Successful Business Leadership

By Tom Hinton

Leadership, like golf, is an enigma. It is one of those subjects you can talk about all day long but, it remains elusive and open to many interpretations. Leadership isn’t defined by one’s title, rank, or office. These things are merely the symbols and trappings of leaders.

Leadership is about one’s ability to advance people and organizations through ideas. Every great leader from Julius Caesar to Winston Churchill had the ability to inspire and motivate people based on an idea. Leadership is an evolving discipline and art form that requires a person to learn and listen as much as it requires someone to teach and talk.

I define leadership as the ability to help individuals and organizations to surpass themselves. The key word in my definition is surpass because leadership is ultimately about transforming people – emotionally and mentally – from what they are to what they can become. For it is only through the act of leading people that ides are born and nurtured to fruition; that products and services reach the marketplace; that companies become successful; and the world becomes a better place. Leadership is also about results – finding ways to continuously improve and raise the bar in an effort to achieve a winning performance.

Similarly, golf is a game that demands from us a commitment to continuously practice, play, and improve our skills if we expect to improve our results – that is our score. Ben Hogan, one of America’s greatest golfers and teachers of the game, said “Every day you miss playing or practicing is one day longer it takes to be good.”

Likewise, when we fail to practice our leadership skills, our ability to inspire and grow people and organizations weakens, and eventually, wilts. Golf, like leadership, also reflects the cycle of life. Golf pro Peter Jacobsen observed this fact. He said, “No matter how good a game you shoot, the next day you have to go back out there to the first tee and begin all over again and make yourself into something.” This is why leadership, like golf, is the ultimate test of a person’s ability to adapt, change, and manage outcomes under very difficult situations.

Leaders, like golfers, come in all sizes, shapes, styles, colors, genders, and creeds. There is no single mold for greatness. Those who want to excel and achieve greatness in their lifetime have the power to do so. While each person has his or her own personal formula for success, the following leadership lessons are the lessons applied by great men and women around the world who have rightfully earned the title of “enlightened leaders”. The 18 attributes of leaders I’ve learned over the years are:

Courage – the leader develops the ability to overcome self-doubts and fears, and take risks even in the face of difficult odds. Without courage, a person is paralyzed and unable to act.

Clarity of Purpose – The leader has a clear reason for being and doing what he/she does. Although most leaders are dreamers first and visionaries second, all leaders have translated their dreams into goals.

Written Goals – The difference between goals and dreams is that goals are set in writing. The leader imagines a desired end-result and establishes a goal that inspires people to reach beyond their self-imposed limits. The leader reviews his goals daily and commits them to memory.

Focus and Determination – The leader has the power of concentration and stays focused. He/she does not become distracted nor lose sight of objectives. A lack of focus is the primary reason most people never reach their potential. The leader is also determined. Success can be attributed to a leader’s conviction that his plans are achievable despite the naysayers and pessimists. The leader perseveres down the fairways of life, always focused on hitting the ball into the cup.

Love of People – The leader accomplishes his/her purpose and goals through, and with, people. The leader develops a genuine love for people and, in doing so, earns their respect and trust.

Integrity – A the core of a leader’s value system is integrity. People will follow a leader they trust. The best way for a leader to earn someone’s trust is to honor their words and promises – that is living what you say and doing what you ask of others.

Respect for all Living Things – The leader understands and appreciates that all living things on this planet are inter-related and connected by a higher power. A person cannot fully respect themselves if he/she does not value all living things and their role in our extended universe.

The Ability to Communicate – A leader develops the ability to think clearly and express themselves eloquently in order to espouse ideas that inspire other people to embrace a vision and goals. This is the heart of communication.

A Listening Heart – The leader, like King Solomon, has the gift of a listening heart. He/she seeks first to understand, then to be understood. It is important for the leader to suppress their own feelings and emotions in order to hear in his/her heart what others are trying to say. The leader does not judge solely by what he/she hears; rather reflects on the message instead of the emotions wrapped around the person’s words.

A Sense of Humor – The leader is able to smile, laugh, and enjoy the way to the top. Without a sense of humor, it is a very steep climb and a bruising fall to the bottom.

Self-confidence – The leader believes in him/her self and, by example, inspires confidence, support, and trust from others. The leader separates confidence from arrogance by knowing his/her limits and accepting imperfections (in self and others). The leader understands that while there are no secrets to success, there are systems to success. The leader inspires followers to pursue the path along which they will discover their own system to success.

Fairness – The leader understands that fairness has more to do with making people feel special than it does with enforcing policies, rules and procedures. Fairness means everybody has a chance to succeed. The leader never denies someone the opportunity to succeed because of his/her own inadequacies, biases, prejudices, or limitations. The leader doesn’t hide behind his/her weaknesses. He/she uses them as a way to assess their performance, overcome their imperfections, and act fairly in the treatment of others.

Innovation – The leader has imagination. The leader sees the possibilities for the future and encourages people to think outside the box and dream big. The leader knows that good ideas can only reach fruition if he/she fosters an environment that champions innovation, encourages uninhibited thinking, and promotes unlimited possibilities for the future. Teamwork is the leader’s tool for harvesting innovation.

Decisiveness – The leader acts by making decisions carefully, and in a timely manner, so that opportunities are not wasted. The leader also is slow to reverse his/her decisions once they are made because he/she has conviction and determination.

Negotiating Skills – The leader understands that givers gain. But the leader also understands that everybody wants something. This is the heart of every negotiation. The leader tries to give others what they want without giving away what he/she needs or cannot afford to do without on the journey to achieving the mission.

Salesmanship – The leader is always selling something – an idea, a theme, a product, a service, or a goal. But, most importantly, the leader is selling him/her self. The genuine leader sells themselves by articulating their purpose and achieving their goals without compromising their integrity in the process.

Physical and Emotional Stamina – The leader is physically and mentally ready to do battle. This is why the leader eats right, sleeps well, exercises regularly, and does not abuse themselves through stress, worry, drugs, or other vices and excuses.

Anticipation – The leader anticipates the future. He/she can smell opportunity in the air. The leader, like a chess player, anticipates best-case and worse-case scenarios and then prepares for these possibilities. The leader is always ready to act and take advantage of a favorable situation. Although he/she can be spontaneous, the leader doesn’t shoot from the hip. He/she is calculating and methodical in their approach to seizing the opportunity.

Tom Hinton is a business author, professional speaker, and CEO of the Customer Relations Institute (an international training and consulting firm). Tom has addressed over 500 corporations, associations, and government agencies in the United States, Canada, Germany, Japan, England, Scotland, and Mexico. You can contact him at Tom@TomHinton.com.