Leadership

I just finished reading the book “Beyond Band of Brothers - The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters”, and wanted to share Dick’s list of ten leadership principles.  I’m a big fan of military stories, and have read the book and have seen the mini-series “Band of Brothers” multiple times.  There are examples of each of these principals throughout the story, but this is the first time I’ve seen them listed in one place.   Everyone can benefit from becoming a better leader, both in your professional and personal lives.

1. Strive to be a leader of character, competence, and courage.
2. Lead from the front.  Say, “Follow Me!” and then lead the way.
3. Stay in top physical shape- physical stamina is the root of mental toughness.
4. Develop your team.  If you know your people, are fair in setting realistic goals and expectations, and lead by example, you will develop teamwork.
5. Delegate responsibility to your subordinates and let them do their jobs.  You can’t do a good job if you don’t have a chance to use your imagination or your creativity.
6. Anticipate problems and prepare to overcome obstacles.  Don’t wait until you get to the top of the ridge and then make up your mind.
7. Remain humble.  Don’t worry about who receives the credit.  Never let power or authority go to your head.
8. take a moment of self-reflection.  Look at yourself in the mirror every night and ask yourself if you did your best.
9. True satisfaction comes from getting the job done.  The key to a successful leader is to earn respect-not because of rank or position, but because you are a leader of character.
10. Hang Tough!-Never, ever, give up.

This entry was posted on 4. June 2008 at 18:10 and is filed under Personal, Technical Focus, Business Focus. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.