Proverbs are short, common statements that express a generalized truth and teach a lesson, while clichés are unoriginal phrases or ideas that have been so overused and familiarized that they’ve become trite and have lost their effectiveness. It can be fairly hard to tell a proverb from a cliché, but in either case, they tend to speak the truth. Which is the very reason my husband simultaneously reveres them and loathes them.

When someone uses a proverb or cliché, my husband has been known to roll his eyes and shake his head a bit, but only because he has to admit that they’re always true! And, at the risk of sounding cliché, I’ve been known to espouse some proverbial gems of wisdom himself at times. Just the other day he made a comment that the iPhone is mightier than the newspaper these days, playing on the old saying that the pen is mightier than the sword.

But what do proverbs and clichés have to do with WOW leadership? That’s the $64,000 question! Since truth is the core foundation of being a WOW, expressions and sayings that speak the truth must have some relevance. Heck, there’s no time like the present to use a few proverbs and clichés to describe WOW leadership! I’ve got nothing to lose, right?

Without a doubt, WOW leaders know that honesty is the best policy, when they communicate and make decisions. They believe in fair, reciprocal interactions and always do unto others as they would have them do unto them. In other words, they practice what they preach.

WOW leaders are driven by an unwavering determination and motivation. They know that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. They’re also resilient and undeterred by the occasional failure, realizing that you can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.

Although good things come to those who wait in terms of patience, WOW leaders push forward, set realistic goals, and make things happen without resting on their laurels. And maybe its true that you cant always get what you want, but WOWs know how to make lemonade when life hands them lemons. They don’t tell their employees to do as they say and not as they do. They realize their actions speak louder than words, so they strive to be authentic role models and examples.

While many WOW individuals strive for perfection, and feel that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself, once they become WOW leaders they know they must rely on their team to be successful. After all, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. WOW leaders strengthen the chain by eliciting the best from their staff. They find ways to boost the performance and skill sets of those they lead without judging a book by its cover. Those who use the excuse that you can lead a horse to water, but you cant make him drink are giving up on the horse, and therefore, aren’t very skilled leaders.

Its only natural that birds of a feather flock together, but WOW leaders pull together individuals with a variety of different perspectives, skills, and strengths because variety is the spice of life.

Make no mistake, although WOW leaders speak the truth, lead authentically, and can be described using a variety of witty sayings, they’re anything but unoriginal, trite, or cliché themselves. I’m not trying to beat a dead horse, but the writings on the wall when it comes to WOW leadership. Those who don’t read between the lines, run the risk of falling into the trap of DUD leadership. And as everyone knows, the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

Unfortunately, All good things must come to an end, so I hope I’ve left you with something to chew on. Be sure to drop me a line if you enjoyed this post; but remember, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all! (Just yankin’ your chain.)

–Sheri Staak