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