28 Jun How to Be A Great Leader: Lessons from Jeremy Johnson
Great leaders share certain qualities: a clear vision, an appetite for inspiration and versatility. Jeremy Johnson, president of undergraduate programs at the online education company 2U, wrote about these traits in an article about how leaders can ‘get unstuck.‘ The qualities he described form a strategy for addressing insecurities and pressures that arise as leaders build companies in a tough economy.
Richard Branson – Virgin
Clear Vision
Today’s great ideas are yesterday’s impossible dreams. Don’t let anyone tell you what’s impossible. Continue to take steps towards success, and soon you’ll start to encounter people who smack their foreheads and say, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Leaders are the ones that others follow, so of course you’ll see the destination before anyone else. Trust your vision.
Be Inspired
Steve Jobs – Apple
Never stop learning and asking questions. There are lessons and sources of inspiration everywhere you go. Talk to the person who sells you lunch. Read the ads on the subway. Look at what consumers need and want, and determine if you could provide those products or services. Allow your employees, colleagues and your cab driver to inspire you and provide insights into their world. Great leaders closely observe the way business is changing and use it to their advantage.
Versatility
Reed Hastings – Netflix
Not so long ago, the only way to get a degree was to go to a brick-and-mortar college building with professors and a lovely grassy campus. Remember when the best way to watch a movie was a VHS from Blockbuster? Leaders are primed and ready for change. They know that the ‘best way’ can evolve in a short span of time. To lead effectively, you must be ready to embrace and even initiate change.
Do you have some of these qualities, or all three?
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