Who is the best leader you’ve ever known? What qualities do you think made them successful?

At Cydcor, our idea of a leader is someone who can create a vision of the future, express that vision well, and use it to motivate people. Building a team, providing coaching, and setting clear expectations are some of the things leaders need to be really good at in order for the team to work effectively.

Leaders also need to master three key qualities to have a true impact: discipline, determination, and dedication. Examine these skills and discover how you can integrate them into your professional life.

Discipline

Discipline by its very nature is not an easy quality to master. It’s not glamorous—it’s simply unrelenting hard work. Excelling at discipline means that you approach each project with a clear understanding of what needs to be done and how you will get it done.

Don’t misunderstand the nature of discipline. It does not require you to be rigid or unrelenting. At its best, discipline is flexible and responds to changes in circumstance; it doesn’t mean that you’re unable to adapt as circumstances change during a project or when a new opportunity presents itself.

A disciplined leader is willing to address problems that arise and provide solutions. He or she looks for the best compromises and puts in the extra effort to make sure the job gets done well. They communicate clearly with the team and exemplify how to get the work done right.

Determination

A leader’s beliefs, principles, and values are founded in their determination. Determination can be a source of motivation, helping you through any and all challenges that might arise.

Did a family member, friend, or public figure inspire you when you were young? Often, a leader’s determination is learned through observation, stemming from a profound personal experience. Those who are determined to succeed recognize potential opportunities in a situation someone else might see as a dead end.

Dedication

A leader must develop and examine their dedication to projects so that they don’t lose sight of the goals. You must be a relentless worker: regularly check your progress against objectives throughout any project. Dedication requires focus. Make sure that the goals you establish are clearly stated and understood by your team as well. Schedule regular check-ins with team members to make sure everyone remains on the same page throughout a project’s duration.

A dedicated leader engages colleagues and keeps a conversation going throughout the life of the project. Dedication is fueled by communication and mutual respect. Let your colleagues know that you appreciate their efforts.

Leadership is a lot more than the three D's, but discipline, determination, and dedication are all necessary to being an ideal leader. Integrating these key attributes of a great leader into your work and personal life will have its own rewards.

About The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy

The power to change is always in the hands of the beholder. The Compound Effect is based on the fact that decisions can shape a person’s destiny. Even the smallest decisions can have an effect on the future. Written by Darren Hardy, publisher of Success Magazine, The Compound Effect analyzes the how to earn achievements in business, relationships, and more through decision-making. This easy-to-use, step-by-step guide can show readers how to increase successes, keep track of progress, and achieve their biggest goals.

Why Cydcor Reviews recommends this to future leaders:

Only the biggest decisions we’ve ever made come to mind when we look back at the choices that have shaped our lives. However, it’s not only big decisions but also small ones, even ones that we tend to not notice, that we make on a daily basis. This is the basis of The Compound Effect. It's very similar to making small financial decisions that ultimately add up to a large sum. If you’re serious about wanting to change for the better, smaller decisions need to be kept on track. The frustrating part is that many of these small, unnoticeable decisions may affect us negatively. The Compound Effect aims to help readers realize where their blinders are.

Our favorite part:

Consistency, hard work, and patience are all of utmost importance when it comes to decision-making. Making simple improvements every single day, even if it feels insignificant, can make a drastic impact. Hardy does an excellent job of pointing out how the reason WHY we do something is important. He describes the things that undermine our ability to change. Readers will be able to pick up this book and instantly begin implementing things that can have lasting and positive impacts on their life. This is a book has the potential to be re-read regularly—you’ll still find new tips to compound your success.

"If you work just for money, you'll never make it, but if you love what you're doing and you always put the customer first, success will be yours."

-Ray Kroc, businessman

Money is not the be-all and end-all of success. First, love what you are doing and take full gratification in pledging yourself entirely to your work and the needs of your client or business. This outlook on your work can transform the level of success and happiness you achieve throughout your life.

"The secret to productive goal setting is in establishing clearly defined goals, writing them down and then focusing on them several times a day with words, pictures and emotions as if we've already achieved them."

-Denis Waitley, author and motivational speaker

Creating a clear plan is key. Start by envisioning yourself experiencing success every day of your life. You are more likely to commit to keeping promises and staying on your goal path by visually focusing on them daily.

"It is not what we get. But who we become, what we contribute... that gives meaning to our lives."

-Tony Robbins, life coach

A large part of being successful means remembering others in your lives and how each person helped you get where you are today. True happiness and self-satisfaction is not measured by material wealth or possessions. Rather, it is the way you influence others and how you developed your character that makes life significant.

"Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood."

-Helen Keller, author

Why do some things happen one way while other things happen differently? In order to fully understand why events occur the way they do, you must experience them first hand. Never just take someone else’s word for it; go out and live life to the fullest.

To learn more about Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales services, check out Cydcor's channel on YouTube.