Great Leaders Inspire Others to be Their Best

Written by Judy W Bell on October 25, 2010. Posted in Leadership

Great leaders easily win the confidence, respect, trust, and friendship of others. One easy way to do this is to take the spotlight off of you and put it on others. When you catch people doing things right they usually will not disappoint you.

The story is told of William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli, intense rivals during the Victorian Age. Both men are remembered as great leaders – full of nobility and intelligence. There was but one great distinction between the men. They differed greatly in their approach to people.

This difference can be illustrated with a story told by a young woman who dined with each of the rival statesmen on consecutive nights. When asked for her impression of them, she said,

“When I left the dining room after sitting next to Mr. Gladstone, I thought he was the cleverest man in England. But after sitting next to Mr. Disraeli, I thought I was the cleverest woman in England.”

How do you make others feel about themselves?