So if you have produced a pleasantly acceptable piece of work, you will have proved to yourself that it’s good simply because others have said so. It is probably ok. But then it’s probably not great either. If, instead of seeking approval, you ask, ‘What’s wrong with it? How can I make it better?’, you are more likely to get a truthful, critical answer.

You may even get an improvement on your idea. And you are still in a position to reject the criticism if you think it is wrong.

Whatever is on your desk right now, that’s the one. Make it the best you possibly can. It may not be great, but at least you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you did the best you possibly could, and you may learn something from it. And you’re always free to do an alternative that does satisfy your creative standards.

Good briefs don’t just come along. That’s true, even if you’ve earned a reputation for doing good work. Successful solutions are often made by people rebelling against the bad briefs.

You may have to beg, steal and borrow to get it done. But that’s for you to work out how you do it. It’s exiting, it’s difficult and it’s fun. If it was easy anyone could do it.

* Learn to paint a picture with words. Speak it, write it, draw it, touch it. Whatever methods you can use to create a picture, do it. As they say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
* Ask each of the other managers in your company to tell you, in their own words, about the vision of the company. How close is it to what you thought they understood? Is your team on the same page as you?
* As you work, your company’s vision should be in your mind every day, and you should reevaluate it occasionally so that it stays current with the changing times in which we live. And remember, your staff needs to be just as involved as you in keeping it up to date if you truly want them to buy in on the vision. Be sure to keep your key players involved.

Key Trait #2: You must have passion. Your employees want passion; in fact, they’ll go to the ends of earth because of it, live and die for it. Think of the sailors who traveled with Christopher Columbus or Leif Ericsson to explore uncharted territory. Their leaders’ passion inspired them to take on new and very dangerous challenges.

To build an extraordinary management team, you’ve got to light the “fire in their bellies,” to get them to feel passion about the company and connect to the leader’s vision. Passion is such a key part of being a great leader that if you don’t have it, you simply can’t be a great leader. Think of all the great leaders throughout the ages and try to name one that did not have passion.

And passion is infectious: When you talk about your vision for the company, let your passion for your vision shine through. Others will feel it and want to get on board with you. If you don’t have passion for your vision, you need to recreate your vision or reframe your description of your vision so it’s connected to your passion.

Key Trait #3: You must learn to be a great decision maker. How are major decisions made in your company? What is your process for making them? For instance, do you talk to your management team and create a list of pros and cons to help you make the best decision? Maybe you conduct a cost analysis. Or do you create a timeline for the implementation strategy, process and timing?

Some leaders have a set process, and others fly by the seat of their pants. But you don’t want to be one of those leaders who consults no one before making a decision, announces the change the next day and then gets frustrated when no one follows it. If you’re one of those, I urge you to implement a set process.

In fact, here’s a system you can use to become a better decision maker. It’s called the Q-CAT:

* Q = Quick. Be quick but not hasty.
* C = Committed. Be committed to your decision but not rigid.
* A = Analytical. Be analytical, but don’t over-analyze (Too much analysis can cause paralysis.)
* T = Thoughtful. Be thoughtful about all concerned, but don’t be obsessive.

When you use the Q-CAT, it’ll help you to decide when to bring others into the process and what steps need to be taken to help you make better decisions.

Key Trait #4: You must be a team builder. To become a great leader, you must develop a great team or, one might say, a well-oiled machine. But how do you do that? You can start by handing off responsibility to your team and letting your team to run with it. Don’t breathe down their necks and don’t micromanage, but make yourself available if questions or problems come up. Teach your team to use the Q-CAT decision-making system and give them the freedom to work through their own decisions.

When projects aren’t on track or your team is falling behind on deadline, it serves no one if you start pointing fingers. This is when you need to rise to the occasion and inspire confidence in your employees, to let them know you support them and ready to help. Be ready to alter plans and make new ones. Don’t forget to use humor to keep your team’s spirits up during a crisis. When an emergency hits, your team will look to you to be a tower of strength and endurance.

Key Trait #5: You must have character. Without character, all the other “keys” are for naught. That’s because your innate character strengths and limitations play a critical role in your leadership style. The real question is, are you aware of just what role they play? All great leaders have taken steps to learn about their individual personality and what part it plays in their leadership style.

So what’s your leadership style? If you don’t know, there are many leadership style assessments available on the market. Two popular ones that have been around for many years are the Myers-Briggs assessmentand the “360-Degree Feedback” model. There are dozens of other to choose from–the important part is that you “Just do it,” as the Nike ad would say, and see how you rate. It’s a good way to do a “character check” on yourself and your leadership skills.

Then, once you’ve done the assessment, the question to ask yourself is, do you feel your character matches what the assessments are pointing out to you?

If you feel the traits don’t match who you think you are, then look a little deeper and be honest with yourself. Sometimes our first response is defensive. You might want to assess yourself with a different type of profile and then compare the results. Within the 360 Degree Feedback model, there’s an opportunity to see how your employees and peers view you, too. In learning to be a great leader, the first step is to be open to feedback about yourself as a leader and separate it from you the person.

So are you a great leader? Or do you have the desire to become one? Remember, a great leader is someone who has a clear vision and can turn that vision into a vivid picture that others can see. When you speak about your vision, it should be with a passion you feel in your heart, a passion that creates so much enthusiasm that your team will want to jump on board. When major decisions need to be made, you should encourage everyone to use the Q-CAT system and be responsible for his or her own actions. And you should be continually assessing your own character and never stop growing, personally or professionally.

If you can apply the five keys to great leadership, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a great leader surrounded by great employees!

1. Visualise Yourself As The Person You Want To Be

Each morning spend a few minutes visualising yourself as the person you want to be. Think about the way you dress, the way you carry yourself and the way you interact with other people. Seeing yourself as the person you want to become is the first step towards building self confidence.

2. Self Confidence Statement

After visualising yourself as the person you want to be, read the following statement out loud:

“I know I have the ability to achieve my major goal in life. Therefore today,
I demand of myself persistent and continuous action towards achieving my goal”

Reading this statement out loud is a great way to start your day in a confident state of mind.

3. Dress Well

One of the most effective ways to instantly improve your level of self confidence is to dress well and to make the decision to always be well groomed. This does not mean you have to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe. Instead, just focus on gradually building up a small collection of good quality clothes. Also remember that simple accessories such as a tie clip or necklace can make a big difference to the way you look and feel.

4. Positive Posture

Another powerful way to build your sense of self confidence is to stand up straight and lose the slouch that many of us have acquired over the years. While you may be able to make a change to your posture by simply becoming aware of it, the best way to make a long lasting change to your posture is to practice yoga or pilates.

5. Move With Purpose

A simple but effective tip for increasing your levels of self confidence is to always move with a sense of purpose. In his book ‘The Magic of Thinking Big’, David Schwartz recommends walking 25% faster than normal. Having a spring in your step lets people know that you have important things to do and actually makes you feel more confident as you go about your daily business.

6. Become A Participant

Have you ever noticed that in most meetings or groups, people immediately head towards the back of the room so that they can remain as inconspicuous as possible? A great way to increase your visibility and sense of self confidence is to make the decision to always sit towards the front of the room and be a participant. When you have something to say – don’t be afraid to say it.

7. Connect With Confidence

Another way to quickly improve your self confidence is to practice making a strong first impression. When you meet someone face-to-face, look them directly in the eye, smile broadly, shake hands firmly and say, “Hi Jim, nice to meet you”.

Similarly, you can sound more confident on the phone by answering, “Good morning Carol Jones speaking” instead of simply saying “Hello”

8. Build Your Success File

Occasionally your self confidence will take a hit when something doesn’t work out the way you hoped. One of the best ways to repair your self confidence in this situation is to keep a folder outlining your past achievements and successes. You should also include any positive feedback that you’ve received from others.

As you review your success file and fill your mind with positive comments, your doubts and insecurities will quickly disappear and your self confidence will be restored.

9. Preparation

The BIG secret to being self confident that people rarely talk about is – preparation. The more you prepare and practice for an event, the more self confident you will become.

If you are worried about an upcoming event, use your apprehension as a stimulus to take action and practice, practice, practice. The simple but powerful truth is that self confidence grows through repetition and experience.

#2. Take the long view. You will never go wrong in doing what’s right. With the turmoil out there, it’s easy to let go of your closely-held values and cut corners when it comes to ethics. The fast buck might look like an easy way out. A quick deal with the wrong person might look like a solution. Cutting corners on a product or service might look a little attractive. And yet, you will never regret sticking to your business and personal values – being the most ethical person you know. This tough cycle will pass. And your customers will love you for staying true to you.

#3. Outwork your competition. Hard work and constant forward movement is the formula for leveraging the difficult conditions into opportunities for greatness. I know that sounds a little “motivationalspeakerish” but I do believe it’s true. Few things get you to BIW (Best in World) in the work you do as working really hard and standing for brilliance in your chosen career. Leadership is all about doing what’s right rather than what’s easy. And what’s right is an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay.

#4. Stay Strong. No point in letting the stress and challenge of these interesting days ruin your health-or break your spirit. Tough times make great leaders. Maintain the champion’s mindset by reading uplifting books, associating with excellent people and making time each day to renew your self. Oh, and take good care of your health. Please. Now isn’t the time to neglect daily exercise. And those who don’t make time for fitness must eventually make time for illness.

It’s a human being who understands – at cellular level – What Dr Martin Luther King Jr meant when he said: “If you have not discovered something you are willing to die for, then you are not fit to live.” This troubled and uncertain world of ours needs more evangelists: human beings doing great things, blessing lives by their actions, making a difference.

Where did most people’s passion for the greatness go? Each of us had it as kids. We wanted to be superheroes, astronauts, poets and painters. We wanted to change the world and stand on mountain tops. Then, as we aged, life began to work on us. Disappointments began to show up and life began to hurt us. We started thinking that and we should not high too big or love too much. It breaks my heart to think about it. But that’s exactly what happens.

You are meant to shine. You are here to find a cause. You are meant to find something that your life will stand for that will consume you, something so beautiful and meaningful that you’d be willing to take a bullet for it. It might mean developing people at work and helping them work to their highest potential. Your cause might involve elevating communities or helping people in need.

When you find the mission that your life will be dedicated to, you’ll wake up each day with that fire in your belly. You won’t want to sleep. You’ll be willing to move mountains to make it happen. You’ll find that sense of internal fulfillment that may now be missing from your life. And you’ll preach that message to anyone who’ll listen. You’ll become an evangelist.

Now here’s the big Idea: They held that belief even when they were not successful.

Greatness is, above all else, a state of mind. You need to believe in your potential and power before you can bring them to life. You need to feel like you are extraordinary.

To see spectacular results in your external life, you have to emotionally viscerally create a blueprint of your vision within your inner life.

One of the best ways to achieve this feeling is to ensure that everything you surround yourself with is at the highest level. In one of the books Bring out the magic in your mind, there is an idea that says, in order to be successful, it’s important to go where the successful people are. Even if you have only $10, go have a coffee at the best restaurant in your city.

Your surroundings shape the way you feel. And the way you feel drives what you do. Feel world class and you’ll behave world class. Invest in the best. Buy the highest quality goods you can possibly afford. Better to buy one superb pair of  shoes than three cheap ones. “Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten.”

If you’re really serious about standing for the best, then surround yourself with the best. Rewarding yourself with good things sends a message to the deepest and highest part of you. One that says “I’m worth it and I deserve it.” this will inspire you to reach even higher, work even harder and be even better.

It’s mostly about refusing to accept anything less than mastery as their standard. All great leaders, serial innovators, successful entrepreneurs and superstar creatives have that ever-present longing deep within their souls to do, be and see something special during their lives. Every single one of them has that fire in their belly.

You could call their insatiable hunger somewhat unhealthy and suggest that such people lack contentment. And you’d be right. The people who have provided us with the genius inventions that make things easier. The scientists who help us live with better health and longer lifespans. The human beings, who have allowed us the chance to witness beautiful art and wonderful music. 

Greatness arrives for those who are never satisfied with what is, no matter how nice it looks. Yes, one must find happiness in life. And we need to enjoy the journey. Many have gone to other extreme. Chassing happiness, inner peace and balance while leaving the natural instinct to create something spectacular at the side of life’s highway like yesterday’s road kill. In doing so, they’ve fallen out of balance. And missed out on one of the main reasons to be alove: to create. To shine. To be great.

Greatness arrives for hose who are never stisfied with what is, no matter how nice it looks. Each day and every day until you take your last breath. Feel like you are comin never that you’ve arrived. Strive for mastery and brilliance and excellence, in all that you do. You’ll join the realm of those rare individuals who reached the end feeling few regrets and little remorse. You’ll delight in the fact that you squeezed out the best from life and played our loud. You’ll feel that true sense of happiness that all of us aspire to but so few of us ever reach.