Top Star Magazine: Self Improvement: Great Leaders Seek ...

Although I have often given seminars and written articles on the importance of leaders being independent and self- confident, and willing to speak out and take a stand, true and effective leadership only comes about when a leader is both willing and able to deal effectively with those with differing opinions. This can come about either through an adversarial relationship, or through a willingness to compromise (without selling out one?s ideals). There is often a fine line between being inflexible and far too willing to compromise, and the perfection of the concept of productive compromise may, in fact, be one of the most essential traits of leadership. Henry Boye wrote, ?The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people halfway.?

1. Inflexible leaders often have great difficulty getting anything accomplished. One only need look at the stagnation between the political parties on many levels of government to clearly see that danger. In many cases, someone in leadership ends up backing himself into a corner, believing that he must stand up for what he believes. However, what good is merely taking a stand, no matter how righteous, if the end result is stagnation and recalcitrance? Obviously, the ability to compromise while still standing up for one?s positions and ideals, requires practice, skills, patience and great understanding of human nature.

2. Every leader who wishes to achieve greatness must be willing and able to take a step back, and play the Devil?s Advocate, by being fully prepared for what might be most essential with highest priority, and what is less essential. Once a leader has done this prioritization, he will invariably discover that far more can be accomplished when he opens up the channels of communication with those that disagree, and learns to effectively listen and understand precisely what their concerns are, and why. The greatest leaders always listen and address these concerns in a reasonable manner, while keeping the priority of the goals intact. Ineffective leaders often remain steadfast, unwilling to compromise, on any aspect of their ideas. The reality is, that in most cases, there is more than one way to achieve one?s overall goals, and if a leader keeps that in mind, he dramatically enhances his ability for achievement.

Just as it is necessary, when negotiating, to adopt a win-win philosophy, true leadership occurs as a result of a similar methodology. When one?s adversaries believe and trust that a leader is listening and willing to meet them halfway, in many cases, they no longer are adversarial.

With over 30 years consultative sales, marketing, training, managerial, and operations experience, Richard Brody has trained sales and marketing people in numerous industries, given hundreds of seminars, appeared as company spokesperson on over 200 radio and television programs. He?s negotiated, arranged and organized hundreds of events.

Richard?s owned businesses, been a COO, CEO, and Director of Development, as well as a consultant. His company Website is http://www.plan2lead.net, and he can be followed on Twitter @rgbrody. For great information on many topics, visit PLAN2LEAD?s Facebook page and LIKE ( http://www.facebook.com/Plan2lead )

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