The 47 Basic Rules of Leadership

What truly makes a person a leader? Although there are many definitions and styles of leadership, there are still countless instances across the world where those in leadership positions fall significantly short of an effective and efficient leader. The world abounds in poor leadership, which has cost people money, time, energy, and even lives. Far too often, there are examples of leaders who demonstrate a significant gap between leadership theory and actual practice by simply not being accountable, having no emotional intelligence, lacking transparency, being involved in unethical practices, being dishonest, unable to recognize the efforts of teams, being controlling, bad at decision-making, dismissive, conflict avoidant, discriminatory, ego-driven, manipulative—and this list can continue. It should go without saying that leadership is both a privilege and an honor that should never be wielded as a weapon or abused.Fortunately, people in today's society are pulling back the veil on poor leadership, becoming less afraid to share their significant challenges, holding leaders accountable, and seeking change. People are seeing through the leaders who may appear well-polished—charming with catchy soundbites, well-dressed, able to follow PR-scripted responses, reciting the mission statement, and putting on a great show for the "right" audiences—all the while workers or consumers bear the real brunt of the poor leadership. Words like honesty, transparency, accountability, emotional intelligence, and integrity have become popular buzzwords that many individuals in leadership positions claim to embody, yet often fail to demonstrate, along with the ability to deliver tangible results. Practices such as cutting corners, playing favoritism, skewing employee feedback data, engaging in workplace bullying, creating silos, withholding important information, demonstrating gross incompetence, and making overall unethical decisions have become just a few of the covert and overt norms for many leaders, although they may never admit it. The world, the people we serve, and organizational workforces deserve better.Welcome to The 47 Basic Rules of Leadership, a simplified guide to mastering the intricate yet rewarding art of leadership. Leadership is not about titles, offices, or positions, not even promotions or awards. Read more