The Alphabet of Leadership

A – Accountability- subject to the obligation to report, explain, or justify something; responsible; answerable. True leaders realize that actions lead to consequences whether positive or negative. This does not keep a true leader from taking action when needed.

B – Bravery - possessing or exhibiting courage or courageous endurance. Every person on this earth has fears, but it takes a special person to step forward in spite of those fears.

C – Command - to direct with specific authority or prerogative. Delegation is tough when the troops don't want to listen. Every great leader has to have power and respect for his authority. Power is not something that is annointed (or given), it has to be demanded. When the troops won't cooperate, then you have to get rid of the bad weeds to get everyone moving in the same direction.

D – Determination - the quality of being resolute; firmness of purpose. Leaders don't ever give up. It is their biggest asset and their biggest liability. You are a hero or a zero. It's easy to escape being labelled a zero by never stepping forward and taking a chance; but for society to progress, we have to have people willing to step forward.

E – Energetic - powerful in action or effect. Leaders keep going even when they are tired. That persistence leads to opportunity. When coupled with positive preparation, then good results will happen.

F – Faithful - true to one's word, promises, vows. If you are trustworthy, then people are more likely to voluntarily follow you.

G - Goals - the result or achievement toward which effort is directed. Having goals allows one to develop a plan, which makes it easier to achieve objectives.

H – Honor - honesty, fairness, or integrity in one's beliefs and actions. If you are fair to people, then (again) they are more likely to follow you.

I - Initiative - The power or ability to begin or to follow through energetically with a plan or task. Those that voluntarily step forward are a special breed. Yes, you risk possible embarassment, but the rewards far exceed anything negative that may happen. We all have things we are comfortable doing and when we are comfortable, then why not step forward. Everyone will benefit.

J - Justice - the quality of being just or fair. When a system is fair, then the atmosphere created is much more positive and conducive to creativity and progress. When it is not then wasted energy goes toward decension, bitterness, and anxiety.

K – Keeper - a person who assumes responsibility for another's behavior. A true leader realizes where the buck stops. When he delegates responsibilties, he isn't absolved of the end results. He and his troops learn from the mistakes and correct them. A true leader won't stifle his troops, because they make a mistake. He just asks that they don't repeat the same mistake.

L - Loyal - faithful to one's oath, commitments, or obligations. A person is more willing to cooperate with direction, when they realize that their leader will never sell them out to make himself look good at their expense. The leader realizes that he is as much a part of the team, as the lowest man on the totem pole.

M – Mastery - command or grasp, as of a subject. A great leader will obsess about the art that he is studying. If it means nights of little or no sleep, then so be it. Whatever it takes is what has to be done. How many ever repetitions to succeed in hitting the target or meeting the objective does not matter. It is all about gaining confidence in what you are trying to achieve.

N – Noble - Having or showing qualities of high moral character, such as courage, generosity, or honor. When someone follows the principles of chivalry, honor, integrity, and justice; then people will hold high thoughts of him. It may not happen until he leaves this earth, but that legacy is something to aspire to, whether you are spiritual or not.

O – Objective - not influenced by personal feelings, interpretations, or prejudice; based on facts; unbiased. When someone can set personal feelings aside and take emotions out of decisions, then the greater good can be achieved for everyone involved. The best results may not be achieved immediately, but in the long run they will be.

P – Plan - a scheme or method of acting, doing, proceeding, making, etc., developed in advance. We need a blueprint of where we are at and where we intend to be -- the objective. No plan will be perfect, but I have learned that it is better to deviate from specific methods, than to try to achieve good results through chaos.

Q – Quintessential - the most perfect embodiment of something. That is where we all want to arrive, no matter what the goal is -- Perfection. The more that we try to get to perfection (or best at a task); the closer we will get to it. If we don't try to get to perfection, then we won't get anywhere close.

R – Responsive - Readily reacting to suggestions, influences, appeals, or efforts. A true leader listens to his troops. Everyone in an organization deserves input. As they say, "Together Each Accomplishes More." The sum is greater than the parts. Allowing input is the greatest facilitator of initiative and innovation in any organization.

S – Strength - vigor of action, language, feeling, etc. When we talk about strength we talk about bravery, perserverance, poise, energy, and all that goes with it. Sometimes a leader will have to be forceful in his decision making, when his troops aren't following his explicit directions. This has to be done judiciously, but sometimes it is necessary to move forward.

T – Teacher - to impart knowledge or skill to; give instruction to. All great leaders are excellent instructors. They are good at taking their personal experiences and passing them along to their troops, so that they don't have to repeat the steps the they have already taken. A very experienced person with great communicative skills can lead his followers to achieve heights that may have been previously thought to be impossible.

U – Understanding - to grasp the significance, implications, or importance of. A great leader has a special cognitive reasoning to sense the past, present, and future of the objectives that he is studying and trying to achieve. He knows where he is coming from, as well as where he is trying to get to.

V - Versatile - capable of or adapted for turning easily from one to another of various tasks, fields of endeavor, etc. A great leader is a Jack of most trades and a delegator of the rest. He will lead by example, while not letting his ego get in the way of his weaknesses. He realizes that there are other people that can achieve better results in many areas, that he has less (or no) proficiency in.

W – Will - power of choosing one's own actions. A great leader won't let his vices consume him. He can focus and dedicate himself to the objectives he is striving to achieve. Vices, whether mental or physical, will definitely get in the way of success. This will cost any entity involved valuable progress, time, money, and energy.

X – Xenomorphic - in an unusual form; having a strange form. True leaders aren't conformists. They are revolutionaries and pioneers. This makes them seem eccentric, because they don't follow the crowd, the fads, and/or pop culture.

Y – Yes - Used to express great satisfaction, approval, or happiness. This is a word of positivity. It isn't what we want to hear, when we aren't succeeding. We need someone to tell us when things aren't working, because when people don't say 'no' at these times, then we end up off track, costing us time and money. The goal is that ultimate sweet exclamation YES!!!, when we have succeeded in our objective.

Z – Zeal - Enthusiastic devotion to a cause, ideal, or goal and tireless diligence in its furtherance. We all achieve more when we are really interested in a subject. Pick what you are good at and go for it. You see from all of the principles outlined that we can all lead in certain areas, but it takes a special person to direct an organization and bring the sum of all of those parts together. That is the reason we are having a problem with government at all levels. It will take very special and dedicated individuals to bring us out of the malaise we are in