By Jernavis Draughn
How well you LEAD determines how much you SUCCEED. Leadership is influence, which starts with YOU first! Leadership is not a position, it’s a choice. John Maxwell, is coined for saying, “Leadership is developed not discovered.” It’s an infinite game that never ends. It takes daily accountability and a commitment to becoming better daily. You cannot give what you do not have. As leader, your job is to develop other leaders. Most people today want to become an entrepreneur, instead of a LEADER. It’s been sensationalized that being an entrepreneur is the cool thing to do. Entrepreneurship is the process of creating a business or service. Leadership is the process of influencing people and providing an environment for them to achieve the organizational vision.
In the book, “The Leaders Launchpad by Howard Shore, he explains five key areas leaders much master and handle:
- Stewardship. Define the purpose of the organization and shape its culture.
- Human Capital Management. Recognizes employees are assets managed through a system of activities. We use resources, but we grow assets.
- Strategy. Learn why and how customers choose our services.
- Planning. Planning is about clarifying what is important.
- Accountability. Is holding yourself accountable to reaching our desired results.
I committed three years ago to learn everything I possibly can to grow as a leader. There’s no end game to leadership development. It’s something you grow at daily. The best leaders are growth oriented and lifelong learners. Managers follow trails, leaders create paths. As leaders we have to lay down the foundation for continuous growth within the organization. Shore, defines five characteristic traits of great leaders: Integrity, humility, expressing care, consistency, and influence. The leaders Launchpad is a great read for all leaders that want to grow in all areas of business.
Quote of Day: “People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision.”-John Maxwell