It’s amazing to see the multitude of bad leaders out there. You will find bad leaders at retail stores, within large non-profit organizations, and within the family unit.
We can’t seem to escape poor leadership. It’s always there.
This saddens me. My heart breaks every time I hear someone talk about the leadership they’re under and how these leaders are clueless.
Do you know what I’m talking about here?
And this amazes me. Leadership requires fortitude, but this doesn’t mean you have to be an aggressive leader to lead well.
There are secrets that every good leader knows.
The Secrets To Good Leadership
- Good leaders know to treat others the way they want to be treated: That’s the golden rule, right? Treat others how you want to be treated.
Why then, do so many bad leaders break this rule right off the bat?
You don’t want to have someone scream and holler at you. You don’t want someone to put down everything you do. You don’t want someone to treat you with disrespect.
Rather, approach those you lead in the same way you would have others treat you.
- Good leaders know people will fail: We’re humans. You, me, and the guy you lead. We’re all human and we make mistakes.
Good leaders know there will be failures within the organization. Things won’t go according to plan.They’re okay with that. These leaders know we can learn from our failures and move on.
- Good leaders know personal can seep into business: Lots of advice tells us that we need to separate the personal from busines. And I agree with that.
However, much like people fail, the personal will seep into business.An employee’s mother will pass away. A child will have an activity that interferes with the workday. An employee may come down with an illness.
All of these are personal things that interrupt the normal flow of business.
Be ready for these interruptions. Be willing to pick up the slack, if need be.
- Good leaders know they need to forgive: Bad things can happen. And these things can hurt us.
We have a choice here: To forgive or to hold a grudge.Good leaders know it’s better to forgive and move on. Holding onto a past hurt only hurts you. Most of the time the other party doesn’t even know that a foul was committed.
Pick it up and forgive.
- Good leaders know there’s always another opportunity: Sure, there are those once in a lifetime opportunities that come around. However, most of our opportunities are not once in a lifetime.
We’ll have ample chances to pick ourselves back up and recover.Don’t let a present setback hold you back for life. You have the ability to take another shot.
- Good leaders know people are important: There are so-called leaders out there who run rough-shod over others.
They’ll chew ’em up and spit ’em out. Leaving destruction in their wake.This is such a massive mistake.
People are the lifeblood of your organization. They’re the ones customers are interacting with.
If you don’t treat them well, don’t expect them to treat your customers well.
- Good leaders know there’s more to life than work: Society tells us to pour everything into our jobs. Even at the expense of our friends and family.
Ouch! That’s a crappy way to lead (and live).Rather, create a balance between work and life.
Make time to spend with family. Find time for yourself. Create a life that’s worth living.
I’m Sorry, I Lied
I have to admit something. I lied…
The title of this article was the 7 secrets good leaders know. That’s a lie.
These “secrets” aren’t really secrets. They’re common sense, but common sense has been lost in leadership.
There are leaders who don’t treat others the way they want to be treated or allow failure or realize people matter.
That’s why I called these actions secrets. These common sense principles need to become the norm in leadership again. Will you help me make it so?
Question: What other “secrets” do good leaders know? Spill the beans in the comment section below.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.