Leadership Mantras

It's a great expression or handle.  It's my opinion that Leadership Mantras can be created or developed by all of us.  Many times, we look to those in significant leadership position and then hang and repeat their every word.  One definition of leadership is simply leading a group of people.  So, all of us are leaders, in the different conditions or circumstances we find ourselves.  Fathers, mothers, buddies, relatives, neighbors, sweethearts, co-workers, and certainly managers are potential leaders.  Mantra is a word repeated to aid concentration.  As a result, a leadership mantra is a word or a series of words used by the person who finds themselves in a leadership role that aids the concentration of one person or for an entire group.

My mother who was the leader in our family said "You come from a long line of smart, intelligent people.  To accept mediocrity is to deny the existence of your heritage".  A buddy in my group of friends says, "Forgiveness means that you drink the antidote for bitterness and resentment".  One of my sisters says "It is important to appreciate the relationships we have with others rather than focusing on their flaws". A co-worker on a team I was on said, “I am committed to every member of this outfit and I will give my best to help us achieve our very best”.  An old boss once said “The speed of the leader is the speed of the team”.  A girlfriend I used to have told me, “If you go the extra mile, there is never a traffic jam”.  As the leader of my family, I’ve said, "the will to win is based on the will to prepare" and "As a man, you have to keep showing up".  Each of these is an example of leadership mantras.  While you may not find them printed in McKinsey Quarterly, Harvard Business Review, or Vistage, these none the less are from leaders.  These mantras have had impact to the leader and the follower. 

So we all need to stay tuned into those around us, listening for mantras that, if repeated and adopted, can significantly and positively impact our lives.