Thursday, April 2, 2015

THOUGHTS ON LEADERSHIP FROM DEAN SMITH

The following comes from "The Carolina Way" written by Dean Smith and Gerald Bell with John Kilgo:

All great leaders know you can’t just talk about good character; you have to live it. To become an extraordinary leader, you must build your own personality skills. This comes first. You must be what you want your followers to become.

Effective leaders build themselves fundamentally. They develop healthy personality characteristics. They love people, care about them, are interested in them, and enjoy interacting with them.

They learn to work well with all kinds of people.

The greatest leaders I’ve known are absolutely devoted to their people. There’s no way to fake it. They put their people in the center of their thinking. They treat their employees with dignity and respect, and they don’t embarrass them or berate them.

A leader won’t accomplish much, or even be happy, unless he or she is willing to compete. Leaders should love competition and not be stifled by it. They must give everything they have to achieve their personal and companies’ goals, as long as it’s done with honesty and integrity and within the rules. Good leaders enjoy putting themselves on the line.

Modesty is also a trait of good leaders. They accept criticism and understand their limitations.

Good leaders love sharing credit for success and understand why it’s important.