Leadership is leadership no matter where you employ it.

We are delighted to welcome this first article by Brett Farmiloe.

There have been two times I have accepted the role of a leader — my Little League baseball team and, currently, with a venture called ‘Pursue the Passion’. These experiences, coupled with lessons learned from interviews with leaders across the country, have led me to believe that leadership is all a matter of where you look.

1) Look inside. How will you be able to lead others if you can’t lead yourself?

A leader must master their personal infrastructure before building an empire, a dynasty, or even just a successful, winning team. A leader unconsciously lives by their values. Every thought, action, and behavior is based on the pillars of what is important — be it integrity, honesty, fulfillment, accountability, or any word that exemplifies what a leader stands for.

Walt Disney once said, “If you have no conflicts in your value system, decision making is easy.”

2) Look to the future. What awaits?

A leader clearly defines their vision of what they want to achieve. Martin Luther King Jr. wanted equality. Gandhi wanted peace. Ben & Jerry wanted to create premium ice cream.

The vision must align with the leader’s personal infrastructure, because the vision is an extension of the leader and what they stand for. If the vision is wildly different from the leader’s values, they must return,to step1 or risk never reaching step 3.

“Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” is not just a predetermined interview question, it is a true measure of the mind’s capabilities. A great mind is defined by clear vision.

3) Look behind you. Who is there?

No great business has ever been built alone. Business is about people. The ultimate accomplishment for a leader is to have people willing to follow. “Will people continue to follow?” is the question. If that answer is a resounding “yes,” that leader ranks up there among the world’s greatest.

It is a constant pursuit for many leaders. CEOs cite “How do I retain my people?” as one of their top five questions at any given time. That’s why leaders consistently communicate their vision. The thinking is that if they share that vision often enough, people naturally will go towards that vision.

We’ve all heard Obama’s vision by now, “Change,” and look at how many people are following him. If you want to know if you’re a leader, just look behind you.

There you have it. Leadership, in its simplicity, can be achieved in three steps. If you want one more step, here it is: start to look, slowly, and never cease looking.

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