Leaders With "P,O.W.E.R."

By Jim Dawson

Willingness-to do things differently, to persevere, to help others, to do what's right, to learn new skills, and to acknowledge greatness in others expands your ability to influence and empower the people around you.

Are leaders born or made? If they are made, can anyone become a good leader?

If you want to become an effective leader, or if you are in a leadership role and want to heighten your team's productivity, what can you do? How can you become the kind of leader that people look up to, tum to, go the extra mile for, and rely on to get things done?

The answer? Look to the leaders you admire and learn to do what they do. Study the characteristics they have in common and make their habits your own.

Primarily, good leaders have personal P.O.W.E.R., whether they are conscious of it or not. This doesn't mean they lead by telling people what to do, although they might. Having personal power means having mastery of self, it means mastering certain behaviors and attitudes that, as a natural consequence, draw to you the people, talent, and opportunities you need to succeed. If you have a well developed sense of personal power, by definition you are in a leadership role and you are a role model to those around you.

Developing your personal power takes work and it's a life-long commitment. But every triumph along the way will bring you satisfaction, opportunity, and a step closer to being the best leader you can be.

Here are five behaviors that are guaranteed to P.O.W.E.R. up your leadership abilities.

Positive approach-in thought, word, emotion, expression, and posture. Maintaining a positive approach energizes you, keeps you ready for new challenges, and strengthens your ability to manage change.

Openness-to new ideas and people. Exposing yourself to all kinds of people and philosophies, and being knowledgeable on many subjects, increases your versatility and ability to see new possibilities.

Employing-tact, common courtesies, sincerity, tolerance, humor, hope, and patience earns you respect and increases your ability to attract the right people at the right time.

Remembering - your purpose. Knowing yourself, being honest with yourself, doing your best, and believing in who you are enhances your ability to inspire higher performance in others.

When you think of the leaders you admire at work, in political, religious, or social arenas, what score would you give them on a scale of 1 to 10 in terms of having personal power? What score would you give yourself? If you want to grow as a leader and increase your sphere of influence, you must continually find ways to nurture and strengthen your personal power. Research shows that true leadership is a learned ability. Therefore, you can, with deliberate intent, master

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