Great Leadership is the Key to Success in Business and Life

In the wake of completing my transition from part employee-part business owner to full-time consultant and small business owner I have been giving some thought to what makes a good leader.

Leadership is the key to success, both in the office and in the home.

What lessons have I learned that will help me as I move forward building my company and my future?

I didn’t have to look any further than my last and certainly best employer…ever. Messenger Associates, Inc., led by their unbeatable leadership team understand how to lead by example, get the most out of their team and deliver the best value for their clients.

So what did I learn?

Professionalism is paramount – Intelligence is a given, competence a matter of course, but tact, manners and consideration go a long way in developing relationships and building a reputation.

Receptivity is a must – An open door policy to the extreme. Every idea is valuable, every opinion is worthy, and discussion and dissention are to be encouraged. The best ideas do not always come from the top; they are thrown out, tossed around, picked apart and built as a team into something better, something more.

Positivity sets the tone – A positive attitude is not the same as burying your head in the sand. It simply means that you look for the best possible outcome while planning for potential obstacles. If you expect the best from people and encourage them to give it, you will most often find yourself surrounded by the best and brightest.

Relationships matter – A company is about more than the work that gets done every day. A company is about people. It’s caring about the lives of the people you work with. It’s affecting the lives and businesses of your clients and customers. It’s your relationship with the community that surrounds you.

Great leadership is about understanding that people, relationships and business go hand in hand. If you place your focus only on one, you will inevitably damage the other two. But if you can find that combination of all three that is most powerful, you will have discovered the secret.

“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” - Aristotle

If you can learn to adopt this philosophy, then you will have stepped into a place of greater understanding and greater effectiveness.

 Great leadership cannot be taught; it must be observed.