Leadership is not a position of authority but a practice of influence and service. It involves cultivating core attributes that inspire trust, foster collaboration, and drive collective achievement. It is achieved through consistent self-mastery, clear communication, and the deliberate empowerment of others.
Unwavering courage
Building confidence through self-knowledge and mastery of your field.
✔ Develop deep expertise in your craft to build a foundation for confidence
✔ Practice making small, courageous decisions daily to strengthen your resolve
✔ Acknowledge fears while focusing on the mission and the team's needs
✔ Stand by your convictions when challenged, but remain open to new evidence
✔ Remember that courage is not the absence of fear, but action despite it
Self-control
Mastering your own emotions and impulses to set a powerful example.
✔ Pause and breathe before responding in moments of high stress or conflict
✔ Establish personal routines that promote discipline in health, work, and learning
✔ Practice accountability by openly admitting your own mistakes and oversights
✔ Channel strong emotions into productive action rather than reactive expression
✔ Model the calm, focused demeanor you wish to see in your team
A keen sense of justice
Cultivating fairness and integrity in all decisions and interactions.
✔ Apply rules and rewards consistently, regardless of personal relationships
✔ Listen carefully to all sides of a dispute before making a judgment
✔ Protect and advocate for team members who may not have a strong voice
✔ Be transparent about the "why" behind difficult or unpopular decisions
✔ Hold yourself to a higher standard than you hold others
Definiteness of decision
Developing the clarity and resolve to make timely, informed choices.
✔ Gather necessary information efficiently, but set a deadline for decision-making
✔ Clearly communicate decisions once made, along with the rationale
✔ Avoid revisiting settled decisions unless new, critical information emerges
✔ Accept that some decisions will be made with incomplete data—this is leadership
✔ Stand firmly behind your team's execution of a decision, once it is made
Definiteness of plans
Translating vision into actionable, structured roadmaps for success.
✔ Break large goals into clear, sequential steps with assigned ownership
✔ Communicate the plan simply and repeatedly, ensuring everyone understands their role
✔ Review progress against the plan regularly and adjust based on real-world feedback
✔ Ensure every team member knows how their daily work connects to the larger objective
✔ Use the plan as a guide, not a rigid script—be willing to adapt as conditions change
The habit of doing more than paid for
Leading through service and a demonstrated commitment to excellence.
✔ Arrive first and leave last when the situation demands extra effort
✔ Volunteer for the difficult, unseen tasks that benefit the whole team
✔ Measure your contribution by value created, not hours logged or tasks completed
✔ Inspire others through your visible dedication, not through demands
✔ View extra effort as an investment in your own growth and the team's success
A pleasing personality
Cultivating a demeanor that earns respect and builds positive rapport.
✔ Present yourself with cleanliness, order, and professional appropriateness
✔ Develop the art of attentive listening—be fully present in conversations
✔ Offer genuine appreciation and recognition freely and specifically
✔ Maintain a positive, solution-oriented attitude, especially under pressure
✔ Remember that respect is earned through consistent character, not demanded by title
Sympathy and understanding
Connecting with others through empathy and a genuine interest in their well-being.
✔ Regularly ask about your team members' challenges, both professional and personal
✔ Listen to understand, not just to respond or solve
✔ Acknowledge the difficulty of tasks and the effort required to complete them
✔ Adapt your leadership style to meet the unique needs of different individuals
✔ Create an environment where people feel safe to express concerns and ideas
Mastery of detail
Maintaining a command of the critical specifics that drive execution.
✔ Know the key metrics and processes of your operation inside and out
✔ Spot-check details personally without micromanaging your team
✔ Ask insightful questions that reveal deeper understanding or potential issues
✔ Balance big-picture vision with attention to the details that ensure quality
✔ Delegate details appropriately, but retain ownership of overall outcomes
Willingness to assume full responsibility
Embracing ultimate accountability for team outcomes and failures.
✔ Publicly take responsibility for failures, even if they resulted from a subordinate's error
✔ Privately address underperformance with coaching, not public blame
✔ Shield your team from external blame while addressing issues internally
✔ Give credit for success to the team; absorb criticism for failures personally
✔ View every team mistake as a reflection of your leadership, and a chance to improve it
Cooperation
Fostering collaborative effort and harnessing the power of unified action.
✔ Actively break down silos and encourage cross-functional teamwork
✔ Reward collaborative behavior as much as individual achievement
✔ Facilitate discussions that ensure all voices are heard and integrated
✔ Model cooperation by being a reliable partner to other leaders and departments
✔ Remind the team regularly that their collective power far exceeds their individual sums
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