According to Tracy, who is also founder of the Phoenix Seminars, one key to unlocking your personal arsenal of leadership skills is having a mission. Whether it’s an increase in sales, development of new processes, or the creation of a new product that will revolutionize the world we live in, a mission is something a leader is inspired to bring to fruition. Another key is being action-oriented—not only seeing a need, but being willing to take the necessary steps to make it happen. Leaders don’t waste time waiting for things to happen. They are the drivers, rallying everyone to hop on board.
In Leadership, Tracy suggests that a leader must possess the ability to inspire and motivate. An often-overlooked leadership quality is the courage to stay the course after a failure—the insight to look at failure as a cobblestone on the path to success. The saying goes: “Failure is a lesson learned. Success is a lesson applied.” Finally, says Tracy, the value of integrity can’t be overstated or overvalued in a leader. He explains, “Integrity isn’t really a value itself; it is simply the value that guarantees all the other values.” Leaders know that integrity, trust, and credibility are the foundations of leadership. “There are no moral shortcuts in the game of business—or life.”
Tracy makes it clear: Any of these qualities can be developed. An indicator of a potential leader is a person who can see clearly their strengths and weaknesses. A leader won’t see weaknesses as an obstacle but as a challenge to overcome by learning and developing those skills that will become an asset in conquering the mission.
August 2017
