An excerpt from The Right to Lead by John Maxwell What Gives a Man or Woman the Right to Lead?

It certainly isn't gained by election or appointment. Having position, title, rank or degrees doesn't qualify anyone to lead other people. And the ability doesn't come automatically from age or experience, either. No, it would be accurate to say that no one can be given the right to lead. The right to lead can only be earned. And that takes time. The Kind of Leader Others Want to Follow The key to becoming an effective leader is not to focus on making other people follow, but on making yourself the kind of person they want to follow. You must become someone others can trust to take them where they want to go. As you prepare yourself to become a better leader, use the following guidelines to help you grow: 1. Let go of your ego. The truly great leaders are not in leadership for personal gain. They lead in order to serve other people. Perhaps that is why Lawrence D. Bell remarked, "Show me a man who cannot bother to do little things, and I'll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big things." 2. Become a good follower first. Rare is the effective leader who didn't learn to become a good follower first. That is why a leadership institution such as the United States Military Academy teaches its officers to become effective followers firstand why West Point has produced more leaders than the Harvard Business School. 3. Build positive relationships. Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. That means it is by nature relational. Today's generation of leaders seem particularly aware of this because title and position mean so little to them. They know intuitively that people go along with people they get along with. 4. Work with excellence. No one respects and follows mediocrity. Leaders who earn the right to lead give their all to what they do. They bring into play not only their skills and talents, but also great passion and

hard work. They perform on the highest level of which they are capable. 5. Rely on discipline, not emotion. Leadership is often easy during the good times. It's when everything seems to be against youwhen you're out of energy, and you don't want to leadthat you earn your place as a leader. During every season of life, leaders face crucial moments when they must choose between gearing up or giving up. To make it through those times, rely on the rock of discipline, not the shifting sand of emotion. 6. Make added value your goal. When you look at the leaders whose names are revered long after they have finished leading, you find that they were men and women who helped people to live better lives and reach their potential. That is the highest calling of leadership and its highest value. 7. Give your power away. One of the ironies of leadership is that you become a better leader by sharing whatever power you have, not by saving it all for yourself. You're meant to be a river, not a reservoir. If you use your power to empower others, your leadership will extend far beyond your grasp.

~~~

In The Right to Lead, you will hear from and read about people who have done these same things and earned the right to lead others. Because of the courage they found and the character they displayed, other people recognized their admirable qualities and felt compelled to follow them. The followers who looked to these leaders learned from them, and so can we. As you explore their worlds and words, remember that it takes time to become worthy of followers. Leadership isn't learned or earned in a moment.

In a scene from the Steven Spielberg movie Lincoln, Mary Todd Lincoln tells her husband: "No one is loved as much as you by the people. Don't waste that power." Spoiler alert: He doesn't.

While the movie focuses on the passing of the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery, it also gives a lot of insight to Lincoln's strong leadership skills -- those things that have made him so admired.

While you may not be leading revolutionary change in the country, here are four leadership lessons from our 16th president on how to lead revolutionary change at your startup or small business.

1. Say no to 'Yes Men.' At a time in history when the United States was at war with itself, Lincoln surprisingly chose to fill his cabinet with a team of his rivals. These were men he considered to be the best and brightest minds in the country, and they were unafraid to challenge Lincoln and assert their opposition. A self-confident man, Lincoln welcomed strong opinions as it provoked thoughtful debate as well as inner reflection. It proved to be an important tactic during his presidency.

Rick Lepsinger, president of the New York City-based leadership consulting firm OnPoint, agrees: "Don't hire in your own image," he says. "Get comfortable with conflict and learn how to manage differences productively."

Lepsinger suggests that leaders not allow conflicts to fester, but bring them to the surface as soon as possible. He also recommends avoiding the overuse of compromise, looking instead for common ground and alternatives.

Related: The Strengths and Weaknesses of Your Leadership Style

2. Be decisive. While it's helpful to get more than one opinion, strong leaders know when and how to make decisions. Cabinet members could have argued forever, but Lincoln had the ability to knowwhen he had all of the information he needed. Walking away to seek solitude, he was able to determine the best solution and make a decision without wavering.

Good leaders clarify their decision criteria, says Lepsinger, identifying musts and wants, and using that as a guide to compare options. "Assess the risk of each option as well as the benefits," he says. "These practices will increase confidence that you've selected the alternative that is the best balance of risk and reward."

3. Look for inspiration in unlikely places. As a member of Congress, Lincoln studied mathematics to gain wisdom in reasoning. In the movie, Lincoln shares some of this wisdom with two young clerks at the telegraph office: Euclid's first common notion is this: 'Things which are equal to the same t hing are equal to each other.'"

Lepsinger says leaders are continuous learners and look outside their industry for ideas and innovation.

4. Connect with people on a personal level. We know "Honest Abe" was fair, but Lincoln was also known for his jokes and storytelling. It's how he broke the ice and blazed a trail to common ground. Lincoln also made himself accessible. As president of the United States, he kept regular office hours and citizens were allowed to see him.

"It's not how smart you are -- strong personal relationships and high levels of trust are the foundation of effective leadership," says Lepsinger. "[Good leaders] demonstrate empathy, take an interest in others and find out details about them."

Related: How to Earn Your Employees' Respect

There are many leadership styles and a cottage industry has cropped up around defining them. Gayle Lantz, president of WorkMatters, Inc., a human resources consulting firm in Birmingham, Ala., uses the popular DISC assessment tool to as part of her practice to identify leadership styles.

DISC, an acronym for dominance, influencing, steadiness, and compliance, uses a series of questions each with four answers. Respondents indicate which style is most and least like their own. Lantz says she usually sees four coreleadership styles emerge from these assessments. Individuals often tend to be a combination of styles, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. "To get the best results on a team, it's important to have a balance of different styles and also to get to a place of appreciating the other styles, as well," she says. Look for your own style in these four types.

Conductor. These leaders are direct, with a constant sense of urgency and focus on results. Conductors want to win, and often make quick decisions to get a competitive edge. The hardcharging style of these leaders drives change, values new ideas, and isn't afraid of confrontation. As a result, conductors tend to get things done. Be careful of: Conductors may be characterized as difficult or egotistical. Impatience and the desire to move forward quickly can lead to impulsive decisions or mistakes. Lantz cautions conductors to take a breath and not expect others to always work at the same pace. Related: How to Make Criticism Drive You

Influencer. If you have an optimistic, motivational, people-oriented communicator on your team, chances are you've found an Influencer. These leaders are typically enthusiastic and in tune with other people around them. They like helping and motivating other people and have a natural ability to do so. Be careful of: Influencers may be too verbose and have trouble staying focused. The can also be disorganized and easily led by others. According to Lantz, influencers need to be careful not to let their relationships and fears get in the way of making good decisions. Supporter. Steady and unflappable, supporters tend to be the glue that holds their team together. It's difficult to make them lose their tempers and they tend to be very loyal to those around them. They are patient, reliable and create a sense of calm and stability. Related: Jim Collins on Creative Discipline, Paranoia and Other Marks of a Great Leader Be careful of: That same temperament that makes supporters such a stabilizing influence can also keep them mired in indecision and complacency. Because they dislike confrontation, they may avoid situations where it's inevitable. Risk-aversion and procrastination can also trip up supporters in their leadership roles. Analyzer. Smart and analytical with a penchant for following the rules, analyzers are those detailoriented leaders who ask thoughtful questions and leave no stone unturned to ensure quality and accuracy. Their pace is typically slower than other types of leaders, but the job is going to get done right the first time. Be careful of: Analyzers can suffer from "analysis paralysis," letting their perfectionism hinder effective decision-making. They may fear mistakes or criticism of their work, so they want to make sure they have all of the information before moving forward. They can be perceived as micro-

managing or nit-picky, and need to be conscious of when they are over-thinking a situation and, instead, need to take action. Related: Inside the Successful Leader's Mindset As a business leader, you are mired in the everyday details of your company's success. You're worried about your bottom line, your sales goals, or your next board meeting. Amid the chaos, it's easy to forget that intangibles -- like your beliefs -- play an important role in your success. The most successful entrepreneurs share a set of core beliefs that help them persevere as they grow their businesses. These four tips will promote a positive mindset and increase your chances of success: 1. Trust that you'll adapt to new challenges. Successful entrepreneurs approach uncertainty with confidence. When faced with an unfamiliar challenge, they think of similar situations they've handled before or skills sets that might apply. "Focus on the abilities you do have and apply your general knowledge to whatever comes your way," says Matthew Della Porta, a positive psychologist and organizational consultant. Related: 5 Success Tips from Award-Winning Entrepreneurs If you focus on your current skills and your ability to learn new ones, you'll be less likely to feel overwhelmed. "Trust your ability to adapt," Della Porta says. 2. Attribute your success to hard work, not luck. Successful leaders believe their achievements are due to hard work, not just lucky circumstance. "That's a result of self-efficacy," Della Porta says, meaning that people who believe they've worked hard trust their ability to master new or unfamiliar skills. Leaders who are confident in their ability to learn are more likely to seek out and persevere through tough challenges, increasing their chances of success. 3. Believe that you are unique. Every great entrepreneur stands on the shoulders of giants, but successful leaders champion their individuality. In other words, they don't try to become "the next Steve Jobs." To be successful, learn from the people you admire but don't try to emulate them. Related: Four Rules for Innovative Leadership "You need to focus on being the first you, not the next someone else," Della Porta says. If you foster the unique strengths that you bring to the table, then you will be far more likely to stand out in a crowded industry. 4. Challenge your negative beliefs. If you want to succeed, stamp out negative beliefs that might be holding you back. "People have a tendency to self-handicap," Della Porta says. For example, an executive who believes he won't meet his sales goals is more likely to prioritize other tasks, giving him a preemptive excuse for a poor performance. His belief becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Notice the goals or tasks that you shy away from and articulate your beliefs about them. Challenge any negative thoughts by reminding yourself that you will succeed if you apply yourself. When your beliefs are confident and positive, your actions will promote success.

Related: 4 Ways to Discover Your Strengths

Every entrepreneur faces challenges, and many of them will tell you it's how you handle those challenges that will determine success or failure as a business owner.

Here, five tips for success from business owners who know what growing and winning are all about. Consider these words of wisdom from Entrepreneur Magazine's Emerging Entrepreneur of 2011 Adam Nelson and Entrepreneur of 2011 award winner Lee Rhodes. 1. Put your networking skills to work. "Find people you can learn from," says Nelson, founder and inventor of the Good Nite Lite, who first created his product to solve his son's difficulties falling asleep. "What you may not need from them today, you may need tomorrow." 2. Don't be swayed by naysayers. When Rhodes was pushed by bankers and experts to start manufacturing her hand-blown glass candleholders in China to save money, the experiment backfired. "We lost a fortune," says Rhodes, founder of Glassybaby, which donates a percentage of revenue to programs that help cancer patients. "I listened to people who didn't understand Glassybaby. It's all about the story and there was nowhere to fit 'Made in China' in my story." Related Video: Glassybaby Founder Lee Rhodes on Growth Mistakes 3. Keep taking risks. "Our personal motto is: 'Fail cheap, fail quick,'" Nelson says. "Don't be afraid to try." 4. Hire your weaknesses. "Remember as an entrepreneur, you're probably a big-picture person and the details aren't as important, but they will be and it'll come back to haunt you," Rhodes warns. "If you're not good at [something], make sure you have someone beside you that is, as you grow." 5. Don't be afraid to share your idea. "There's always the opportunity where they may not be able to help you, but somebody else will," Nelson says.

Are you already establishing your company as an industry leader? Consider throwing your hat in the ring to be considered for Entrepreneur magazine's Entrepreneur of 2012 awards. Deadline is June 15, so act fast. Who do you think deserves a shot at Entrepreneur of 2012? Even iconic companies can disappear from the landscape if they aren't constantly staying ahead of the customer. Remember when Blockbuster franchises dotted strip malls around the country? Yesterday's leader can become tomorrow's laggard without innovation and reinvention. Why can't some companies reinvent themselves?Management consultant and bestselling business author Jason Jennings finds that the problem often boils down to four issues -- attachment, ego, control and complacency. Lead your market by ditching those innovation killers and following these rules: Forget yesterday's breadwinner. Every product has a life span--don't hang onto your Big Idea until it's on life support, Jennings says in his new book, The Reinventors: How Extraordinary Companies Pursue Radical, Continuous Change (Portfolio/Penguin, 2012). Don't get attached to a product or way of doing business, he says. Form an advisory committee with several trusted customers who will give you feedback on what your business is doing well and what needs to be improved. Then, act on their suggestions. Visit and read about competitors and successful businesses in other sectors to see how they're growing and changing and get ideas that you can apply to your own products and services. Check your ego at the door. Are you always the smartest person in the room? Then get the hell out of there, Jennings advises. When an employee contradicts you or presents different ideas or solutions, listen and praise them for speaking their minds. Make it clear that no one is punished for ideas, whether they work out or not. Give credit, rewards, and recognition to employees who come up with new ideas. A financial incentive and public praise within the company can help them share in the glory of good solutions and inspire others to come forward. Jennings says it's essential for owners to meet with each employee one time, tell them their ideas are valued and invite them to offer suggestions to the company's management. Related: 5 Success Tips from Award-Winning Entrepreneurs Don't be a control freak. Entrepreneurs often have a tough time delegating important responsibilities. The consequence is simple: Delegate or die. Hire smart, creative people and give them specific areas of responsibility. Resist the urge to micromanage--if the task or project was done well, let it stand even if it wasn't done "your way." New approaches might teach you a thing or two. Never accept the status quo. "'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' is one of the stupidest things ever said in business," Jennings says. You're telling your people to leave things alone until there is a problem instead of actively looking for improvement. Instead, train your managers to be open to new ideas at all times. If there is an environment of indifference in embracing ideas or rejecting them before they've even been heard, you are losing out on innovation opportunities. Related: A Secret to Creative Problem Solving

Ever find yourself going over and over a problem in your business, only to hit a dead end or draw a blank?

Find an innovative solution with one simple technique: re-describe the problem.

"The whole idea behind creative problem solving is the assumption that you know something that will help solve this problem, but you're not thinking of it right now," explains Art Markman, cognitive psychologist and author of "Smart Thinking." Put another way, your memory hasn't found the right cue to retrieve the information you need. Changing the description tells your mind that you're in a different situation, which unlocks a new set of memories. "The more different ways you describe the problem you're trying to solve, the more different things you know about that you will call to mind," says Markman.

Ask yourself two questions:

1. What type of problem is this? Most of the time, we get stuck on a problem because our focus is too narrow. When you think specifically, you limit your memory and stifle creativity. Instead, think more abstractly. Find the essence of the problem.

Take vacuum cleaner filters, for example. Vacuums used to have bags that were constantly getting clogged, so innovators focused on how to make a better filter.

James Dyson realized that the problem was actually about separation, or separating the dirt from the air, which doesn't always require a filter. "That freed him to try lots of different methods of separation," says Markman. Hence: the Dual Cyclone vacuum that led Dyson to fame and fortune.

Related Video: Dermalogica's Jane Wurwand on the Creative Process 2. Who else has faced this type of problem? When you think about your problem abstractly, you realize that other people have solved the same type of problem in radically different ways. One of their solutions may hold the key to yours. For example, Dyson realized sawmills use an industrial cyclone to separate sawdust from air and modified that technology to create the first filter-free vacuum.

"When you begin to realize that the problem you're trying to solve has been solved over and over again by people in other areas, you can look at the solutions they came up with to help you solve your own," Markman says.

You may not use one of their solutions exactly, but you free your memory to retrieve more information, making that elusive "aha" moment easier to reach.

By re-describing the problem, you're much more likely to find inspiration for a truly creative innovation.

Related: 5 Ways to Boost Your Creative Power

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5 Ways to Boost Your Creative Power BY CHRIS GRIVAS | April 26, 2012| 2 inShare216

For entrepreneurs, creativity is not simply a luxury. Its an essential survival skill. Common

entrepreneurial pitfalls include:

Trying to do everything on your own

Difficulty developing strategies or deciding where to focus your energy

Neglecting to invest in yourself

Falling in love with a venture and pursuing it without proper development

The key to avoiding these traps is understanding how you approach a challenge. The latest creativity

research finds we all use our creativity in different ways, but follow a common problem-solving

process. Once you understand the creative process, you can intentionally apply it, boosting your

creativity and efficiency while strengthening your initiatives. It boils down to these four stages:

Clarify the situation: We explore the issue at hand, find all relevant data that will help us

make sense of it and figure out the most effective path to take to resolve it.

Generate ideas: We come up with and select the best new ideas for making a change that

best addresses the situation.

Develop solutions: We tinker with those ideas till they are perfect, then break and rebuild

them, and then polish them till they shine.

Implement the solution: We put ideas into action by: gaining acceptance of the solution,

helping people manage change and adapting solutions as needed.

Related: Five Creativity Exercises to Find Your Passion

This process can happen very quickly or deliberately, and in or out of sequence. It can be done in

groups or independently. These simple strategies for using the creative process can help keep you on

track toward breakthrough success.

1. Stop and think before you start. Self-awareness is a fundamental trait of successful leaders and

teams. Once you know your limits, you know where youll need to bend, where youll need to ask for

help, and where youll be fine on your own. Thinking about how you get things done, reflecting on the

ways your team may work together, will help you be clear about direction and limit the amount of fires

you have to put out along the way. This is not touchy feely talk. Its serious work that will save you

tons of time on the road ahead.

2. Embrace diversity. Knowing how to leverage diversity is a powerful skill. Here we are talking

about diversity of thought -- leveraging different ways of thinking. Recognizing where you (and your

team) are strong, and where you arent, is critical. If you know you are not adept at one part of the

creative process, seek others who are. Bounce thoughts off them and listen to the new directions

their different thinking can provide. Challenge yourself to be open to others perspectives.

3. Beware of love at first sight. If you find yourself enamored with a particular direction or idea

great, but watch out. You may be onto something, or you may be not exploring things carefully

enough. Take the time you need to be sure the direction you are heading fits the need, the idea you

have is well thought-out and youre prepared to manage the change effectively.

Related: How to Build a More Innovative Business (Video)

4. Take one step at a time. Skipping stages can lead to serious problems - like focusing on the

wrong issue, or implementing a half-baked solution. We all have preferences for different parts of the

process that may lead us to unconsciously gloss-over or completely skip essential steps that would

make an innovative idea a reality. Notice where you are in the process and where you need to go

next be deliberate.

5. Know when to move on. When we enjoy a part of the process, we tend to linger in that stage.

Witness the guy who spouts a new idea every five minutes, or the gal who keeps asking, How will

this work? People who apply the process effectively know when their preferences are getting the

best of them and are able to shift direction. So dont obsess over endless possibilities or clarifying

details. Be sure that youve done a thorough job, you are still on target, and then move on.

Innovation is more than just coming up with a new idea. Instead, its a process with many

components and many players. Any idea, no matter how world-changing, can die in committee or,

worse still, after implementation, without attention to all four steps of the creative process. Paying

attention to targeting the right issues, developing solutions thoughtfully, and then implementing them

with both sensitivity and determination will help you turn that creative spark into a true breakthrough

innovation. Knowing the process is like having a good map, now its up to you to drive innovation

home.

Related: Bridging the Gap Between Passion and Profits

Mad Men's Don Draper is exceptionally good at saving a deal gone sour. When a client dislikes an ad campaign, the fictional ad exec can weave the perfect tale to change their minds. His storytelling ability is a gift that no one else at his agency has. To become a successful business leader, identify your own strengths and talents and foster them.

Your strengths are ultimately the keys to your success. "When we do things we're already good at, our business acumen is quicker," says Todd Kashdan, a psychology professor at George Mason University and author of Curious? (William Morrow, 2009). "When it comes to the best way to leverage your ability, it's (best) to go through your strengths." he says.

Using these four tips, you can learn to recognize your core strengths. Here's how:

1. Watch for signs of excitement. When you engage in an activity you are truly good at, your excitement is visible. Your pupils dilate, your chest is broader, your speech is fast and fluid, and your arms spread wider. "You can see someone feels alive and motivated when they're using a core strength," Kashdan says. Related: How to Train Your Creative Mind Ask a close mentor when you appear most animated or observe yourself for a day. When do you feel most engaged? Most energized? "When people are using their strengths, they pop out of the backdrop," Kashdan says.

(If observation sounds tricky, you can also take an online survey, like the VIA Character Strengths Test to help you identify and rank your greatest strengths.) 2. Break away from job titles. To uncover your gifts, you need to explore new roles. "Think of your company as a laboratory," Kashdan says. Encourage flexible roles and see how it goes. "If people are excited about trying something else and you have some evidence that they could be good, then experiment with it," he says.

For example, one executive wanted a more creative, innovative workplace but wasn't the man to do it himself. Kashdan helped him identify a maverick on his staff -- someone creative and unconcerned with others' opinions -- then put that person in charge of innovation. By assigning roles based on strengths, rather than job titles, they were able to create a stronger team.

3. Notice what you do differently than everyone else. In a situation where you are truly using your strengths, you will stand out from a crowd. Your approach will be unique. To name your strengths, you want to identify those moments and articulate how you are different. Related: 5 Ways to Rekindle the Passion for Your Business Kashdan recalls one executive at an early morning meeting who told an animated story about letting his kids run free at a crowded aquarium. "His focus was not on safety but on promotion," Kashdan says, highlighting a support for autonomy that would help him manage independent workers.

4. Describe your strengths creatively. When naming your strengths, avoid what Kashdan calls "wastebasket terms," meaning overused words like 'passionate' or 'dedicated.' Instead, come up with a unique term that captures your specific strength. "By coming up with an exciting word, you avoid all the typical connotations," Kashdan says. He uses terms like storyteller, autonomy supporter, investigator, energy incubator, and battery. That specificity helps leaders apply their gifts. "Once you can put a word to your strengths, it becomes much more embedded in your everyday life," he says.

Related: 3 Creative Ways to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

When Richard Branson founded Virgin Atlantic in 1984, each of his competitors said hed surely fail. Instead of backing down, Branson found creative ways to overcome each obstacle. Today, those critics are out of business and Branson is lauded as a visionary. Many of the world's most successful business leaderswere criticized -- even laughed at --when they first introduced their ideas. Instead of believing the naysayers, they used that criticism as motivation to succeed. The best way to let criticism drive you is to be open to hearing it in the first place. Successful leaders know how to identify valid criticism and adapt accordingly. They use it to help them succeed. When your ideas come under fire, here are four steps to help you and your company benefit: 1. Detach yourself emotionally. When youre passionate about an idea or you have a lot at stake, criticism causes a defensive gut reaction. "Its so easy to just write it off," says Thomas Plante, a Silicon Valley psychologist and professor at Santa Clara University. "But thats not going to be productive at the end of the day." To take in criticism without letting it overwhelm you, look at the feedback as an outsider would. Rather than seeing it as a personal attack, see it as a piece of information that could help you strengthen your business. Related: Inside the Successful Leader's Mindset 2. Filter out unproductive feedback. Some feedback simply isnt worth your time. Look at the critics motivation. Are they trying to weed out competition? Are they jealous? Are they defending outdated ideas? "We have to remind ourselves that nobody has magic answers, really," Plante says. Ultimately, you know whats best for your company. Trust your gut and stay focused on doing great work. Success is the best way to prove your critics wrong. 3. Consult with people you trust. For criticism that does come from a productive or genuine place (even if it seems harsh), give it some consideration. Evaluate it like any other business problem and talk it through with trusted colleagues in other companies or industries. "Consult with people who dont always agree with you," Plante says. "You want to get advice from neutral parties." Without a personal investment in the company, they can offer diverse perspectives and help you decide how to respond. Related: 4 Ways to Discover Your Strengths 4. See criticism as an opportunity to improve. If you decide the critique has merit, find creative ways to solve the problem. Use the criticism as a springboard to help you adapt and grow as a company. If you go in with an open mind, your solution may lead to an unexpected innovation. "The most tenacious people come back with a new idea or a slightly different idea," Plante says. The better you know yourself, the easier this will be. If you know who you are, youre centered, so youre more likely to listen to criticism," Plante says. "You can take criticism and compliments thoughtfully, sometimes with a grain of salt."

Why do some businesses thrive during times of adversity while others die? According to renowned management thinker Jim Collins, the factors of a company's success can be distilled down to the three core traits of a great leader. In his book, Great by Choice (HarperBusiness, 2011) Collins and co-author Morten T. Hansen studied four companies that rose to greatness in difficult environments against a carefully selected set of comparison companies that failed in similarly extreme environments. Collins shared those findings, and the result of the nine years of research on how to build asuccessful business in uncertain times with an audience of over a thousand business leaders at New York's World Business Forum on Tuesday. The key differentiator has nothing to do with a leader's personality. "The x-factor of great leadership is not personality, it's humility," Collins said. When humility is combined with ambition, he said, it can be channeled into a cause that is bigger and more important than the individual.

Here are the three core behaviors that Collins observed in leaders of the companies the successfully weathered difficult times.

1. Fanatic discipline. Successful leaders continue on at the same pace no matter what the conditions. They set a goal in any area (sales, innovation, growth), and meet that goal every year for at least 25 years without exception. This is a method that Collins referred to as the 20-mile mark, referencing a story of an early Arctic explorer who traveled 20-miles every day no matter how harsh the weather conditions.

Related: Inside the Successful Leader's Mindset

In other words, don't wait for conditions to improve and plan to make up the loss later. Commit to achieving the same consistent results no matter what. "We see tremendous consistency in any truly great enterprise and the signature of mediocrity is chronic inconsistency," Collins said.

2. Empirical creativity. Discipline alone is not enough to be successful, but neither is creativity. Collins argued that creativity is natural -- we are all creative thinkers as children -- but discipline must be learned and practiced. Empirical creativity is a blend of creativity and discipline. It wasn't that the successful companies that he studied were more innovative, their success was largely due to the way that they were innovative. For example, in the biotech companies that he studied, the more successful company beat the comparison company by 30 to 1 in financial returns despite being less innovative (as judged by the number of patents issued). He asserted that pioneer innovation is great for society, but not always great for business. The goal, he said, isn't to stop innovating, it's to do it in a more disciplined manner and to test your innovations, or as he quoted the billionaire owner of medical-supply company Stryker Corp., John Stryker: "We strive to be one fad behind."

Related: Yelp Co-Founder Jeremy Stoppelman on Innovating and Staying Relevant 3. Productive paranoia. Collins categorized successful leaders as "paranoid, neurotic freaks." They are always preparing for when, not if, the next big disruption is going to happen. They may be preparing for the worst -- one company he studied prided itself on predicting the majority the recessions in the past several decades -- but their pessimism pays off.

The successful companies he studied held three to 10 times more cash assets than average, and they did so from the time they started. In other words, Collins said, "how you perform in bad times depends on how you prepare in good times."

Related: How to Become a Better Leader

Old Spice recently released a video of Terry Crews making "muscle music," another installment in the brilliant viral marketing campaign that has redefined the Old Spice brand. Such an absurd video would make many executives squirm, but Old Spices willingness to embrace it wholeheartedly led to six million views in the past week. People are sharing and seeking out their ads. Bold choices that disrupt the status quo fuel innovation and entrepreneurship. Leaders that learn to embrace choices outside their comfort zones are able to push the envelope in ways that safe leaders cant, helping them to stand out and succeed. To take smart risks, you need to get comfortable with being a little uncomfortable. When you know how to handle discomfort, youll be better equipped to evaluate risky choices and less likely to resist innovation.

There are limitless ways to push your own boundaries, but ultimately, you want to put yourself in an unfamiliar situation and stay there until you get used to it. The most effective strategies will also exercise skills that directly apply to your business.

Related: How to Train Your Creative Mind Try these three examples:

1. Take an improv class. Every time you take a risk in your business, you face the possibility of failure. Improv, a theatrical exercise where you improvise a scene with a group of people, essentially mirrors that experience. You have to get used to change -- fast. Improv classes require you to think on your feet, so they foster creativity and innovation. They also encourage openness to novel ideas. The "yes and" rule, a central tenet of improv, asks that you never reject an idea outright; you have to accept the idea and build on it. Practicing that skill will make you better equipped to shape an outlandish idea into a brilliant one, rather than shutting it down.

Related: 6 Tips on Innovation from 'Treps in Emerging Markets 2. Switch places with the receptionist. If you work behind a closed door, step outside that safety net and spend a week in the thick of things. For example, Tim Brown, CEO and president of IDEO, a global design consultancy, swapped seats with the receptionist in the hopes of feeling less isolated. The move encouraged people to talk to him and made a public statement that he was willing to break the mold. You might have a slightly less productive week, but seeing your company from a different perspective will foster an open mind and encourage collaboration. It may even spur new ideas.

3. Open yourself up to scrutiny. Leaders, especially at large companies or chains, are often sheltered from critical opinions. Put yourself on the spot and give customers a chance to talk with you in your support forums. Related: A Secret to Creative Problem Solving

Try to answer their questions honestly and hear their criticism with an o pen mind. You dont need to pander to every concern, but recognizing larger themes may offer helpful insights. (This strategy is particularly effective if a recent PR blunder has upset your customers.)

As an entrepreneur, you are responsible for building an effective team and enabling your employees to do their best work. To do that successfully, you need to cultivate empathy, or the ability to imagine yourself in another's shoes.

"For leaders in particular, empathy means understanding how you come across to others and how you're perceived by others," says Robert Sutton, Stanford professor and author of Good Boss, Bad Boss (Business Plus, 2010). "It also means understanding others' strengths and weaknesses, as well as what motivates them." Sutton describes one CEO who convinced two arrogant, uncooperative employees to be rewarded based on individual performance alone. If anyone helped them out, their pay would be docked. By the end of the experiment, they had each lost a substantial amount of money and realized how much they rely on others to do their best work. "She was aware of what motivated them and aware of their blind spots," Sutton explains. Awareness about ourselves and others is difficult to gain. "Power makes it worse," Sutton adds. We naturally pay more attention to people who are above us in the social hierarchy, so those at the top have to be aware of that bias in order to overcome it.

No matter your current level of empathy, your skills can improve with practice. Here's how to get started:

Record and review your behavior. To gain insight about others' reactions to your behavior, observe yourself in a group setting. Try recording a meeting (with the permission of everyone involved) and listening to it afterward. Sutton worked with one executive in this way, noting the number of times he interrupted others and the amount of time he spent talking. "He massively underestimated [the numbers] and he was shocked when I gave him the feedback," Sutton says.

Related: How to Start Conversations That Make Instant Connections

Stop and listen. "A good boss realizes that everyone who works for you is different," Sutton says. Understanding exactly how each person differs is a matter of noticing their actions and reactions to help you infer their thoughts or feelings. At your next meeting, stand in the background or sit quietly and just observe the dynamics among the other team members.

Trust an empathic colleague. If you struggle with empathy, a trusted colleague can be your eyes and ears in the company. "Ask the person who is really in touch with the people on your team to have backstage conversations with you," Sutton says. That person can help you understand others and give you honest feedback about your own behavior. Reportedly, Chris Cox does this at Facebook, helping Mark Zuckerberg to gain insight that he might overlook on his own.

Related: Are You Surrounded by "Yes" People? 3 Steps to Straight Talk

Don't mistake empathy for niceness. The best bosses employ empathy when and where it's needed, not as a panacea or a plea for approval. For example, Steve Jobs was known as controlling and harsh, but his former employees say he was incredibly in touch with others'

strengths, weaknesses, and motivators. "Good bosses are empathetic but have the guts to do the dirty work," Sutton says.

As Louis Pasteur once famously said, "Chance favors only the prepared mind." To be an innovative entrepreneur, you want to foster creativity in your daily life so that your mind is ready when opportunity arises.

"Creative ideas often come from unusual combinations," explains Steven Smith, professor of cognitive psychology at Texas A&M University. "The best solution is not going to be the thing everyone thinks of. It's going to be something unusual."

These unusual combinations, called "remote associations," are related ideas that may seem unrelated at first glance. They are the essence of creative thinking.

Related: A Secret to Creative Problem Solving To cultivate creativity, you want to increase your chances of stumbling on an unexpected link. Here are four strategies you can use in your everyday life that will train your mind to be more creative in business:

1. Shake up your routine. To expand your creative horizons, surround yourself with a broad range of perspectives and experiences. A diverse workplace is helpful, but it isnt enough. Outside work , seek variety in what you eat, where you hang out, the types of art you look at, the places you travel, or the books you read.

"Diversity introduces all kinds of new stimuli," Smith says. "It opens you up to a number of new possibilities." You are more likely to find an unusual solution when you have more options at your fingertips.

2. Cast a wide net for feedback. We often discuss important ideas with the same inner circle of colleagues, but in doing that we can miss the obvious answers. "Someone less expert may notice invisible assumptions right away," Smith says. They may help you see a problem or idea in a new light. Find intelligent people with little knowledge of your business and talk through whatever you're working on now. You may be surprised by the solutions they help you discover.

3. Let go of rigid rules. Like the queen in Alice in Wonderland who thinks of impossible things for half an hour each day, you want to train your mind to be more open. Practice letting your mind wander and come up with as many ideas as you can, however absurd they may seem. You can even be silly or funny. "Humor helps loosen up your constraints," Smith explains. Relaxing your standards while you generate ideas increases your openness and boosts creativity. "If you think of 99 stupid, impossible ideas and one that works, then that was time well spent," Smith says.

Related: Dermalogica's Jane Wurwand on the Creative Process 4. Observe the world around you. "When you get wrapped up in your own head, creative ideas can slide under your nose," Smith says. The most creative people are always on the lookout for interesting things, even if they don't apply to whatever they're working on now, he adds.

Keep a notebook or a computer folder full of interesting ideas, articles, images, or even passing thoughts. They will likely come in handy at a moment you least expect.