Leadership Principles

The following paraphrased guidelines are taken from
“Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun” by Wess Roberts, Ph.D. (Warner Books)

Advice and Counsel

• A leader with subordinates who always agree with him reaps the counsel of mediocrity.
  
  
• A wise leader never berates those bearing bad news. Rather, the wise leader removes those who fail to deliver bad news.
  
  
• A leader who asks the wrong questions always hears the wrong answers.
  
  
• A wise leader never asks a question for which he doesn’t want to hear the answer.

Character

• The greatness of a leader is measured by the sacrifices he is willing to make for the good of the group.
  
  
• A leader should always rise above pettiness and cause his people to do the same.
  
  
• A leader cannot win if he loses his nerve. He should be self confident and self reliant, and even if he does not win, he will know he has done his best.
  
  
• A leader does not have to be brilliant to be successful, but he must have an insatiable hunger for victory, absolute belief in his cause, and an invincible courage that enables him to resist those who would otherwise discourage him.
  
  
• Seldom are self centered, conceited and self admiring individuals great leaders, but they are great idolizers of themselves.
  
  
• Great leaders never take themselves too seriously.
  
  
• A wise leader adapts he doesn’t compromise.
  
  
• Leaders who drink with their people become one with them and are no longer their leader.
  
  
• Weak leaders surround themselves with weak people.
  
  
• Strong leaders surround themselves with strong people.
  
  
• As a leader achieves greater success, the jealousy others feel for him intensifies.

Decision Making

• Every decision involves some risk.
  
  
• Time does not always improve a situation for a leader or the people.
  
  
• Fundamental errors are inescapable when the unqualified are allowed to exercise judgement and make decisions.
  
  
• Quick decisions are not always the best decisions. On the other hand, unhurried decisions are not always the best decisions.
  
  
• Leaders should never rush into confrontations.
  
  
• A leader’s confidence in his decision making should always take precedence to name dropping to the people.
  
  
• It is unfortunate when final decisions are made by leaders who are removed from the issue, where they can only guess at conditions and potentialities known only to the leader at the front.
  
  
• When victory will not be sweet, a leader must keep his people from war.
  
  
• The ability to make difficult decisions separates leaders from the people.
  
  

Continue to Practicing Maestro Leadership…

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