There are loads of articles floating around about attributes that make great leaders great, but what makes a poor leader? We can all pick them out after the fact (hindsight is 20/20 after all), but what traits set these people apart even before they assume a leadership role?

Any one or more of the following traits would be a red flag that a person might not be ready for a leadership position:

[box type=”shadow” align=”aligncenter” ]1. Lack of empathy.

Lack of empathy is a key indicator of a poor leader. If the person cannot seem to put him or herself in another person’s shoes and see things from a different perspective, they will never be a truly great leader.

2. Fear of change.

Hey, change is scary for everyone, especially when it involves loads of money and/or people’s jobs. But leaders who cannot embrace change are destined to be left behind.

3. Too willing to compromise.

The ability to find a win/win situation is a gift for a leader, but anyone who is too quick to compromise his or her ideas or ideals is not going to be a benefit to the team. It’s a fine balance between understanding when to give in and when to stand your ground.

4. Too bossy.

It’s a common misconception that bossy people make good bosses. Actually, the opposite is true. Someone who simply orders others around is unlikely to engender any loyalty or make subordinates feel empowered. True leaders have followers who want to be led by them.

5. Wishy-washy.

Leaders must make decisions, and so if a person always seems to vacillate on choices big and small — from who should handle a certain client to where to go for lunch — they will probably have difficulty in a leadership position. It indicates a lack of self-confidence.

6. Poor judge of character.

A person who has a blind spot when it comes to friends and coworkers, making excuses or being unable to see another’s true character, won’t surround himself with the kinds of people who will help him rise to the top.

7. Out of balance.

Someone who is the first into the office every day and the last to leave might seem like a great candidate for promotion, but ask yourself if they have any balance in their lives. A lack of balance can be a precursor to burnout, and can also signal that they may have unreasonable expectations of the rest of the team.

8. Lack of humility.

The person who acts as though they can do it all — and are the only one who can do it right — is unlikely to rise to be a great leader, because they’ll be too busy doing everyone else’s job. Micro-managers need not apply.[/box]

This is not to say that having one of these characteristics automatically bars anyone from assuming a leadership position. In fact, I believe people can learn to overcome any of these bad habits and become a better leader.

But if someone exhibits more than one trait on this list, it’s a good bet that they’re not ready to lead at this time. If you are in a position to help them grow, take the time to constructively point this out to them, and give them the opportunity to improve. You’ll be modeling how a great leader really works.

Wars are not won by evacuations

We will all go down fighting to the end

We can take it!

Westward look, the land is bright”

This collection of speeches from one of the great modern orators includes Churchill’s famous words on the declaration of war with Germany, as well as his rousing call to the British in June 1940 after Dunkirk, and his immortal tribute to the young men fighting in the Battle of Britain.

Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves – and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives – and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are.

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1.    Don’t Go It Alone

No question, it can be intimidating to go solo in a professional setting. You’re putting yourself out there with potentially serious ramifications for your career. Instead, it can be helpful to have a friend to watch your back and advocate on your behalf.

At networking events or professional conferences, the ice between making new contacts can be too thick to break on your own. Working as a team doubles your chances of being seen and heard.

2.    Keep Your Eyes Open

When in a group conversation, a lot of seasoned professionals will maintain a conversation but as they’re talking, they’re also scanning the room for people who might want to join the group, but aren’t sure how. There’s no reason why you can’t do the same when you see someone you know struggling to join the conversation.

3.    Protect Your Credibility

It’s important to be an advocate for others, especially when they’ll return the favor for you, but be cautious about putting your credibility on the line.  As a young professional, you don’t have the stock to vouch for just anybody if they truly aren’t a good fit.

Whoever you bring into the group conversation is a reflection on you and your credibility. If you bring in someone who fits in perfectly, you’ve just established yourself even more. But bring in someone who appears incompetent and the group is going to think you’re no better.

4.    Start Positive

When you have an “in” with a group, start off by making a good impression. Chime in to the conversation when somebody says something you agree with so you can engage on a positive note.

You can play contrarian later, after you’ve developed some rapport, but a simple affirmation helps set the right tone for the conversation and ensures the group you’re not out to second guess them on every topic.

5.    Watch the Group’s Dynamics

In most circumstances, it’ll be easy to tell whether the group wants you in or wants you to move along. If you stumble upon a group that is close-knit, they might not want to include you right away. Don’t force yourself on them if they’re not welcoming.

If the members don’t step back to include you in the circle after several minutes of standing nearby and a few attempts to join the conversation, look elsewhere.

6.    Start Now

Networking and personal interaction in a professional setting doesn’t come easily to most people. But the data shows it’s still expected of you. Failing to practice can hurt your chances at landing a job or moving up the corporate ladder.

It’s best to start early. People expect young professionals to come off a little awkward and unpolished, at first, because it’s a new experience. Most people will be empathetic to nerves when you first start out. However, if you’re 45-55 years old and still learning the ropes, people might question your interpersonal skills.

Take advantage of the leniency while it’s granted, or your friend might soon outrank you.

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1. Drive – You have the determination to work harder than most and make sure things get done. You pride yourself on seeing things getting completed and you can take charge when necessary. You drive yourself with purpose and align yourself with excellence.

2. Self-reliance – You can shoulder responsibilities and be accountable. You make hard decisions and stand by them. To think for yourself is to know yourself.

3. Willpower – You have the strength to see things through–rather than vacillate or procrastinate. When you want it, you make it happen. The world’s greatest achievers are those who have stayed focused on their goals and been consistent in their efforts.

4. Patience – You are willing to be patient, and you understand that, in everything, there are failures and frustrations. To take them personally would be a detriment.

5. Integrity – This should not have to be said, but it’s seriously one of the most important attributes you can cultivate. Honesty is the best policy for everything you do; integrity creates character and defines who you are.

6. Passion – If you want to succeed, if you want to live, it’s not politeness but rather passion that will get you there. Life is 10 percent what you experience and 90 percent how you respond to it.

7. Connection – You can relate with others, which in turns makes everything reach further and deepen in importance.

8. Optimism – You know there is much to achieve and much good in this world, and you know what’s worth fighting for. Optimism is a strategy for making a better future–unless you believe that the future can be better, you’re unlikely to step up and take responsibility for making it so.

9. Self-confidence – You trust yourself. It’s as simple as that. And when you have that unshakeable trust in yourself, you’re already one step closer to succeeding.

10. Communication – You work to communicate and pay attention to the communicators around you. Most important, you hear what isn’t being said. When communication is present, trust and respect follow.

No one plans on being mediocre; mediocrity happens when you don’t plan. If you want to succeed, learn the traits that will make you successful and plan on living them out every day.

Be humble and great. Courageous and determined. Faithful and fearless. That is who you are, and who you have always been.

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Strong leadership is a lifelong pursuit that requires continuous evaluation and improvement.  Every leader has his own style, and every company needs a personalized approach.

That said, there are 10 things any entrepreneur in any organization can do to deliver results:

1. Don’t try to get stuff done. 

That’s not your job.  As CEO, your job is to get others to execute for you.  A leader is the only one who can drive the big strategy, so being caught in the weeds will only undermine the ability for everyone else to win.

2. Forget about democracy.

You want to be a supportive, open-minded autocrat.  If you make soft suggestions and ask for input, you create a lack of confidence among your subordinates.  Be assertive; lead by unwavering decisiveness.

3. Never say ‘start small.’ 

Seek out the big ideas and drive your team to achieve them.  If you start small, you succeed small.

4. Make time your enemy.

The best CEOs move faster, get to scale sooner, and make things happen now.  Impatience is a critical tool to motivate results.

5. Tell exciting stories.

Having a vision and strong direction is only as good as how well you convince others to believe in what you’re saying.  Not much is as important as being able to relay–in person, or on paper–through stories that inspire others.

6. Deliver finished materials.

Any document that feels raw and rushed was not thought through carefully, and won’t be taken seriously. Pay close attention to typos, punctuation, page breaks, headers, and footers. Perfect formatting and proofreading are essential elements to sell your ideas.

7. Prepare extensively for every meeting.

The more structure you can create as CEO, the more your team will know how to deliver results.  You want to write crafted agendas, and make employees accountable.  Provide clear roles and clarify expectations in advance, and oversee meetings by deliberately pacing each section.

8. Remove staffers who don’t crush it. Immediately.

The only route to success is getting great people to achieve greatness.  The clichés are true: few get better at hiring; many get better at firing.  Being one man down is better than having an underperformer.

9. Don’t turn “off”–ever. 

If you’re going to inspire a team, you must avoid blackout periods, and communicate more often and more clearly than anyone else.  Silence results in complacency, so always respond.  Weekends and nights are just as important.

10. Behave like your company is publicly-traded.

What would you do if you knew that every decision you made would be visible to shareholders, affect share price, and put your job on the line?  Operate from this perspective and your biggest ideas will rise to the forefront.