12 Leadership Principles of Life
Sometimes we need to be reminded of simple principles or lessons we learned from our experiences in life. Everyone doesn’t need to find them profound or earth-shattering. Guess what? They don’t even need to agree with the principles for them to be true. I have personally experienced the list below and embraced them as my dozen leadership principles of life. They are for your encouragement.
My Dozen Leadership Principles
- Don’t get advice from someone who is unsuccessful. We should seek advice from those with a proven track record of success. However, we should learn from the mistakes of those who have been unsuccessful because we definitely don’t want to repeat them.
- We are always growing. Life never stands still. That means we are either progressing (positive growth) or regressing (negative growth). It’s important to take steps today to ensure we’re progressing.
- We are always learning. We’re always learning something new as long as we have life and can reason. Much of what we learn will be intentional and positive. For example, a new skill or guidance we receive from a coach. There are also times when we’ll be in situations where we learn something undesirable (think teenagers running with the wrong crowd). We should choose to learn what we want rather than be taught what we don’t need.
- Our truth is not always The Truth. People will only believe what they think is the truth.Contrary to popular belief, truth is not simply what we believe it is. The fact is what we believe, and what’s true are not always the same. There are three things we can do to get closer to the truth. We should validate the source, test our truth against our critics, and compare it to our experiences.
- We should not ask a question if we can’t handle the answer. Our desire for knowledge can open us up to information that can be too emotionally difficult to handle. At times, it’s best to just move past the information if it does not impact a life or livelihood. However, if we have to ask the question, we must be mentally and emotionally prepared. That includes praying for wisdom and proceeding with extreme caution.
- We can only know true love when we know the love of God. The love of God is agape love, meaning the love of God for mankind. It is given regardless of our situation and without expecting a return. It is selfless. Christians are reminded of that love every Easter when the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ are recognized.
- We should not let others label our wisdom as fear. Fear is the emotional response to the belief that something is a threat. Wisdom is the intentional application of knowledge, experience, and sound judgment. We need to know the difference and be wise.
- Pain does not have to precede gain. Spoiler alert: The saying “No pain, no gain” isn’t always true. There are indeed many gains that are preceded by pain. This includes childbirth or muscle building. However, when we understand Grace, we will realize that some gains do not require a deposit of pain. Grace says I’m giving you a favor you did not work for nor pay for.
- Our action today is an investment into our future. There’re many things we do today that will have a long-term impact. Our actions are like investments. The impact of these actions may be positive or negative. It depends on what we do and how well we invest (of our actions, time and talents). Invest well.
- Victory starts when the focus is shifted from the pain of loss to the possibility of growth. The first step to victory following a loss is to mentally see the possibilities, and start the journey of growth. You can’t get to victory if you are parked in the zone of pain from the loss.
- The gate to victory in hostility is unlocked when you stop and think. Newton’s Third Law of Physics states that for every action in nature, there is an equal and opposite reaction. That means, if we pause instead of just reacting, we increase our probability of victory. Why? Because common sense presents itself when we stop and think.
- Success is not a number. Success is about accomplishing your mission. Noah, the prophet in the Bible, spent years building a boat that he only used once. Ignore the critics. Build your boat!
Many of us may not be able to capture our life’s lessons in a shareable manner. That’s OK. The important thing is to learn from our experiences. What’s even better is to share those experiences with others for encouragement and their growth and development.
Empowered Leader Reflection
What was one of your most profound life lessons, and what made it so impactful? Feel free to share it with us below.
