This is true of me

I am working on this

1. Have I led in the past? The best predictor of the future is the past. When I was in business, I took note of any worker who told me he was superintendent of a Sunday school or a deacon in his church. If he showed leadership outside of the job, I wanted to find out if he had leadership potential on the job.

2. Can I catch the vision? The founder of Jefferson Standard built a successful insurance company from scratch. He assembled some of the greatest insurance people by simply asking, "Why don't you come and help me build something great?" A leader feels the thrill of challenge.

3. Do I look for a better way? If someone says, "There's got to be a better way to do this," I ask, "Have you thought about what that better way might be?" If he says no, he is being critical, not constructive. If he says yes, he's challenged by a constructive spirit of discontent. That's the kind of creative itch inherent in a leader.

4. Are my ideas practical? Highly original people are often not good leaders because they are unable to judge their output. They need somebody to say, "This will work" or "This won't." Leaders seem to be able to identify which ideas are practical and which aren't.

5. Do I take responsibility? After a very long day, I walked out of the plant and passed the porter, who said, "Mr. Smith, I sure wish I had your pay, but I don't want your worry." He wanted to be able to drop his responsibility when he walked out the door. That's understandable, but it's not a trait in potential leaders.

6. Will I finish the job? The person who grabs hold of a problem and won't let go till it's solved has leadership potential. This quality is critical in leaders, for there will be times when nothing but one's iron will says, "Keep going."

7. Am I mentally tough? No one can lead without being criticized or without facing discouragement. A potential leader needs mental toughness. I don't want a mean leader; I want a tough-minded leader who sees things as they are and is willing to pay the price.

8. Have I earned peer respect? Trammell Crow, a successful real estate broker, looks for people whose associates want them to succeed. "It's tough enough to succeed when everybody wants you to succeed," he says. "People who don't want you to succeed are like weights in your running shoes."

9. Does my family respect me? My daughter once told me, "One thing I appreciate is that after you speak and I walk up, you are always attentive to me. You seem proud of me." That meant a lot to me. A family's feelings toward someone reveal much about his or her potential to lead.

10. When I speak, do people listen? Potential leaders have a "holding court" quality about them. When they speak, people listen. Other people may talk a great deal, but nobody listens to them. They're making a speech; they're not giving leadership.