I ran across Richard Branson's top quotes on leadership. From a man who's been quite a success in many areas, and has influenced many others, it was interesting to see what he considers good advice. He lists ten quotes from various others, some of which I've heard before. It's an interesting mix, and these are certainly items that come from someone that could be considered a leader in business. I don't know if that's true, but certainly Mr. Branson is in charge of his company, and I believe that it is important for the management of a company to display leadership if they want to be successful.

Most of us, however, aren't in management positions. Most of us might not want to ever be in management positions. Plenty of technical people prefer to remain in their roles as developers, DBAs, analysts and more. However, that desire doesn't mean that better leadership skills wouldn't make our jobs easier, or make us more successful.

The first quote in the story is this: "A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could." That's the quote of leadership that inspires, that helps others gain confidence and do more than they might otherwise. That's the quote that shows a person who helps others is a great employee, not only because they get work done, but because they help others perform better.

Far too many managers don't believe in their staff, and make the clear constantly. Those managers aren't helping themselves or their company, as they'll ensure most of their employees don't do the best work they can. I'd encourage all of you to think about how you treat others. Think about what you say or do to encourage others to become better at their jobs. Perhaps there's a little more you can to do lead others, and get more work done, while celebrating the success you can have together as a group of professionals.