Develop honesty, sincerity and a well grounded set of ethical values to guide your decisions. These characteristics form the backbone of all leaders be they in business, religion, government, sports or other fields of endeavor. The famed football coach, Lou Holtz, once stated, "If you want to know if a person is one of quality ask yourself:

1. Are they honest, can you trust them?

2. Do they strive for excellence in whatever they do?

3. Do the genuinely care about other people?"

If the answer is yes, you have the beginnings of a leader. Ask yourself, "Do I have these traits?" If not, then develop them.

Demand that your energy level and level of mental and physical fitness remain high . When the opportunity to take on another assignment or responsibility or lead an initiative comes you way, the demand on your personal energy may be higher than you expected. The global business person, in particular, is often referred to as a "road warrior" because of the long travel hours over multiple time zones required by one's work, the disparate places that one sleeps, and the irregular foods that one eats. Likewise, the demands for focused concentration required by multiple foreign counterparts can be daunting, and all day meetings followed by expected participation in evening social events can be draining. Business leaders must maintain above average energy levels. To achieve this they must maintain above average levels of mental and physical fitness. Go to the gym, ride a bike, swim, meditate. Develop a routine that becomes part of your daily life.

Strive for unremitting improvement . Many would have you believe that once you have your college degree in hand, your education is complete. Nothing could be further from the truth. A commonly held belief among MBA degree providers today is that the shelf life of what is being taught, at any given time, is about four years. That is, what you learn today, will be obsolete or in need of updating in about four years. While theories, models and methods may be applicable for longer periods of time, the nature and ways that they are applied and utilized will change and do change very rapidly. Thus, future business leaders must continually seek to broaden and deepen their education. In the global arena, this take on the form of improving one's "cultural literacy," or what you know about politics, technologies, infrastructure, the legal environment, business customs, motivations, and the global, national, regional and local cultures in which you do business. Strive to improve your competency in a range of business functions (not just the one you might have studied in school) including finance, accounting, marketing, human resource management, organizational strategy, and competitive analysis. Always update your abilities to understand and use information systems and technologies. Rely on a technical wizard for your technology use, and the wizard will soon have your job. Work to improve your communication and social skills, such that your vision of what the future holds or where your company should be heading can be articulated to others who will be motivated to go there with you. Perhaps most important of all, avoid complacency, self-righteousness, flattery or over-zealous praise. Seek out constructive feedback (both positive and critical) as one means of further educating yourself.

Maintain and demonstrate a personal sense of balance in your life. While some successful people are often accused of being merely lucky, it has often been said that luck is just that state of being ready to take advantage of an opportunity when it happens. Being "ready" is synonymous with being in balance. Top leaders strive to balance their professional lives with their personal lives, their cerebral intelligence with their emotional intelligence, their ability to command with their ability to listen, their enthusiasm with their tempered caution. A personal sense of balance guides a leader in his or her lifelong commitment to the multiple demands that come from family, colleagues, customers, stockholders, country and the larger world society. Seek balance in and between all of your life's dimensions.

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