Leadership is Service

15 Leadership Proverbs to Live By

By Chris Ihrig

A proverb is defined as a short statement that states a general truth or piece of advice.

Today, I share them with you:

  1. Leadership is service. People will follow someone who consistently comes through and is willing to serve, to do the dirty work, to fight for their team.
  2. Be a steward-leader, making each moment and each movement personal.
  3. Make sure you’re constantly facing the right direction. People will follow.
  4. Have personal character.
  5. Lead in such a way as to attract followers.
  6. Remember, leader, that your team is a team of HUMAN BEINGS. Not cogs. Not tools. Human beings. Act accordingly.
  7. Be kind and assume good intent among each member of your team. Don’t be naive…and don’t be unwilling to address issues when needed…but assume the best.
  8. Create an environment of respect and compassion. People want to hang out in a space where there is room for their ideas and where they are treated as peers. And they will thrive there.
  9. Set big goals. Don’t play it safe. Make sure that you, leader, create an environment where people can dream big…where they can take risks and make mistakes….where you are learning and growing together….not failing and pointing fingers.
  10. Don’t compromise on who you are, at the office or at home. There is no way to separate work and home. You are who you are. Model the type of employee you want to have working for you. Stick to your values, regardless of the circumstances or consequences. People will learn more watching you navigate adversity than they will watching you succeed.
  11. Keep your word. Every single time.
  12. Create a culture of trust, where your employees know they can talk to you about whatever barriers are in their way because you care and because you will make something happen.
  13. Be a leader with a heart. You need to inspire your team. You don’t have to inspire with a rousing speech or a pep rally, but by being who you are, by being that consistently, and by being a caring and compassionate human being, even under pressure.
  14. Have character. Do the right things when people are looking and when they aren’t.
  15. Trust your gut. You have intuition. Use it. But, also: verify.

Keep these proverbs handy. Read them often. Pass them on to other leaders you know.

And if you have any proverbs you’d like to add to the list, contact me any time at cihrig@www.firedupculture.com