While reading the book Think and Grow Rich again, I fell over this section on leadership I wanted to share with you. It’s important because it’s timeless.
The following is Napoleon Hill’s “MAJOR ATTRIBUTES OF LEADERSHIP”
1. UNWAVERING COURAGE.
Know yourself, put yourself at “risk” and own up. You can’t expect anyone to follow your lead if you don’t have courage.
“No follower wishes to be dominated by a leader who lacks self-confidence and courage.”
2. SELF-CONTROL.
Learn proper self control.
“The man who cannot control himself, can never control others. Self-control sets a mighty example for oneโs followers, which the more intelligent will emulate.“
3. A KEEN SENSE OF JUSTICE.
Who wants to follow an unjust leader? No one. At least not voluntarily.
“Without a sense of fairness and justice, no leader can command and retain the respect of his followers.“
4. DEFINITENESS OF DECISION.
Be steadfast.
“The man who wavers in his decisions, shows that he is not sure of himself. He cannot lead others successfully.“
5. DEFINITENESS OF PLANS.
Always have a plan.
“The successful leader must plan his work, and work his plan. A leader who moves by guesswork, without practical, definite plans, is comparable to a ship without a rudder. Sooner or later he will land on the rocks.“
6. THE HABIT OF DOING MORE THAN PAID FOR.
Give more.
“One of the penalties of leadership is the necessity of willingness, upon the part of the leader, to do more than he requires of his followers.“
7. A PLEASING PERSONALITY.
Ala “How to Win Friends and Influence People”. People want to you to make them feel good.
“No slovenly, careless person can become a successful leader. Leadership calls for respect. Followers will not respect a leader who does not grade high on all of the factors of a Pleasing Personality.“
8. SYMPATHY AND UNDERSTANDING.
Understand your people. Know their problems.
“The successful leader must be in sympathy with his followers. Moreover, he must understand them and their problems.“
9. MASTERY OF DETAIL.
Steve Jobs knew this.
“Successful leadership calls for mastery of details of the leaderโs position.“
10. WILLINGNESS TO ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY.
Taking 100% responsibility for everything is a powerful concept.
“The successful leader must be willing to assume responsibility for the mistakes and the shortcomings of his followers. If he tries to shift this responsibility, he will not remain the leader. If one of his followers makes a mistake, and shows himself incompetent, the leader must consider that it is he who failed.“
11. COOPERATION.
“The successful leader must understand, and apply the principle of cooperative effort and be able to induce his followers to do the same. Leadership calls for POWER, and power calls for COOPERATION. There are two forms of Leadership. The first, and by far the most effective, is LEADERSHIP BY CONSENT of, and with the sympathy of the followers. The second is LEADERSHIP BY FORCE, without the consent and sympathy of the followers. History is filled with evidences that Leadership by Force cannot endure. The downfall and disappearance of โDictatorsโ and kings is significant. It means that people will not follow forced leadership indefinitely.“
Then Napoleon Hill talked about the “new era of relationships” between leaders and followers. Between employer and employee. How remarkably relevant it still is today.
“The relationship of employer and employee, or of leader and follower, in the future, will be one of mutual cooperation, based upon an equitable division of the profits of business. In the future, the relationship of employer and employee will be more like a partnership than it has been in the past.“
Napoleon Hill’s Lessons on Leadership Failure
Just as important: What not to do. Wisdom by subtraction.
1. INABILITY TO ORGANIZE DETAILS.
“Efficient leadership calls for ability to organize and to master details. No genuine leader is ever โtoo busyโ to do anything which may be required of him in his capacity as leader. When a man, whether he is a leader or follower, admits that he is โtoo busyโ to change his plans, or to give attention to any emergency, he admits his inefficiency. The successful leader must be the master of all details connected with his position. That means, of course, that he must acquire the habit of relegating details to capable lieutenants.“
2. UNWILLINGNESS TO RENDER HUMBLE SERVICE.
Be humble. Reminds me of Sam Waltons self biography.
“Truly great leaders are willing, when occasion demands, to perform any sort of labor which they would ask another to perform. โThe greatest among ye shall be the servant of allโ is a truth which all able leaders observe and respect.“
3. EXPECTATION OF PAY FOR WHAT THEY โKNOWโ INSTEAD OF WHAT THEY DO WITH THAT WHICH THEY KNOW.
Have a bias towards action.
“The world does not pay men for that which they โknow.โ It pays them for what they DO, or induce others to do.“
4. FEAR OF COMPETITION FROM FOLLOWERS.
Fear of competition is a great weakness.
“The leader who fears that one of his followers may take his position is practically sure to realize that fear sooner or later. The able leader trains understudies to whom he may delegate, at will, any of the details of his position. Only in this way may a leader multiply himself and prepare himself to be at many places, and give attention to many things at one time. It is an eternal truth that men receive more pay for their ABILITY TO GET OTHERS TO PERFORM, than they could possibly earn by their own efforts. An efficient leader may, through his knowledge of his job and the magnetism of his personality, greatly increase the efficiency of others, and induce them to render more service and better service than they could render without his aid.“
5. LACK OF IMAGINATION.
“Without imagination, the leader is incapable of meeting emergencies, and of creating plans by which to guide his followers efficiently.“
6. SELFISHNESS.
Praise and acknowledge people for their work. Don’t claim it for yourself.
“The leader who claims all the honor for the work of his followers, is sure to be met by resentment. The really great leader CLAIMS NONE OF THE HONORS. He is contented to see the honors, when there are any, go to his followers, because he knows that most men will work harder for commendation and recognition than they will for money alone.“
7. INTEMPERANCE.
“Followers do not respect an intemperate leader. Moreover, intemperance in any of its various forms, destroys the endurance and the vitality of all who indulge in it.“
8. DISLOYALTY.
“Perhaps this should have come at the head of the list. The leader who is not loyal to his trust, and to his associates, those above him, and those below him, cannot long maintain his leadership. Disloyalty marks one as being less than the dust of the earth, and brings down on oneโs head the contempt he deserves. Lack of loyalty is one of the major causes of failure in every walk of life.“
9. EMPHASIS OF THE โAUTHORITYโ OF LEADERSHIP.
Real leadership only has to authority granted by merit.
“The efficient leader leads by encouraging, and not by trying to instill fear in the hearts of his followers. The leader who tries to impress his followers with his โauthorityโ comes within the category of leadership through FORCE. If a leader is a REAL LEADER, he will have no need to advertise that fact except by his conduct-his sympathy, understanding, fairness, and a demonstration that he knows his job.“
10. EMPHASIS OF TITLE.
Don’t be formal about titles. Keep your doors open to everyone.
“The competent leader requires no โtitleโ to give him the respect of his followers. The man who makes too much over his title generally has little else to emphasize. The doors to the office of the real leader are open to all who wish to enter, and his working quarters are free from formality or ostentation.“
Napoleon Hill: make sure you’re free of these faults. All of these could lead to failure in leadership. “Study the list carefully if you aspire to leadership, and make sure that you are free of these faults.“
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