Our Nation's Most Serious Deficit

I was in Atlanta, Georgia yesterday talking to a group of local business leaders on the subject of Leadership. Since today is election day and I hope you did exercise your right to vote, I wanted to share a little about my seminar with you.

We have problems in this country but none more serious than the lack of leadership in all our institutions. We have a serious lack of leadership in our educational institutions, our religious institutions, our businesses, and without a doubt in our government.

Our country and is crying out for people who have a vision for the future. People who stand for something. Who our young people can look up to. We desperately need people will say, "This is what I believe in and here is my vision for the future. Here is where I want to lead you, this I why I want you to follow me, and here is my plan."

Anyway, getting back to may seminar in Atlanta on leadership. Here is some of what I told the audience. The goal of most people in leadership positions is to cause people to think more of the leader. The goal of a true leader is to cause people to think more of themselves. That's true whether you are leading a family, a business, or any group of people.

The goal of a true leader is to cause people to think more of themselves. People in business need to keep this in mind and so should a millions of parents.

If you are in a leadership role, ask yourself, "Do I cause those in my charge to think more of themselves?" A good question, isn't it? It's been found countless times that people will grow to fill the kind of shoes we expect them to fill.

Here are five attributes all true leaders all have in common:

* They have clearly defined goals

* Their goals are in tune with values that are important to them.

* They demand feedback, leaders always need to know how they relate to other people.

* They realize winning is a secondary victory and that trying is rewarding in itself, to fail is not a sin but not to try is.

* They don't crave to be liked, and they don't confuse refusal and rejection.

How people see themselves is critically important in determining their effectiveness as a human being, People can alter their view of themselves and accomplish much. This can be done regardless of what has happened in a person's life. It matters only where you are going, not where you have been.