Why True Leaders Must Be Willing To Think OUTSIDE The Box?

After more than 4 decades of involvement in leadership planning, development, identification, qualification, and consultation, I have come to believe, that, perhaps, the greatest challenge, to producing and developing, the best possible, most effective leaders, may, in fact, be, related to how individuals think, or fail to! It's not merely about, finding individuals, ready, willing, and able, to make well - considered decisions, based on enhanced aptitudes, etc, and recognizing, one will make little difference, for the better, until/ unless, he expands the limitations and restrictions of self - imposed, comfort zones, but becomes capable of, thinking, OUTSIDE the box! With that in mind, this article will attempt to consider, review, and discuss, using the mnemonic approach, what this means and represents, and why it matters.

1. Options; open - minded; opportunities; opinions: Pseudo - leaders, often, appear to be willing to believe, there is only one way to proceed. They strictly abide by the pursuit of the same - old, same - old, rather than considering options and alternatives, with an open - mind! Only when this is the process, will one proceed, to consider, and be prepared to recognize, and take advantage of the finest opportunities, which might present themselves! They realize, it is incumbent upon a true leader, to express his opinions, in a well - considered, inspiring, motivating manner.

2. Useful; usable; unique: Obviously, nothing will make a leader, meaningful, unless/ until, he provides useful leadership. This means his ideas must be usable, and valuable. We need individuals, who put their unique, fingerprints, on their strategic and action plans!

3. Timely: The antithesis of leading, is procrastination! Challenges, often, become problems, unless they are addressed, in a well - considered, timely way!

4. Service; system; sustainable solution: We need leaders, whose primary emphasis is on service, to their organizations and stakeholders, rather than any personal/ political agenda, and/ or, self - interest! When one perceives and conceives of, creates, and develops, a quality system, which considers present, and future needs, priorities, etc, he becomes capable of introducing the best, sustainable solutions.

5. Ideas; imagination; integrity; ideology: Absolute integrity, often, is the key ingredient, between true leaders, and the rest, of - the - pack! A leader must align his ideas, with the ideology, of the organization. To make a real difference, he needs, to possess a quality imagination, to consider the best way, to proceed!

6. Delve deeply; deliver: One must be willing, and ready, to delve deeply, to become the type of leader, his group needs, and deserves! We should evaluate one's leadership, by whether he under - promises, and over - delivers!

7. Empathy; emphasis; energize: When one begins, by effectively listening, and learning from every conversation, and experience, he becomes capable of proceeding, with the utmost degree, of genuine empathy! This should direct, him, to place his emphasis, where it will energize, and inspire, others, to greater commitment and involvement.

True leaders must be willing, and able, to think, OUTSIDE the box! Are you the right person, for this task, and responsibility?