When I was first learning the art of leadership, I had a marvelous teacher: Dr. W. Edwards Deming. He used to say: A real leader never arrives; he's continuously improving. No matter how perfectly I swing that golf club, I can always improve my swing.
Dr. Deming used to focus on three areas of improvement: The first would be our skills. Tiger Woods is never satisfied with his skill in putting; I should never be satisfied with my skill in delegating. What skill are you trying to improve each day?
The second area is our knowledge. With Google and the whole Internet at our fingertips, there is no excuse for ignorance anymore. Whatever we don't know - is available immediately. We used to waste hours and even days in the library stacks -not any more!
The third area is our style. Leaders come in many styles. We need to pick the style that will work for us. Drill sergeants don't work in the corporate office. Whatever style of leadership we need-let's begin working now to improve it.
Many leaders around the world remember Dr. Deming because he was right: The only way to lead is through continuous improvement.