What traits or skills are essential for a business leader?
Probably my favorite poster is the persistence poster: Never give up. There are a lot of days as leaders where they’re not kidding that it’s lonely at the top. There are a lot of days where you as a leader are questioned, whether it’s from subordinates, teammates, employees, investors. CEOs or business leaders, you’re the man in the arena, you’re going to be booed and applauded. You’re not in the audience; you’re not in the crowd. It takes quite a bit of self-motivation, self-discipline and persistence to be a leader. What is your definition of success? Success is enjoying what you do. I don’t care if you are sweeping floors, picking up trash or flying an airplane, you can love your job. When I was at a Ritz-Carlton, it was impressive to see maids loving their jobs. If you’re reading this magazine, you are a ladder climber and overachiever. There are a lot of people in your organization who won’t read this magazine, who won’t be interested in it. But they’re not failing because they’re
