Leadership...Talent or Skill?

"Leadership in today's world requires far more than a large stock of gunboats and a hard fist at the conference table."
  --- Hubert H. Humphrey

It is a widely held belief that people who start their own businesses, those with the entrepreneurial fire in their bellies, have in them a spirit of leadership. Some find it and use it to lead their enterprises to success, while others never discover this treasure.

Uncovering the leadership spirit requires some effort, but mostly requires diligence on the part of the individual to unearth their natural talents, dust them off, and buff them to a shine.

"It is common sense to take a method and try it; if it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something"
  --- Franklin D. Roosevelt

There is a difference between talents and skills. People are born with talents and skills can be acquired. If I want to golf well, I can take lessons and practice daily, but I will never be good enough to become a professional golfer.

Tiger Woods has talent. He still practices and trains hard almost every day. He polishes that which he is already gifted to do. Tiger has talent--- I don't. Without knowing the difference between talents and skills, a person can become quite frustrated trying to become a success at something they are not "fit" to do.

"Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything."
  --- Napoleon Hill

Golf might not be your game, but there is in you a desire to excel in something. If not, you would not have gone into business. You do not strive to be mediocre. To survive in this industry requires a spirit of leadership-a desire to drive a company to a successful plateau.

"I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it."
  --- Thomas Jefferson

Developing your spirit of leadership requires practice. Like Tiger, it will mean taking those talents that you have and working to bring them to a level that will work for you. Many people take way too much time trying to develop the "non-talents". They work on their weak areas trying to bring them up to an acceptable level when that valuable time could be used for building on existing strengths.

"Let us be thankful for the fools. But for them the rest of us could not succeed."
  --- Mark Twain

Your spirit of leadership is different from those around you. They have talents that you don't and visa versa. Work on the strengths of your talents and your spirit of leadership will grow. The desire is already there, you simply need to inflate the leadership spirit. The confidence that you acquire while improving on your strengths automatically constructs a stronger spirit of leadership.

"A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow."
  ---General George S. Patton

Plan now to practice what you know, to polish your strong points. Changing your strategy is never fun, but make an effort to purposely quit trying to improve your weaknesses-at least for six months to a year. Really focus on your talents and watch your leadership spirit strengthen.

"Whatever you are, be a good one."
  --- Abraham Lincoln

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