Everyone wants to describe themselves as a leader. Everyday, new books on leadership come out on the market. Leaders are seen everywhere ? business, society, and, of course, politics. Yet, in our culture where greatness is often measured by noise rather than accomplishment, I thought it would be helpful to define the factors that differentiate the true leader from the notorious "cheerleader."

* Cheerleaders are thermometers, while true leaders are thermostats. Where thermometers measure the weather, thermostats change it. This is the perfect analogy in my opinion. While thermometers stick their fingers in the wind to see what direction the wind (or crowd) is going, the true leader determines his or her course and follows it. They do that which they believe is best for everyone involved. Often true leaders have to change opinion before they can be recognized as a leader. They are willing to do this in order to make a true difference.

* Cheerleaders are often victims, while true leaders are always owners. Cheerleaders will often blame anyone or thing other than themselves if something goes wrong under their leadership. With true leaders, in the words of Harry Truman, "the buck stops here." True leaders want responsibility for the decisions they make, apologize for their mistakes, and will look to share honor with others when things go well.

* Cheerleaders focus on themselves, while leaders focus on the cause. There is nothing more dangerous than getting between a cheerleader and a microphone, TV camera, or photo op. Such people are interested in themselves and very little else. True leaders are concerned about the cause or the project. "Who" gets the credit is not nearly as important as the project getting done! This is one of the biggest differences between cheerleaders and true leaders.

So how does one become a true leader? You become goal oriented, know what you are going to do before you set out to do it. You become a person of principal, so you are not tossed flippantly from project to project. You build those around as much you do yourself, creating a strong and integrated network of people working on the same cause and all on the same page. These are the steps one takes to become a true leader and to avoid the temptation of being a mere wannabe.

Kevin J. Price
Principal
HoustonBusiness.com