The Importance of Self-Belief

In this 2005 interview, former British Lions rugby team captain, Gavin Hastings offers some advice on leading a team. In particular, he emphasises one of the key attributes of leadership when he says that you 'have to believe in what you are doing'.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/rugby_union/article1079923.ece

The Importance of Self-Belief

Managing Your Attitude is a Vital Component to Achieving Great Leadership

Here is a fascinating video insight into the mindset of Nelson Mandela and the importance of a leader displaying the right attitude:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x88c9s_leadership-and-attitude-management_news

Managing Your Attitude is a Vital Component to Achieving Great Leadership

A Leader Taking Responsibility

You do not really need to understand American Football to appreciate this video -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96vAbtpakLg

What you do need to appreciate though, watching in particular the last 30 seconds of the video, is the leadership and responsibility shown by a then 21 year old University student in front of a national TV audience.

This is a powerful example of the great athlete embracing the idea of being a role model.

A Leader Taking Responsibility

The Why of Leadership

Public philosopher Tom Morris expresses something in True Success: A New Philosophy of Excellence that speaks to the why of leadership:


"We all need help. We need guidance for our journeys through life. Even the most successful of us need reminders and fresh, crisp articulations of the truths we may only vaguely grasp that have, in one way or another, led us to whatever we have managed to accomplish. We need to rethink. We need to refocus. How can we get where we still need to go? And how can we best convey to others what it takes to get there together?"

The Why of Leadership

Oudin's Wild Ride Reaches the Quarterfinals

One of the highlights of this year's US Open tennis championship has been the performance of 17 year old Melanie Oudin of the USA, who has now reached the quarterfinals of the Women's Singles.



http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/08/sports/tennis/08oudin.html?pagewanted=all


Speaking of Oudin's performance, the captain of the US Federation Cup tennis team, Mary Joe Fernandez said;

'I'm not sure I expected something like this US Open to happen so soon for her, but I definately saw a fighting spirit. And when you have that determination, that kind of positive attitude and you put in the hard work, good things happen.'

There is an obvious connection here between leadership, determination, positive attitude, hard work and results. Exactly the message President Obama delivered recently to US schoolchildren.

Oudin's Wild Ride Reaches the Quarterfinals

Obama urges students to work hard, stay in school

Showing real leadership in spite of opposition from some Republicans in Congress, President Obama delivered an important speech yesterday to children throughout the USA. In it he said that education 'isn't just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.' The full text of the President's speech can be found at: http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/09/07/obama.school.speech.pdf

Obama urges students to work hard, stay in school