Best Leadership Advice: Business Success Secrets from 7 Top Leaders

Fortune magazine once published an article entitledHe was talking about four skills:
"The Best Advice I Ever Got." It was a great- The ability to develop an idea
article that offered wit and wisdom about- Effectively plan for its implementation
achieving business success. I liked it so much, that- Execute second-to-none
it motivated me to produce my newest book,- Achieve superior results time after time.
Leadership—Best Advice I Ever Got, whichWith this in mind, Kennedy advises readers to
describes the best leadership advice 136seek jobs and opportunities with this in mind.
successful CEOs, coaches, consultants, professors,Forget what others do. Work to be known for
managers, executives, presidents, politicians, anddelivering excellence. It speaks for itself and it
religious leaders received that most helped themopens doors.
become effective and successful leaders.5. Be curious
Here are 7 secrets to leadership success:Curiosity is a prerequisite to continuous
1. Leadership is about making things happenimprovement and even excellence. The person
If you want to make something happen with yourwho gave Mary Jean Thornton, Former Executive
life - in school, in your profession or in yourVice President & CIO, The Travelers this advice
community, do it. Perceived obstacles crumbleurged her to study people, processes, and
against persistent desire. John Baldoni, Author,structures. He inspired her to be intellectually
Leadership Communication Consultant and Foundercurious. He often reminded Thornton that making
of Baldoni Consulting LLC, shared this advice thatprogress, in part, was based upon thinking. She
had come from his father, a physician. He taughthas learned to apply this notion of intellectual
him the value of persistence. At the same time,curiosity by thinking about her organization's
his mother taught him compassion for others.future, understanding the present, and knowing
Therefore, persistence for your cause should notand challenging herself to creatively move the
be gained at the expense of others. Another bitpeople and the organization closer to its vision.
of leadership wisdom!6. Listen to both sides of the argument
2. Listen and understand the issue, then leadThe most valuable advice Brian P. Lees,
Time and time again we have all been told, "GodMassachusetts State Senator and Senate Minority
gave us two ears and one mouth for aLeader ever received came from his mentor,
reason"...or as Stephen Covey said..."Seek toUnited States Senator Edward W. Brooke III. He
understand, rather than be understood." As atold him to listen to all different kinds of people
leader, listening first to the issue, then trying toand ideas. Listening only to those who share your
coach, has been the most valuable advice thatbackground and opinions can be imprudent. It is
Cordia Harrington, President and CEO ofimportant to respect your neighbors' rights to
Tennessee Bun Company has been given.their own views. Listening to and talking with a
3. Answer the three questions everyone withinvariety of people, from professors to police
your organization wants answers toofficers, from senior citizens to schoolchildren, is
What the people of an organization want fromessential not only to be a good leader in business,
their leader are answers to the following: Wherebut to also be a valuable member within your
are we going? How are we going to get there?community.
What is my role? Kevin Nolan, President & Chief7. Prepare, prepare, prepare
Executive Officer of Affinity Health Systems, Inc.If you fail to prepare, you are preparing to fail. If
believes the more clarity that can be added toone has truly prepared and something goes
each of the three questions, the better the result.wrong the strength of the rest of what you've
4. Master the goals that will allow you to workprepared for usually makes this something easier
anywhere in today's dynamic business worldto handle without crisis and panic. One of the best
Debbe Kennedy, President, CEO and Founder ofpieces of advice Dave Hixson, Men's Varsity
Global Dialogue Center and Leadership SolutionsBasketball Coach at Amherst College has ever
Companies, and author of Action Dialogues andreceived and continues to use and pass on is this
Breakthrough once shared this piece of adviceanonymous quote—"Preparation is the science
that was instrumental in shaping her direction,of winning."
future and achievements.Along with this are two expressions from Rick
She was a young manager at IBM just promotedPitino's book Success is a Choice, which speaks to
to her first staff assignment in a regionalpreparation. Hixson asks his teams every year:
marketing office. For reasons she can't explain,"Do you deserve to win?" and "Have you done
one of her colleagues named Bookie called herthe work?" This speaks to the importance of
into his office while she was visiting his location. Hepreparation toward achieving your final goal. If you
then began to offer unsolicited advice, but advicehaven't done the work (preparation) the answer
that now stays fresh in her mind. He mentionedto the second question is an easy "no!"
that jobs, missions, titles and organizations wouldGreat advice comes from many sources -
come and go as business is dynamic-- meaning itparents, other relatives, consultants, bosses,
is always changing. He advised her not to focusco-workers, mentors, teachers, coaches, and
your goals toward any of these, but instead learnfriends. The important point to remember is to
to master the skills that will allow you to workstay open, listen to everyone, but also develop
anywhere.your own leadership style.