Category: Inspiration

Only a leader of character can make the tough decisions that can turn a vision into reality. To live, a leader must die - to selfishness, pride, anger, sin, fear, self-indulgence, and everything else that is corrosive and destructive to good character. This is one of the great paradoxes of power, one of the great truths of leadership: The leader who sacrifices the self preserves the soul. Only the leader who dies, lives. Paradox of Power by Pat Williams

Every experience is a learning experience. Every time we try something - win or lose - we learn, we grow, we attain more confidence and competence for the next time. Paradox of Power by Pat Williams

Patton's Outline for Bold Leadership Qualities of a Great General Tactically aggressive (loves a fight) Strength of character Steadiness of purpose Acceptance of responsibility Energy Good health Paradox of Power by Pat Williams

Great leaders do not operate out of fear or timidity. In a crisis, leaders must be people of strong character, choosing to do what is morally and ethically right, regardless of the personal price to be paid. Paradox of Power by Pat Williams

The four ingredients to being a great leader (according to Margaret Thatcher): First, know what matters to you. Have a set of principles and follow them. Your principles serve as the foundation of your leadership. Second, speak up! Be bold and fearless about asserting your principles. Third, anticipate problems. Use information, instinct, and intuition to foresee problems and crises before anyone else does. Fourth, make bold decisions. Base your decisions on your principles and on the information and insight that you have. Meet problems and opportunities head-on, then take bold action. Those are the four ingredients of a great leader. Paradox of Power by Pat Williams

Great leaders are big enough and strong enough to accept full responsibility for their own decisions - and the actions of subordinates. And the result? Almost always, the leader experiences a surge of respect. After Kennedy's unconditional acceptance of responsibility for the Bay of Pigs failure, the Gallup poll registered a 61-percent approval rating for the president. Obviously the public didn't approve of Kennedy's military failure - but they did approve of the character he displayed in accepting the blame. Great leaders are boldly accountable. They accept full responsibility for themselves and their people. Paradox of Power by Pat Williams

What was Ronald Reagan like? Peggy Noonan, former White House speechwriter, explains with "the bathroom story." A few days after Ronald Reagan had been shot, when he was well enough to get out of bed, he wasn't feeling well, so he went into the bathroom that connected to his room. He slapped some water on his face and some of the water slopped out of the sink. He got some paper towels and got down on the floor to clean it up. An aide went in to check on him, and found the president of the United States on his hands and knees on the cold tile floor, mopping up water with paper towels. "Mr. President," the aide said, "what are you doing? Let the nurse clean that up!" And…

Rich DeVos, CEO of Orlando Magic, says this about respect: I built my whole business on respect for people. I build them up, not chew them out. I always believe that if you show respect, you get respect. Every person is a human being created by God, with a purpose and a place in life. If we operate by this standard, we dignify other human beings by treating them as we ourselves wish to be treated. Respect for others is the most essential trait a leader must possess. Paradox of Power by Pat Williams

Trust, like respect, must be earned. It is earned slowly - and it can be broken quickly. A leader builds trust by being: Trusting. You must be able to give your trust freely in order to receive trust in return. You must trust others so that you can delegate to them and empower them to reach for your vision. Trust generates trust. Caring. You must be focused on the good of your people. They must know that you are concerned about them as individuals, not just as cogs in the organizational machine. People trust leaders who value them as human beings. Authentic. You must be real, you must demonstrate integrity. If you are transparent and allow people to see, touch, and know the real you, then they will trust you.…

The team concept explained: Cohesion. Teammates stick together, and put the interests of the team ahead of self-interest. Morale. Teammates lift each other up, cheer each other on, and believe in each other. Synergy. The team works together to magnify the strengths and minimize the weaknesses of each individual. Caring. Teammates love each other and take care of each other. Pride. Teammates derive competitive satisfaction from winning and find joy in being the best. Responsibility. Each individual teammate takes responsibility not just for his own part of the team but for the whole team. Paradox of Power by Pat Williams