{"id":12894,"date":"2020-09-03T09:00:59","date_gmt":"2020-09-03T07:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/my-life.lu\/?p=12894"},"modified":"2026-02-09T15:04:42","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T14:04:42","slug":"the-10-rules-of-leadership-56035","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/my-life.lu\/en\/the-10-rules-of-leadership-56035\/","title":{"rendered":"The 10 rules of leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"

We see them on the covers of magazines wherever we go. We admire them, we envy them… and we want to know what they\u2019ve got that we don\u2019t. In the business world, they embody a new kind of management, and are challenging traditional ideas of what a manager should be. There\u2019s no doubt about it, everyone wants to lead! But is there a secret to stepping into (and filling) a leader\u2019s shoes?<\/p>\n

When it comes to leadership, everyone has their own ideas and secret formulas. Now, myLIFE has prepared its 10\u00a0rules for becoming a leader. But beware, our guide may sound quite different (and a great deal less fun) than what you\u2019ve heard elsewhere. By learning about the behaviours and effort required, you\u2019ll get an idea of why leaders are so rare, and why remaining a leader is even rarer.<\/p>\n

Leadership requires a huge amount of discipline, planning, out-of-the-box vision, and a whole lot of work. A leader draws inspiration from others without trying to be a clone, and they don\u2019t hide\u00a0\u2013 even when they fail. They\u2019ll surround themselves with the best and brightest, or lift those around them up, knowing that the work is never done. At best, they\u2019ll acknowledge having reached a milestone, only to dive right back into striving towards their greater goals. But before we look at all this, let\u2019s not forget that, in a way, you\u2019re already a leader\u00a0\u2013 believe it or not!<\/p>\n

You\u2019re a leader!<\/h2>\n

Larousse defines a leader as someone in a group who takes the most initiative, guides other members and takes command. In this sense, a leader is the one at the forefront, whom others choose to follow. But if we broaden this definition a little, we could say that a leader is someone who exerts influence, and who acts as a role model for the behaviour of others. Under this new definition, we\u2019re all leaders. No matter who you are, you have an influence over others, whether good or bad: your family, your friends, your colleagues, the people you meet in the street, etc.<\/p>\n

Being aware of your influence over others, and that there\u2019s no such thing as a neutral stance when it comes to behaviour, is the first step towards becoming a better leader. This means all of us are leaders\u00a0\u2013 but not everyone knows this or acts on it. In the same vein, even though almost everyone wants to lead, very few people are ready to do what it takes. We\u2019re not born leaders; we become them, as long as we have the right attitude.<\/p>\n

The first step towards becoming a better leader is to accept that you are the master of your own journey.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

1. To lead with integrity, you\u2019ll first need to master yourself<\/h2>\n

The first step towards becoming a better leader is to accept that you are the master of your own journey. Self-mastery means being free to make your own decisions, but also being aware that you\u2019re responsible for your choices and holding yourself accountable to others. We can only lead others by first mastering ourselves, and this requires integrity. What is integrity?<\/p>\n

On a personal level, while ethics can be defined as your concept of right and wrong, your morality is the way you behave (what you actually do). Integrity is the meeting of your ethics and morals. A leader is a person of integrity, who doesn\u2019t just talk the talk, but also walks the walk.<\/p>\n

2. Keep learning and stay humble<\/h2>\n

Being a leader means being open enough to explore new ways of doing things. The key here isn\u2019t doubt or constant second-guessing. It\u2019s humility. Doubt obviously has its role to play, but to make progress we need to accept that we don\u2019t know everything, and that we too have more to learn, and not just lessons to teach.<\/p>\n

Being humble doesn\u2019t mean being self-deprecating or hanging one\u2019s head\u00a0\u2013 it just means being able to see ourselves as we are. A willingness to learn also helps us recognise our shortcomings and mistakes, which enables us to improve. When you fail, remember that only mediocre people perform at a constant level, and that the only people who never make mistakes are those who never try anything new. To fit into a leader\u2019s shoes, you\u2019ve got to stay open to learning new things, and new ways of doing things.<\/p>\n

3. Stay focused and work\u2026 a lot<\/h2>\n

To become a leader, you have to work hard. And the only way to realise the value of hard work is to do a\u00a0lot of it. Be systematic: focus on specific objectives that will help turn one clear vision into a reality, not multiple visions at once. Otherwise, your attention will be divided, and a good leader can\u2019t afford to maintain focus on more than one large-scale project at a time. There may be multiple objectives, but they should always be in pursuit of the same ultimate goal.<\/p>\n

In Outliers: the Story of Success published in 2008, Malcolm Gladwell suggests that a person needs to work for at least 10,000 hours before they achieve excellence in their field. But it\u2019s not just about the number of hours. It\u2019s also the way you work. First, gain a solid foundation, then get inspired by the very best and try to follow their lead. A leader is in charge of the overall vision, but they\u2019re not afraid to surround themselves and be constantly challenged by those with even more to offer. This is the secret to success.<\/p>\n

4. Aim higher<\/h2>\n

A leader wants to shoot for the moon, step outside the box and challenge the status\u00a0quo. No one needs a leader to take them places they already know. Even working to keep good things as they are isn\u2019t enough. Leaders have to aim higher, better, different. It\u2019s better to aim for the moon, miss, and land among the stars than to shoot for the top of a tree and make it.<\/p>\n

In pursuit of their vision, a leader sets out without looking back, paying no mind to criticism from onlookers. They do this by drawing on their strengths, rather than putting all their energy into correcting their weaknesses. Put at least 80% of your energy into building on your strengths, and no more than 20% into working on your weaknesses. And if a shortcoming is too big to overcome, surround yourself with people who can correct it for you.<\/p>\n

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5. Know how to sell your vision<\/h2>\n

Who are you more likely to follow? People who inspire you! You can\u2019t lead alone\u00a0\u2013 you need someone to follow you. But even if inspired by your vision, they\u2019ll also need to understand where they fit into the bigger picture. Learn how to show them the indispensable role they\u2019ll play in helping you turn your vision into a reality. If you treat them like mere operators, the result is likely to be mixed. People need to know why they\u2019re doing what they\u2019re doing. Make it clear what part they\u2019re playing, and value their future contribution. A leader needs to know how to sell their vision if they want to get the best out of their team.<\/p>\n

6. Seek excellence, not control<\/h2>\n

You\u2019re right to strive for excellence, but avoid micro-managing under the pretext that you\u2019re the only one who can recognise it. We\u2019ll say it again: don’t be afraid to surround yourself with people who are better at what they do than you are. While a passion for excellence pushes you to go above and beyond, a passion for power encourages the status\u00a0quo. And control presents two big risks for a leader:<\/p>\n