There have been many great leaders throughout history. Regardless on whether you’re a leader of a company or captain of a team, being a leader is of great importance. Derek Jeter (captain of the New York Yankees), General Joe Dunford (Commander, U.S. Forces, Afghanistan) and our very own Marco Maisano (Managing Director of NSR Australia) all teach us important lessons on leadership and what it takes to be of strong influence and make it to the top.
According to Fortune (2015), General Dunford is said to be the best warrior-statesman today who shares advice given to him by his commander; ‘surround yourself with good people’. Derek Jeter states his success stems from his ‘old school approach: Never offer excuses or give less than maximum effort’.
Being around Marco Maisano on a regular basis we see that his manner is very similar to that of Derek Jeter. This could be as they both contributed to team sports and therefore have similar mindsets. Marco describes a strong leader as:
Someone who fits all the bills, someone who leads by example and makes quick decisions for the betterment of their team. I believe that no matter how successful you already believe you are, you should always look for constant improvement in yourself and your team. A strong leader should look at problems like opportunities and should always seek advice from his/her team mates to create a stronger stance in the world.
As a former professional soccer player, I know how important it is to be part of a team and making a valuable contribution. Our team captain valued that we were able to take direction and set ourselves goals, he believed we all needed strong mindsets to never give in and always look to improve. We needed to follow his lead and trust in his judgement for the best outcome of the game and this was a life lesson on its own that has helped me lead my team in the corporate world.
Everyone has the capacity to climb up in life. Learning off our leaders is an important part of growing; whether it is in regards to our sports career, academic or social lives. Take these words of wisdom from our leaders today and always fight to improve yourself. You never know, one day you may be head of your own company or captain of your own team. The world is literally yours for the taking so you must chose how you want to play the game.
References: http://fortune.com/2014/03/20/fortune-ranks-the-worlds-50-greatest-leaders/