To Get a Promotion - Be A Leader
Posted on August 08, 2013 by Curtis Songer, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.
If you want a promotion, you must be a leader. There are 20 principles & qualities that can make anyone a great leader - if they learn & apply them.
No one would deny that we have a leadership crisis in America today. It exists in most all spheres of our society: government, business, the family, and even the church. Everything rises and falls on leadership. More than anything else, the leadership of any group or organization (including families) will determine its success or failure.
Everyone is a leader. Leadership is not just for a select few. Years ago, J. Oswald Sanders gave one of the best definitions of leadership ever written. He simply stated, “Leadership is influence.” And sociologists say that even introverted people will influence an average of 10,000 people in their lifetime! It doesn’t matter if you are a CEO or a stay-at-home mom, whether you are the parent of a family, the pastor of a church, and elected government official, an older brother or sister, the president of a company, or a potential leader for the next generation. So it is important to learn to become a better leader.
The problem is that, if you are like most people, you may not wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and say, “Now, there’s an effective leader if ever I saw one!” Today, most people don’t believe they can make a positive impact on the world they live in. The truth is that few people are naturals when it comes to leading themselves or others. But everyone has leadership potential. You can become a better leader, regardless of your age, gender, marital status, or profession.
The good news is that even though times change, technology marches forward, and cultures vary from place to place, leadership principles are unchanging. The true principles of leadership are constant – whether you are looking at the citizens of ancient Greece, the armies of the last 200 years, the rulers of modern Europe, famous heads of impactful families, or the business leaders of today’s global economy. Leadership principles stand the test of time – they are irrefutable.
In addition to this reality of constancy, when studying leadership it is important to keep the following facts in mind:
1. While not everyone is a born leader, anyone can become a great leader.
2. Leadership principles can be learned. Some are easier to understand and apply than others, but every one of them can be learned.
3. Leadership principles can stand alone. Each principle compliments all the others, but you don’t need one in order to learn another.
4. Leadership principles carry consequences with them. Apply the principles and people will follow you. Violate or ignore them, and you will not be able to lead others.
5. Leadership principles are only the foundation of leadership. Once you learn the principles, you have to practice and apply them to your life in order to master leadership.
Reiterating from earlier: Sociologists say that even introverted people will influence an average of 10,000 people in their lifetime – think about it. Someone who is not even trying to lead others will impact many – whether for good or bad. Just think about what one person can do if he or she is intentional about leading. What kind of impact potential exists inside of you?
So where do most people go to learn leadership? The answer to that question today is that they search in many places. Some examine the world of politics. Other seek models in the entertainment industry. Still others turn to the world of business. Most people seem to look to successful CEOs, management consultants, and theoreticians with Ph.D.s to learn about leadership. But the truth is, the best source of leadership teaching today is the same as it has been for thousands of years. There are 10 core principles (processes) of leadership and 10 core qualities of great leaders. Learn and practice these and you will be a great leader.
I have been a student of leadership principles most of my adult life, I have combined what I consider to be the 20 best works from the 10 best authors on the subject of leadership. In doing so I have also discovered how these basic leadership principles and qualities can be applied to over 80 leadership issues. These have been formulated into case studies, profiles, and lessons that can be immediately applied to your life.
