As a business owner, it’s likely that you receive advice from everyone from your mother to your auto mechanic. Everyone seems to have an opinion about how to assert yourself as a leader, even if they haven’t “been there, done that”. Arguably the best advice comes from folks who have actually walked in your shoes, and who understand, by virtue of their experience, what it takes to grow a business and lead a team successfully. This blog post will share some critical leadership lessons, imparted by five well-known luminaries, all of whom have emerged as leaders in one way or another.
“A good rival is like a mirror.” – Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi is a world renowned tennis pro and public speaker. He regularly faced fierce opponents and rivalry was a part of his day-to-day experience. But in this quote, Agassi communicates an important lesson – that to learn, to grow, and ultimately to succeed, you need to see yourself in your opponent.
“Sometimes you lead by giving power to someone else.” – Brian Grazer
Brian Grazer, an Oscar winning producer, understands that leadership and power are not inextricably linked. As a leader, sometimes, it is critical to delegate, both to free you up to do other things, but also, to learn.
“When the best leader’s work is done, the people say ‘We did it ourselves.’” – Lao Tzu
Ancient Chinese philosopher and writer Lao Tzu recognized that without the investment of one’s constituents, leadership is essentially meaningless. This quote demonstrates that a true leader always elicits a sense of ownership from those he is trying to lead.
“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” – Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs, in his experience as an inventor and founder of Apple, felt strongly that innovation is the ultimate sign of a true leader. While some might disagree, what cannot be disputed is the notion that leadership does require some measure of creativity and out-of-the-box thinking.
“Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill experienced his fair share of failure and disappointment. This quote suggests that in order to be successful, one must not be set back by failure. And in fact, most leaders will tell you that failure presented them with an opportunity to learn and grow.
These pearls of wisdom can all be applied to your business experience, and used to cultivate leadership skills. For more advice on how to grow a winning business from the team of experts at Miller Bernstein, contact us today.
