\n\tJim Collins\u2019 \u201cGood to Great\u201d is one of the bestselling business books ever written, and it deserves to be so. As such, I want to focus on what Collins and his team of researchers discovered about the leaders of the world\u2019s most successful companies while also sharing some thoughts on leadership from my own new book, \u201cMark of an Eagle\u2014How Your Life Changes the World.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tCollins states: \u201cOne of the most damaging trends in recent history is the tendency (especially by boards of directors) to select dazzling, celebrity leaders.\u201d In more than two-thirds of the companies Collins and his team studied, they discovered that \u201cthe presence of a gargantuan personal ego contributed to the demise or continued mediocrity of the company.\u201d In the companies that demonstrated sustained success over a long period of time, the leaders were described as \u201ca study in duality: modest and willful, humble and fearless.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tDETERMINING INFLUENCE<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tIn a world where there appears to be some confusion about what makes an effective leader, this is worthy of reflection. My intention is not to denounce the value of charisma\u2014it is a wonderful asset to have\u2014unless it is partnered with a lack of character\u2014the moral compass that provides clear direction for what is right and what is wrong.<\/p>\n \n\tGreat leadership is ultimately about competence and influence. What determines influence\u2014the ability to gain others\u2019 commitment to the shared mission and goals of the organization?<\/p>\n \n\tPeople follow leaders they believe in\u2014 who demonstrate values with which they align. The leader is experienced as a person who has the individual\u2019s and team\u2019s best interests at heart\u2014it is evidenced in the fundamental integrity of the leader\u2019s actions. Influential leaders know they cannot change others, only themselves. Being influential, therefore, is not about what we learn to do to <\/em>others but what we learn to be for<\/em> others\u2014consistently becoming the kind of person others want to follow.<\/p>\n \n\tCHOOSING RIGHT ACTION<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tThe \u201cBhagavad Gita\u201d is a book that has been influential in my life. It is the foundation of the Hindu spiritual tradition.<\/p>\n \n\tAt the risk of oversimplifying this ancient masterpiece, there is one teaching worth calling out. It is referred to as right action. Right action is the commitment to our actions always being attuned to what we know and believe to be right.<\/p>\n \n\tRight action considers the effect our actions have on others and prescribes that we never act in a way that would intentionally harm others. In a pressure-packed, performance-oriented world, choosing right action every day is not easy. The outcomes of right action may not appear, at first glance, to be in our best interests. Right action is often a courageous decision because it might mean taking a stand for what is honest and just.<\/p>\n \n\tIn \u201cGood to Great,\u201d Jim Collins uses the term, \u201cLevel 5 Leadership,\u201d to define the pinnacle of influential leadership. Within that definition, he states: \u201c[Great leaders] act with quiet, calm determination and rely principally on inspired standards, not inspiring charisma, to motivate.\u201d And in the Stephen Mitchell translation of the \u201cBhagavad Gita,\u201d we read: \u201cWhatever a great man does, ordinary people will do; whatever standard he sets, everyone will follow.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tDavid McNally is the founder of TransForm Corporation, a business speaker, and a member of the Speakers Hall of Fame. He is the author of several best-selling books, \u201cEven Eagles Need a Push,\u201d \u201cThe Eagle\u2019s Secret,\u201d and \u201cBe Your Own Brand.\u201d His latest book is \u201cMark of an Eagle\u2014How Your Life Changes the World.\u201d Companies such as Amtrak, Apple Autos, Delta Air Lines, and the Walt Disney Imagineers are among those that have embraced TransForm\u2019s work. For more information, visit: www.transformcorp.com and www.markofaneagle.com.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \n\tBeing influential is not about what we learn to do to others but what we learn to be for others\u2014consistently becoming the kind of person others want to follow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[24],"class_list":{"0":"post-11112","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-magazine","7":"tag-last-word","8":"magazine_issues-september-2018"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n