WHAT IS IT THAT SETS MERELY GOOD AND TRULY GREAT LEADERS APART? WHAT MAKES ONE LEADER STAND OUT IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT IGNITES OUR IMAGINATION?
IS IT THE WAY THAT LEADER ACTS, THE GESTURES, THE CHARISMA, THE INTELLIGENCE, THE ESSENTIAL TRUTH OF HIS MESSAGE? THE WORLD’S SUPREME HAS ALL THESE THINGS, AND WHAT THEY INSPIRE IS A GREAT MEASURE OF TRUST.
A great leader constantly reaffirms that trust. As the steward of the team he or she leads, the leader is bound by a pact of honesty in all his dealings with people and the relationships his team has with the rest of the world – customers, constituents, partners, shareholders, and the public at large. A single lie or deceitful action can destroy that trust in an instant, and a great leader is careful not to risk such a loss.
A leader’s style may be subdued or flamboyant, modest or exuberant, but what truly inspires heartfelt trust is what they accomplish, the ideas they promote, the optimism and realism they evoke, the possibilities they reveal. Great leadership is always authentic and never pretends to be what it is not. And because it is authentic, grounded upon solid ideas and a realistic view of the world, it inspires confidence. When people recognize greatness for what it is, they place their trust in it.
