Monday, February 1, 2010

Some characteristics I've seen in Leaders

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One of the interesting things about writing a memoir is you reflect on the "story behind the story" of your life.

During the past several years, I've tried to identify some of the characteristics I came across in people that I have met. Characteristics that relate to success.

Many of them were "famous" leaders (including a Pope, CEOs of international business empires, Ambassadors, Justice of the US Supreme Court, Cardinals, Prime Ministers, Toreros, Indy-car and Formula 1 drivers, Athletes, and Politicians). Others were not so famous - but they were leaders nonetheless (including Terrorists, Peasants, Physicians, Nurses, Missionaries, Teachers, Parents, Students, Priests, Nuns, Ministers, and Rabbis).

My list is not all inclusive. take a look and think of the ones I've missed. I don't suppose that any one of the people I've met had ALL of the following attributes; here they are in no particular order -

  1. Be yourself. Don’t try to impress. Be open. Honest.
  2. Identify your passion.  Know what you love and care about. Act on it.
  3. Communicate. You can’t love someone without knowing them; you can’t know someone without loving them.
  4. Thoughtful. Your ability to think distinguishes you from other animals. Use it!
  5. Believe in yourself. Help others achieve and succeed.
  6. Be Assertive, not arrogant. Maintain enough self-doubt to be objective.
  7. Humility. You do not have all the answers. God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason
  8. Courage. Act on beliefs, intuition, passion. Take the risk
  9. Sense of Humor. Not the same as telling a joke. Willingness to laugh at yourself. Don't take yourself too seriously
  10. Integrity. Take the Golden Rule seriously.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

2) Identify your passion....Some people spend their lives searching for their passion. It's not very easy to do. It's alot easier to identify what isn't than what is.