Advice from 5 of the Best and Most Successful Leaders

What makes a great leader?  While there are certainly different schools of thought, there is no doubt that we can learn a lot from individuals who have achieved this stature. Their advice can be as diverse as the types of industries and enterprises these people represent. The knowledge successful persons have to offer can give even experienced leaders a valuable and refreshing perspective.  

Let’s examine a selection of notable quotes and what we can take from them. 

1. “True success comes from self-power.” – Dr. Deepak Chopra, author

This advice comes from Indian American author and doctor Deepak Chopra, MD. As an advocate of alternative medicine, Dr. Chopra has an extremely high profile across the United States and beyond. His books, courses and other offerings have benefited many and he has a considerable and dedicated following. 

Dr. Chopra’s leadership is fueled by basic self-belief principles that he says have guided his entire life and his journey as a healer and a physician. He recalls that he was taught by his parents that his “core being was a field of infinite possibilities, infinite creativity, comfortable with uncertainty, synchronicity, and imbued with the power of intention and choice.” As Dr. Chopra has demonstrated, believing that you have the capacity to lead others can really take you far. 

2. “Give (people) the freedom to do the job you’ve hired them to do.” – Sean Brown, CEO

These words are from Sean Brown, a venture capitalist and CEO of the company GO VC. His firm focuses on early-stage investing, helping to grow young enterprises such as tech startups. In this leader’s opinion, it is critical that you trust the people you bring on board in your business. 

That means, for example, having enough confidence in your hiring decisions that you can let people do their jobs. This works best when employees have the necessary latitude to make day-to-day decisions within their job description, the freedom to make mistakes and learn from them and the chance to suggest improvements. In other words, a strong leader is one who doesn’t micromanage their people, second guess team decisions and spend time monitoring operations too closely.  

3. “(Be) comfortable with not having the answers.” – Ryan Reynolds, actor

Actor Ryan Reynolds is in the news often and not just for his movie career, but also for his philanthropy and business investments. He suggests it’s important for leaders “to be able to say, ‘I don’t know,”’ adding, “The worst leaders I’ve ever worked with or been around are the ones who are steadfast and indignant in their righteousness, and really worried about their image.” 

Humility is one characteristic of a great leader in Reynolds’ experience. Being able to admit when you don’t have an answer can be both liberating and inspiring. It can open the door for others to come forward to offer advice from their experience and motivate your team to rally around and collaborate to find the solution to a sticky problem, for instance. Admitting that you don’t know something also makes you appear more human in the eyes of your colleagues. 

4. “Shoot first, aim later.” – Ross Franklin, CEO

This piece of wisdom from Ross Franklin, CEO and founder of Pure Green, requires a little explanation. Essentially, Franklin is reminding his audience that a leader must avoid being dragged down by too much planning that can lead to what is sometimes called “analysis paralysis.” It is no surprise that leadership comes with the responsibility to take decisive action when needed. This requires tenancy, good judgement, and a certain amount of faith. Franklin’s point is that a leader should be comfortable with taking risks. 

As he puts it, “A leader’s focus should be heavily weighted on execution . . . Yes, mistakes can be easily made with this approach, but if you learn from the mistakes, you can always course correct. I seek results, and I keep what is working and drop what is not working. People follow leaders that are bold and make swift decisions.” 

5. “Have no regrets.” – Richard Branson, entrepreneur

Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, believed that having no regrets is an invaluable leadership quality. He credits his mother as encouraging him to have this mindset. Adopting this approach, he notes, “has informed every aspect of my life and every business decision we have ever made.” 

According to Branson, he has always been very surprised by how much time people spend ruminating about past projects that were failures. He offers, “If we were to add up all of the hours spent regretting mistakes and use that time to develop new ideas, who knows how many brilliant new businesses would be created.” The entrepreneur sees any setbacks as simply par for the course and opportunities for leaders to create new initiatives and build back better.