“Statistics are no substitute for judgment.” Henry Clay Leadership is not some simple attribute or function of education, training, or your personality, but a complex set of values , beliefs, opinions, self understanding, feelings and attitude, Successful leaders are “different” from followers, they have developed a system or technique to accomplish things through others. They have an inner sense of how to manage people and resources. They know who they are. They understand their strengths and weaknesses. And they are not afraid to ask for help and acknowledge their mistakes. They are open and honest. You can wrap all these attributes up in one word: “attitude” Leaders start the day with a positive attitude. They do not let the losers discourage or upset them with tales of why you cannot do something. Or the negative predications so common of lazy people. Leaders look at the world as a changing place of opportunity. They don’t wish for yesterday or the security of stagnation. They welcome what tomorrow will bring. Leaders understand their place in the world. They know the importance of self-awareness, the importance of never ending learning, and the benefits of welcoming the thoughts and opinions of their fellow man. Leaders are not ridged souls, but individuals who value ideas and creative process of comrades and competitors. Leaders do not get hung up on petty things. They do not attach importance to minor irritations, or incidents. They don’t let a small discourtesy spoil their day or influence their thinking, Leaders do not always have to be right. They do not have to grab all the praise and demand the limelight. They are not egomaniacs. They understand and appreciate the contributions and accomplishments of others. Leaders do not generalize. Because one employee slacks off, does not mean the entire labor force is lazy and irresponsible. They are wise; they do not jump to conclusions over a single incident. Leaders are not greedy or selfish. They understand the value of sharing. They know their success is the result of the efforts of many individuals. Leadership starts with your thinking, stinking thinking brings stinking results. As within, as without, or as your thoughts determine who you are. And how do we as adults, work this miracle on ourselves and tune up our thought process? With help, and there is a ton of it for any small business owner. Start with your local chamber of commerce, get involved and volunteer your time. By giving of yourself to help your fellow small business owners, you are injecting a shot of positive thinking and adding to your business education. Become a member of one the local service clubs such as the Lions, or Rotary. When we get our thoughts away from our problems we function better, we start to act like leaders not complainers. The age-old expression of you must “give to get” is not without merit. As well as working on your ability to think like a leader, take advantage of the various small business development centers at various colleges and universities. Check the listing on the internet. Or see what your local community college offers in small business leadership courses. And if heading for your local college is not for you, there is no shortage of material you can tap into on the internet. Unless you have been in leadership positions before starting your business, becoming an instant leader may be difficult. If you will remember, you are not King Henry, you are not Napoleon, you are not the leader of an industrial giant, you are a dedicated hard working guy or gal who has invested their savings, borrowed all you can, and against the odds of the market place and the warfare of your competitors, you are determined to succeed. As F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “the rich are different then the rest of us,” leaders think and act differently than their employees. And that is learned behavior. Dr. Paul E Adams, Professor Emeritus Business Administration Ramapo College of New Jersey Author “ Fail Proof Your Business: Beat the Odds and be Successful.” Available at Amazon.Com If you have questions about your business- contact me: drfailproof@earthlink.net