Spirit of Leadership

CHAPTER NINETEEN Attitude #10 Self-Cultivation

Accept the power in self-empowerment. T rue leaders possess the leadership attitude of self cultivation, a passion for personal development. Some marks of a genuine spirit of leadership are a desire and commitment to gain knowledge and insights, to keep improving oneself, and to learn from others. Leaders are consummate readers and are always look ing for opportunities to advance their knowledge. They create their own learning opportunities and facilitate their own educational environments. A leader’s personal collec tion of books is usually his greatest possession. To become the leader that you were destined to be, you must convert your home into a university and your automo bile into a mobile seminar hall. Leaders know that they must never stop expanding their knowledge base. The attitude of self-cultivation also drives them to extend their knowledge beyond their particular areas of focus in order to be ver satile when necessary. Leaders study beyond the realm of their own disciplines—but in ways that will advance their purposes and visions.

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