Emerging CPAs

Leadership: Go from Good to Great

Being a leader can put you on the fast track to success. Not everyone, though, is a born leader. Some of us have to work at it. The following keys to leadership greatness are from Executive Leadership. They can help you reach your full potential.

Maintain absolute integrity. If you stick to a code of integrity, people will take notice and respect you for it. “You cannot maintain your integrity 90 percent of the time and be a leader. It’s got to be 100 percent,” says Leonard Roberts, who has been the CEO of Arby’s and Shoney’s restaurants.

Know your stuff. Before Stephen Spielberg hit the big time, he was rejected from USC’s film school twice. So he took the initiative to make some contacts, create a short film, and prove that he was worthy. Not long after, he was signed to a seven-year deal with Universal Studios.

Declare your vision. People and organizations that have a clear vision in mind of where they want to go have a better chance at success. “When you have a vision and someone comes to you with a convoluted idea, you can hold it up to the vision and ask: ‘Does it fit? Does it fly? If not, don’t bother me,’” says Howard Putnam, former Southwest Airlines CEO.

Show uncommon commitment. Find ways to work faster, smarter, and better than the rest. Dell Computer Corp. went from zero to No. 1 in six months because Michael Dell was able to save money and time through assembly and distribution deals.

Expect positive results. Even when faced with a disadvantage or obstacle, you can find an opportunity for success. As a leader, you need to be able to find those opportunities.

Take care of your people. When you manage others without bias or predilection, you will not only encourage stronger performance, but you’ll gain their loyalty.

Put duty before self. Good leaders look at the bigger picture. When the Homer Laughlin China Co. was about to go under in the late 1970s, the company’s owners were ready to call it quits. But they knew if they did, it would destroy their community. Instead, they took a chance and relaunched its old Fiesta design. They are now the largest pottery company in the U.S.

Stand out in front. Set big goals. You can achieve more than you know. Peter Ueberroth, for example, ran the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and made the claim that the games could make an outrageous profit (at the time) of $15 million. Ueberroth hit the pavement and negotiated sponsorship contracts worth millions. When the games ended, it had made $215 million in profit.