after my talk with the kids, i started thinking of what attributes i needed to help develop in my kids.
like any other parent, i want them to be successful in their own rights. but aside from telling them to study hard… what else can i do?
as i was talking to them about their dreams and aspirations… i began to think about various behavioural attributes that needs to be developed. i had to draw on my professional working experience and my own knowledge and perspective of what makes a successful person. here are my thoughts:
- have a vision
- alternatively, have a dream, ambition, aspiration, desire etc. this is perhaps the most important aspect of success. the vision needs to be sufficiently big, clear and strongly believed in. it is so easy to have small dream. it is so easy to have a muddled dream. it is so easy to lose faith in one’s dreams. it is also very easy to confuse personal goals with a more encompassing understanding of one’s purpose-in-life (affinity to others). get this right, and the rest will fall through.
- learn & develop the intellect
- this is not just about hard work. it is also about developing a mind that can think beyond boundaries. it is about developing a mind that can see things / issues in multiple dimensions and perspectives. it is about a mind that can differentiate between details and focus on the big picture. no doubt, there is a lot of hard work – involving reading, understanding the environment and the broader universe.
- have a clear idea for execution
- many dreamers are often labeled just that. this is a tough part in the make up of a successful leader: understanding how to execute the vision. it is about understanding all the steps to achieve a goal. it is about setting goals & priorities. it is about anticipating, understanding and solving pitfalls that can derail such plans. it is about the ability to understand value creation to take calculated risks and drive change. it is about the constant pursuit for perfection and excellence. it is about understanding how to measure success of each step. the executor needs to have an eye for detail, diligence in follow through and is methodically disciplined.
- a leader of the people
- a leader must be a people person. two-way communication is key. having emotional intelligence is another. it is about knowing what drives and what scares people. it is about handling the interpersonal aspect of adversity, diversity and change. it is about understanding the perspectives of others and to be able to advocate one’s perspectives very clearly.
- being emotionally balanced
- the successful leader must be able to balance difficult emotions. the leader must be able to handle negativity, criticisms in a positive manner. it is about understanding one’s weaknesses and working to address these weaknesses. it is about owning up to mistakes without being defensive. it is about being able to focus on the goals despite the uphill battle.