Leadership

What is leadership?

This is what I thought about most this week.  Knowing what makes a great leader and how to become one will be essential to me in my entrepreneurial endeavors.  As the saying goes, a leader without anyone following them is simply a guy going for a walk.

I want to be someone that people are willing to follow.  I was reminded by the readings this week about leadership with the small "L".  I was also reminded of the level five leader.  In many ways the level five leader is a leader with a small "L".

Being humble and self-effacing, but still driven toward your goal of greatness is a quality that I want to build within myself.

How do I go about doing this?

I need to lead by example.  If I am unwilling to do the thing that I am asking of others, few will listen to what I have to say, let alone follow me.  The example that I set will set a tone for my entire business.  The sense of urgency that I return phone calls to clients.  The way that I listen to others and try to understand them before I make a decision about what needs to be done.  All of these things will help to build the example of what I am looking for in others, but I must first establish them within myself.

I think I will focus on this first trait before worrying about the others.  If I am not able to lead by example, the rest really won't matter much, because I will be a guy going for a walk.