leadership lessons, part 1

Last week I had the opportunity to be in a room with some transformational leaders. The first day was spent with Hays Watkins, the former CEO of CSX Railroad. Here are some of the leadership lessons he shared. 1. Managers work within set guidelines. Leaders set the guidelines. 2. Leaders are good listeners. 3. Give credit to others. 4. Be considerate of feelings, even when people offer screwball ideas. 5. Be well-informed before expressing your opinion. Don’t shoot from the hip. 6. Be an intelligent risk-taker. 7. Trust your intuition. 8. Express concepts clearly and concisely. 9. Know your personal goals but don’t flaunt them. 10. Build relationships with people of influence. 11. Choose strategically whom to remove from power. 12. Develop your successors. 13. When there is conflict, do your homework, and when you know you are right, stick to your guns. 14. If you work conscientiously, whatever happens will be best for you.