Sometimes leadership involves sacrifice. It can include having to make tough calls. Often, it’s a lonely place where character, values and beliefs drive unpopular decisions. Leaders need to know why they are doing what they are doing, or they won’t last as leaders. Check out these leadership commandments I ran across years ago. Unfortunately, I don’t know their source – if you do, please let me know so that I can site it.
The 10 Commandments of Leadership
- People are illogical, unreasonable, and self centered. Love them anyway.
- If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Do good anyway.
- If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.
- The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
- Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.
- The biggest people with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest people with the smallest ideas. Think big anyway.
- People favor underdogs, but follow only top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
- What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.
- People really need help but may attack you if you do help them. Help them anyway.
- Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.