Sue Knight

I believe that the future will be in the hands of teams of leaders and that the source of the wisdom and independence that is characteristic of the truly great leaders lies within each of us. What we so often need to learn is how to release that often capped potential. I for one so often look to the great defining moments of charismatic leaders for inspiration and wisdom as to what it is that truly makes a difference and yet it is in life's detours that our true mettle is tested and honed.

Learn to treasure life's detours

I have a friend who without doubt has the creative genius that is so fundamental to our need to think and work differently in business today. He is in my mind light years ahead of many of us lesser mortals who tend to do what is familiar and what we know already works well. His gifts of design and innovation are in abundance and he has brought challenge and insight to several large organisations. But the wheels of business can turn slowly and he is virtually without further immediate funding although he has promises and plans of work to come. It is in these moments that our capacity to lead is tested. Does he give up and return to a profession that is safer and more sure or does he hold on believing in what he is doing and what he has to give? True leaders are those who hold on in the belief that their goals can indeed be realised. It is in these defining moments that our security in ourselves is tested. To lead others we first of all need to be able to lead ourselves and to continue on our path no matter what life throws at us.

Leaders know what they stand for

A true leader knows what they stand for - they have core values to which they adhere no matter what the circumstances. Great leaders have been prepared to die for what they believe. In Built to Last, James Collins and Jerry Porras present the finding that visionary companies hold to their values even if those values become unmarketable. The same is true for visionary leaders - their values are their values no matter how circumstances around them change. Would you stand by what you believe now to be important if it seemed that market interest for what you had to offer lay elsewhere? Would you be prepared to lose everything to adhere to your core purpose? That is the test. And that is the test that will determine the influence that you have with others. You cannot disguise your level of determination and belief - it leaks out of you in everything that you do. It is that inner belief that provides the influence to which others will respond even before you walk through their door.

In my book NLP at Work I describe the belief 'there is no failure only feedback' as being a core belief in a culture of a learning organisation. A willingness to hold fast to your direction in the face of adversity is what this means. It is not enough to dream - you have to hold on to that dream when the world around you seems to want to wrench it away.

The importance of community

When we are flooded with emotion and uncertainty we find it very difficult to get the big picture - to see the forest amid the singular scary trees. Dr Kenneth C Ruge.

It is in these moments that we need support. Many of the enlightened companies have recognised the need for community. What makes a difference however is what value is placed on those communities for what they provide. A supportive community can provide the foundation from which the courageous leaders can step out knowing that others around them are willing them to succeed. Our ability to build and sustain the relationships with everyone in each of the communities of which we are a part is a significant source of a leader's strength. We are not leaders because we choose to be; we are leaders because others allow us to be.

Doors of opportunity

I believed for years that we could chart our course to our goals. How mistaken I was. I believe now that doors of opportunity open and are doing so day by day.

Some of those doors open for reasons and in ways that we would not choose. What matters is what we make of the opportunity. When a door opens we have opportunities that do not exist in the same way at other times. We cannot determine when or how a door will open but we can determine our ability to respond when they do. The only person in the world that we can actually lead is ourself and the only aspect of ourselves over which we ever have an influence is our emotional state. A true leader is the heart of the universe - the question is what kind of heart?

References:
Built to last James C Collins and Jerry I Porras Century Books
Where do I go from here? Dr Kenneth C Ruge McGraw-Hill