The 3 Most Important Things You Must Do to Be a Great Leader

Theodore Roosevelt once said, “People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads, and the boss drives.” When I endeavored to put my thoughts on paper about what it means to be a successful leader, I realized that it would be more effective to understand my leadership style from someone who has been on the receiving end of it for over 30 years. I sat down with my longtime assistant and colleague, Arlene Converse, to talk about how my leadership has impacted her career. Below are three takeaways from that conversation, and how they can positively impact your business.
3 Ways to Be a Successful Leader
1. Take Risks on People You Believe in
When I met Arlene, she was a young mother who didn’t have two nickels to rub together. But upon our first meeting, I recognized what some might call “fire in her gut.” Not only did she have a desire to succeed, but in many ways, it occurred to both of us that she had no choice but to succeed. A few years into my working relationship with Arlene, I made the decision to give her an opportunity to run one of our entities in an industry she wasn’t as familiar with. That was 22 years ago. On the other side of risk is reward, and my investment in and risk on Arlene has more than paid off. In our conversation, Arlene asked me: “Did you ever consider that I could fail?” I answered, “Absolutely.” I knew that entrusting Arlene to run a business in an industry she didn’t yet understand was a risk, but there is no point in taking a risk in giving opportunity just to micromanage through it. That brings me to my next point.
2. Give People the Tools They Need to Succeed—Then Allow Them to Fail
3. Be Someone People Want to Work for—and with
In Conclusion
By speaking to one of my closest employees, I was able to identify some of the fundamental building blocks of my leadership style. And while leadership may look different for everyone, we can all agree that we cannot build strong teams without a healthy dose of risk, investment, and vision. Not only do I encourage you to use these building blocks in your own business, but share this article with your teams and discuss what they see as your building blocks of leadership.