The Three Foundational Qualities Of A Leader

Today I wantto talk about the Three Foundational Qualities of a Leader taken from the #1 Best Selling book on leadership, Launching A Leadership Revolution by Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward.

Here they are:

- Hungry
- Hone-able
- Honest

All leaders have to have these three qualities. They are very important for someone to reach the leadership status. Why? Well, let's review them real quick…

Foundation Quality Number One - Hungry

Let's look a hunger in general. Have you ever watched the news and they were doing a story on people that live in 3rd world countries who were starving and you see this hunger relief truck backing up to a crowd of these starving people? What happens when one of the relief workers opens up the back of the truck and starts throwing sacks of rice out to the people? The crowd goes crazy! They start pushing, people are getting knocked down, and sometimes fights break out? Why? Because these people are hungry and will do anything it takes to get food in them and totheir families.

As leaders we need to have that same hunger burning inside of us. We need to think of books, leadership audio CDs, and associating with the right people as the food that will satisfy our hunger. We need to believe in ourselves that once we get the right information in our heads we will have the power to make our lives and our family's lives better. That, my friends, is the kind of hunger I am talking about!

You need to find out what is your motivation. There are three levels of motivation that I want to share:

Material Success

This is financial independence and material things. When we position ourselves as a leader we have the opportunityto make a lot of money. Many people get into network marketing, internet marketing, start their own business, investing, etc. because they want material success. They want to pay off their debt, they want to buy a new car, they want to buy a vacation home, they want to travel more, they want a Rolex, etc. So this is the first level of motivation. It's wanting better things for yourself andyour family.

Recognition and Respect

Most people crave the recognition that others provide; apart of human nature is a deep need to be noticed and appreciated by others. It is not secret that everyone needs encouragement. For that reason, recognition by others is another healthy source of motivation.

Some people love to get rewards from their job, while others like to hear that they are doing a great job from their mentors. These and other forms of recognition canand should be used as motivations for performance.

Many people are motivated to obtain the respect of amentor, parent, teacher, boss, or spouse. Yearning for respect can be a strong motivator. So find those whom you admire, who are in a position in life you desire to be in, who are living their lives in a manner you wish to emulate, and strive to obtain their respect for what you are doing and accomplishing.

Purpose, Destiny, Legacy

The motivation factors that we have talked about so far are all great, but purpose takes us our of the realm of living only for ourselves and our own selfish desires, and onto a higher plane. Purpose involves sacrifice for the greater good, contribution for making a bigger difference, and energies directed at a long term view.

Destiny takes purpose further, comprehending the spiritual component. Destiny says that we were created, created for a purpose, and the unique abilities and opportunities that we find in our lives are God-given. Who you are, where you live, the talents you were born with, the opportunities that have and will come your way, are all part of a bigger picture, a picture into which you were painted to fulfill apart that only you can fulfill.

Legacy results from understanding our purpose in the bigger picture of our destiny and living it to its fullest. What we have and what we are given are not as important as what we contribute and what we leave behind. As one famous quote says, "My life is my message."

Foundation Quality Number Two - Hone-able

Next we need to be hone-able which is another word for teachable. Leaders approach situation and challenges with a learner's mind-set, that is, as a student and not as acritic. You have to come with an open mind and ready to learn. Everyone is not on the same plane so there are going to be people that have some leadership experience and know some principles, while others are brand new and want to get out of where they currently are.

So knowing that you haven't "arrived" (HINT: No one ever arrives! We all can strive to do better that what weare currently doing now) and knowing that you want to improve will help you become a leader much faster than someone that constantly questions everything and is tough to work with. Leaders must approach learning with a positive, curious inquisitiveness, and never allow their responsibilities or setbacks to sour their dispositions.

Foundation Quality Number Three - Honorable

Author Jeff O'Leary, in The Centurion Principles, writes,"Honor, encompasses the virtues of integrity and honesty, self-denial, loyalty, and a servant's humility to those in authority above as well as a just and merciful heart to those below." In fact, honor is the force that holds a leader's hunger in check. Without honor, hunger runs rampant and ultimately serves only selfish interests. Honor is the component that makes hunger productive for the leader's fellow man.
This concept of honor is so important to a leader because people will follow a leader only as far as they feel they can trust him. People will not follow a leader they can't trust.

He's an example, if you work for a boss and your boss is coming into work late, going off for very long lunches, and getting caught in lies I am sure that you and your co-workers are not going to respect, follow, or trust him or her. But if your boss is honoring you with his or her actions, you will honor him or her by giving the respect he deserves.

Honor is, I believe, the most important of all three. The reason I believe this is because in order for the hunger and teaching to begin you need to get yourself right first. It has been said, "The internal victories precede the external victories." Having honor means you are a standup person, you're dependable, and people can trust you.

I would like to challenge you to do is to really think if you have the three foundational qualities that a leader needs to have in order to become an effective leader and what your motivating factor(s) are. And if you don't have these three qualities sit down and write out a plan on what steps you need to take in order for you to get there becuase once start thinking with this kind of mindset you will see positive changes in your personal life and professional life.

Enjoy your day!