[December 16, 2013] All leaders must learn to deal with criticism. One way of distinguishing the more senior leader from others is by the level of criticism that targets them and the effort they take to overcome the criticism. “It is difficult to name any leader who was spared criticism.” – Donald Rumsfeld It can be said that… Read More »
[December 14, 2013] Any attempt to profile the leadership characteristics of a leader from a different culture is fraught with uncertainty. For the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, a relatively young and new leader to the country, this is certainly true. He is an enigmatic figure. Leaders need to understand how senior leaders from different cultures function… Read More »
[December 11, 2013] Senior executive leaders have perpetual optimism. This may appear to be self-evident at first. It may even seem obvious to the accomplished leader. However, a strong and resolute optimism is one of the keys to creating a winning team and successful organization. I was told many times as a boy playing sports (usually little league… Read More »
[December 04, 2013] If there is but one characteristic of senior executive leaders that stands above all others, it is the possession of unquestionable integrity. Without it, all the other key leader traits will amount to nothing at all. “The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it… Read More »
[December 03, 2013] Senior executive leaders, by the nature of their position, must possess a grounded, pragmatic, and experienced understanding of human psychology. By that, I don’t mean they have academic training in psychological theories or a college degree in psychology or sociology. The most successful senior leader knows people; what makes them “tick.” Being a leader at… Read More »
[November 26, 2013] I vividly remember reading the Miss Manners column in our local Texas newspaper back in the early 1980s. What drew my attention to them was her ability to give such common sense advice about how to have good manners under difficult social circumstances. She was good at telling us how to handle “old Uncle Billy”… Read More »
[November 23, 2013] To paraphrase Charles Darwin, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” Although written for a theory to explain how species survive, the idea has applicability to success in human organizations. Adaptability is at the core… Read More »
[November 15, 2013] Commitment is the one senior leader attribute that makes all others possible. Leaders understand that success is not a single event. Success is a continuous experience. That is why senior leaders are zealous about commitment, for the reason that it provides them the intense, inner motivation to sustain success over the long haul. Commitment simply… Read More »
[November 14, 2013] Successful senior executive leaders are highly motivated and have the inner drive to be the best at what they do. For leaders, ambition1 is a major source of motivation, passion, and inspiration – there is no adequate substitute. The desire to grow as a leader, to improve, to increase knowledge and qualifications, and to have… Read More »
[November 13, 2013] A major theme in the philosophy of leadership is the concept that passion is an essential trait of leaders. For senior executive leaders, passion is fundamental to their ability to guide their organization and is a characteristic without peer. Passion is ultimately about winning and success – it is in our human nature to be… Read More »