The Quest For Great Leaders

By: James C. Tanner

Leadership. Throughout the annals of history, there have been personalities who have come to the forefront as great examples of leadership. There is no shortage of books, no shortage of lectures, no shortage of CD/DVD's which speak to this subject and why? "I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers." (- Ralph Nader)

In the midst of the world's discussion on the subject of leadership, there circulates a myth that great leaders are born, when in fact, there is no genetic marker that predetermines a great leader. While it is true, there are personality styles such as the Mastermind Rational (ITNJ - Jung Myers Briggs Typology) which claims to be, amongst it's other attributes, a natural born leader, this cannot be considered a genetic pre-determination, but is based solely on a personality style. In reality, great leaders are not born, they are made, and made like anything else, through hard work. Even those who are Mastermind Rational's may have the personality style which gives them the advantage, enabling them to be a great leader, but becoming a leader still takes work, determined effort, and the attainment of experience. If leadership is the goal we seek, then hard work is the price we must be prepared to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal. The price of greatness is always responsibility.

The greatest barrier to stand in the way of leaders, is not the lack of energy, or tolerance for stress. It is not personal competence, or level of self-discipline. The greatest barrier is not the lack of determination, poor personal ethics, lack of skill in group dynamics, lack of ability to take initiative, poor planning, or lack of knowledge of the organization and how it operates. The greatest barrier to stand in the way of leaders is their inability to be teachable or trainable.

Successful people place a greater priority on learning compared to those who are struggling to be successful. A great leader is keenly aware of how much he or she still has to learn. A pretender wants to be considered an expert by others before they have learned enough to know how little they really know. We often forget that mankind is continually evolving. With change, those who take the time to study and stay informed, continuing to work on developing themselves, will continue to succeed in a changing world. Those who feel they are simply too busy, or know their field well enough already, will wake up one day to discover they have succeeded in a world of redundancy.

It takes courage to be willing to grow into leadership. Courage will always be tested, for adversity is the marriage partner of progress. Anytime we want to move forward in life, we can plan on obstacles, challenges, conflicts, and problems coming our way. Courage is not found in outside sources, it is found deep within you. It is grown through steady self-discipline in living a life of integrity, not a life of expediency.

The trials and pressures of life---and how we face them—often define us. In my teen years, an older friend purchased a motorcycle and was busy riding it during bug season without a windshield. Other motorcyclists were waiting out bug season for obvious reasons, but not my friend. His motorcycle was his only means of getting to and from University. In the face (literally) of such pesky and messy little adversaries, he rode his motorcycle without a windshield, and only sunglasses on his face. One day as he stepped off his bike and was wiping himself down with bug wash, I remember asking him as to what was the most important thing to remember about riding a motorcycle? His answer, as he wiped the debris off of his face was, "Don't smile!" In the face of incredible adversity some people fold up, pile up, crawl away, dig a hole and fall in, while others find the ability to dig deep within themselves and rise above the storm. How do those who succeed do it? They persevere.

Giving up in the face of adversity leaves one living a life full of regret and bitterness. Those who master the art of perseverance, understand that walking through adversity and coming out the other side only makes one better.
Great leaders are not born, they are those who know how to stand at the helm in the face of crashing waves. "Greatness is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are moving. We must sail sometimes with the wind, and sometimes against it – but sail we must and not drift, nor lie at anchor." (- Oliver Wendell Holmes)

Taking steps towards leadership requires passion, focus, self-discipline, and perseverance. If you move forward in the direction of your dreams, and purpose to live the life you imagine, you will collide with success.

Grab hold of the excellence life has to offer.

James C. Tanner of http://www.silent-wonder.com and of http://www.whats-he-like.com is a retired entrepreneur, a former special investigator, and published writer whose articles and written comments are enjoyed by 12.5 million readers monthly. A sample listing of recently published articles can be found at http://article-archive.blogspot.com .

James C. Tanner is a Canadian born writer from Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.

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