What does Leadership look like?

I stumbled across this early today, the Leadership Traits and Leadership Principles that were ingrained in my mind during my time spent at US Army Officer Candidate School. These traits and principles are true in the Army, the business community and in your personal life. Learn them and live them.

 Leader Traits

1. Bearing

2. Courage

3. Decisiveness

4. Dependability

5. Discipline

6. Endurance

7. Enthusiasm

8. Initiative

9. Integrity

10. Judgment

11. Justice

12. Knowledge

13. Loyalty

14. Tact

15. Teamwork

16. Unselfishness

Leadership Principles

1. Know yourself and seek self-improvement.

2. Be technically and tactically proficient.

3. Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions.

4. Make sound and timely decisions.

5. Set the example.

6. Know your team and look out for their well-being.

7. Keep your team well informed.

8. Develop a sense of responsibility in your subordinates.

9. Ensure that the task is understood, supervised, and accomplished.

10. Train your subordinates as a team.

11. Employ your team in accordance with its capabilities.

12. Set your priorities.

13. Take the initiative.

As we look out upon the landscape of our society in this day and age, many of these principles and characteristics are lacking. It is those who fully adopt and engage their lives based upon these basic values of true leadership are those who will lead us to become more. We should never be satisfied with where we are at and true leadership encourages us into greater growth. The opposite of growth is death and as long as I continue to have breath in my lungs, I will seek to create new growth in my life. Daily reminding myself the traits and principles that were drilled into my head are those lessons that last for a lifetime.