If I have to tell you the difference between an average person and a successful one, between the greats and the nobodies, one attribute that describes the difference, it’s simple: discipline. There are so many character traits like enthusiasm, confidence, patience, knowledge, keeping good company and learning, but discipline triumphs all. Why? Because without discipline you can lose it all. If you don’t have discipline, you can forget about success, you can forget about all the good values and qualities.
Discipline means that you do what you need to do… not when everyone is watching, but when no one is watching. The football match is not decided at the game or at the training but is decided in between the training. That’s where you show your character. Not when the coach is there, or when the teacher is there, or when someone else is there.
Do you do that extra effort that is needed to have the leaders’ character? Do you do the hard work so that you’ll become excellent? … and you know what? no one is looking for the average. Everyone is looking for excellence. I’ve never seen anyone going to a restaurant ordering an average meal, no one was ever upset about excellent service. But for that you have to put in the extra effort, you have to do the hard work. 
Developing the leaders’ character will not happen from one day to the other. That’s why discipline is so important. There will always be other tempting options, maybe those around you will discourage you, tell you that you’ll do it later, or even worse, you’re not capable of doing something… but that’s when you have to decide what’s more important for you: the immediate satisfaction, other’s opinions, fitting into an average life or you choose to be successful and a person who leaves a lasting legacy. It’s your choice, it’s your character, it’s your life.
Inspired but patient, not lamenting, striving for solutions in case of problems, exible, easy to work with, not attached to ideas, but strongly driven by his values, self-condent and self disciplined. These are all parts of a good leader’s character, without which we cannot even lead ourselves, not to speak of others. Having strong determination to preserve, deepening our values and helping others is also part of good leadership. 18 To attain this we need to be convinced that our dreams are possible and we need to have specic and tangible goals. We have to know where we are at the moment and know the path towards our goals.
SOURCES:
1. Zoltan Hosszu, Joyful Leadership Manual
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