Proficiency in leadership doesn't always follow tenure. While tenure provides experience, without a growth mindset and a desire to learn, skill doesn't automatically improve.

Take golfers as an example; plenty of golfers have played for decades, and rarely do they improve. The same is true in leadership. Tenure doesn't always equal leadership. However, in leadership, there are a few basic principles that, if you know them, can help you shorten your timeline to proficiency and deliver better results. Before we get there, let's level set on what a principle is and where these came from.

A principle, by definition, is a concisely worded statement of truth that transcends circumstances. They are cornerstones to rely on and lean on to help with comprehension and application. Most of these principles are drawn from our research studying world-class leadership and my book Building the Best. Hopefully, they help you focus your efforts and solve some of your people problems.

So let's dig in.