by Chris Widener
Leadership is a continual process of making to commitments… to oneself, to others, and to the organizations we lead and serve.
With this in mind, here are the commitments an Extraordinary Leader makes:
With a desire to become an Extraordinary Leader, I commit to:
1. Continually pursue personal and professional growth
2. Treating everyone I come in contact with the dignity and respect they deserve
3. Finding the way for as many people as possible to benefit from my decisions and actions
4. Be willing to make and carry out hard decisions without regard to personal expediency
5. The highest level of personal and corporate integrity
6. Tell the truth and be honest, regardless of potential personal loss
7. Think “team” first
8. Finding a person who can mentor me
9. Finding at least one person I can personally mentor
10. Help others discover their strengths and function in them
11. Maintain my priorities and organize my life and work according to them
12. Live a life of balance between work, family, and leisure
13. Pursue balanced growth in body, soul and spirit – understanding that each area affects the others innately
14. Pursue what is best – for myself, my organization, and for others – and not settle for that which is simply “good enough”
15. Do work and live a life that leaves behind a lasting legacy of excellence
16. Build a team to surround me in order to enhance my strengths and make up for my weaknesses
17. Surround myself with people who will tell me the truth and not just what they think I want to hear
18. Become a great listener
19. Be an Extraordinary Follower of those who are my leaders
20. Help others develop their skills
21. Dream big dreams and encourage others to do the same
22. Stretch my followers enough to make them grow but not so much as to discourage them
23. Be driven by vision, mission and purpose, not by circumstances or expediency
24. View the world through optimistic eyes
25. Embrace the concept of change as a positive force for improvement
26. Be responsible in my actions as they relate to my commitments to myself and others
27. Be tenacious in my pursuits
28. Give more than I receive and to be characterized by generosity
29. Show courage in the face of challenge
30. Be an example of dedication and commitment
31. Share the privileges of leadership with those who follow me
32. Give power away to those who can share in it responsibly and help the organization
33. Use both my head and my heart when leading
34. Manage my time according to my priorities
35. Be the first to sacrifice when sacrifice is needed
36. Make all short-term decisions with the long-term goals in mind
37. Develop a successor
38. Develop excellent communication skills
39. Use a variety of means of influence
40. Be the primary strategy setter for the organization
41. Teach others
42. Inspire others
43. Keep my eye on the big picture
44. Making the complex simple
45. Motivate others
46. Consider others as important as myself
47. Identify future leaders
48. Train and develop future leaders
49. Regularly reward accomplishment
50. Allow followers to fail in their attempts at growth and innovation
51. Work leadership development into every level of the organization
52. Have a clear vision
53. Remain calm in difficult situations
54. Keep a sense of humor
55. Remove people from their position as soon as I know they need to go
56. Empathize with others