Becoming An Extra-ordinary Leader

Becoming An Extraordinary Leader : Major(R)Khalid Nasr Leadership is a continual process of making to commitments… to oneself, to others, and to the organizations we lead and serve. Here are the commitments an Extraordinary Leader makes: 1.Continually pursue personal and professional growth 2.Treating everyone I come in contact with the dignity and respect they deserve 3.Finding the way for as many people as possible to benefit from my decisions and actions 4.Be willing to make and carry out hard decisions without regard to personal expediency 5.The highest level of personal and corporate integrity 6.Tell the truth and be honest, regardless of potential personal loss 7.Think “team” first 8.Finding a person who can mentor me 9.Finding at least one person I can personally mentor 10.Help others discover their strengths and function in them 11.Maintain my priorities and organize my life and work according to them 12.Live a life of balance between work, family, and leisure 13.Pursue balanced growth in body, soul and spirit – understanding that each area affects the others innately 14.Pursue what is best – for myself, my organization, and for others – and not settle for that which is simply “good enough” 15.Do work and live a life that leaves behind a lasting legacy of excellence 16.Build a team to surround me in order to enhance my strengths and make up for my weaknesses 17.Surround myself with people who will tell me the truth and not just what they think I want to hear 18.Become a great listener 19.Be an Extraordinary Follower of those who are my leaders 20.Help others develop their skills 21.Dream big dreams and encourage others to do the same 22.Stretch my followers enough to make them grow but not so much as to discourage them 23.Be driven by vision, mission and purpose, not by circumstances or expediency 24.View the world through optimistic eyes 25.Embrace the concept of change as a positive force for improvement 26.Be responsible in my actions as they relate to my commitments to myself and others 27.Be tenacious in my pursuits 28.Give more than I receive and to be characterized by generosity 29.Show courage in the face of challenge 30.Be an example of dedication and commitment 31.Share the privileges of leadership with those who follow me 32.Give power away to those who can share in it responsibly and help the organization 33.Use both my head and my heart when leading 34.Manage my time according to my priorities 35.Be the first to sacrifice when sacrifice is needed 36.Make all short-term decisions with the long-term goals in mind 37.Develop a successor 38.Develop excellent communication skills 39.Use a variety of means of influence 40.Be the primary strategy setter for the organization 41.Teach others 42.Inspire others 43.Keep my eye on the big picture 44.Making the complex simple 45.Motivate others 46.Consider others as important as myself 47.Identify future leaders 48.Train and develop future leaders 49.Regularly reward accomplishment 50.Allow followers to fail in their attempts at growth and innovation 51.Work leadership development into every level of the organization 52.Have a clear vision 53.Remain calm in difficult situations 54.Keep a sense of humor 55.Remove people from their position as soon as I know they need to go 56.Empathize with others