Image result for great leaders
Great leaders – and by great, I mean leaders who great people willingly follow in small organizations and large ones, know that the bottom line is measured by how well our teams are inspired and motivated. 11 facts true leaders know that help guide themselves and their organizations:
  1. We’re only as good as the people we attract. Good leaders don’t need to be the smartest person in the room, and they know that everyone around them reflects on them. The stronger the team around us, the stronger we are. If we can’t attract high performers then we aren’t one.
  2. We make mistakes too. Great leaders understand and embrace their imperfections. When they make mistakes they own up to them in public, address the mistake and move on. The best leaders learn from their mistakes and don’t repeat them.
  3. The more power we give away the more power we have. The power “held” by someone is proportional to the power, authority and responsibility they give to other people. Power is exponentialized by sharing it with our colleagues, not by hoarding it to ourselves.
  4. Staying well and fit is part of the job. We can’t be too busy to stay well. Leading well takes energy – physical and mental stamina. If we’re not fit, neither are our organizations.
  5. We can’t “fix” people. People can’t be managed or “fixed.” If we try to fix people, we will fail….epically. Good leaders understand they need to instill good will, help their people identify their strengths and then play to them. They don’t fixate on what’s wrong; they concentrate on what’s known and seek to maximize.
  6. Over-communication is impossible. The telephone game is loudest in a vacuum of communication from leadership. Great leaders communicate with their teams early and often, and they reinforce their points repeatedly not worrying if they’re being redundant because they know they can’t be.
  7. We can change people’s lives and not know it. Sometime in our careers people who have worked in our organizations will email, call or meet us and tell us that we changed their lives. Great leaders probably won’t remember that moment, but we know and are humbled that we can have that impact.
  8. People with lives come to work. People – with their own backgrounds, experiences, families, interests and problems – come to work, and to expect them to not show up during working hours is unrealistic and unproductive. Great leaders understand that life is dynamic and that the best organizations accommodate their teams’ lives and shiftconstantly to make it work.
  9. Rules should be broken every once in a while. Rules and policies exist to give guidance. We know that we should bend those rules from time to honor reality effectively and respectfully.
  10. People will leave us – and that’s OK. Expecting that your team will stay with you through their careers is misguided and foolish. Great leaders know that their influence increases as their people go out into the world as champions of their organization and they do everything they can to foster great alumni relations.
  11. We can’t do everything well. No one is perfect. No one is a straight A student in a job either. Great leaders understand what they’re good at and where they shouldn't spend their time and they hire great people to do the things they don’t do well.

From www.rocksarehard.com