Who is a leader, what is a leader, why be a leader, how can you (this very day) become a better leader in your world?

Ideas about leadership: You must first lead yourself.  If you cannot lead your own self, from the idea of self mastery, of controlling your own thoughts and actions and attitudes, being vigilant in what you think, the way you act, how can you ever lead another person?

So become a better you, a better leader of yourself.  By that sheer belief, that idea, that inward commitment, this is the first stepping stone, the launching pad, the starting point to becoming a better leader.

Why?  Why do you want to become a better leader, or even why do you think you do not want to become a better leader?  Most people do not want to be a leader because it is too much responsibility.  It means they must be accountable.  It means they need to expand who they are, and do more and achieve more without excuse.  Few will harness the power of true leadership.  But many can at least become the best leader of themselves if they will learn and grow and fight and fight against cynicism.

Those with courage, who are brave enough, will become better leaders.  By committing to leadership you have more influence on your world, the people in your world, your family, your friends and associates, in business, in all the people you meet and form a relationship with that inspires.

This idea, this educational process of becoming a better leader, will enable you to grow a dream faster; clarify, stretch, clean up and actualize a vision that you have for the future, for your community, your city, your nation, your world, depending how far you can believe, you can reach and stretch and extend and predict that vision into the future.

To become, and commit to becoming a better leader, you are strengthening and honing your communication skills, you ability to get a along with other people, your way of being a dream builder as you become adept at reaching inside others and pulling out what they want, and then finding your ability to parallel what they want with what you want, to run rail with their dreams and yours, so that both can get what they want, and support each other.

To become a better leader, you are committing to learning, to being less cynical, to be more flexible and creative, more understanding, as you approach all things, hard and easy, difficult and minor, with the same resolve of a deeper understanding, a more accentuated realization, that will solve issues. This will get you through chokepoints and issues and dilemmas to form a bond, a trust and a friendship that grows in a way that can serve you and those who “you wish to work with.”

Great leaders see farther into the future.  And with hard work, with resolve, with never-ending energy, leaders can predict outcomes.  Leaders predict.  Leaders can see the end results.  Great leaders have a way to align others, to inspire them, to harness the power of team, of other people’s dreams and form a unity, unite common ground, a focus, and hone a clarity as they  turn away confusion, doubt and have fear disappear.

Leaders speak a truth that rings true, not just to an ideology, but speaks to a person’s real humanity.  Though, they will not please everyone.  In fact many and most great leaders piss people off, because they will, at times, not always, but when necessary, stand their ground, and do what they believe is right in the face of opposition.  For there is always opposition, critics, those “poor and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat,” because it is so much easier to not get in the arena, not be action-oriented, but be the one “who points out how the strong man stumbled or the doer of deeds could have done better.”

Did General George S. Patton piss people off, how about Gandhi? Mother Teresa offended dignitaries, heads of state, presidents of nations, because she did not say what they wanted to hear.

Leaders decide quickly.  Leaders make a decision in 48 hours said Gen. George S. Patton.  How about you decide in 24 hours: Beat the odds?  Leaders get things done by moving quickly.  Jim Rohn said: “Results is the name of the game. What other game is there?”  Be that leader to get shit done, unite a vision, and lead your way and your inner circle to more profound and measurable results and massive success. Leaders win.

Be a leader.  Why?  The world needs more leaders who will get things done, who will inspire others to strive for more, to accomplish more, to raise expectations, to be accountable, and to create patterns of behaviors that better serve the individual and the organization, so that the most incredible and amazing and spectacular achievements can be done, accomplished and then celebrated.

Lead and you will become a better you, a more effective playmaker, a game changer.  Leaders set a vision and make that vision a reality.  Leaders will listen to opposition, but will not cower or stop or be swayed by those who are naysayers; those who keep saying a thing, an important thing, a worthy cause, an ideal, a reality cannot be done.  Leaders will not listen to those fearful critics who continually talk about how something isn’t possible. These people actually inspire leaders so as to prove them wrong.

Find others to share a dream with, those positive, happy and excited souls who will encourage outrageous outcomes. Align yourself with the unwavering energy of positive and excited people, and treat these people like gold, for they are: “Good as gold.”  They will help you to achieve the most remarkable things, and you will all have a ton of fun doing it.

As Jim Rohn would say, let us, [not you, not just me] but “let us do something remarkable together.”

The Man in the Arena (Leaders are in the Arena)

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Teddy Roosevelt delivered in Paris on April 23, 1910.