Last week we looked at four survival skills for success as a leader: teachable, a good listener, the ability to forgive, and core convictions. As stated last week, without these skills, failure or mediocrity are likely outcomes.

This week, let us look at two more of these survival skills for successful leadership.

Delegation: Delegation is about the ability to relinquish responsibility to others. These responsibilities may include things that you either do not have the time or the ability to do well.

As in any great endeavor, not knowing what is required for survival or success can lead to failure.

We often hear about wilderness adventures where survival skills are needed in order to return alive.

The same is true for leaders: without knowing the survival skills of leadership, failure or mediocrity are likely outcomes. And no one wants to be known as a failure or mediocre leader.

I want to suggest a few survival essentials that every leader needs to succeed.

In last week’s blog post we looked at some of the warning signs that if ignored will lead to leadership failure. Many leaders either live with the regrets or consequences, or have quit leadership altogether because warning signs were ignored.

Knowing the warning signs is one thing; acknowledging those signs in your life is another. The process of acknowledging warning signs and taking action before it is too late often requires you to have a person or persons in your life who can tell you the truth about what they see in your life that has the potential to lead to failure as a leader and ultimately destroy you as a person.

Warning signs are everywhere – on medication bottles, along the roadways, on plastic wrapping or cartons. We find them on electrical appliances, and on coffee cups from convenience stores and fast food joints. Warning signs are all around and if we ignore them, the consequences can be great. We may recover from some consequences; but other consequences can be permanent.

For example, if you ignore a stop light and go when it is not your turn, you may end up in a simple fender bender with car damage that can easily be repaired. Or you might end up with serious bodily injuries from which you never recover. Worse yet, life may be lost by ignoring the warning sign of the stop light.

The sad reality is that many of us ignore warning signs until it’s too late. This does not have to be the case.

Who are you?

What comes to mind when you read that question?  I imagine you are thinking about your name, age, your family background and your career. Usually when people ask that question, they want to know something along the lines your name.

The same question can be asked but with deeper meaning in mind. This time think of the question in the context of the person you are inside that affects who you are on the outside.

Who are you?

Now the question becomes one of character – who you are on the inside, rather than reputation – who you are perceived to be by others.