James Hunter: Leadership is character in action.

I am quite a slow writer. I can only work under pressure; I wait until the last minute.

James Hunter

lasts pressure waiting

For me, hearing the term 'apply yourself' was like a crucifix to Bella Lugosi's Dracula. 'Ahhh, it burns!'

James Hunter

hearing term

My absolute favorite song I've ever written is "This Is Where We Came In." It's a nudge at younger listeners, cause at one time you could go into a cinema halfway through a film and then stay through and pick up where you left off.

James Hunter

nudge cinema song

If I have any claim to originality, I do it by investing my own personality into it, so it's coming from a slightly more sardonic, English point of view.

James Hunter

investing personality views

I'm conscious enough that how I'm singing is not my own accent.

James Hunter

singing conscious enough

If I sang the way I talk it would sound like "Tommy Steele sings Muddy Waters!"

James Hunter

sound water way

Because I'm English, I try not to make any purely American references, because I want to limit how much I'm pretending to be American.

James Hunter

limits want trying

I get influenced by stuff that isn't even music.

James Hunter

stuff

It's when you are trying to make something that is "authentic" as opposed to real - people who appreciate music for the wrong reasons tend to compartmentalize stuff.

James Hunter

appreciate real people

If you are approaching the music with more reverence than the original guys invested into it, you are effectively doing it a disservice.

James Hunter

reverence originals guy

Leadership is not about personality, possessions, or charisma, but all about who you are as a person. I used to believe that leadership was about style but now I know that leadership is about substance, namely character.

James Hunter

personality character believe

As leaders we do not create growth. The best we can do is create an environment that is conducive to growth. It is like planting a garden. You do not cause the seeds to grow. To grow is their natural purpose in life.

James Hunter

growth garden leader

Leadership: The skill of influencing people to work enthusiastically toward goals identified as being for the common good.

James Hunter

skills goal people

...leaders who do not hold their people accountable to a set standard are, in effect, thieves and liars. Thieves because they are stealing from the stockholder who pays them to hold people accountable, and liars because they pretend that everything is OK with their people when in fact everything is not OK.

James Hunter

leader liars people

Serving others breaks you free from the shackles of self and self-absorption that choke out the joy of living.

James Hunter

servant-leadership self joy

Authority: The skill of getting people to willingly do your will, because of your personal influence.

James Hunter

influence skills people

There is great joy in leading with authority, which is serving others by meeting their legitimate needs.

James Hunter

serving-others joy needs

Who then is the greatest leader? The one who has served the most.

James Hunter

servant-leadership servant leader

Forgiving behavior is dealing with situations as they arise in an assertive manner and then letting go of any lingering resentment. As the leader, if you are not able to let go of the resentment, it will consume you and render you ineffective.

James Hunter

forgiving leader letting-go

Power: The ability to force or coerce someone to do your will, even if they would choose not to, because of your position or your might.

James Hunter

force power might