To Be A Leader

You Don’t Need A Title

Leadership is about

influence, not authority.

Exercise tough empathy towards your team –Give them what they need in your opinion, and not necessarily what they want.

Work hard, smart and have fun – No output without input. At the same time you should love and enjoy what you do. Only then you can be highly passionate and committed.

Think the impossible to realize the maximum possible – Be bold and brave.

Fail young, often, and hard – Learn from mistakes, admit them, and stay humble.

Recruit, develop and empower the best fitting ones – Make sure that there is a “cultural” and mental fit between company and employees built on a „psychological contract.“

Be effective and efficient at the same time – Do the right things in the right way.

Practice execution as an art – Be focused on making decisions and implement them until the very end in the best possible manner.

It´s all about the long-term –If needed, forgo and sacrifice short-term profit and benefits for the sake of long-term growth and sustainability.

Over-communicate and you´ll over-perform –Teams, peers, business partners, etc. need clarity and transparency.

Stay human, approachable, and show respect – Choose being people-focused over task-focused, even and especially, when push comes to shove.

Inspire – Think, behave and communicate beyond pure targets and figures. Stimulate people around you to play and to experiment.

Be resilient and display a can-do-attitude – If something does not work, try something else. Be positive and radiate confidence and strength.

Lead a holistically fulfilled life – Life is much more than work and making career. Spend enough time with family, friends, and loved ones. Relish your hobbies and passions without bad feelings.

Embrace a Poet and Peasant approach – Have a strategic mind set and simultaneously don´t mind diving into details and rolling up your sleeves.

Stay true to yourself and your core values – Adapt yourself, if necessary. Never bend yourself. If not, you might break and might lose your heart and soul.

Under-promise and over-deliver – Walk your talk.

Believe in the good– Stay always open-minded and curious without being naive.

Created by Michael Kaplan, based on The 17 Qualities And Views Of Great Leaders by Andreas von der Heydt

All images were created by Logan Campbell, for his 100 Strangers project on Flickr.