Some of the leaders named were George Washington, Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin, John and Robert Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Martin Luther King, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Jack Welch (GE), etc.
Someone even named Samson from the Bible as a great leader! I thought about Samson and how he killed both himself and the Philistines in their own temple by pulling down the two pillars that he was bonded to, thus "bringing down the house."
What if there were seven powerful pillars holding up the temple instead of greed, prejudice, pride, vanity, ego, arrogance, and nastiness?
What if individuals, families, communities, institutions, and businesses had a roadmap and a formula for success—without having to be mean, nasty S.O.B.s—and could be both moral and ethical in their behavior?
How can you and I create great leadership in our own lives, within our communities, and within our institutions, companies, and organizations?
Aha! What a great idea! With that in mind, here are "The Seven Powerful Pillars of Greatness":
1. Purpose
Great leaders and organizations have specific, clearly stated, written purposes that are of a "higher nature" than just making money or getting their needs met. For example, my own business purpose is the following:
"My purpose is to find out specifically and exactly what it is people want or need, help them get it quickly and elegantly (even if I can't give it to them), and have them feel good about it, my company, and me."
Having a "higher purpose" keeps you focused, especially during the tough and challenging times!
2. Principles
Great leaders and organizations have sets of healthy principles. These principles include fundamental core values that are well known and help create positive cultures around which individuals and institutions can live and work. These principles help create guidelines for proper behaviors and actions, both internally and externally.
3. Passion
Great leaders have healthy passions for their roles, functions, and, most importantly, their "higher purposes." They are then able to both practice and communicate their purposes, as well as their passions, so that their families, friends, communities, colleagues, and organizations are able to "catch the spark" and help maintain the flame and energy needed to keep the passion going.
4. Processes
Every great leader or organization has a road map for success. This road map consists of a set of processes that enable the person using it to get to where he or she wants to go with less effort and struggle than the masses. These processes include:
- A business plan: The idea, written out, with a starting point, steps to take, and the ending point. This written plan includes many of the details needed to accomplish the end result. The business plan should also cover the investment of time, energy, money, and people needed to participate and play a role in the implementation of the plan.
- A marketing plan: The tools and resources necessary to "get the word out" and promote the purpose, goals, and desired outcomes of the individual or organization to the right people in the right places at the right times.
- A sales plan: A written, fundamental "sales interview" system, including a simple process to measure progress, adjust the course, and achieve results effectively, efficiently, and elegantly. This process should include benchmarks, timelines, and appropriate rewards for both small and large successes.
Great leaders never do anything alone! They find, train, cultivate, nurture, and grow "the right people" with "the right stuff" for "the right positions." They attract these people because of their purpose, passion, principles, and processes!
For over 30 years, I have seen organizations and institutions hire good or even great people and then lose them shortly after because of a lack of the above "P"s. Also, you cannot recruit, hire, and retain "the right people" until you have fired or removed "the wrong people" first! Remember: "the right people are your most important product!"
6. Plan of Action
Great leaders and institutions have plans of action, which are written daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual steps to be taken to move in the right direction towards the accomplishment of the goals set in their business plans created earlier. With the collaboration of the people in place to help with the plan of action, success is inevitable!
7. Progress
Great leaders and institutions have the ability to track, measure, analyze, and review their progress consistently and adjust their courses accordingly when necessary. They know how to "celebrate" their progress with each other with short, intermediate, and long-term rewards along the way.
Now that you have "The Seven Powerful Pillars of Greatness" at your disposal, what can you do? Take action now! Identify your passion and purpose in life, and begin to "follow your bliss"!
