The 'Quintessence' that drives extraordinary Leaders

Have you ever noticed that great leaders are driven by a 'je-ne-sais-quoi'?

In fact, great leaders, visionary entrepreneurs and successful people seem to have a unique quality or essence which sets them apart.

1. The late Steve Jobs was literally obsessed by 'Simplicity'. He transformed Apple into the most valuable company in the world by leveraging on the power of simplicity - driving simplicity in their products, processes, adverts and structure.
2. Late Tony Hsieh, the Founder of online retailer Zappos was focused on 'Delivering Happiness'. He was driven to create happy employees, happy customers and happy communities around him.
3. Innovative Entrepreneur Elon Musk is driven by 'Bold Visions'. His ventures SpaceX, Hyperloop and Tesla are a means for him to embody and realize bold visions which will advance humanity in a more sustainable future.
4. Serial entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson (founder of Virgin) is driven by a simple motto 'Screw it, let's do it'. His constant leaps of faith and taking risks head on, all with humor, have made of him one of the most admired entrepreneurs in the world.
5. Jeff Bezos (founder of Amazon) believes in 'Relentless Progress'. His relentless focus on efficiency, higher standards and constant improvement have transformed Amazon from a garage start up to the biggest online store in the world.
6. Vishen Lakhiani (founder of edutech company Mindvalley), strongly believes in 'Think Big & Take Massive Action'. This is what drives him on a mission to raise the consciousness of people around the world by transforming education.
7. Billionaire Jack Ma (founder of AliBaba) is driven by an unflinching spirit of 'Never give up on your dreams'. Early in his career, he applied for 30 different jobs and was rejected by all; he applied 10 times to study at Harvard and was rejected at all times. Undeterred, he kept trying hard by thinking differently & learning each time.

And the list goes on! You might say that these people all took a leap of faith to be entrepreneurs and rode the wave of luck while also working hard.

In my humble opinion, what is common to these business leaders (along with many other accomplished people), is the clarity with which they focus their mind, energy and actions on.

It is like their whole 'Being' is infused with ONE core element which drives them with a laser focus. Call it Clarity of Focus, Unique Motto or Core Essence, I call it 'Leader's Quintessence'.

In philosophy, Quintessence refers to the fifth element – after air, earth, fire and water – proposed by the ancient Greeks to describe a sublime substance.

• Your 'Leader's Quintessence' is what sets you apart from the rest.
• Your 'Leader's Quintessence' is what drives you continuously on a daily basis.
• Your 'Leader's Quintessence' is the state of being which defines how you show up everyday.

At first glance, this might look too simple to be true. But it's not that simple. In fact, when I started working on defining my own quintessence, I struggled at first to distill all that I stand for and what drives me into one single expression.

As Steve Jobs showed us - in simplicity lies artistry. But to reach that level of simplicity requires mastery. After much thought and introspection, here is how I would define my quintessence as a leader:

'Clarity with Compassion' - whatever I do is driven by having a clear mind supported by actions coming from a space of sincerity and compassion for self & others. This fully resonates with whom I am, what I stand for and how I do what I do on a daily basis. It also acts as my compass helping me stay aligned and on track.

So, how would you define your own 'Quintessence as a Leader'?