Summary – The Qualities of a Superior Leader
January 27, 2009 5 Comments
You know, being a strong leader is really just a simple matter of putting others first. It’s having the confidence in yourself and your own abilities to let others have the spotlight. It’s understanding that your own success depends entirely upon the success of those you lead. The self-efficacy of the strongest leaders comes not from titles or promotions, raises or recognition, but from seeing those with whom they’ve achieved some measure of influence become better for the experience. Regardless of rank or title or position, and independent of any designated authority, leaders influence those around them. Superior leaders are set apart by their strength of character and integrity.
Superior leadership, through the attributes of character I’ve laid out, requires tremendous personal discipline and uncommon selflessness and sacrifice. The pursuit of each attribute – character, discipline, humility, courage, and vision is an ongoing endeavor for most of us. It certainly is for me. They perhaps represent an idealistic goal, but I know with all certainty that they form the core qualities of superior character based leadership.
The Character of Leadership 
Hey, Bryant!
I recently stumbled across your blog and enjoyed reading your writings.
A few weeks ago, I started to reread one of John MacArthur’s books, “The Book on Leadership”, based on key qualities of all good leaders, such as the Apostle Paul.
I’ll check back often. May GOD bless you and your family at Christmastime and throughout the New Year!
Wow… and ditto to enjoying your writings..
Honestly, I have read a lot of general crap from people expousing their expertise on subjects they obviously have little or no knowledge and have been generally disappointed (and disturbingly amused) with the lack of debth of thinking, feeling, understanding and grasp of what is written…
Rarely… do i read something that is dead on and has substance and meaning and with universal meanings and truth…
THe last thing I read was “the art of worldly wisdom” and i’ve been reading it for 30 years now…
I especially enjoyed your 12 steps to success…
Thank you for your writings…
Thanks, Bob. I really appreciate your kind words and encouragement!
Bryant,
Thanks for this platform.
You said “It’s understanding that your own success depends entirely upon the success of those you lead.”
I’d like to clarify that within my perspective. If by “success” you mean PERSONAL success (and satisfaction), I agree with you.
If, on the other hand, you mean PROFESSIONAL success (get a job, keep a job, get raises and promotions), I can only disagree due to personal experiences within my ex-world of University education and the ranks of Professors. Sadly, professional success (in that world) is NOT determined by the success of those you lead, but those who hold or want lead over you.
A short and (bitter)sweet example: As a newbie Prof, my written student evaluations were of great importance to me. They provided the most honest feedback I could receive from the hopeful young adults I wanted to serve. Not yet having much experience, I took the stack of paper opinions to my Department Head and that they be looked over… tell me if these eval’s were about on target, if there were potential problems needing work… etc..
The Head did not look at them. What I heard instead was “Their opinions don’t matter.”
After that, and for years, I studied my evaluations alone.
No, I’ll give you one more example, because I KNOW someone is thinking this must be an aberration:
As a Graduate Student, I of course had a Thesis Committee. Sometimes I wanted and needed feedback or facts outside of this small world.
I had a particular problem, and went to another Professor who I felt would have the answer. I made an appointment, was on time, sat down in front of his desk, and asked my question.
He put his feet up on his desk, clasped his hands behind his head, and said:
“Why should I help you with that? You’d only become my competition!”
Maybe two stories will be enough.
(Sorry, typo correction, I do this all the time) “….I took the stack of paper opinions to my Department Head and ASKED that they be looked over…