as in the past

https://blog.taskque.com/leadership/
 COMMANDER’S VISION
Once upon a time, an army lost its way into the forest. As the chill in the
air turned to debilitating frost, it seemed unlikely that the soldiers would
survive the night. Devoid of hope, emaciated, and freezing to death, they
did not know what to do and where to turn to.
This is when their commander brandished the map tucked inside his
kitbag and outlined the route they have to take and marched briskly
towards it. After reaching the camp safely, all the soldiers were amazed to
see that the map didn’t even refer to the location they had arrived at. The
vision of the commander helped him take the reins and lead the troops
out of trouble.
No matter how times may change, some things are immortal. Here are
some golden rules of leadership that are still as pertinent today as they
were centuries ago.
10 Golden rules of leadership
1) Set an Example for Others to Follow
2) There are no Shortcuts to Success
3) Cultivate Collaboration
4) Swap Fame with Change
5) Have a Vision and Plan
6) Keep Learning and Developing
7) Personal Integrity and Character Never go amiss
8) Overcome Obstacles with Determination
9) Give Credit, Don’t Take It Away
10) Prepare Future Leaders
 “Lead from the front
but do not leave your base behind.”
Nelson Mandela

1. Set an Example for Others to Follow

Leaders possess a common leadership trait of setting an example for
others to follow.
They are not one to shout out orders comfortably from behind their desks.
Good leaders do not tell you what to do;
they show you how it is done.
When followers see you getting your hands dirty, they buy into your vision
and get the much-needed inspiration to achieve the unthinkable
 2. There are no Shortcuts to Success
Nobody can become a successful leader overnight without much effort, it’s
time to come to from your trance.
The road to successful leadership passes through pits and thorny paths.
Nelson Mandela had to spend 27 years of his life in prison and still managed
to liberate South Africa’s population from the chains of racism and slavery.
Leadership success depends on how many times you can bounce back
from setbacks and failures.
Do not get bogged down by the hardships that befall your path.
Instead, use them as a source of motivation and inspiration to push harder.
 “If everyone is moving forward together,
success takes care of itself.”
Henry Ford

3. Cultivate Collaboration
No matter how good you are at what you do, you cannot achieve everything on
your own.
You need a team which is united for a common cause and gels in together to work
towards the achievement of that common objective.
Create an environment that fosters collaboration and enhances team cohesion.
The better your team collaborates with each other, the easier it will be to achieve
your goals.
Keep a close eye on anything that could decimate your team cohesion and
eliminate it before it takes root.
With a host of digital tools such as an online task management software and
collaboration tools, you can easily keep all your team members on the same page.
 “Progress is impossible without change,
and those who cannot change their minds
cannot change anything.”
George Bernard Shaw

4. Swap Fame with Change

Change is the only constant and you cannot afford to overlook it as a leader.
Unfortunately, modern leaders chase after fame, which somehow eludes their grasp.
Instead, they should embrace it with open arms.
You might have to contend with resistance from your team when you try to implement
changes, therefore, you should start with yourself before letting it trickle down to
others.
M. A. Jinnah never chased fame and always focused on serving humanity and
awakening the Muslims to strive for independence.
He summed it up brilliantly when he said, “You must be the change that you wish
to see in the world.”
When your followers see you adapt to change, it will be much easier for you to
convince them to follow in your wake.
 “Leadership is the capacity to translate
vision into reality.”
Warren Bennis

5. Have a Vision and Plan

Vision is what differentiates a leader from a follower.
A good leader comes with a clear vision and persuades others to believe
in it as well with the same passion.
Having a vision will not guarantee you success until you have a solid plan
and strategy to turn your vision into reality.
As Benjamin Franklin put it, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”
Combine your vision with a plan of action and you will get one-step closer
to converting your vision into reality.
 “Once you stop learning, you start dying”
Albert Einstein

6. Keep Learning and Developing

Even if someone have reached the pinnacle of your career, it does not
mean that he know everything and can stop learning.
Great leaders incorporate hours of deliberate learning in their daily
schedule.
There is always room for some improvement, no matter how good the
results might be.
By staying in the learning mode all the time, we can reach our true
potential and also inspire our followers.
Instead of being a rigid leader, we are better off with a more progressive
mindset in order to succeed as a front-runner in today’s dynamic world.
7. Personal Integrity & Character Never Go Amis
A great leader never asks his followers to follow, but followers do so
out of sheer respect and free will.

It is the impeccable character and the charismatic personality of a

leader that pulls followers like a magnet.

Character and integrity are two qualities that define great leaders.

They never compromise on it even if they have to suffer due to it.

As Orrin Woodward puts it,

“Leaders always choose the harder right rather than the easier wrong.”
 “When the going gets tough,
the tough gets going.”

8. Overcome Obstacles with Determination

A good leader is well aware of this fact, which is why they are the embodiment
of unflinching determination.
Jack Ma is one such role model. His life was dotted with failures but his “never
say die attitude” and resolute determination helped him become the richest
man in China.
Followers look up to their leaders, and if they find leaders struggling to cope up
with difficult circumstances, it can demoralize their spirits.
On the contrary, if the leader shows resolve and never gives up, it will breathe
new life and energy into followers.
 “Someone who takes a little more than
his share of the blame, a little less
than his share of credit.”
Arnold H Glasgow

9. Give Credit, Don’t Take It Away

As a leader, he should be the first one to recognize, appreciate and

reward his followers instead of hoarding praise.
This helps to keep them motivated and inspired.
On the other hand, if he take all the credit for their efforts, it can send
negative vibes to his followers.
They eventually start to lose interest in leader’s vision and refrain from
giving their best, since they know their works will never be accredited
to their names.
 10. Prepare Future Leaders
It is the duty of a good leader to pass on the torch and nurture
future leaders from the team so that the good work continues.

Identify people that have the potential to be future leaders and

assign them leadership roles to gauge how they take on.

Leader’s legacy will never die if he prepare a leader that picks up

from where leader has left off and takes his mission forward.
 The difference Leaders & Management
LEADERSHIP MANAGEMENT
Coping with change Coping with complexity
1. Set Direction 1. Plan and Budget
What are we
setting out to Develop a vision and strategies to Develop detailed steps and
do? achieve that vision; setting high timetables and allocate
but reasonable standards resources
2. Align People 2. Organize & Staffing

How do we Communicating direction to Establish a structure to achieve

deliver results? influence creation of teams and the plan; delegate authority and
coalitions that understand vision provide policies and procedures
and strategy
3. Motivate, Mentor, Inspire 3. Control & Problem Solving
What do we
make it happen? Energizing people to develop and Monitor and organize
overcome barriers to change
4. Produce Predictability &
4. Produce Change
Order
How do we
deliver results? Often to a dramatic degree, such Consistently achieve budgets
as cultivating new services and and targets
new approaches
 The difference Leaders & Management
LEADERSHIP MANAGEMENT
Coping with change Coping with complexity
1. Set Direction 1. Plan and Budget
What are we
setting out to Develop a vision and strategies to Develop detailed steps and
do? achieve that vision; setting high timetables and allocate
but reasonable standards resources
2. Align People 2. Organize & Staffing

How do we Communicating direction to Establish a structure to achieve

deliver results? influence creation of teams and the plan; delegate authority and
coalitions that understand vision provide policies and procedures
and strategy
3. Motivate, Mentor, Inspire 3. Control & Problem Solving
What do we
make it happen? Energizing people to develop and Monitor and organize
overcome barriers to change
4. Produce Predictability &
4. Produce Change
Order
How do we
deliver results? Often to a dramatic degree, such Consistently achieve budgets
as cultivating new services and and targets
new approaches
 What Leaders Really Do
John P. Kotter

They don’t make plans;

they don’t solve problems;
they don’t even organize people.

What leaders really do

is prepare organizations
for change and help them cope
as they struggle through it.