Good leaders lead from the inside out. Yet good leaders must constantly remain skeptical-especially of themselves. If you are closed or hardheaded about your beliefs, you will become rigid and incapable of change. As the world changes, so must the framework. Leaders often serve as lightning rods.
Leaders are ground zero for pressure and criticism.
You must be strong enough to take a punch. But if the fire hardens you, you'll lose that part of your humanity that is critical to leadership. You must maintain the ability to feel with those you lead. Leaders in any organization tend to have a public face and are subject to second-guessing and criticism. My role as a school superintendent gave me the opportunity to hear about my decisions on talk radio, read letters to the editor and see caricatures of myself in editorial cartoons, and hear personal vilification in public meetings.