Leaders operate in one of three modes (…and real leaders only need two!) …but for the sake of completeness… leaders are always in one of the following three leadership modes:
- Winning — great leaders win… a lot. It’s what they do!
- Learning — good leaders learn whenever they don’t win… it’s how they become great leaders.
- Losing — real leaders never lose… they are either winning or learning.
In the article below, we’ll expand each of these modes and describe the underlying qualities that support leaders who win, learn, or lose.
Three Operating Modes of a Leader , ©James R Carnes, 2023
1. Why Great Leaders Win
Leaders that ‘win’ have everything going for them, at all times, under all circumstances. Here’s a terrific quote I have on my office wall as a reminder to do the right thing.
“Winning is not a sometime thing. It’s an all-the-time thing. You don’t win once-in-a-while; you don’t do things right once-in-a-while. You do them right all the time. Winning is a habit.” — Vince Lombardi
Great leaders benefit from a list of quality attributes that assure them of always being in position for the win. They are discerning, directional, disciplined, driven, and dependable. And it’s not that they excel at any one of these… but that they excel at all of them.