Image Commercially Licensed from: Unsplash

By: Kevin Trudeau

Kevin Trudeau is one of the most sought-after experts on leadership in the world, sharing the international stage at leadership symposiums and workshops with 4-star US General Norman Schwarzkopf and former Soviet Union President Michaël Gorbachev. Mr. Trudeau’s books have sold over 50 million copies. Over 5 million people worldwide have attended Mr. Trudeau’s seminars and lectures on leadership, marketing, and successful daily living. 

Leadership can be broken down into several key components:

Leaders are decisive. You either lead, follow, or get out of the way. Leaders make decisions with conviction. They are clear with the direction they are going. When a person knows where he is going and is committed to getting there, people will either get out of the way or jump on the train and help. When you make a decision, a real decision, then everything changes. The universe seemingly conspires to help you achieve that goal. Success is truly a decision away. Leaders have an “I am going to do it, that’s it, period!” attitude. This is sometimes called “making a commitment.” One person with a commitment is more powerful than 100 people with an interest. 

Leaders have a “do it now” action-oriented mentality. Leaders are too busy “doing” what the other guys are still talking about. Leaders take massive and immediate action. They are moving forward all the time. General Patton said, “We are never holding our position. We are moving forward all the time. When in doubt, attack.”. Leaders don’t “fall back and regroup.” Patton said, “I never want to pay for the same real estate twice.” Take action. Do it now, not tomorrow. A good plan aggressively actioned today with conviction is better than the best plan actioned tomorrow.  

Leaders follow up and follow through. Leaders have character. This means they follow through on a decision even long after the excitement and emotion of the initial moment has passed. Leaders get things done. They complete cycles of action. They not only start projects, they FINISH projects. They score. They cross the finish line. Their mentality is, “It ain’t over until I win.” In the words of Sir Winston Churchill, leaders “Never quit.” Quitters never win, and winners never quit. 

Leaders are not people without problems, they are people who overcome their problems. Leaders get knocked down, but they get up and continue moving forward. Obstacles, setbacks, challenges, and adversity are things that leaders face, but they overcome them. They use the possibility thinker’s creed: “When faced with a mountain I will not quit. I will find a way over, under, though, or stay and turn the mountain into a gold mind”. 

Leaders are always readers. Leaders read books. They are constantly learning. Leaders “sharpen their ax” by reading. All leaders are ferocious readers. Reading is essential to stimulating the brain, making one sharp, and improving your ability to concentrate and focus. Leaders study and are always gaining more knowledge. They understand that years do not equate to experience. An executive applied for a job and said he had 15 years of experience. After the interview, it was clear that the man had ONE year of experience, REPEATED 15 times! He stopped learning, expanding, and growing. Leaders are always evolving and getting better. Leaders follow the axiom “I don’t know, what I don’t know”. Leaders ask questions. They listen. They utilize the principle that God gave us 2 ears and one mouth, and we should use them accordingly.

Leaders understand that being a leader means you will hurt some people’s feelings. While leaders are compassionate, they understand and see the “big picture”. They have depth of vision. When a leader is shown an acorn and asked what he sees, a leader does not say “I see food for squirrels”. A leader does not even say “I see a tree”. I leader says “I see a forest”! 

Leaders are unreasonable. Bernard Shaw said it best “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man (Shaw, 1903).

Be a leader and you will succeed. 

Published by: Nelly Chavez