Great leadership is challenging to achieve and the workplace is crying out for leaders who can motivate and inspire their teams. I am a big fan of leadership expert Simon Sinek and his philosophies and insights on how to be a great leader. I wanted to share my top 5 favourite Simon Sinek quotes and what they mean to me:
1. “A poor leader will tell you how many people work for them. A great leader will tell you how many people they work for.” This quote takes away any leadership ego and highlights the importance of recognising that leaders need their team more than the team needs the leader.
2. “Managers expect us to work hard out of obligation. Leaders inspire us to work hard with pride.” A leader’s role is to motivate their team to do their best, rather than just expecting compliance.
3. “Weak leaders have the luxury of looking after themselves. Great leaders have the honour of looking after others.” Being a leader means being responsible for the success of the team, which should be seen as a privilege.
4. “Great leaders don’t try to be perfect. Great leaders try to be themselves.” Authenticity is key in leadership, and it’s okay to make mistakes as long as leaders are themselves.
5. “Bad leaders care about who is right. Good leaders care about what is right.” A leader’s job is to coach their team and help them succeed, not to focus on who is right or wrong.
In conclusion, great leaders focus on looking out the window to criticise and look in the mirror to praise, as noted in Jim Collins’ excellent book on leadership “Good to Great.”
Roger Simpson – CEO, The Retail Solution and Author of “The Ultimate Retail Sales Experience” With over 35 years’ industry experience, Roger Simpson is recognized as Australia’s #1 Authority on customer ROI in the retail industry and as a global expert on staff coaching, customer service, and selling skills.
