SELF-DISCIPLINE AND LEADERSHIP
"NOTHING IS MORE HARMFUL TO THE SERVICE
THEN THE NEGLECT OF DISCIPLINE, FOR IT IS DISCIPLINE MORE THAN
NUMBERS THAT GIVES ONE ARMY SUPERIORITY OVER ANOTHER".
-----GEORGE WASHINGTON
LEADERSHIP AND SELF-DISCIPLINE GO HAND IN HAND. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO IMAGINE AN EFFECTIVE LEADER WHO LACKS SELF-DISCIPLINE, WILLPOWER, SELF-CONTROL, AND SELF-MASTERY, THE OVERARCHING CHARATERISTIC OF A LEADER IS THAT HE IS IN COMPLETE CONTROL OF HIMSELF AND OF EVERY SITUATION.
THERE HAS SELDOM BEEN A TIME IN HISTORY WHEN LEADERS WERE SO NEEDED AND SO MUCH IN DEMAND AS TODAY. WE NEED LEADERS AT EVERY OF SOCIETY, BOTH IN THE PROFIT AND NONPROFIT SECTORS. WE NEED LEADERS IN OUR FAMILIES, BUSINESS, PLACES OF WORSHIP, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, AND, ESPECIALLY, POLITICS. WE NEED MEN AND WOMEN WHO TAKE THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES SERIOUSLY AND ARE WILLING TO STEP FORWARD TO TAKE COMMAND OF THE SITUATION.
FORTUNATELY, LEADERSHIP IS LEARNABLE. LEADERS NOT DEVELOPED - USUALLY SELF-DEVELOPED - OVER TIME THROUGH HARD WORK, EXPERIENCE, AND TRAINING. AS PETER DRUCKER ARE SO FEW OF THEM, THAT THEY MAKE NO DIFFERENCE IN THE GREAT SCHEME OF THINGS".
FOUR STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
IN YOUR CAREER IN BUSINESS, YOU PROGRESS THROUGH FOUR LEVELS OF ACTIVITY AND ATTAINMENT. FIRST, YOU START OFF AS AN EMPLOYEE, WITH LIMITED KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE. THEN, AS YOU GROW, LEARN, AND DEVELOP THE ABILITY TO GET RESULTS, YOU EVOLVE UPWARD AND BECOME A SUPERVISOR, WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PERFORMANCE AND RESULTS OF OTHER PEOPLE.
AS YOU CONTINUE TO MOVE UP THE SCALE OF SUPERVISION, IMPROVING YOUR ABILITY TO GET THINGS DONE THROUGH OTHERS FROM DIRECTLY OVERSEEING THE WORK OF EMPLOYEES, YOU BECOME A MANAGER, SOMEONE WHO ASSIGNS WORK TO PEOPLE WITH DEMONSTRATED COMPETENCE IN CERTAIN AREAS. MANAGERS HAVE A LARGER VIEW, AND THIS COMESWITH GREATER RESPONSIBILITIES.
AS YOU MOVE UP THE SCALE OF MANAGEMENT, BECOMING MORE KNOWLEDGE AND EFFECTIVE AND GETTING MORE AND BETTER RESULTS FROM MORE AND DIFFERENT PEOPLE, YOU REACH THE HIGHEST LEVEL, THAT OF A LEADER. AT THIS STAGE, YOU ARE RESPOSIBLE FOR DETERMINING WHAT IS TO BE DONE RATHER THAN HOW IT IS TO BE DONE.
IT IS SAID THAT "SOME LEADERS ARE MADE, SOME ARE BORN, AND SOME PEOPLE HAVE LEADERSHIP THRUST UPON THEM".
LEADERS EMERGE OR ARE PROMOTEDTO DEAL WITH A SITUATION REQUIRING LEADERSHIP ABILITY. IN ITS SIMPLEST TERMS, THE ROLE OF THE LEADER IS TO "TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR RESULTS".
THE PRIMARY REASO THAT PEOPLE ARE PROMOTED INTO INCREASINGLY HIGHER LEVELS OF LEADERSHIP IS THAT THEY DEMONSTATE THE ABILITY TO GET THE REQUIRED RESULTS AT EACH LEVELS.
THE ONGOING QUESTION OF THE LEADER IS ALWAYS. WHAT RESULTS ARE EXPECTED OF ME? CLARITY IS ESSENTIAL.
THE MAIN REASON THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE NOT PROMOTED INTO GREATER LEADERSHIP POSITION - OR PERHAPS THEY ARE EVEN FIRED - IS BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO EXECUTIVE". THEY DO NOT DO THE MOST IMPORTANT JOBS EXPECTED OF THEM, DO THEY GET THE RESULTS DEMANDED OF THEM.
LEADERS HAVE VISION
THE FIRST QUALITY OF LEADERSHIP, BASED ON 3,300 STUDIES OF LEADERS DONE BY JAMES MACPHERSON, IS THE QUALITYOF VISION. LEADERS HAVE VISION. THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO PROJECT FORWARD INTO THE FURNITURE AND DEVELOP A CLEAR PICTURE OF WHERE THEY WANT THEIR ORGANIZATIONS TO GO. THEY THEN HAVE THE ABILITY TO SHARE THIS VISION WITH OTHERS AND GAIN OTHER'S COMMITMENT TO MAKE THIS VISION A REALITY.
YOU BECOME A LEADER WHEN YOU ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR RESULTS. YOU BECOME A LEADER WHEN YOU BEGIN TO THINK, ACT, AND TALK LIKE A LEADER. YOU BECOM A LEADER WHEN YOU DEVELOP A VISION FOR YOURSELF AND FOR YOUR COMPANY, YOUR LIFE, OR YOUR AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY.
THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF BOOKS WRITTEN ABOUT LEADERSHIP AND THE IMPORTANCE OF VISION. YET THEY CAN BE BOILED DOWN TO A SINGLE PRINCIPLE. A MILITARY LEADER HAS A VISION OF VICTORY, FROM WHICH HE NEVER DEVIATES. A BUSINESS LEADER HAS A VISION OF SUCCESS FOR THE BUSINESS BASED ON EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE, TO WHICH HE OR SHE IS COMPLETELY COMMITTED.
