Leadership: The Cornerstone of Success in the Martial Arts and In Life

Leadership is one of the most talked about and leastcan't be any other way. False. In fact it's the exact
understood aspects of human behavior. There mustopposite that is so often true. In the best
be hundreds of definitions of leadership, yet none ofbusinesses, families, schools, and groups, anyone in
them is useful for success in life because none ofthe group can exhibit leadership. Leadership should be
them allows you to 'create' leadership within your life.encouraged at every level of the organization (with a
Why is that? Why isn't leadership one of those thingsfew rules of behavior to prevent conflict and
you can go to school to learn, pick up throughconfusion).
experience, or work on yourself to develop?If you believe any or all of these myths, you'll need
First, you need to understand the false assumptions -to revise your beliefs or you'll never build true
the myths - about leadership. Then you'll come toleadership into your life.
realize that leadership is one of those things you canSO, WHAT IS TRUE LEADERSHIP?
go to school to learn . . . if there were a school thatLeadership is nothing more than a core set of skills
knew how to teach it. You can pick it up throughthat can be learned. There are five of them: vision,
experience . . .if you know what leadership is and asdiscrimination, strategic thinking, commitment, and
importantly, what it isn't. You can work on yourselfinspirational communication. You'll learn about them
to develop it . . .but you need to know what to workand how to develop them in yourself and others as
on.you progress through the Mastery Leadership
The first barrier to developing leadership is breakingprogram's Mastery Keys for the Emerging Leader. At
through the false assumptions we have come tothe same time, you will be able to assess your own
accept without questioning. You may not believe allleadership and that of those you associate with, and
the assumptions listed below but it's a good bet youdevise a leadership development program for
believe some of them. Yet, they're all false.enhancing your skill level.
THE FALSE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT LEADERSHIPTHERE'S NO MYSTERY TO LEADERSHIP
1. Leadership is innate - you're either born with it orThere's nothing mysterious about leadership. Once
you're not. Absolutely false! Leadership consists of ayou know its core skills and specific systems it
set of skills that can be identified and learned. It'sbecomes a straightforward personal development
true that some people have a greater aptitude fortask, just like any other system in your life.
leadership but all of us can be leaders and can buildLike many other seemingly mysterious things, once
our leadership skills.you know the secrets of duplicable leadership, you'll
2. Leadership is charisma and style; it's the way wewant to say, "How simple! Why didn't I see it
do things, not what we do. False. We'd all like to besooner?"
charismatic and stylish, and many leaders are justLeadership is probably the single most important
that. But leadership is substance, not style. Leadershipaspect of your life and ability to produce the results
has to do with what we do and the impact we haveyou want. It's leadership that figures out what you
on others. There have been great leaders who wereneed to do to enhance your life and give it the
dull as dust and others who have been charismatic. Inpower, thrust and momentum it needs. And it's
our own time Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, is dull,leadership that determines how to do it. Then it's
"nerdy," and as uncharismatic as one can get, yetleadership that makes sure it gets done. Without
look at what he's led others to do and the impactleadership, life is aimless, purposeless, random,
he's had on Today's world.ineffective, and - no exaggeration - terminally ill. With
3. There's no structure or system to leadership; it'seffective leadership, your life will thrive, you will
situational. False. Not only is leadership - truenavigate through any storm, and surpass every goal
leadership - structured and systematic, it can beyou ever set for yourself.
duplicated again and again. Students in the MasteryLeadership is the cornerstone of the warrior's ability
Leadership program learn how to do this during theto create the life worth living and develop the skills
course of their study. Leadership has principles, skillsnecessary for protecting that life from anything that
that can be learned, and specific ways to get results.would threaten it. And so it is also the cornerstone of
All those things are the building blocks of thethe Warrior Concepts Life Mastery Program. Here at
successful accomplishment of goals, managing theWCI, just like every other solid, educational
aspects of our lives, and creating a life worth living.institution, we create leaders - not just in the martial
And if you can systemize it, you can duplicate it.arts, but at home, school or work, and in the
Believe it - leadership can be built into your life as acommunity. We create the light that will cause others
workable, predictable system.to engage in our vision with us and that will brighten
4. The top person - the "boss" - is the leader, and itthe Path for others to follow.