LEADERSHIP

by Phyllis Schlafly

My definition of a leader is an ordinary person who accepts the responsibility to complete a job that requires the cooperation of other people. It demands a certain combination of skills that can be developed by practice, and the first letters of these skills spell LEADERSHIP.

LOYALTY: A leader must have the virtue of Loyalty – to God, to country, to moral law, and to his followers. Loyalty must be a two way street; it must flow down as well as up.

ENTHUSIASM: A leader must have Enthusiasm. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”

ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY: The keystone of the whole design is that a leader must Accept responsibility. He must make decisions, not be a buckpasser. This is not talent of intellect but an achievement of will.

DETAIL: A leader must have infinite capacity for Detail and follow through. As Michelangelo once said, “Trifles make perfection, but perfection is no trifle.”

EFFICIENT: A leader makes Efficient use of his time. He organizes his mind, his day, his week, his year. He can cope with the pressure of deadlines.

RESOLUTE: A leader must be Resolute. He cannot be dismayed by the heartaches and heartbreaks he encounters. That is the penalty of leadership and its badge of honor.

SENSE OF HUMOR: A leader must have a Sense of humor. He doesn’t have to be always happy, but he must remain cheerful even in the face of defeat.

HARD WORK: A leader must seek, not avoid, Hard work. Opportunities are everywhere, but they are disguised as hard work and that’s why most people don’t recognize them.

ITEMIZE: A leader must Itemize duties and delegate tasks. He must motivate the cooperation of the other people.

PERSEVERANCE: Finally, a leader must have Perseverance. Most problems we face have no instant cures; a leader must gear up for the long haul.