Be an Exceptional Leader

Be an Exceptional Leader

I believe that a Juris Doctorate is more than an education needed to become an attorney. A Juris Doctorate is also thorough training for future leaders.  Many of my law school classmates never went on to take the Bar, pass the Bar or even work as attorneys after passing the Bar. Of those who did not decide to practice law, I now see them leading in their prospective fields. I believe law school attracts great minds that have the affinity to lead. Law school sets many on the path to leadership. But, there is a difference between one who leads and an exceptional leader.

Forbes.com recently published an article titles, 12 Habits of Exceptional Leaders. I would like to list those 12 habits and recount meaningful quotes under each section.

1. Courage

“Courage is the first virtue that makes all other virtues possible.” – Aristotle

2. Effective Communication

“The more elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate.” – Joseph Priestley

3. Generosity

“A good leader is a person who takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of the credit.” – John Maxwell

4. Humility

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” – C.S. Lewis

5. Self-Awareness

“It is absurd that a man should rule others, who cannot rule himself.” – Latin Proverb

6. Adherence to The Golden Rule +1

“The way you see people is the way you treat them, and the way you treat them is what they become.” – Jon Wolfgang von Goethe

7. Passion

“If you just work on stuff that you like and are passionate about, you don’t have to have a master plan with how things will play out.” – Mark Zuckerberg

8. Infectiousness

“The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision. It’s got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet.” – Reverend Theodore Hesburgh

9. Authenticity

“Just be who you are and speak from your guts and heart – it’s all a man has.” – Hubert Humphrey

10. Approachability

“Management is like holding a dove in your hand. Squeeze to hard and you kill it, not hard enough and it flies away.” – Tommy Lasorda

11. Accountability

“The ancient Romans had a tradition: Whenever one of their engineers constructed an arch, as the capstone was hoisted into place, the engineer assumed accountability for his work in the most profound way possible: He stood under the arch.” – Michael Armstrong

12. Sense of Purpose

“You don’t lead by pointing and telling people some place to go. You lead by going to that place and making a case.” – Ken Kesey

In closing, the author points out that you don’t need to be proficient in each trait to be counted among leaders. He suggests focusing on one or two traits at a time. After mastering those, adapt to a new leadership style. Then, move onto working to master additional qualities. I believe in the constant progression to become a better me and hope our readers embrace the desire for improvement. Follow the link above to read the article in more detail.

Written by Desiree J. Nordstrom, Founder and CEO, Overflow Legal Network, LLC.