What Motivates a Leader to be a Great Leader?

It has always been my intention to focus on the actions, thoughts, words, and attitudes of leaders. One that I have been thinking of lately is the question, what motivates a leader to be a great leader?

I remember working in an organization that trained young men with the goal of preparing them for future leadership. It was an intense program with great pressure as well as instruction with strict evaluation. During a graduation one of the father's asked me a profound question, why do you think so many of these young men fail when they return home? I had a quick response but years later realized it was an accurate one.

The reason they failed was a lack of accountability!

Think about it, what was going on in your life when you had a failure? This is an easy answer from my own life experience. Failures usually where proceeded by a period of little or no accountability.

Why does a sport team need a coach? For the most part it to ensure each individual trains beyond their complacency, to push a person into new areas of growth and learning.

So I ask you, where is the accountability for today's leader?

Oh, I know there are production quota's, performance evaluations, and promotion steps that in their own way hold authority accountabile, but where is the accountability of the most important part of real leadership?

I am talking about how a leader treats their most valuable resource. their people.

More to follow in my next post.