8 principles of effective and disciplined leadership

8 principles of effective and disciplined leadership--If consistently developed and improved upon--can enable any person to become more influential. Our challenge as leaders is to continually self-evaluate to see what we proactively can do to develop and enhance these qualities within ourselves.

1) Discipline:

It is the Foundation Everything Is Built On. Discipline is not motivation. Motivation comes and goes. Discipline does not. At Pinnacle Performance Coaching, discipline is the foundation—the bedrock that everything else stands on. Without it, strength fades. Goals drift. Standards slip. With it, everything changes. Discipline is the decision to execute when you don’t feel like it. It’s showing up when it’s inconvenient. It’s holding the line when no one is watching. Most people believe discipline is about intensity. It’s not.It’s about consistency. The man who trains when he’s tired. The leader who tells the truth when it’s uncomfortable.The individual who chooses long-term growth over short-term comfort.That’s discipline.

2) Service

The effective leader exemplifies service, self-giving, and selflessness. The core purpose of coming to work every day in a disciplined way is to serve, to give our complete attention and effort toward developing and enhancing the abilities and interests of others. Our primary objective is to motivate others to work to their greatest potential and ensuring professional and compassionate service to those around us. Always strive to give of ourselves toward a greater good with the highest work ethic possible.

3) Honesty

Honesty is essential in both our personal and professional lives. Those who work for us depend upon our honesty with them in guiding their development and providing objective, constructive feedback on their work performance. Leaders’ written and oral communications must always be honest and forthright, without ever hiding or minimizing anything from those we work for and never undercutting their authority. Most important, leaders must be honest with themselves, honestly evaluating areas for growth and personal development.

Honesty also means having the courage to professionally tell your commanders your opinions when you believe they have done or are about to do something not in the best interest of their position or that of the department. Such honest communication is essential in a healthy organization.

4) Integrity

Developing and demonstrating integrity is essential for leadership. Integrity depends on consistently doing what is right, meaning that which is in the best interest of the organization and of others. When others see that our motives are geared toward their own growth and development and in serving the purpose of the organization before any thought for ourselves, then they readily will trust and follow us.

5) Humility

Humility is a most vital principle in effective leadership. True humility is the quality of always looking for ways to learn from others and improve ourselves. Humility allows others to feel comfortable to come to us with ideas and initiative. Humble leaders actively seek the thoughts and advice of others and look for ways to use ideas from others to make the organization more dynamic and responsive to the needs of the employees and the public. Humble leaders must realize that the organization will be there long after they leave, and it is essential for them to develop the experience and expertise of those around them.

6) Purpose

Effective managers must find ways to tap into the understanding and core beliefs of their employees to get them to identify with the central purpose and nobility of our work. Through frequent and personal interaction with employees, managers can find ways to pass on our passion for the purpose of our work and enable our subordinates to define within themselves a basic understanding of the importance of what we do and how we have the potential to affect so many lives for the good. Getting employees to understand that there is no more noble work than protecting and serving the public well is vital for effective management.

7) Mentoring

If they are not looking constantly for ways to mentor and develop clients, leaders are not truly leading. Leaders have a duty and responsibility to pass on all that they possibly can to those they lead. Effective leaders know how much they are in debt to so many people for their own development, and each has the moral duty to teach and develop others in return. The more leaders can teach and mentor others, the more effective they will become. The effective leader’s most persistent endeavor is to find ways to guide, develop, teach, train, and provide experience for those they lead.

8) Trust

Effective leaders need to trust their clients. Initiative is crippled when they do not. And, without initiative, a relationship becomes stagnant and unproductive. Through delegation, follow-through, and setting reasonable and clear performance expectations, leaders can mentor and develop their clients while giving them the trust that everyone needs to feel. The more a client feels trusted, the more they will take the initiative and work harder for their goals.

Conclusion

Effective leaders should be persistently looking within themselves to honestly evaluate how they can work pro-actively to develop each of these principles of leadership. Effective leaders always look for ways to learn from others and to actively train and develop them to become future leaders of the organization. Through the cultivation of an attitude of service, selflessness, giving, and discipline to our core purpose as leaders, we can learn how to become more influential with our clients and to guide them in providing the most effective life and reach their pinnacle performance.