The Path To Being The Best Leader

The success of an organization hinges on good leadership. At their best, leaders can inspire their team, facilitate productivity, and build a cohesive sense of community among the people who work for them. But what is the secret to good leadership? How can you become a good leader yourself?

- Christopher Zacher

Cheri Larkins, Gator Harvey, and Kevin Bearden recently sat down with a group of emerging leaders to discuss these very questions. The trio talked about their experiences as team leaders at the corporate level and offered some advice on developing strong leadership skills.

“For me, leadership is dirty,” said Larkins, the Director of Talent Acquisition for RMS at Lockheed Martin. “When I think about the success that I’ve had, it wasn’t the glamorous parts of being a leader that made them successful. It was plugging the holes, dragging the goal over the finish line for my team when they were tired, when we had been at it for months.”

Both of her colleagues agreed, dispensing the myth that leadership roles are somehow glamorous. Larkins laughed. “There’s no glitter, no confetti…I don’t even eat lunch sometimes.”

Instead, the group spoke of leadership as a job that requires intense deliberation and vulnerability. “The further up you go, the more influence you wield,” says Harvey, the director at Northrop Grumman Technical Services. “People are watching you.”