Becoming a Great Leader - The Foundation

The foundation of a strong leader begins with a leader’s core values. A great leader must at all times and all costs do what is right. The leader must have a strong sense of right. That strong sense will trickle down through people and actions of organizations, and, as such, must be at the core of a strong leader. A great leader must not be motivated by personal gain at the expense of organizational good. Modesty in a leader will allow the leader to be solely concerned with the organization’s success rather than personal fortune or accolades. This means a leader will be humble and “channel ambition into the company, not the self.” You have seen it play out time and again - companies have fallen because those at the top did not do what is right - think Madoff, Enron, etc. You have also seen them fail due to the hubris of those at the top that thought they were always right and had no one around them to put them in check. It is supremely important that the compass of those at the helm of any organization points to true north ethically. It cannot be the leader's perception of right - it must be the real right. Everyone knows what this is - you know when some project or idea smacks of questionable ethics. Never let yourself or leaders go down that slippery path of needing to justify what you do. You will never have to justify doing what is right. It will speak for itself.