Leadership: We Did It Ourselves
“A poor leader: the people fear. A good leader: the people love. A great leader: the people say, ‘we did it ourselves.’”
We ask each other a question every Friday at dojo4. It helps us understand ourselves each other better. Recently the question was: what makes an exemplary leader?
This question starts to get at the heart of what leadership is. What does it mean to be a leader? How do we lead well in our own lives, not just for others but for ourselves. I thought the answers harvested for our motley crew worth sharing:
An exemplary leader...
has impeccable ethics.
projects calm at the center of the storm.
is someone who is not motivated by the desire to be liked, nor the fear of being disliked.
understands that there is one mountain, but many passes.
has integrity and the ability to hold a path in the face of adversity.
can communicate effectively the reasons why a decision was made.
will do the dirtiest work.