In Good to Great, Jim Collins writes, “Those who build great companies understand that the ultimate throttle on growth for any great company is not markets, or technology, or competition, or products. It is one thing above all others: the ability to get and keep enough of the right people.”
Getting and keeping the right people is great leadership.
But how do you get from good to great? How do you become the great leader who changes lives, who leaves a lasting impression, who is most admired?
Great leaders are a breed by themselves, but most of them are groomed and cultivated. If you want to join their ranks, you need the disciplined focus to make a pivotal shift. Along with more quotes from Good to Great–a book I highly recommend–here are some ways you can begin with right now:
Lead with excellence. Being a leader is not about being liked; it is about doing what is right and doing it well. At the core of leadership is bringing people into new realms of excellence and challenging them to become distinguished in their chosen field. Remember, what the average call excellent the excellent call average.
“When what you are deeply passionate about, what you can be best in the world at and what drives you come together, not only does your work move toward greatness, but so does your life!”
Lead with drive. Being a good leader is pretty easy, but being a great leader takes a little more drive. It means driving results, driving people, driving the company. It means doing what it takes to achieve great results. If you want to take your leadership from good to great, make sure everything you do you do with great drive.
“For, in the end, it is impossible to have a great life unless it is a meaningful life. And it is very difficult to have a meaningful life without meaningful work.”
Lead with courage. Great leaders know that their comfort zone is not that comfortable. It takes a little more courage to put yourself out in front where no else is, taking the road less traveled, challenging the way things are. If you think and behave like everyone else, you may be a good follower but you won’t be a great leader.
“Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice and discipline.”
Lead with self motivation. Let your prime motivation be based in your character. Good leaders may walk alongside us to help make it right, but great leaders go the extra mile to do what’s right.
“Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life.”
Lead the way. The call to great leadership lies in the distinction that greatness is the result of caring more than others think is wise, risking more than others think is safe, dreaming more than others think is practical, and expecting more than others think is possible.
“The good-to-great leaders never wanted to become larger-than-life heroes. They never aspired to be put on a pedestal or become unreachable icons. They were seemingly ordinary people quietly producing extraordinary results.”
Lead with modesty. Great leaders are modest. They share the credit and bring others along, because they know that to make anything great you need a group of talented people.
“We found that for leaders to make something great, their ambition has to be for the greatness of the work and the company, rather than for themselves.”
The bottom line is this: Why isn’t good good enough? Because greatness is possible–and when you have great leadership you have a great success.
N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
THE LEADERSHIP GAP
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
- 12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
- A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
- How to Succeed as A New Leader
- 12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
- 4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
- The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
- The Deception Trap of Leadership
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Of Lolly’s many awards and accolades, Lolly was designated a Top-50 Leadership and Management Expert by Inc. magazine. Huffington Post honored Lolly with the title of The Most Inspiring Woman in the World. Her writing has appeared in HBR, Inc.com, Fast Company (Ask The Expert), Huffington Post, and Psychology Today, and others. Her newest book, The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness has become a national bestseller.