| Leadership is one of the most talked about and least | | | | exact opposite that is so often true. In the best |
| understood aspects of human behavior. There must | | | | businesses, families, schools, and groups, anyone in the |
| be hundreds of definitions of leadership, yet none of | | | | group can exhibit leadership. Leadership should be |
| them is useful for success in life because none of | | | | encouraged at every level of the organization (with a |
| them allows you to 'create' leadership from within your | | | | few rules of behavior to prevent conflict and |
| life.Why is that? Why isn't leadership one of those | | | | confusion).If you believe any or all of these myths, you'll |
| things you can go to school to learn, pick up through | | | | need to revise your beliefs or you'll never build true |
| experience, or work on yourself to develop?To | | | | leadership into your life.SO, WHAT IS TRUE |
| answer this important - life-changing - question, the first | | | | LEADERSHIP?Leadership is nothing more than a core |
| thing you need to understand are the false | | | | set of skills that can be learned. There are five of |
| assumptions - the myths - about leadership. Then you'll | | | | them:VisionDiscrimination (or discernment)Strategic |
| come to realize that leadership is one of those things | | | | ThinkingCommitment, and...Inspirational |
| you can go to school to learn......if there was school that | | | | Communication.You'll learn about them and how to |
| knew how to teach it.You can pick it up through | | | | develop them in yourself and others as you progress |
| experience......if you know what leadership is and, as | | | | through the Mastery Leadership program's Mastery |
| importantly, what it isn't.You can work on yourself to | | | | Keys for the Emerging Leader. At the same time, you |
| develop it......but you need to know what to work | | | | will be able to assess your own leadership capabilities |
| on.The first barrier to developing leadership is breaking | | | | and of those you associate with, and devise a |
| through the false assumptions we have come to | | | | leadership development program for enhancing your |
| accept without questioning. You may not believe all the | | | | skill level.THERE'S NO MYSTERY TO |
| assumptions listed below but it's a good bet you | | | | LEADERSHIPContrary to popular belief, there's nothing |
| believe some of them. Yet, they're all false.THE | | | | mysterious about leadership. Once you know its core |
| FALSE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT LEADERSHIP1. | | | | skills and specific systems, it becomes a |
| Leadership is innate - you're either born with it or you're | | | | straightforward personal development task, just like |
| not. Absolutely false!Leadership consists of a set of | | | | any other system in your life.Like many other |
| skills that can be identified and learned. It's true that | | | | seemingly mysterious things, once you know the |
| some people have a greater aptitude for leadership | | | | secrets of duplicable leadership, you'll want to say, |
| but all of us can be leaders and can build our | | | | "How simple! Why didn't I see it sooner?"Leadership is |
| leadership skills.2. Leadership is charisma and style; it's | | | | probably the single-most important aspect of your life |
| the way we do things, not what we do. False.We'd all | | | | and ability to produce the results you want.It's |
| like to be charismatic and stylish, and many leaders are | | | | leadership that figures out what you need to do to |
| just that. But leadership is substance, not style. | | | | enhance your life and give it the power, thrust and |
| Leadership has to do with what we do and the impact | | | | momentum it needs.And it's leadership that determines |
| we have on others. There have been great leaders | | | | how to do it.Then it's leadership that makes sure it gets |
| who were dull as dust and others who have been | | | | done.Without leadership, life is aimless, purposeless, |
| charismatic. In our own time Bill Gates, chairman of | | | | random, ineffective, and - no exaggeration......terminally |
| Microsoft, is dull, "nerdy," and as uncharismatic as one | | | | ill.With effective leadership, your life will thrive, you will |
| can get, yet look at what he's led others to do and the | | | | navigate through any storm, and surpass every goal |
| impact he's had on Today's world.3. There's no | | | | you ever set for yourself.Leadership is the |
| structure or system to leadership; it's situational. Again, | | | | cornerstone of the warrior's ability to create the life |
| absolutely false.Not only is leadership - true leadership - | | | | worth living and developing the skills necessary for |
| structured and systematic, it can be duplicated again | | | | protecting that life from anything that would threaten it. |
| and again. Students in the Mastery Leadership | | | | And so it is also the cornerstone of the Warrior |
| program learn how to do this during the course of their | | | | Concepts Life Mastery Program. Here at WCI, just like |
| study. Leadership has principles, skills that can be | | | | every other solid, educational institution, we create |
| learned, and specific ways to get results. All those | | | | leaders - not just in the martial arts, but at home, |
| things are the building blocks of the successful | | | | school or work, and in the community.We create the |
| accomplishment of goals, managing the aspects of our | | | | light that will cause others to engage in our vision with |
| lives, and creating a life worth living. And if you can | | | | us and that will brighten the Path for others to |
| systemize it, you can duplicate it.Believe it - leadership | | | | follow.Read more articles like this by subscribing to the |
| can be built into your life as a workable, predictable | | | | author's newsletter at: Jeffrey M. Miller is the founder |
| system.4. The top person - the "boss" - is the leader, | | | | and master instructor of Warrior Concepts |
| and it can't be any other way. False.In fact it's the | | | | International. |