Week 41.pdf

WEEK FORTY-ONE

Hello and welcome to Week Forty-One of the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan. We

hope you are having a great week and are ready for this week's journey.

Our topic this month is Leadership and when I think of great leaders I think of people like

Winston Churchill, George Washington, Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln and

Mother Teresa. Thinking of leaders in those terms, it's easy to keep it in "far-off" concept

and forget that it relates to each of us in a very personal way. Leadership is a state of

mind first and foremost. The great leaders of our time didn't just one day decide that they

wanted to lead a country. Instead it was because of who they were and the character

(which is the main topic of Jim's and Chris' focus this week) they worked to form

throughout their lives that, when the opportunity -- and in some cases, crisis -- presented

itself, propelled them into positions of strong leadership. In the same way, whether we

like to think of ourselves as leaders or not, we are. So if we've taken the time to prepare

our character and hone our leadership skills, when the opportunity presents itself -- if we

have done our homework -- we will be ready.

Abraham Lincoln said that he would study and prepare himself so that he would be ready

when opportunity came. As you go through this week, ask yourself, "Am I ready for

when the next crisis comes or the next opportunity presents itself?"

Make it a great week!

Kyle

“All work is done by teams; the leader's output is the output of his or her team.”

-– Brian Tracy

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LEADERSHIP

Jim Rohn's Tenth Pillar of Success: Leadership, Part Two -

Character: The Core of Leadership and Leadership Mistakes

to Avoid

Hi, Jim Rohn here. This month we are covering the topic of Leadership:

1. The Foundational Principles of Leadership and Developing a Powerful Vision.

In last week's lesson, we covered the basic foundational elements that are central to

becoming a person with tremendous leadership skills and abilities. We also discussed

secrets to having a powerful and compelling vision that helps you attract others.

2. Character: The Core of Leadership and Leadership Mistakes to Avoid. This week

we will look at what I believe to be the core element of what it means to be a leader--the

issue of character. We will look at what it means to be a person of character who can

inspire others, and how character is essential. We also look at some typical mistakes

people make that hinder their ability to lead and move their organizations forward and

how you can avoid making those same mistakes.

3. Skills Needed for Effective Leadership and Developing Potential Leaders in Your

Organization. Next week we will focus more on the basic skills that effective leaders

demonstrate. We will also be looking at some strategic ways to develop potential leaders

around you to ensure a new generation of leaders.

4. Becoming the Best Leader You Can Be - Taking Care of Yourself and Motivating

Those Who Follow You - In Good Times and Tough Times. In two weeks we will be

taking a closer look at making sure that you take care of yourself. In this day and age it is

even more important for the leader to be closely guarding their own growth and

development. We will also look at how to motivate others to follow you.

Character: The Core of Leadership

There has been a lot of discussion lately about character and leadership. Most political

elections today seem to have an element to them wherein one candidate suggests that the

other doesn't have the character that it takes to lead.

Just a cursory glance at the business page in the

newspaper shows a major discussion of character and

ethics in the corporate world. Schools are rocked with

scandal, as are some churches. Everywhere you turn

today it seems as though there is a lack of character.

But doesn't this beg the question, "What is character?"

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Here are a few definitions of character that I have found that, when put together, give us a

good understanding of what character is:

1. Strength of mind; resolution; independence; individuality

2. Moral or ethical strength

3. Who you are when no one else is around

In other words, a person of good character is a person who has a strong moral base and

acts on it. They have the core inner strength, fortitude and determination to do what is

right, whether anyone else is there to validate it or not. They operate out of what is good

and right, not out of personal expedience.

Once we have defined character, we must also ask: Why is character important?

Character is important because it is what we place our trust in when dealing with other

people. When we decide to follow a leader, we evaluate their life, their skills, etc., and

then make a decision to trust them. We trust that they are who they say they are. We trust

that they will do what they say. Trust is built on good people who are consistent in their

goodness. Those are the people we can trust - and the leader/follower relationship is, at

its fundamental core - one of trust.

Six Essential Traits of Good Character

The following are what I believe to be the basics of good character. Miss one of these and

you will find a weak link in your character - one that may be your undoing as it relates to

your leadership. As you go through the following, give sober reflection to your life as it

relates to these integral parts of good character.

1. Integrity. Integrity is a good catch word that is similar to character but provides us

with a different way of looking at the idea of character. The root word of integrity means

"whole" or "undivided." That is a terrific way to help us understand what integrity is--it is

a life that is undivided. For example, you don't act one way in one situation and another

in a different situation. There is integrity and wholeness to your life. Living this way will

build trust in your followers. Another use of the word integrity that provides insight for

us is when the word is used in regard to a physical structure. A wall or a building that is

strong and has no cracks is said to have integrity. The same could be said for great

leaders.

2. Honesty. It is regularly said that, "Honesty is the best policy," but I would add that

honesty is the only policy for great leaders. Think about it. Why do people hedge the

truth? Usually for a few basic reasons--one, they are afraid of the ramifications or two,

they are trying to hide something. Either way, it results in the fact that you destroy the

trust of those who follow you. Even if you tell them the truth but they know you have lied

to others, it will destroy the trust you had with them. They find themselves thinking, "If

he will lie to them, will he lie to me?"

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I have never understood what people hope to accomplish by being dishonest. As the good

Book says, "Your sin shall surely find you out." Eventually people come to know that

you are not honest in your dealings, and that is what you become known for. And your

reputation is what your leadership is based on. When we are honest and live transparently

before our followers, they are able to see us for who we are and make solid decisions to

follow.

3. Loyalty. People of good character are loyal people. They have a "stick-to-it" attitude

when it comes to others. Anybody who knows human nature knows that people fail. It is

just a matter of time, no matter how talented someone is. A person of good character

stays with their friends even in the down times. Anyone can be friends with others when

times are good. People of good character stay with them when they need it most. Where

this translates into making you a good leader is this: people want to follow a leader who

will stretch them beyond where they are now, but who will also allow them to try--and to

fail. When we are loyal to our followers, they will be loyal to us and make every effort to

succeed on our behalf and on behalf of the organization. There are few things that

strengthen the leader/follower bond more than when a leader shows his or her loyalty to a

follower who needs it.

4. Self-Sacrifice. Lee Iacocca became a legend when he said that he would bring

Chrysler back from the brink of bankruptcy and would take only one dollar a year in pay.

This was a classic example of a leader sacrificing for the followers. It also showed his

understanding of empathizing with the average line worker. And the workers of Chrysler

rewarded him with an incredible following as they built Chrysler into one of the world's

leading car companies. What is it about self-sacrifice that breeds followers? Followers do

not mind putting in the hard work. They don't even mind a leader making more money or

reaping benefits from their work. What followers do mind though, is when the leader is

using them for his or her own personal gain. People of good character do not use other

people--period. So when a leader shows sacrifice of personal gain, it says to the followers

that he or she is willing to come along side of them - and followers reward that almost

universally. A person of good character shows that they can give up personal gain for the

good of the whole.

5. Accountability. People of good character do not mind accountability. In fact, they

welcome it. This is the act of allowing others to have a say in your life, to speak to you

straight about your life and conduct. The brutal truth is that we have blind spots and need

other people to be in close relationship with us so we can advance down the road of

success. The need for accountability doesn't prove lack of character. Rather, it proves the

presence of character. G.K. Chesterton said that, "Original sin is the only philosophy

empirically validated by 3,500 years of human history." The person of good character

knows this and invites others to speak into his or her life.

We see this is especially true now with all that has gone on among our leaders lately.

Followers are growing tired of those leaders who will have nothing to do with

accountability. They do not mind leaders who make mistakes. They do mind leaders who

will not take responsibility for those mistakes by being accountable. When we allow

ourselves to be held accountable, our followers know that we are serious about keeping

our own house in order and thus will do a good job in leading the rest of the organization.

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