Becoming Your Best:
The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders
1. Be true to character.
Reflection: Having a true character is highly important due to the fact that by having a true character you'll be considered and you'll feel as a great person. When you have a true character it simply means that the way you act is taken in a positive way. When you have a true character it means that you're a person with great qualities and that you're a person that treats others nicely. When you have a good character it basically means that you are honest with yourself and others. In fact. having a true character shows what type of person you may be. Believe it or not one can tell by a person's character how one actually is, if he/she is a bad or good person. For example, if you see a person that is treating someone else with bad respect, you can rapidly conclude that, that person has a bad character. On the other hand of you see a person treating everyone with respect, and you see that he/she is being kind to almost everyone you can conclude that, that person has a great character. One has to remember that true character is they key to success and friendships. In conclusion, you have to be true to character because if not you'll rapidly be labeled as a negative person.
Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
I will apply this to myself by always being true to my character and by treating others and myself kindly.
2. Use your imagination.
Reflection: Using your imagination is something truly important especially for people who want to be something in life. If you don't try to imagine the things you want to accomplish that is most likely that you won't become who you want to be. By not having an image of what you want to be in the future, it can show a lack of interest. In fact, when you use your imagination you simply become more creative with your work and personality. In my opinion using your imagination simply makes you better due to the fact, that you are able to do ands see things others may not be able to. Using your imagination helps you create mental images that can surprisingly get you in a good mood, and can also reduce your stress. For example, if one day you are having a bad day by using your imagination in a positive way it can actually lift up your spirit/mood. By using your imagination you are able to visualize your life dream, which only encourages you to strive for that dream. Also I believe that by using your imagination in a positive way it helps you try to make your future as positive as your imagination. In conclusion, by using your imagination it only helps you to become more creative which is the key if you want a successful and happy life.
I will apply this to myself by simply using my imagination to strengthen my creativity.
3. Apply the power of knowledge.
2. Use your imagination.
Reflection: Using your imagination is something truly important especially for people who want to be something in life. If you don't try to imagine the things you want to accomplish that is most likely that you won't become who you want to be. By not having an image of what you want to be in the future, it can show a lack of interest. In fact, when you use your imagination you simply become more creative with your work and personality. In my opinion using your imagination simply makes you better due to the fact, that you are able to do ands see things others may not be able to. Using your imagination helps you create mental images that can surprisingly get you in a good mood, and can also reduce your stress. For example, if one day you are having a bad day by using your imagination in a positive way it can actually lift up your spirit/mood. By using your imagination you are able to visualize your life dream, which only encourages you to strive for that dream. Also I believe that by using your imagination in a positive way it helps you try to make your future as positive as your imagination. In conclusion, by using your imagination it only helps you to become more creative which is the key if you want a successful and happy life.
You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.
Mark Twain
I will apply this to myself by simply using my imagination to strengthen my creativity.
3. Apply the power of knowledge.
Reflection: Knowledge is the main key to success. Knowledge is the thing that prevents us from doing any negative stuff. Knowledge is the thing that makes us do and say positive things. Without knowledge one wouldn't be able to do anything in life. In fact, knowledge is not easy at all to withhold but we have to work very hard in order to gain knowledge. One we have knowledge we have to apply that knowledge to our everyday life. The reason in which we should apply knowledge onto our regular day life is because we need it on a regular basis in order to function correctly. For example, in life we will always face many problems but if I apply my knowledge into my problems my abilities in fixing my problems will increase. One can see that with knowledge many things are possible in achieving. In conclusion, one should always apply their knowledge to their everyday life in order to be and do great.
Ignorance is the curse of God; knowledge is the wing wherewith we fly to heaven.
William Shakespeare
I will apply this to myself by simply using my knowledge whenever is needed in order to complete and succeed all my tasks and goals.
4. Never Give Up.
Reflection: Never giving up is the main quality one should have in order to succeed in life. One thing one should know is that success doesn't come easily and it doesn't come by just trying one time. Success occurs after a long period of time and success usually consist of multiple times in trying to reach it. When you are trying to succeed in something their is always going to be many downhills that will make you feel like giving up, but something we should always remember is that feeling as if you want to give up is just another simple obstacle you have to overcome.In fact, once you succedd in doing something while knowing everything you overcame youll simply feel even more proud. For example, when I had a soccer game with the unified sports I twisted my ankle and it hurted very bad. So at that moment I felt like giving up and simply sat down in the bleachers. Once I saw my teammates losing and going through so much work, I decided not to give up and got in the game. When the game was over I felt even better due to the fact that even though my ankle was hurting I never gave up. In conclusion, giving up is never a choice one should make because by giving up you show a side of you that represents weakness.
4. Never Give Up.
Reflection: Never giving up is the main quality one should have in order to succeed in life. One thing one should know is that success doesn't come easily and it doesn't come by just trying one time. Success occurs after a long period of time and success usually consist of multiple times in trying to reach it. When you are trying to succeed in something their is always going to be many downhills that will make you feel like giving up, but something we should always remember is that feeling as if you want to give up is just another simple obstacle you have to overcome.In fact, once you succedd in doing something while knowing everything you overcame youll simply feel even more proud. For example, when I had a soccer game with the unified sports I twisted my ankle and it hurted very bad. So at that moment I felt like giving up and simply sat down in the bleachers. Once I saw my teammates losing and going through so much work, I decided not to give up and got in the game. When the game was over I felt even better due to the fact that even though my ankle was hurting I never gave up. In conclusion, giving up is never a choice one should make because by giving up you show a side of you that represents weakness.
If you fall behind, run faster. Never give up, never surrender, and rise up against the odds.
Jesse Jackson
I will apply this by simply keeping myself positive and knowing that once I overcome my obstacles I'll reach success.
5. Find peace and balance.
Reflection: It is important to find peace and balance due to the fact that one can be able to settle down with their goals and have no stress upon them. Finding peace is important because without peace you wont be able to settle down gratefully. Finding peace simply means that you feel comfortable with yourself and others. It is important to find peace within yourself and others to simply be prideful and comfortable in what you are doing. Having balance is also a huge factor that should relate to reaching your goals and being successful. You have to be balanced with your mindset in how you think and act. If you are unbalanced everything will be all over the place and it's going to be unorganized. For example, if you have to be balanced especially with your goals. You have to know what you want to reach for. If you are not balanced within your thoughts and goals you wont know what to strive for. In conclusion, in order to be able to have peace and balance one you plan ahead in how they are going to act and what they want to strive for.
5. Find peace and balance.
Reflection: It is important to find peace and balance due to the fact that one can be able to settle down with their goals and have no stress upon them. Finding peace is important because without peace you wont be able to settle down gratefully. Finding peace simply means that you feel comfortable with yourself and others. It is important to find peace within yourself and others to simply be prideful and comfortable in what you are doing. Having balance is also a huge factor that should relate to reaching your goals and being successful. You have to be balanced with your mindset in how you think and act. If you are unbalanced everything will be all over the place and it's going to be unorganized. For example, if you have to be balanced especially with your goals. You have to know what you want to reach for. If you are not balanced within your thoughts and goals you wont know what to strive for. In conclusion, in order to be able to have peace and balance one you plan ahead in how they are going to act and what they want to strive for.
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.
Albert Einstein
I will apply this to my life by simply knowing what I want for myself and my future.
6. Live the Golden Rule.
Reflection: The golden rule is something truly important one should follow at all times. In my opinion, one has many golden rules one can follow upon on. I believe one has its own golden rule; and the one I live upon on is treating others as I want to be treated. This golden rule to me is very important and valuable. The reason in which I live upon this golden rule is because I truly believe that the way you treat others is very important. For example, this rule simply means that if you want to be treated kindly by others you should treat those others kindly. Also if you want to be treated bad by others you should treat others bad. I really think that this is important because this golden rule can apply to others rules. For example, this golden rule is very similar to the one that says "What goes around, comes around."I also live upon this rule because one should treat others with such respect due to the fact that we never know when we will need their assistants. In conclusion, everyone can have any golden rule they want to live upon, all that matters is that the golden rule is truly positive.
6. Live the Golden Rule.
Reflection: The golden rule is something truly important one should follow at all times. In my opinion, one has many golden rules one can follow upon on. I believe one has its own golden rule; and the one I live upon on is treating others as I want to be treated. This golden rule to me is very important and valuable. The reason in which I live upon this golden rule is because I truly believe that the way you treat others is very important. For example, this rule simply means that if you want to be treated kindly by others you should treat those others kindly. Also if you want to be treated bad by others you should treat others bad. I really think that this is important because this golden rule can apply to others rules. For example, this golden rule is very similar to the one that says "What goes around, comes around."I also live upon this rule because one should treat others with such respect due to the fact that we never know when we will need their assistants. In conclusion, everyone can have any golden rule they want to live upon, all that matters is that the golden rule is truly positive.
My favorite parable for living a positive and influential life is the Golden Rule: 'Do unto others what you would have them do unto you.'
Tony Oller
I will apply this to myself by simply treating others with respect because that's exactly how I want to be treated.
7. Build and maintain trust.
Reflection: Building trust from others is truly important because it benefits you due to the fact that you can receive and help others with such confidence. Once you build the trust with others you have to find a way to maintain that trust and prevent it from simply being temporarily. In order to maintain the trust you simply have to be consistent in being trustworthy. The first step in building and maintaining trust is by simply being completely honest with all individuals. Also something else you should do in order to build and maintain trust by others is by involving them in your life not as much but to simply let them know how much you trust them. When people see how much you trust them they start to open up and start to trust you little by little. Also I believe you should let them know how they are important to you so they can simply open up top you even more. For example, if I wen to build trust and maintain the trust with one of my friends I have to trust them first so they know I care and so they know how much I value them. In conclusion, in order to build and maintain trust from others is by letting them know how much you value them and your friendship.
7. Build and maintain trust.
Reflection: Building trust from others is truly important because it benefits you due to the fact that you can receive and help others with such confidence. Once you build the trust with others you have to find a way to maintain that trust and prevent it from simply being temporarily. In order to maintain the trust you simply have to be consistent in being trustworthy. The first step in building and maintaining trust is by simply being completely honest with all individuals. Also something else you should do in order to build and maintain trust by others is by involving them in your life not as much but to simply let them know how much you trust them. When people see how much you trust them they start to open up and start to trust you little by little. Also I believe you should let them know how they are important to you so they can simply open up top you even more. For example, if I wen to build trust and maintain the trust with one of my friends I have to trust them first so they know I care and so they know how much I value them. In conclusion, in order to build and maintain trust from others is by letting them know how much you value them and your friendship.
"Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It's the foundational principle that holds all relationships. "
Stephen Covey
I will apply this to myself by simply trusting my close friends in order to receive trust back.
8.Quick to listen slow to wrath
Reflection: I believe this is one of the things one should be mandatory to follow. This basically means that one should listen to what others have to say before coming out and say something negative/rude. For example, if my friend and I are in an argument and we are talking to each other, I should let her talk before I start talking to her in a way that makes her feel bad. We should all be smart enough to listen before doing anything because just by listening we can be able to understand the other person and slow down our rage/anger. Usually when we start to talk without letting the other person talk we can get into more trouble or simply cause more trouble.If you stop for a second and listen you have time to actually know what the other person is thinking about and you get time to actually think about what you are about to say. Also by listening you can judge if the other person is sincere enough to talk to or not. You will also be able to value what the other person is talking about. If you realize that other person is talking to you in a nice way they'll be no need to wrath about anything. In conclsuion one should talk less and listen more to simply be respectful.
8.Quick to listen slow to wrath
Reflection: I believe this is one of the things one should be mandatory to follow. This basically means that one should listen to what others have to say before coming out and say something negative/rude. For example, if my friend and I are in an argument and we are talking to each other, I should let her talk before I start talking to her in a way that makes her feel bad. We should all be smart enough to listen before doing anything because just by listening we can be able to understand the other person and slow down our rage/anger. Usually when we start to talk without letting the other person talk we can get into more trouble or simply cause more trouble.If you stop for a second and listen you have time to actually know what the other person is thinking about and you get time to actually think about what you are about to say. Also by listening you can judge if the other person is sincere enough to talk to or not. You will also be able to value what the other person is talking about. If you realize that other person is talking to you in a nice way they'll be no need to wrath about anything. In conclsuion one should talk less and listen more to simply be respectful.
We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.
Epictetus
I will apply this to myself by simply talking less and listening more, to understand how others are feeling.
9. Lead with vision.
Reflection: If you want to be a good and beneficial leader you must lead with vision and you have to keep in mind that your future is empowered by what you do today and not tomorrow. People want leaders that look beyond the point of today. People want someone who envisions a great and better future. Also no goal is able to be accomplished without having a vision about it first. In order to accomplish your goals you have to have a vision of it so you can actually plan out what you want to do. Once you lead with vision you know what your heading for and you know what is waiting for you. Also when you lead with a vision then you automatically know what you have to be committed to. One should recognize that the the best leaders are the ones that have a clarity in their visions, due to the fact that they know what they are heading for. When a leader makes a vision then that's when they actually work as hard as they can to make that vision into reality. In conclsuion, if you want to be a leader you have to have many vision in mind to simply know what is it that your striving for.
Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.
Warren Bennis
I will apply this to myself by simply having a vision beyond the present to know what I am striving for.
I will apply this to myself by being accountable to everything I do to simply grow as a person.
10.Manage with a plan.
Reflection: When planning with well management it simply means that you are planning with such organization. I have always believed that when you manage things with a plan it simply leads you to your main focus. When doing this you are able to already know what is going to happen and what to expect. By managing with a plan you already know where you are heading for and you are able to keep track in what you need to and have to do. Also another benefit you can gain by doing this is that when you manage with a plan you never get off track because you already have a well organized plan to lead you through the way. For example, I am the kind of person that has to have a good managed plan to simply function throughout the day. When I have a managed plan I am able to follow my plans to simply use my time wisely. I believe that when you do not have a plan many things can come out how you didn't expected it to come out. Also without a plan you start to lose time and waste time trying to figure out what to do next. In conclusion, everyone should have a managed plan to lead you through your life thoroughly.
"Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success."
Pablo Picasso
I will apply this to myself by always creating a plan to reach many many goals.
11. Do what matters most.
Reflection: Doing what matters most is truly important because throughout your lifetime there will be times in which you're going to have to give up doing something to simply do what matters most. By doing this one is able to show and act of responsibility. When you do what matters most you are able to get many important things done; things that actually matter and are worth doing. For example, this year I am running for Jr. Vice President of my school, because of this I have had to give up many fun things to do like hanging out with my friends. When I get invited to go out with my friends and I know I have a lot of work to do I always do what matters most which is my school work. When you do what matters most rather than the things that don't you are benefiting yourself in the long run. Although many would rather do other things that what matters most you are simply doing what makes you happy that second but in the long run you'll see how much it will affect you. You have to always remember that you have to start thinking about your future and the your present, because by doing this you are able to start benefiting yourself in the long run which is truly important. In conclusion, do what matters most now because in the future you'll see how much it benefited you.
"We should not need a hurricane or other crisis to remind us of what matters most....What matters most is what lasts longest."
Elder M. Russell Ballard
I will apply this to myself by always remembering that doing what matters most will pay of sooner or later.
12. Be accountable
Reflection: To be accountable is truly important, because by being accountable you are also being responsible to what you do and say. Being accountable is needed for almost everything you do. Every time you do something you have to hold the responsibility of being accountable for your actions. This is why you should always be doing the right things so you can be accountable for something positive and not negative. If you are doing bad things I can guarantee you that you won't want to be accountable for the things you did since it was negative. For example, I am currently running for Jr. Vice President and I know if I do get elected I have to be accountable to everything I do; which simply means I have to be responsible for the actions I do. The reason in which I need to be accountable is being Im going to be planning things out for my school as well as doing events when doing this I need to realize that I have to be accountable for whatever happens, good or bad. Although I know many people don't want to be accountable for stuff because they believe it may come out wrong that's the part in which they have to build up their courage. When you are accountable you also have to know that you have to be willing to be responsible for things you do even if it has a bad outcome. In conclsuion, being accountable is something everyone you be in order to show an act of independence and bravery
"A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case he is justly accountable to them for the injury."
John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill
I will apply this to myself by being accountable to everything I do to simply grow as a person.
Overall Reflection: Overall these 12 attributes for highly successful people are very useful and they all prepare you to have a wonderful and great future. I believe that in order to succeed in life one should be able to have all these attributes. We should follow these attributes during our whole lifetime because it simply makes us become a stronger and better person. These attributes have helped me personally due to the fact that I am now able to implement this in my life and the way I act. When one is able to implement these attributes in ones life we are able to see the grand impact it truly makes upon ourselves. Many may say that they do not see the difference but I can assure you that in the long-run you get a lot of benefit from doing all this.In conlusion, I will definatly reccomend these atrributes because I know the great change it can make in ones life.
