20 Leadership Lessons The World’s Top Leaders Already Know

“The difference between successful and unsuccessful people is how they think.” – John Maxwell

This month I am doing an in-depth study on Apex Leaders, people who are either the very best, or among the very best, at what they do.  These are individuals are at the top of their chosen profession.

I wanted to dedicate a post this month specifically to how these individuals think and view the world.  To do so, I looked at a series of articles from two of my favorite publications, Inc. Magazine and Sports Illustrated.

Below are 20 Leadership Lessons The World’s Top Leaders Already Know which I want to share with you:

Inc. Magazine 2016

1. People Follow Leaders Who Have Great Clarity – “Certainty, even if it’s inaccurate, will move a segment of the population.” – Tony Robbins
2. All Leaders Struggle With Self-Doubt At One Time Or Another – “Almost everyone has felt like an impostor.” – Amy Cuddy, Associate professor of business administration at Harvard Business School
3. The Only Difference Between Anger And Danger Is A “D” – “I justified me yelling because I cared so much about getting it right.” – David Chang, chef and founder of the Momofuku restaurant group
4. Leaders Want Ownership Of Their Life And Career – “What better way to become an entrepreneur than by doing it on your own terms?’ – Tobias Lutke, Co-founder and CEO of Spotify
5. “Discomfort breeds innovation.” – Jessica Matthews, Co-founder and CEO of Uncharted Play
6. Happy Employees Are More Valuable Than Happy Customers – “I’ve learned that employee happiness and well-being come before everything else – including signing on new clients.” – Gary Vaynerchuk
7. Creativity Is Creating Things That Actually Work – “We’re coming back to things that have utility but also are beautifully designed.  That’s the sweet spot.” – design expert Vivian Rosenthall
8. Your People Either Raise Or Lower The Lid In Your Church Or Organization – “Think about what propels companies from the startup stage to something truly significant.  At the heart of the matter, it is all about your people.  Who you surround yourself with makes all the difference.” – Jeffrey Neal, chief marketing officer at Kforce
9. Small Things Done Well Over An Extended Period Time Make A HUGE Difference – “The smallest things can often be the most irritating to an employee.  While we’re focused on trying to solve the next big thing, they don’t understand why we can’t solve something as simple as making a meeting work for all time zones.” – Don Wright, co-founder and COO of Assurex Health
10. Feelings When Partnered With Reasoning Yield Great Results – “We have to learn to think with our hearts, and then let our brains do the calculations.” – former Men’s Warehouse founder and CEO, George Zimmer

Sports Illustrated (various issues)

1. Failure Can Prepare You For Future Success – “On the biggest stage everything slows down.  You’re comfortable.  You’re not rushed.  You know it’s do or die, but you treat it like it’s game 27.  You can do that because you’ve been there before – and failed.” – Steph Curry, May 25th, 2015.  For more leadership lessons from Curry, read 16 Quotes On Faith And Leadership By Steph Curry.
2. Smart Leaders Are Data Driven – “When we have a hunch we get the numbers to validate what we’re thinking.” – Golden State Warrior Assistant Coach Luke Walton, June 13th
3. Success Smells A Lot Like Sweat – “When your best player is your hardest worker, that has a big impact on a team.” – LSU fullback John David Moore on Leonard Fournette, October 13th, 2015
4. Everyone Needs A Coach To Make Them Better – “If you want to be coached, if you want to be challenged, Pop is the guy for you.” – San Antonio Spurs forward Ime Udoka to free agent and current teammate LaMarcus Aldridge on head coach Gregg Popovich, October 26th, 2015
5. Apex Leaders Are Highly Competitive – “Seeing teams on our court, celebrating (was like watching) somebody messing around with your wife.  It hurts.” – Villanova Wildcast head basketball coach Jay Wright, April 4, 2016
6. All Leadership Is Temporary.  So Steward It Well. – “If I didn’t physically have to stop I would still be playing.  There were only two negative things that happened to me in football.  One was losing.  The other was getting hurt.  Other than that, it was a great life.  But it ends, for all of us.” – Joe Namath, February 16th, 2016
7. Apex Leaders Are Continual Learners – “My goal is to constantly be improving.  Year after year you can grow as a player, just as in life.  You can always learn something new.” – Lionel Messi, May 30th, 2016
8. If You Want A Better Team And Organization Get A Better Leader – “In addition to the effect he’s going to have on the field, there’s new paint on the facility.  The whole parking lot is clean – no trash.  He wants everything to look first-class.  No detail is too small.” – Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr on new head coach Jack Del Rio, July 20th, 2015
9. If You Remain Contemporary You Remain Employable – “I’m over 50, but I can identify with who (players) are and what they’re doing.  I do all I can to remain contemporary because, if you remain contemporary, you remain employable.” – Chicago Cubs head coach Joe Madden, May 16th, 2016
10. Leaders Should Spend Less Time Thinking About Their Legacy – “When you start thinking about your legacy, bad things happen.” – Madden, May 16th, 2016

What is one lesson from this list that will make you a better leader?

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