Have you every wondered, what defines leadership in the 21st Century? Do you know what it takes to become a revolutionary leader for change? Do you possess the essential skills needed to be a transformative leader in your organization? What are the things that separate extraordinary leaders from ordinary leaders? Look no further for these answers. Anton Gunn's amazing love of Hip Hop, community organizing and politics has uniquely prepared him to craft these leadership essentials that he calls The Audacity of Leadership. Anton's distinctive ability to turn small opportunities into bold leadership positions was the beginning of The Audacity of Leadership. Anton's leadership path has taken him from Hip Hop; to Division I College Football; to the youngest executive to lead a major non-profit organization in South Carolina; ultimately to making history in the South Carolina House of Representatives. Anton's career led him to a defining leadership experience working for future President, Barack Obama. This unique opportunity has given Anton profound insights into the essentials necessary to become the kind of bold leader that makes change possible in our world. The model of The Audacity of Leadership explains the essential qualities that today's leaders must posses in order to become a bold and transformative leader in the 21st Century. Anton learned these skills as a community organizer, advocate, and a political leader. Now you can learn them too. Start your leadership journey today by mastering these essentials and I promise you, you will enhance your ability to change the world.

The Audacity of Leadership

10 Essentials to Becoming a Transformative Leader in the 21st CenturyBy Anton J. Gunn

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2009 Anton J. Gunn
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4490-1712-5

Contents

Foreword........................................................................ixPreface.........................................................................xiiiIntroduction The Need for Audacity.............................................xviiChapter One The Significance of a New Century..................................1Chapter Two Essential Number 1: Have Vision....................................11Chapter Three Essential Number 2: Have Commitment..............................21Chapter Four Essential Number 3: Be Authentic..................................29Chapter Five Essential Number 4: Learn to Listen...............................41Chapter Six Essential Number 5: Master Selflessness............................53Chapter Seven Essential Number 6: Have an Emcee's Attitude.....................61Chapter Eight Essential Number 7: Lead through Connection......................71Chapter Nine Essential Number 8: Build a Leadership Team.......................79Chapter Ten Essential Number 9: Develop the Next "You".........................87Chapter Eleven Essential Number 10: Take Explosive Action......................93Chapter Twelve Conclusion......................................................99Acknowledgments.................................................................103Appendix........................................................................105About The Author................................................................113Footnotes.......................................................................117

Chapter One

The Significance of a New Century

As we approach the conclusion of the first decade of the twenty-first century, we must recognize that we are in an era of great change. The world in which we live is constantly evolving at a rapid pace, whether we are referring to changes in technology, our environment, our culture, or our economic foundation. This is evident just in the first ten years of the twenty-first century, in which events occurred that we have not encountered in the history of our planet. Whether it is touch-screen cell phones, interdependency of the world financial markets, or airline security, our world has dramatically changed.

The changes that have occurred in this era are testaments of the great progress we have made. But as we closely examine the first decade of this new century, it is clear that some of our leaders have not shared in the positive change. Numerous examples of poor leadership, ranging from the War on Terror and the global oil crisis to the corporate financial crisis, have become the rule instead of the exception. These failures in leadership occurred right before our eyes, and our country was not prepared for the devastation that followed. Naturally, in our desperation, we sought the help of other leaders, but they also consistently let us down. Instead of gaining assistance, we found our religious leaders engaging in inappropriate relationships, teachers having sexual relationships with their students, corporate CEOs abusing their power, investment bankers stealing from pension funds, and political leaders becoming morally bankrupt and corrupt.

Consequently, their inconsistency forced us into a place of complete frustration and utter exhaustion. We are in need of change, but we approach this change with great hesitation, for fear that the grass may not be greener on the other side. Our uncertainty tends to give way to fear because we do not know who or what to trust.

So we continue to ask, "When will these troubled times end? Who will lead us out of the despairing state we're in?" Before now, most would answer these questions with a simple phrase, "I don't know." Today, I would like to challenge you to consider yourself as the answer; consider how you can contribute to creating the positive change we need; consider how you can become an instrumental part of the new era of twenty-first-century leaders.

What citizens of our country need more than anything else is someone who will be there, especially during times of crisis. People need confidence in their leaders. They need to have the understanding that there is someone who can bring strength, stability, and guidance during turbulent times. People are seeking out leaders with principles who will stand up in this era and give them the assurance that no matter what may go wrong, or how afraid they may become in the midnight hour, everything will be all right. They are looking for spiritual, emotional, political, intellectual, and economical direction. People are desperate for the confidence of a leader who is rational, equipped, and well-prepared to lead them through these uncertain times.

They have no confidence in many of our current leaders because many of them limit themselves to archaic concepts and neglect the demands of our present age. They see no need to push the envelope. They shun progressive thinking, and they find it unnecessary to challenge the status quo by boldly going where other leaders have been afraid to go. So it is time for a new legion of leaders to rise up and assume the position of transformation.

To become a transformative leader you must first recognize and understand the changes currently taking place. However, you must also recognize and understand the problems of the past-the mistakes that other leaders made-so that you can entertain ways to correct their wrongs. In addition to understanding the past and present, you must take the time to understand what people seek in leadership so that you can ultimately discover and meet their needs. But in order to develop these skills, you must possess a discipline that fuels your work ethic to relentlessly pursue your vision.

The historical context of a new century leader can be traced back to twentieth-century America. The twentieth century was an amazing time of growth and change. The face of the global community was changing-a change that began in our country. America was at the heart of that change as it relates to invention, experimentation, industrial innovation, and political leadership. There were people at the forefront of the revolution that transformed America into a diverse melting pot. The twentieth century was the beginning of a new era-one that forced the world to recognize the United States of America as an independent world power. We won the battle over the Western frontier and settled the country from coast to coast. We built a railroad that stretched across the continent, connecting one coast to the other. We drilled for oil and eventually became a world power in the petroleum markets. We produced steel in record numbers and in record time. In addition to our overall development, we were pioneers of the gasoline engine and the automobile. The telephone was created to make communication more accessible, and skyscrapers went from being scribbled on blueprints to forming new skylines of our cities. Americans like Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Susan B. Anthony, J. P. Morgan, Jane Addams, Theodore Roosevelt, Booker T. Washington, Joseph Pulitzer, Alexander Graham Bell, and Henry Ford are among the few extraordinary individuals who used their innovative ideas to transform American culture. These individuals were willing to be the change they wanted to see, and in doing so, they managed to lay the foundation for the next...