Today's Leadership Insight - Possession of Strong Beliefs

August 20th, 2009

Recently, I was fortunate enough to be amongst thousands of people who listened to former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani speak about leadership. The next six Leadership Insights will elaborate on Giuliani's Six Most Important Leadership Principles.

Part 1 of 6: The Possession of Strong Beliefs

How well do you know your goals? More importantly, how strongly do you believe in them and how much do you live them on a daily basis?

Without direction, it's impossible to reach a destination. Therefore, in life and in business, you can never reach the destination of success if you don't know how to get there. You'll wander aimlessly looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, and even if you find it, you won't know it because you never defined what you were looking for in the first place.

Defining success is something you can decide on your own terms. Most equate success with money, but the smartest leaders realize that money is simply ink on paper. It's the lifestyle you are able to lead that comes from that money that truly defines your success.

Your goals can be small, they can be large. They can be simplistic, they can be farfetched. The accomplishment of these goals may be attainable tomorrow or seem light years away. But no fruits are sweeter than the fruits of victory, and accomplishing any goal you set for yourself allows you bask in the afterglow of personal victory.

It's important to own your goals, no matter what they are. You may want to spend more time with your family, go grocery shopping on a weekday when it's not as busy, use weekdays to take your family on vacations or the park, not fight stacks of traffic to get a job you despise, or stop trading in your precious time for miniscule wages.

It doesn't matter what the goals are as long as you believe in them with all your might. You have to know what you want to accomplish and take action to make it reality!

Your goals define your WHY. They give you purpose and direction. They act as your GPS on your journey to success.

Leaders fully believe in their purpose and let nothing stop them from reaching the goals they've set. They lead with ideas and don't say what everyone WANTS to hear...they say what everyone NEEDS to hear.

People look for genuine leadership, and it's easy to provide it for them when you firmly believe in the goals you want to accomplish. Strong belief in all facets of life, business, and leadership is infectious, and I promise if you commit to your goals 100%, those who follow you will do the same.

Today, re-evaluate your goals and think about how strong your efforts have been to reach those goals. If you're on track, keep pouring your efforts into into getting the results you desire. If you're off, choose today to be the day you re-dedicate yourself to turning your dreams and visions into 100% reality!


Part 2 in this series will cover why leaders must be optimists. Tune in on Friday!