As to leaders, they have to inspire, be truthful, honest not only to themselves but to everyone. The term “fake-it til you make-it” cannot be applied to leadership because people can sense the deceit. Leadership is a 24/7 job and always in the spotlight.

Leaders have to build a trusting relationship with their staff. If you can’t trust the leader then why follow him/her? And if the leader has no followers then they are out taking a stroll by themself!

I was told by an ‘old salt’ (navy) the meaning of leadership. He stated that the Commander instructed each seaman (individually) to move a heavy chain piled in one room and pile it in another room. The only way to move the chain was to pick up the one end and drag it behind themself, stop and pick up a section lower down the chain and drag that up until the entire chain was in the other room.

Afterwards the Commander would ask the seamen what they learned in the exercise. He would state that the exercise was on leadership. That as a leader one has to ‘pull’ the others by leading the way (or being an example) because a leader can not ‘push’ others to go where he/she wants them to go.