Churchill, Jobs, Gandhi, Lincoln, Patton. All names that most of us are familiar with, and many think of them as great leaders in history. But they all have one other thing in common: they gave credit to a leader they considered greater than themselves.

People often look up to a leader as the one with the answers. Today, in the world driven by data, pressure can build up quickly when you realize you don’t have the answer when it’s needed and the resulting stress is debilitating. Throughout history, the best leaders understood that their strength is not leading from the front, but from within, through your best people.

It’s important to always be looking to those you admire for inspiration, and remain professional and up-to-date by engaging in hands-on training constantly. The age-old perception that learning stops when you get to the top was always wrong, and now it can even be dangerous to your business.

So who guides you? What publications, blogs, and writers do you read from? What training courses, seminars, and consultants do you attend? How engaged are you with your business? If the answer is less than inspiring, you need a reality check.

Today, the fastest, most agile and innovative companies are the top dogs – not the massive corporations. You need to think of the world as they do, and not be afraid to look for new ways to learn.