These simple laws will help the new leader’s ability to influence and direct those who are following. New leaders need new laws.

1. Personal Power beats Positional Power. A leader who uses positional power has to tell people who they are and what role they are in. When you have to use your title to establish your authority, you probably have very little, real authority at all with those you are trying to lead. Personal power is personnel power. When the leader gets to know those whom he/she is leading, they can lead them more effectively. This is a two-way street, the leader must also be authentic and sincere with his/her followers. There are few more powerful principals than this one. Positional leaders are bosses. Personal leaders are influencers. Your organization does not need more bosses. Your organization needs more influencers.

2. You can’t manage effectively, what you don’t measure correctly. A leader must also be a good manager. Stewardship is another word for management. Therefore, an effective leader must be an effective steward. Too many leaders get overwhelmed with the scale of their responsibility or the minutia and lose focus on making sure the measurements that frame the organization are correct. Stewardship is accountability. The new leader must make himself, his people and his responsibilities accountable. The best way to give a good account begins by correctly counting. Frustration often occurs because the correct measurement has not been conducted. Measuring takes the guess-work and theory out of your leadership. Measuring brings you factual data that then can be applied and improved. Don’t guess. Measure.

 (photo: Deadspin)
“The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it.”
— Lou Holtz

3. Who you are is more important than what you do. Too many new leaders miss this principal, then they become old leaders who have glaring gaps in their integrity. Who you are is described in one word: integrity. You are your integrity. Sadly, leaders will often sacrifice their integrity for short term gain and results. This is folly. There are many things that can be forgiven that can never be undone. Leaders must not take short-cuts in their character. Short-cuts in character lead to short-circuits in the organization. Short-circuits lead to short-falls and failures.

Warren Buffet,“In looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if they don’t have the first, the other two will kill you.”

4. Complaining never solved anything. Beware of complainers and beware of becoming a complainer. Complaining is the act of making your disproval known in a manner that is inconsistent with the direction of the organization with no real solution in mind. Complaining is the critique of the unsatisfied individual. We complain because complaining is easier than critique. Your organization needs counselors not complainers. Often, complaining is the attempt of people to distance themselves from personal responsibility. This is why you find that complainers are also most often, excuse-givers as well. Complaining and making excuses go hand-in-hand. A constant complainer becomes a whiner. Complainers, excuse-makers, and whiners are detrimental to any organization. Leaders must offer solutions. Complainers offer nothing.

“Don’t find fault, find a remedy; anybody can complain.” – Henry Ford