Find the time….

I have enjoyed interviewing several people in the Pittsburgh region about their take on leadership. It has been very interesting and these exceptional people have taught me a lot. A couple of themes are shining through with all of them – the idea that great leaders take the time to reflect about their experiences to improve their performance or correct what they can do next time. They also embrace continuous improvement. They’re not complacent or satisfied with “where they are” even if they’re very successful. They want to get better and better and continue to improve themselves and the world.

We know that leaders aren’t afraid of taking risks– actually they’re more afraid of not taking risks – their curiosity spurs them on and they let their mistakes inform how they proceed. They also know that there will be nay-sayers and people who don’t like them for trying to move forward and often aggressively “put them down”. Though the nay-sayers are inevitable, they don’t deter great leaders moving on with their vision and passion.

One of the outstanding leaders I interviewed said EQ was more important than IQ in great leaders. They are aware of themselves, their strengths, feelings, limits and weaknesses and have a high capacity for empathy and curiosity. They have passion and research tells us that truly great leaders are really happy people!

After hearing today on NPR a segment called “The Death of American Leadership”, interviewing these remarkable people has given me hope and a lot to think about.