I asked a cross section of  of middle managers who had experienced a great deal of leadership over the years what they considered the fundamental aspects of a great leader.

I asked them to think about the qualities rather than if they liked them, or if they thought they were particularly intelligent or charasmatic. 
This is what they came up with. 
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The Personal Attributes in a Great Leaders

1. Trusts others and inspire trust through actions and behaviour
2. Has a vision of what is best for the team and the organisation 
3. Can organise a plan of action and mobilize others
4. Clear and emotionally intelligent communicator
5. Relatable and approachable
6. Fair and transparent
7. Looks after self and others
8. Leads by Example; e.g. admits mistakes
9. Courageous
10. Develops other people
11. Deals with difficulties and poor performance fairly and equally
12. Good decision maker: evidence based and able to use discretion and insight
13. Takes ownership and responsibility for when things go well and when they don’t go well
14. Humble
15. Calm in the face of adversity and inspires calmness in others

 This is a leadership Cheat Sheet. 

There is a simple way of understanding the three areas that we always need to consider if we are involving others and wishing to engage them in a change project.. The Heart, Heart, Hand Formula.

​HEAD

1. Is it explainable in simple, lay person's terms?
2. Does it make sense logically, intellectually and rationally?
3. Is there a real need for this?
4. Has this been well thought through?
5. Does it make sense to you?
6. Will it make sense to others.?
7. Is it simple?
8. Why might others not be in favour of this?
9. What are the risks of implementing this?
10. What are the risks of not implementing this?

We are sense making creatures and most people, don't appreciate when things don't make sense. They don't appreciate something which is over complex and hard to grasp. This is especially important if the message needs to be communicating to many other people. When things are not simple, things get lost in translation and interpretation and eventually people resist this. 

HEART
How people feel about something emotionally is just as important and in many cases, more important, than how they think about it. It may make rational sense, yet if it does not appeal emotionally them we will have hard time engaging them. This is especially true for projects which are very disruptive and with significant losses.
 

1. How is this going to leave people feeling?
2. How does it leave you feeling? 
3. How can you communicate this is a compasionate way for all people?
4. Does it add to a healthy environment?
5. Will people still feel valued?
6. Will they still feel appreciated?
7. Will they be included?
8. How will they bee looked after in the cases of extreme disruption and change?
9. Who can they turn to throughout the adjustment period?
10. Have you thought about an aftercare plan?

HAND
The plan of action needs to be executed decisively once all the above factors have been taken into account. 

1. Is the plan realistic?
2. Do you have the right people involved?
3. Do you think it will work?
4. Do other people (the ones implementing it) think it will work?
5. Does it have specific goals?
6. Does it have flexibility?
7. What is the reporting structure?
8. What is the measurements?
9. How do you adjust?
10. How do you learn along the way and incorporate that into the action plan?

 
The head, the heart and the hand need to be joined up and continually communicate with each other for transformational projects. 

​https://hbr.org/2008/07/harvard-business-ideacast-104.html
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This is a very interesting read. I won't write any spoilers! It is a discussion if Executive coaching works. 

New York City epitomises the essence of the word "Hustle”, in fact, it may have even given birth to it.

People who naturally understand how to do the Hustle, like the turn of the twentieth century Old World emigres arriving at Ellis Island, realise that the old rules don't apply anymore. We need to find new ways of making a living or making it happen. Whatever "it" may mean. 

The Hustle is an attitude, a verb, and a noun denoting part determination/part bravado/part wheeler dealer. Hustlers do particularly well in times of change, when the old rules don't seem to apply anymore or when there don't seem to be any rules. We seem to be living in those times. 

In our post-modernist times, The Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Hustle is a leitmotif. for a whole new way of doing business. The true Hustler is not afraid of making mistakes, or sticking their neck out. A Hustler will do whatever it takes, however unconventional or risky. A Hustler has the confidence to try and the courage to fail and the imagination to make it up along the way.

In new emerging digital fields of portfolios careers and gig economies larger organisations can learn a thing of two from these pioneering, adventurous spirits. A true Hustler know that selling is all about influence, communication  and creating genuine value for both the seller and buyer. Hustlers know how to play to their strengths and to flex an elasticity of skills. Just because we don't belong to the marketing department, doesn't mean we don't need to market. Hustlers get this and will throw their hand in when expertise is thin on the ground.

Above all, Hustlers learn from their risks, their mistakes, their feedback whether good or not so good and their triumphs. Hustling might not look very elegant or comfortable and in fact hustling is very far removed from comfort zones. Hustlers are always on the move to seek opportunities and maximise where they can add value. Every start-up and fledgling entrepreneur with a side hustle needs to develop the hustle factor. Any one leading a business, whether large or micro, needs will need to develop their inner Hustler.

True Hustlers are commonly highly creative people and may have traits associated with ADD/ADHD. They have difficulty fitting in because they know they are outliers and they create their own dance of opportunity. The success formula for the Hustler is to have an accountability procedure and to partner with individuals who keep them "grounded" and offer candid yet compassionate feedback. The spirit of hustling can take its toll so they need to be mindful of restoration and not burn out from over-drive and relentless pursuit. They fuel themselves on coffee, high octane activities and long work hours which can lead to crash and burn. If you have a hustler in your team, look after them. Realise these people need you and you need them.  

Key Takeaways to  Refine Your Hustle Factor:
1.     Carpe Diem. Take action when action is needed even if it is not "perfect."
2.     Be fluid in Approach. Not everything fits a rule or has a trodden process sometimes you will need to make one up to fit the circumstance. 
3.     See that the present problem might be your market opportunity
4.     Be spontaneous, network and strike up conversations-with all sorts of different people.
5.     Doors of opportunity are constantly opening and closing; focus on the ones opening and learn from the one closing.
6.     Learn from everything and everyone.
7.     Keep moving, keep hustling.

One aspect of goals setting often gets overlooked:  momentum.
 
Momentum is a movement of some kind, whether large or small. It's pace does not have to be fast, furious to be effective. Momentum can be a few, gentle steps. We build momentum day by day and  after a period we can appreciate the incremental gains and the steady, compound interest accumulating of such consistency. Our momentum will not and cannot be the same from day to day, for so many factors, some of which are outside our control. Some days you will be massively motivated and full of inspiration to do work towards your chosen goals. Other days, it will all seem like a up hill struggle - all the way. And it is days like this, that it is important to do something, however seemingly insignificant to maintain momentum, Or, as Nemo said, "just keep swimming."

Do whatever you can towards your goal to maintain your momentum, and consider yourself successful for just doing that when the going gets particularly tough. Even small movements make a difference practically and psychologically. This is more important than getting things wrong, messing up and not doing your best. As we know, your best is quite relative and will change from day to day depending on context and circumstances.. Maintain your momentum and this will keep you connected to your goal. You will get over a so-so day, with lacklustre performance. The problem kicks in when you stop for too long, because this can encourage you to give up, and the "what's the point" mentality can creep in unawares, taking your off your path.
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​So move, however slowly, keep moving and keep going. Even if it feels that you are going backwards, you are not. Progress is very rarely a linear,  hassle- free, upwards trajectory. 

Having an accountably coach is a person who is on your side and one of their roles is to help you keep up this all important momentum. We know what to do mostly, what we need sometimes is someone checking in on us so we hold ourselves accountable to ourselves.