Below is an excerpt from TRUE LEADERS:
How Exceptional CEOs and Presidents Make A Difference by Building People and Profits

CEO's and Presidents identified five dominant values that clearly motivated their leadership philosophies.

A strong belief about helping others to achieve. They are keenly aware of the power of their position, yet are quick to point out that without genuinely valuing their people, their position of power is limited.

A realistic concern for profit and results. They give freely of their time and resources, but they expect to see a return on their investment. Money is more a yardstick for measuring work effort than for accumulation.

A competitive nature, yet never ruthless. True leaders have a desire for power and control, not in the sense of command and control, but in setting direction, philosophy, and strategy. Power does not equate to total control, rather it is exercised with discretion and balance.

A strong desire to control the destiny of other people. They do not merely focus on controlling their own destiny. They have a system for championing the things they believe in strongly.

A hearty resilience. They accept things without taking them personally and have the resilience to take their hits, pick themselves up and move forward.

There are several core values that motivate true leaders to take actions that follow a few simple philosophies:

Consider a leader who bought racehorses and spent considerable time and money purchasing only the horses with the best breeding potential. Then once purchased, put them in sub-standard stables, fed and cared for them with inferior products, rarely exercised them or trained them to maximize their potential and confined the environment in which they could flourish and grow. Unfortunately, every day in business that's exactly what happens. Companies seek the best and brightest, yet when ruthless, unethical leaders are at the helm, these racehorse talents are turned into tightly niched workhorses; often deprived of training or being exposed to projects that would enable them to learn and grown.

Remember, Fast Birds Don't Fly Far. While all leaders are faced with global competition and ever-changing challenges, it is also important to be ever aware that some of your employees will need to process change less rapidly than others. See the value of this for the long-term. In the midst of rapid change, keep these things in mind:

Foster long-term thinking by making sure that every team member understands that inevitable change is tied to something bigger that culminates in a very specific end result. Then make sure each team member clearly understands the role they play in achieving the end result.

Encourage seeking experienced thinking. Blend new, fresh thinking individuals with those who have experience and wisdom to expand the possibilities and to avoid reinventing the wheel.

Eliminate blame. Mistakes will be made. Create an environment where people feel free to admit mistakes. When a leader truly eliminates blame, he/she makes great strides toward establishing trust.

Don't breath your own exhaust. One true leader explained it this way: "When people feel that a leader thinks they are smarter than everybody else, you cut about 75 percent of the intellectual horsepower out of the organization."

Do What's Right and Tell the Truth. One's ability to do what's right and tell the truth is the greatest signal of leading with integrity and ethics. At a time when ethics and integrity of leadership continues to come into question in so many areas of life; at a time when sustainability and profitability continue to face growing competitive challenges, and at a time when the shifting demographics predict that there will be a shortage of well-educated individuals to fill new leadership roles, clearly there is no greater time to be a true leader.