Verne Leadership Philosophy: Qualities of a Leadership

What Type of Leader am I going to be?

A leader is defined by Webster's dictionary as "A process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". I feel this definition is spot on but it missed a few things. One major thing it missed is the self-awareness and the ability to manage any situation and know when to delegate responsibility to the people under you. Another key aspect that shapes a leader is someone who thinks positively or as 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens says "Think Win-Win". After reading the book I feel this is the section that had the biggest influence on me. Especially for an athlete the aspect of win-win is huge. Going into a contest thinking you have the possibility to lose rubs off on the people around you. Being a leader in sports is different then being a leader in life but I feel being the leader of a team is a big deal because whatever you do the people around you will follow you and mimic the way you handle yourself. So by thinking Win-Win everyone who follows you will get that same feeling and hopefully it will change their thinking. 

"Sportsmanship for me is when a guy walks off the court and you really can't tell whether he won or lost, when he carries himself with pride either way." - Jim Courier

Although this is a sportsmanship quote I feel it applies to Leadership also. If you walk off the field or court and other people can't tell whether you won or lost then in your mind you have won regardless. Regardless of the outcome if you think this way then you will find the positive outcome in any situation. For instance if you lose a game then you have the experience and know the mistakes you made and next time you can correct the mistakes and be a better you. 

However life isn't a sports competition. An example of Win-Win in life would be you work very hard and always remain positive and you don't get the promotion you were looking for. You could take the news and stop trying saying there's no point and blame yourself for not doing something. Or you could take the fact that you didn't get the promotion and come back even better and look at the positive side. The side that you worked your hardest and did a good job in whatever task you were trying to accomplish and then the next time a promotion is available you should try even harder the next time.

I feel I will become a leader based off of the Win-Win mentality but besides that I will try to be proactive. That in my mind is the most important quality for a leader. Being proactive is defined as acting in advance to deal with an expected difficulty. It's not only about acting in advance it's about going out of your way to potentially fix a problem or even compliment someone doing something good. Being proactive could be as small as being in touch with your business and just being seen to show you care.