The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity.
Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a work crew, a football field, in an army, or in an office. 
Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.

It has been said that EVERYTHING rises and falls on leadership.  That means that little gets accomplished in a nation, community, business, family or in an individuals life apart from someone leading.  That leadership can take us in the wrong direction, or the right direction but it will take us in some direction.

In the context of money and finances leadership can make the difference between wealth & poverty, being in debt or being debt free.  The difference in most cases is someone (that includes me, myself & I) making a decision to lead rather than follow the crowd.  The majority of Americans (the crowd) live paycheck to paycheck and are 30 days away from being flat broke, and if you or I do what they do with their money we will end up just like them.  So a decision needs to be made, do I follow others (and end up where they are heading) or take a different course and become a leader for someone else to follow?

Lets examine some common characteristics of leaders, as relate it to our money and financial decisions.

INSIGHT – Another word for insight is vision, not just seeing the future but also insight for today.  Wisdom and discernment related to money management come from experience & knowledge.  We gain wisdom from both of our life instructors, Professors Successes and Professor Failures in the classroom of life.  They teach us to look at a situation, and develop a course of action that will aid us it reaching our goals as well as warn us of consequences if we ignore the basic rules of sound money management.

INITIATIVE – The primary difference between those that are broke and those that are not is the ability to change our behavior.  Those who succeed take the initiative to make positive changes in their life and begin to change the course of their financial future.  One simple change, begin to live BELOW what you earn and save the difference.  It may be difficult, it may require radical changes but doing the hard things is the difference between financially success & failure.

INFLUENCE – Did you know that the word influence comes from the same root word as influenza?  Leaders are contagious, people are drawn to their vision.  Do you have a clear vision of where you want to be financially?  Is it written?  Have you broken it down into simple steps that you can practice daily or weekly?  Communicate that vision to your spouse or family, clearly explaining the benefits that all will receive as you move toward your goal of financial independence.

IMPACT – Are you making a difference in the lives of others?  Leaders do.  Strive to shake things up, help people change as a result of your leadership.  Financially, you should lead by example.  That means you should be the first to sacrifice, before asking others… but everyone will be required to pitch in.  Leaders understand that they are not running a popularity contest.  If you are going to turn your ship away from the rocks of financial ruin, then you must grab the wheel and steer her in a different direction.  Ask yourself (when others are fighting your efforts), who’s life is being changed as a result of my leadership in this area?  Is your families financial future worth fighting for?

INTEGRITY – The quality of your impact as a leader will be in direct proportion to your integrity.  A leader must have the trust of followers (your family) and must display integrity.  Honest dealings, predictable reactions, well-controlled emotions, and an absence of tantrums and harsh outbursts are all signs of integrity.  It may take time for others to buy into your vision for financial freedom, but if they trust your intentions and believe you have their best interest at heart it will go a long way toward getting them to follow you in this area.

Make today the day you begin to lead your family down the road to financial freedom.  Let me know if I can help you in any way.

Dave