Leaderslip, the tendency of today's leaders to fail their followers, is a chronic problem in today's society. Seldom do I come across true leaders-in any field, and rare are the instances that I find leaders who incite great accomplishments from the people they serve.

This modern phenomenon is the by-product of a "me-first" generation of thinking. Society demands instant satisfaction: Instant messaging, twenty-four hour restaurants, no-fault divorces, weekly or monthly return on investments. What gets lost in the chaos and selfishness, however, are sound fundamental principles on how to lead others. Principles that, if applied over time and situations, will lead to a dramatic increase in the quality of life for those whose lives you touch. Ironically, channeling this "me-first" attitude towards self-improvement with regards to the following challenges will enable you to get better results in your life. These results may not be "instant", but they certainly will be noticeable.

Challenges to overcome include:

1. Trust

Society just doesn't trust today's leaders. And with good reason. We (I include myself in this discussion) have been misled, lied to, and deceived. Promises carry little weight. Whether the venue is politics, business, or sport, the current generation of leaders is failing fast. Those that do pursue their leadership roles with zeal and integrity will never lack for work. So how can you learn to better teach those around you to trust in you?

Promise less, but deliver more. Allow the low expectations of society in general to play to your benefit as you work to deliver much more quality and integrity in your relationships and products. -Develop relationships first and foremost. This means taking time to know people, their needs, their wants, their fears. Only after knowing these things can you work to deliver towards those ends.

2. Our Own Egos

Another by-product of the "me-first" mentality of today's society is the increasing size of our personal and collective egos. We walk around believing that the world actually needs us! The world in fact does not need us. It is a privilege, not a right, to be living in this time and age. The world will in fact go on when we are gone, just as it did prior to our naked entry into this life. Once this realization becomes a part of our daily living, we can begin to see life with "softer eyes". We can understand that true empathy is one of the most powerful tools a leader can utilize. So how do we learn to reduce the size of our egos? By:

Learning that life is not about being right. Too often we engage in being right rather than in finding solutions. The former promotes deterioration of relationships. The latter promotes mutual growth. -Seek to develop your empathic abilities. To do this, practice seeing things through the eyes of others. What must it be like to be scared? To be nervous? To be timid?

3. Not allowing our leaders to lead

Society is backwards in this regard. We hire or elect leaders, and then don't allow them to do that which we hired them to do: lead others forward. Instead, we bog them down with managing people (which is quite different than leading, as it is task based rather than people-based), with daily hassles, chores and paperwork, and with trivial complaints. Warren Bennis, a leader in the field of leadership development, spoke to this precept almost thirty years ago! Things have not changed for the better. How can we work to overcome this obstacle?

By getting out of our leaders ways. Let them do what they do best. Allow them to make mistakes (because they will, just like you and I will, as we are human). -Enable delegation of daily hassles and chores, of managing others, of dealing with complaints. If need be, hire others to do these things. Your productivity will increase immediately.

4. Lone Ranger Syndrome

What is the Lone Ranger Syndrome? It is a term I coined that speaks to society's tendency to expect every leader to be "ahead of the pack", alone. My question, then, is this: How can he or she truly lead if he or she cannot keep contact with the needs of his or her followers? Jumping out in front is noble, but if nobody follows, all you are is a Lone Ranger, sans a sidekick. Again, this syndrome is a residual effect of this "me-first" generation. On one hand, entrepreneurs are setting an amazing course for business with their accomplishments. On the other hand, if these trailblazers do teach others the path, and bring others with them along that path, their lessons will be forgotten. Some ways to avoid the Lone Ranger Syndrome include:

Remember that all accomplishments are the result of a collective effort. I once heard a speaker mention that, "Behind every successful man is a surprised Mother-In-Law." I'd venture to say that behind every successful person are three more. -Strive to surround yourself with people that challenge you, and force you to think differently. These types of people allow you to grow, and also see to it that your head always fits through doorways.