Solid leadership is a combination of instinct and education. It is born of the inherent versus environment precept. It is never all of one and none of another, but a balance. Great leaders carry a charisma: some of it inborn, some of it through the development of skills that bring with them confidence. That charisma, or as we call it, that It encompasses more than sheer charisma. It is the magic that causes people to follow when it doesn’t make logical sense to do so. It enables groups of followers to weather storms, fight uphill battles, stretch their own limits beyond what was once thought possible, and live on long after the leader is gone. (By studying the greatest leaders in history, such as Ganghis Kahn, Atilla the Hun and Winston Churchill, we can get an education in the secrets of It.)
Any great leader has an It checklist that looks like this:
1. There is a difference between leaders and managers. Managers make sure that things are running smoothly, leaders create change and followings through vision.
2. Leaders create visions in which others can believe. Leaders enable followers to buy in to decisions by giving them clear objectives and...