The keys to successful leadership

The best leaders I've met over the years have had some common traits. Those who aspire to become leaders in business, government or other organizations would be well served to review these and take them to heart.

As picturesque as it sounds, there is no substitute for hard work. The most successful leaders I met worked hard at the beginning, middle and end of their careers. They had in advance. They left late. They have taken on additional responsibilities. They expressed satisfaction with special tasks and task forces. They did not look for jobs or simply to pass the challenging tasks to others. Hard work is the foundation for success in leadership.

There are a lot of generalists in all professions. The difference is when generalists have built their general knowledge of their profession as a result of being experts in any area where they were working at that time. Great leaders learn everything there is to know to do their current job and more. As they move to the next job they do the same thing. Not sit there for the most part. They build a portfolio to be knowledgeable in many areas within their profession. While it may be possible to "get away" with just enough knowledge, true leaders who are successful learn all you can in every workplace.

There are many professions in the world of egomaniacs business, government and others. While you can get most of the securities and other media coverage, are not great leaders of our time (or anytime). The leaders of the largest and most successful are altruistic. They approach problems for the best solutions. They do not care who gets the credit. In most cases, direct credit and attention away from themselves and others. This process serves to form the teams and organizations more effective and more efficient, in turn.

Young leaders and not-so-young need mentors. A mentor is not just someone who can pull leaders together across their laps. And 'someone who listens, advises, stresses the "mines" along the way and can speak no evil with good. Every great leader has had a mentor. Many have different mentors throughout their professional life. The mentor is a leader at the beginning of their career may not be the mentor who in mid-career or higher success as a manager or professional. The key is to find someone who respects you and who is willing to take the time to build a mentor relationship.

Everyone makes mistakes and has delusions. The successful leaders in business, government and the professions to accept their shortcomings, learn from your mistakes and move on. Those who dwell on the mistakes or are so wise as to have rarely missteps are unlikely to become great leaders.

The theme of personal balance has been exaggerated by the media and in professional literature. Most successful people are, at face value, hyper focused on their career goals or their profession. But once it is peeled back, most of them are people with varied interests. They take time to train and participate in sports. And their families and friends are very important to them, even if the time you must spend with them is limited. Those who can "have it all" are rare, but the most successful leaders find ways to reconcile professional life with their personal interests, their health and fitness over the role of family and friends.

The model of the successful leader is a dilemma today. Do not look to political leaders? Do not try to CEO? The industrial titans of the past? The greatest leaders in military history? Reading biographies of great personalities past and present, future and current leaders can express their opinion on how they can become better leaders and more successful. Readers of time and see once again the role played by hard work, responsibility, humility, mentors, error resilience and balance .......