think of the word 'leader', we usually immediately think of the concept of POWER. Your great passion might be to become a leader. It will certainly give you power - not within yourself necessarily, but over others. (Do you have a "Napoleon complex" - to lead "for it's own sake", perhaps?). To be a leader, first you must really WANT to. A great DESIRE is the key here. You must be really "hungry" for the position and pursue leadership with great determination - with all the means at your disposal. That is, using all your powers, qualities (see below) and potential. With a strong DESIRE you will, as long as you have the following personal leadership qualities:

1. Unwavering courage.

2. Self control.

3. Always keeping a sense of justice (and fairness)
towards others.

"There can be no peace without reconciliation and there can be no reconciliation. without justice."
- Corazin Aquino, former Prime Minister of the Phillipines

"Peace is more important than all justice.. and peace was not made for the sake of justice, but justice for the sake of peace."

- Dr Martin Luther King, Jnr (??)

"Justice without force is powerless; force without justice is tyrannical."

4. Definiteness of decisions.
Good leaders make many decisions ... firmly, decisively! Heed that one, ïmpulsive" craig

5. Leaders have a clear vision of the future they wish to CREATE. All their decisions are in alignment with their over-riding objectives and move them in this direction (ie they have clarity of vision and direction).

6. Definiteness of plans (ie. a grand sense of PURPOSE). A leader then works their plan by putting it into ACTION.

7. Leaders (really good ones) are BELIEVERS: Firstly in themselves and in the Universe's plan for their lives. They have a strong sense of destiny.

"Your belief determines your action and your action determines your results; but first you have to believe."
- Mark Victor Hansen

8. Leaders have a habit of doing more than they are paid for. Effort and sacrifice gets them to a position of authority in the first place.

9. A pleasing personality (my saving grace to get me out of my frequent scrapes, deep in the "smelly brown stuff... not that I'm a leader"!). People LIKE the people they follow... and will do anything to help for great inspiring leaders (even until death).

10. Empathy, sympathy and understanding. As the Spanish (and my dear mother) would say, "being 'sympatico'" towards other people, by taking their feelings into consideration. This is the difference between "thinkers" and "feelers". Thinkers are logical, analytical types, who usually do well in business. Feelers, like me, are far more emotional and creative people ("unbalanced" perhaps?).
What type of person are you?

11. Mastery of detail. I'm hopeless on that one; so need plenty of help in that area. I'm a "grand picture person", who has no idea of the number of bolts needed to build my bridge. I would never walk on it after finishing it anyway!

12. Willingness to assume full responsibility for one's decisions - no matter what may go wrong!

13 ("lucky"). Co-operation (full) with others in seeing one's plans, the grand vision come to fruition.

14. Leaders are enthusiastic about their mission. Perhaps a little obsessive!

"Enthusiasm is the match that lights the candle of achievement."
- William Arthur Ward

15. Leaders are PASSIONATE people, who live with great enthusiasm. They are passionate and zealous about the causes they champion. Don't know what presses your "hot button"? Eliminating options will help you find your passion, your niche, your "calling" in life by initially pointing you in the right direction. I've been using the process of elimination for years and years and I'm slowly getting there. At least I think so! If you don't know your passion, then knowing what you don't want is a step in the right direction. I've worked out, that I prefer "to quietly do my own thing" in writing books, that will "make a little difference in the world by reaching out, touching and hopefully even inspiring others out there"... hopefully! That is "me" and is what makes me happiest. Many years after writing those words, I still don't feel any great, nor definitely an overwhelming desire, or "calling" to be such a person as a leader... but just feel "called/destined" to quietly work away at sharing my various writings to hopefully inform, help, uplift, encourage, empower (and perhaps even inspire) people around the globe through the internet. All I can do is TRUST my instincts, my heart, but who knows what God, the Essence of Life, our Creator, the Universe has in store for my life!
(written originally in Nov 2002, but it's now Jan in the year 2011). Time marches on...and waits for no man (or woman).

Enough "waffling" - get back to the point, Craig...

And finally...and most importantly,

16. Great leaders have great INTEGRITY. Vitally important!

"If you have integrity, nothing else matters.
If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters."
- Alan K. Simpson

So after reading all that, you still want to become a leader. Good! You're a brave person who will go far; because, I believe, there is a definite lack of "quality inspirational leadership" in today's societies - throughout the world!
*
Here are a few personal thoughts on the subject...
I strongly believe that todays "chaotic and deeply divided" world desperately needs people with character, integrity and especially VISION,
effective leaders to make a difference, a better world? Where is another Nelson Mandela, a Martin Luther-King, or Mahatma Gandhi, politicians and other leaders, who will stand up for what's RIGHT, no matter the consequences...with ultimate integrity - to build bridges, rather than barriers between peoples. Charismatic and absolutely honest people possessing the highest value of LOVE for ones fellow man, yet tempered with great strength of character in their decisiveness of purpose to do what they HAVE to do, what's right for the world at large. People who don't make short-sighted (and zenophobic - big word eh - the first time I've used it - hopefully correctly! ) decisions from a limited world view and selfish self interest ("unenlightened"). Most importantly, we need modern leaders who can look beyond their national borders, who will look at the bigger picture, a broader perspective on current world events. Acting locally, yet THINKING globally.

The current problems in this world cannot be solved at the same level of thinking that created them. The world desperately needs leaders with a vision for the future (peaceful) - men and women who can see distant horizons, rather than borders in this incredible and still beautiful world of ours?

So let each one of us build bridges rather than barriers, openness rather than walls. Let us look at distant horizons together in a spirit of acceptance, helpfulness, co-operation and peace. Let our leaders look at the future with a vision - to see things not as they are, but what they could one day become.

In your own life, LIVE the vision of what you are CAPABLE of being.

Many small (though significant) steps, by so many 'little and ordinary*' people will eventually reach their destination!

Live, love and be happy.

Shared by Craig Lock (" Information and Inspiration Distributor, Incorrigible Encourager and People-builder")

* After- thought: But then what's "ordinary", because everyone is extra-ordinary in some way!

"The past is history, the future is a mystery, and this moment is the gift, that is why this moment is called the present."
- anon

"When I let go of what (and who) I think I am, I become all that I can be... and am capable of being."
- craig (as adapted and inspired from Lao Tzu)

"The task ahead of you can always be overcome by the power within you...and the often seemingly difficult or even
"impassible") path ahead of you is never as steep with the great spirit that lies within you.

- craig

Together, one mind at a time, let's see how many people we can impact, empower, uplift, encourage and perhaps even inspire to reach their fullest potentials.

THIS PIECE MAY BE FREELY PUBLISHED

PS: I love the following quotation...

"We make a living by what we get...but we make a life by what we give."
- Norman MacEwan

"Instead of the limits of borders (of countries and of our minds) let us and our leaders expand our sense of possibility... and together let's look at building bridges to distant horizons, far and great. Lord, help us all lift our eyes a little higher."

- craig