As Iron Sharpens Iron, so One Person Sharpens Another.
This is a guest post by John Gronski, Greencastle Alumni @MGGronski
Character
Character is the root of leadership. A leader of character must establish a culture of trust. A leader grows trust by trusting others first, providing a vision, displaying integrity, leading by example, and sincerely caring about others. A leader must have values and principles. Leadership expert and author Gus Lee says there are three high values: Integrity- acting for what is right regardless of risk; Courage- Correcting wrongs regardless of danger; Character- The sustained display of integrity and courage over time. Emotional intelligence (EI) is an element of character. EI is about being self-aware, exhibiting self-control, being self-motivated, displaying empathy, and being able to relate to people and get the best out of one’s teammates.
Competence
There are many elements that make up competence but the three most imperative are providing a vision for the organization, problem-solving and decision making, and coaching and developing others. A leader must be able to articulate a simple, unique, ideal, image of the future. Leaders must explain the “why” behind the vision and tell their followers what they believe. When a leader provides a vision and purpose they instill confidence and provide inspiration that fuels energy within an organization that will lead to success. A leader must learn and apply problem-solving skills and decision making processes. A leader also must possess the courage to make a decision. One of the most essential responsibilities of a leader is to develop other leaders. A leader must take the time to coach those they lead and look for ways to develop leaders within the organization.
Resilience
Positive energy is essential when leading a large organization or a small team. Optimism and enthusiasm are two key traits of a resilient person. Like any other trait, they must be exercised in order to become a strong part of one’s make-up. Master psychologist and hall of fame pro football coach, Vince Lombardi, famously said, “The greatest success is not in never falling, but it is in rising every time you fall.” Anyone who has ever led anything will tell you that at some point in time the organization you lead will face adversity. For that matter, every living person faces adversity at some point in their life. It all comes down to how prepared one is to face these challenges and how one responds. A leader must prepare themselves and their followers to overcome challenges. A leader must be psychologically, physically, emotionally, and spiritually fit. Leading an organization of any size takes rigor and one has to lead by example.
[blockquote]
Leadership Philosophy
Character
- Trust
- Values
- Emotional Intelligence
Competence
- Vision
- Problem solving / Decision making
- Coaching / Developing others
Resiliency
- Positive energy
- Fitness
- Overcoming challenges[/blockquote]
