Notes
#napoleon-hill presented these attributes in chapter 7 - Organized Planning of the book Think and Grow Rich.
The major attributes of leadership:
-
Unwavering courage based upon knowledge of self and one's occupation. No one wants to follow a leader who lacks self-confidence and courage.
-
Self-control. Leaders who cannot rule themselves can never control others. The more intelligent followers will emulate the self-control example of their leaders.
-
A keen sense of justice. Leaders can't command and retain the respect of their followers without a sense of fairness and justice.
-
Definiteness of decision. Leaders who waver in their decisions show that they aren't sure of themselves. As a result, they cannot lead others successfully.
-
Definiteness of plans. The successful leader must plan her work and work her plan. A leader who moves by guesswork without solid and definite plans is like a ship without a rudder.
-
The habit of doing more than paid for. Leadership demands the leaders to do more than they require of their followers.
-
A pleasing personality. Leadership calls for respect. Followers won't respect a leader who does not grade high on all factors of a pleasant personality. Conversely, no slovenly and careless person can become a successful leader.
-
Sympathy and understanding. The successful leader must understand her followers and their problems. (The book used the word "sympathy," but I think "empathy" sounds better.)
-
Mastery of detail. Successful leadership calls for mastery of details of the leader's position.
-
Willingness to assume full responsibility. The successful leader must be willing to assume responsibility for his followers' mistakes and shortcomings. If one of his followers makes a mistake and shows himself incompetent, the leader must consider that it is he who failed.
-
Cooperation. The successful leader must understand and apply the principle of cooperative effort and be able to induce her followers to do the same.