Great Leaders Ask Themselves These 3 Questions

Formal authority is just the beginning of leadership; the rest you have to earn 

When I was a new CEO of Todd Shipyards, I was visiting with a group of Machinists before an all-employee event. Machinists, for some reason, tended to be huge people. So although I’m about 6’ tall, I was surrounded by a trio of men that dwarfed me in height and girth. One of the Machinists realized that I was the new CEO. 

“Oh, you’re Todd Shipyards” he said, using a military practice of connecting the highest officer to the actual organization, as if they’re the same. And then in a tone that was completely flat and factual, “Well, I’ve seen five of you come and go.”

He may have been having fun putting me in my place. Or, as I believe, he really was just stating the facts: while a carousel of different people rotated in and then out of the CEO position, he had remained – working in the Machine Shop, executing his work to demanding tolerances, and who I was (or wasn’t) really didn’t have much to do with him. Without speaking it, he could have easily been implying that when I was gone, he would still be there. 

I’ve always remembered that sentence: “Well, I’ve seen five of you come and go.” It speaks volumes in under 10 words. You don’t earn the right to lead people because someone in authority gave you a title and responsibility. You earn it – hopefully, and if you deserve it – over time through your actions.

The actions necessary to earn the right to lead others starts from within yourself before they can be visible to others. Assuming you are an executive of suitable intelligence and competence, with a personality that allows people to access the essence of “you,” and a commitment to the organization’s success, then here are three questions to consider when you look to focus your growth as a leader:

Do I consistently do what I say?

I once hired a landscape contractor who told me he ran his whole business off this principle.  (“I tell ‘em what I can do; and then I make sure I do it.”)  So simple; and yet so hard … at least for some people. Delivering on your commitments demonstrates your ability to control your thoughts and mouth; organize your resources; and deliver on your promises. An essential building block of trust.


Do I respect everyone I meet? 

Of course others are watching you – much more closely than you likely imagine. So it will certainly damage your reputation if people realize you are petty, two-faced, or worse.  But you can’t do “pretend respect.” People have a great intuition for frauds. 

Respect others because it is your principle for the treatment of people. Respect others for the wonder of being them. Respect is fundamental to cooperative relationships. It’s the underlying power that facilitates listening. It’s impossible to receive others’ best efforts without respecting them. 

Though I had never met the Machinist before, I respected the Machinist. And I appreciated him for a number of reasons. Not least of which was because he had worked diligently and professionally for many years, but also because he spoke factually when he counted his time in the terms of five CEOs.

Do I admit my mistakes? 

Maybe you never make mistakes; or maybe make one a year; or one a week. Admitting your mistakes in a forthright manner is an act of honesty. You are modeling a behavior essential for any collective of people. It will be impossible to learn, improve and grow without an organizational ability to admit mistakes. Show people how to do it.


Gaining the right to lead others is a gift built over time that starts from within. If you don’t like the answer to one or more of these questions, your leadership development plan starts there.

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