As leaders we need to light up the way for others....

"There are three kinds of people in this world; those who don't know what's happening, those who watch what's happening and those who make things happen." The very essence of leadership is vision. People don't follow a dream itself. They follow the leader who has that dream and the ability to communicate it effectively. A good leader has the ability to attract, energize and encourage followers.

"Motivators are the movers and shakers of this world; they make things happen." They aren't discouraged by opposition - they expect it and plan for it. They are risk-takers; they understand that innovation and new ideas will not necessarily be readily accepted by anyone. But it is their personal enthusiasm and inner strength that will continue to fuel their desire to see change occur, because they have a vision and a dream that they are willing to sacrifice for.

"Seek first to understand, then to be understood." Very few of us practice empathetic listening, which is listening with the intent to understand. It means you look at the world the way they see it; you understand how they feel; you listen with more than your ears; you listen with your eyes and your heart as you search for feeling, meaning and behavior. A person will always have difficulty as a leader if she doesn’t learn to listen to colleagues.

"A benchmark of maturity is taking personal responsibility for our attitudes." We choose what attitudes we have right now and it is a continual choice. Every morning when we wake up, we choose what our attitude will be. Having the right attitude will be a big factor in setting the right atmosphere and bringing the right responses from your colleagues. A leader’s attitude is “caught” more quickly than her actions.

As leaders, you have such great potential to shine!
Chris