I was reading a book 'Where have all the leaders gone?' by legendary ex-ford/chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca in which he explains essential ingredients of a leader. He coins it as 9 c's of leadership. Here is what he says.
1. A leader has to show CURIOSITY. He has to listen to people outside of the 'Yes, sir' crowd in his inner circle. He has to read voraciously, because the world is a big, complicated place. If a leader never steps outside his comfort zone to hear different ideas, he grows stale. If he doesn't put his beliefs to the test, how does he know he's right? The inability to listen is a form of arrogance. It means either you think you already know it all, or you just don't care.
2. A leader has to be CREATIVE, go out on a limb, be willing to try something different. You know, think outside the box. Leadership is all about managing change -- whether you're leading a company or leading a country. Things change, and you get creative. You adapt.
3. A leader has to COMMUNICATE. I'm not talking about running off at the mouth or spouting sound bites. I'm talking about facing reality and telling the truth. Even if the truth is painful you need to say it as is without fear.
4. A leader has to be a person of CHARACTER. That means knowing the difference between right and wrong and having the guts to do the right thing. Abraham Lincoln once said, 'If you want to test a man's character, give him power.'
5. A leader must have COURAGE. I'm talking about balls. (That even goes for female leaders.) Swagger isn't courage. Tough talk isn't courage. Courage is a commitment to sit down at the negotiating table and talk.
6. To be a leader you've got to have CONVICTION -- a fire in your belly. You've got to have passion. You've got to really want to get something done.
7. A leader should have CHARISMA. I'm not talking about being flashy. Charisma is the quality that makes people want to follow you. It's the ability to inspire. People follow a leader because they trust him. That's my definition of charisma.
8. A leader has to be COMPETENT. That seems obvious, doesn't it? You've got to know what you're doing. More important than that, you've got to surround yourself with people who know what they're doing.
9. You can't be a leader if you don't have COMMON SENSE. In essence you can't even dream of being ahead of the pack if you don't have commonsense and can't distinguish between a bull shit & vanilla drop
THE BIGGEST C IS CRISIS. Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis.
Lee Iacocca goes on saying these are guiding principles which you must apply to every situation. Where does 'CHANGE' stand in the above C's. Looks like Barack Obama has most of the above C's and has intelligently used 'CHANGE' as well to lead this 2008 US Presidential election. Does talking about 'CHANGE' make you a leader? That's for you to decide.
