What does it take to be a great leader?

When I was young, I really had no idea. In fact, while in college, I was asked to speak about my leadership skills to a class studying leadership. But I knew so little. I think they used me as an example of an immature leader.

Now, I’ve learned a few more things and have had the chance to redeem myself. On Monday, I spoke at Hamline University on the topics of leadership, management, and teamwork. I shared about the importance of developing yourself as a person first. You need to be the right kind of leader that people want to follow. Understanding your vision is another important key to success. Purpose answers the question of why you do what you do. Mission is about what you do. Values are who you are. These high-level principles inform you goals and strategies.

Without the right people, you won’t succeed. It’s that simple. It’s important to find fantastic people and treat them well. If you don’t, they won’t stick around. Good management is about doing the basics right consistently. This includes, one-on-ones, feedback, and team meetings.

Overall, all the concepts for great management are fairly simple. But the key challenge is making it a habit. Like riding a bike, if you constantly have to think about what you are doing you won’t be great at it. But with practice, you’ll engage in the right things with ease.

It was so much fun sharing these principles with the Hamline students. If you would like to learn about these concepts you can watch the video of my speech below.