The Qualities of Skillful Leadership
If you want to be a leader who attracts quality people, the key is to become a person of quality yourself. Leadership is the ability to attract someone to the gifts, skills, and opportunities you offer as an owner, as a manager, as a parent. I call leadership the great challenge of life.
What's important in leadership is refining your skills. All great leaders keep working on themselves until they become effective. Here are some specifics:
1) Learn to be strong but not rude.
It is an extra step you must take to become a powerful, capable leader with a wide range of reach. Some people mistake rudeness for strength. It's not even a good substitute.
2) Learn to be kind but not weak.
We must not mistake kindness for weakness. Kindness isn't weak. Kindness is a certain type of strength. We must be kind enough to tell somebody the truth. We must be kind enough and considerate enough to lay it on the line. We must be kind enough to tell it like it is and not deal in delusion.
3) Learn to be bold but not a bully.
It takes boldness to win the day. To build your influence, you've got to walk in front of your group. You've got to be willing to take the first arrow, tackle the first problem, discover the first sign of trouble.
4) You've got to learn to be humble, but not timid.
You can't get to the high life by being timid. Some people mistake timidity for humility. Humility is almost a God-like word. A sense of awe. A sense of wonder. An awareness of the human soul and spirit. An understanding that there is something unique about the human drama versus the rest of life. Humility is a grasp of the distance between us and the stars, yet having the feeling that we're part of the stars. So humility is a virtue; but timidity is a disease. Timidity is an affliction. It can be cured, but it is a problem.
5) Be proud but not arrogant.
It takes pride to win the day. It takes pride to build your ambition. It takes pride in community. It takes pride in cause, in accomplishment. But the key to becoming a good leader is being proud without being arrogant. In fact I believe the worst kind of arrogance is arrogance from ignorance. It's when you don't know that you don't know. Now that kind of arrogance is intolerable. If someone is smart and arrogant, we can tolerate that. But if someone is ignorant and arrogant, that's just too much to take.
6) Develop humor without folly.
That's important for a leader. In leadership, we learn that it's okay to be witty, but not silly. It's okay to be fun, but not foolish.
Lastly, deal in realities. Deal in truth. Save yourself the agony. Just accept life like it is. Life is unique. Some people call it tragic, but I'd like to think it's unique. The whole drama of life is unique. It's fascinating. And I've found that the skills that work well for one leader may not work at all for another. But the fundamental skills of leadership can be adapted to work well for just about everyone: at work, in the community, and at home.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
Reproduced with permission from Jim Rohn's Weekly E-zine. Copyright 2005 Jim Rohn International. All rights reserved worldwide. To subscribe to Jim Rohn's Weekly E-zine, go to http://Jim-Rohn.InspiresYOU.com
Latest News
Times Online | Gary Berntsen Thinks CIA Needs 'Leadership Not Management' FOXNews - Also, the author of a new book — boy, is this timely — "Human Intelligence, Counterterrorism, and National Leadership: A Practical Guide," Gary Berntsen ... Video: Analyst Weighs in on Obama's CIA Pick Feinstein/Panetta: Senatorial Prerogative, "Intelligence ... What Makes Someone Qualified to Serve? |
CNET News | Ford touts its leadership in in-car connectivity CNET News, CA - During his keynote address at CES Thursday, Ford CEO Alan Mulally--along with several other Ford executives--emphasized that the car giant is interested in ... Ford Announces Plans for Continued In-Car Connectivity Leadership ... Ford Sync Upgrade Brings Turn-By-Turn Navigation, Coming To Every ... Ford to globalize its SYNC technologies and services - Update |
![]() SLAM! Sports | Nuggets welcome Chauncey Billups' leadership MLive.com, MI - But maybe most significant, he provides the kind of leadership that has catapulted the Nuggets to the top of the Northwest division standings. ... Not just another game for Billups Billups brings new attitude to Nuggets |
USA Today | Democratic leadership hurting Congress, people Mid Columbia Tri City Herald, WA - Burris, D.-Ill. In the process, he led the Democratic caucus into a kind of parody of responsible leadership. Reid is legitimately scornful of Illinois Gov. ... Congress needs proper leadership House Speaker Pelosi Gets Second Shot at Pushing Her Agenda House Democratic Leadership |
![]() TVNZ | Jason Giambi must add leadership to his job description with Athletics Boston Herald, United States - After years of questioning the intangible value of clubhouse leadership, generally defining it as nothing more than a productive player, Billy sees the ... Giambi, A's ready to give it another go |
Conference urges leadership News-Journal.com, TX - Yordanos Refu speaks to students Thursday during the Longview International Baccalaureate Schools Youth Leadership Conference at LeTourneau University in ... LeTourneau hosts youth leadership conference |
![]() KVUE | State Rep optimistic about change in House leadership Azle News, TX - However it came about, the change in leadership style is something Geren is looking forward to. Straus, he noted, possesses an impressive business resume ... Relative newcomer rises to House leadership Straus has earned the House's vote of confidence House roles may shift for South Plains legislators |
Missouri's senior starters figuring out leadership role Columbia Missourian, MO - One obvious problem for the Tigers was a lack of leadership. Once Illinois sprinted ahead of Missouri, there was no one to bring the team together or help ... |
World Financial Group Names Edward Mylett to Help Direct Field ... MSNBC - resident and WFG Executive Vice Chairman Edward Mylett has accepted the newly created position of Director of Field Leadership. ... |
A matter of leadership style? Muncie Star Press, IN - His confrontational leadership style, described as "shoot first and ask questions later," has been called into question, and has offended some long-time ... |
Resources
-
Sorry Currently Unavailable


