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