Category Archives: Leadership

“Get out there. See the people.”

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“Get out there. See the people.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Unsplash by krakenimages

I have a friend and client named Tim who is a highly successful business leader. He exemplifies many strong qualities of leadership and personal character that most of his customers, colleagues, and even competitors admire.

Among his most positive attributes is his willingness to take initiative and proactively put himself out into the world to see the people and make things happen.

Where do you find yourself on the introvert-to-extrovert spectrum, especially given the constraints caused by the pandemic?

How have you continued to reach out to connect despite your efforts to be physically distant and keep one another safe?

Where have you not made the effort to be out in the world in some essential way?

EXERCISE:

How can and will you get out there and (safely) see the people in the coming months?

How can and will you encourage others in your personal and professional communities to do the same?

“The best leaders see themselves as CROs: Chief Reminder Officers.”

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“The best leaders see themselves as CROs: Chief Reminder Officers.”

—Patrick Lencioni, author of The Motive

Image from Unsplash by Volodymyr Hryschchenko

What do the following have in common?
• The Ten Commandments
• The Pledge of Allegiance
• A catchy campaign slogan
• A vision or mission statement
• Mom’s reminder to wash your hands and brush your teeth as a child

They are all examples of leadership in that they remind us of things we value and believe in.

When most effective, these reminders are not only remembered, but can also be seen coming from those of us engendered by their messages. In this way, leaders create more leaders to share their messages.

EXERCISE:

Who are the Chief Reminder Officers in your world, and what are their key messages?

Where are or can you be a CRO for others in your personal and professional communities?

 

Friday Review: Leadership

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FRIDAY REVIEW: LEADERSHIP

Who are the leaders you wish to emulate? Here are a few leadership-related posts you may have missed.

 

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”

 

 

 

“The first great gift we can bestow on others is a good example.”

 

 

 

“A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.”

 

 

 

“Leaders don’t force people to follow—they invite them on a journey.”

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“Leaders don’t force people to follow—they invite them on a journey.”

—Charles S. Lauer, late publisher of Modern Healthcare magazine

Image from Unsplash by Matt Heaton

We have all been taken to school lately on the subject of Leadership. What messages are you hearing that touch and stir your head, heart, and soul?

Who is speaking a future that resonates on the frequency of your vision and value?

Who is describing a journey with passion and purpose? Who is inviting you to contribute your best to a worthy mission?

When strong leaders demonstrate such qualities in words, actions, and enduring character, they engender us to follow and become leaders as well.

EXERCISE:

Where have you been called and invited on an important journey?

Where can and will you invite others in your personal or professional communities to join you in creating a better world?

“It’s amazing how a little tomorrow can make up for a whole lot of yesterday.”

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“It’s amazing how a little tomorrow can make up for a whole lot of yesterday.”

—John Guare, American Playwright

Image from Unsplash by Leonardo Yip

Time travel is not just possible. Today’s quote suggests that we all do it daily in our thoughts. Through forms of mindfulness such as meditation or leisurely walks in nature we can view our thinking mind with greater perspective and objectivity.

How often do you review or replay the events of yesterday with a critical eye of what worked and what didn’t? How self-satisfied or perhaps upset do you feel about various events, efforts, and interactions? How easy is it to let these thoughts go, be present, and look toward the future you intend to create?

The power of a vision is miraculous in that it pulls us like a tractor beam in a sci-fi space adventure. This gravitational attractive force is a critical element of self-leadership—and leadership in general—when we are intentional about thinking and speaking about a bright future.

EXERCISE:

How can and will your own self-leadership efforts to speak and create many better tomorrows make up for any yesterdays that didn’t go as you hoped? What would be the value of doing this exercise on a daily basis?

“Being charismatic doesn’t make you a leader. Being a leader makes you charismatic.”

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“Being charismatic doesn’t make you a leader. Being a leader makes you charismatic.”

—Seth Godin, American Author

Image from Unsplash by Ani Kolleshi

The COVID-19 pandemic has tested all of us in may ways, personally and professionally.

Who are the individuals that stand out in your heart and mind as true leaders, taking a stand for what they value and believe?

Consider the folks at the grocery store, your mail carrier, your local banker, and other essential business professionals. How about those health care workers putting their lives on the line, leaving their homes to help those hit hardest, some even going to other states?

What about our military professionals and government officials? Who has truly stepped up? Who has side-stepped or blamed others for how things are or are not progressing?

EXERCISE:

How can and will you more fully acknowledge and recognize the acts of leadership all around you? How and in what ways have you stepped up to be seen and heard in your communities? What would be the value if all people around the globe did the same?

“You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time.”

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“You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time.”

—J.S. Knox, Associate Professor of Sociology, Liberty University

Image from Unsplash by Josh Calabrese

Have you ever participated in a team building session with your professional colleagues? One of the goals of such exercises is to gain a greater understanding of each other, and to provide constructive input toward one another’s leadership styles and effectiveness.

The assessment I use for team building sessions categorizes individuals into one of four potential styles, depending on the situation. The four styles are:

  1. The Team Leader, who focuses on both people and results
  2. The Taskmaster, who focuses solely on results
  3. The Social Worker, who focuses solely on people
  4. The Benchsitter, who focuses on neither

EXERCISE:

How would you—or better yet, your associates—describe your leadership style? How might you and your colleagues—maybe even your family members—rate each other as it relates to being an influencer versus an antagonist?

“We are the masters of our fate, the captains of our souls, because we have the power to control our thoughts.”

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“We are the masters of our fate, the captains of our souls, because we have the power to control our thoughts.”

—Napoleon Hill, 20th Century American author of Think and Grow Rich

Image from Unsplash by Philippe Oursel

Perhaps one of the primary reasons for the rapid growth of the coaching industry is its ability to significantly increase our mindfulness and self-awareness. The phrase “Wherever you go, there you are” is poignant in that we always bring along our minds, which strongly influences and creates our worlds.

The majority of my work with clients focuses on executive leadership and business matters. Nevertheless, I’ve noticed considerable attention shifting to more personal and soulful issues and the idea of living a far more meaningful life.

EXERCISE:

If you, too, wish to dig deeper into being your own soulful captain of life, I strongly recommend the book Toward a Meaningful Life by Simon Jacobson.

A well-developed sense of humor

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“A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life.”

—William Arthur Ward, 20th Century Author of inspirational maxims

Image of Pope Francis in a crowd

Photo from Unsplash by Ashwin Vaswani

Are you a student of leadership?

If so, I highly suggest you watch the Netflix film, Pope Francis – A Man of His Word.

The film demonstrates a man who lives what he preaches and who has gained the trust of people across the world, from all religions, cultures, and social backgrounds.

His universal wisdom and message of hope provides views on many global questions and issues including social justice, immigration, ecology, wealth inequality, materialism, and the role of the family.

Toward the end of this film he suggests that each of us can participate in this global community effort by wearing a smile more often, and by developing a better sense of humor to add more balance to our lives.

EXERCISE:

Consider watching this important film with family and friends. Allow time after the viewing for discussion and dialogue to see how you can and will benefit from his universal message of hope.

Be a lighthouse rather than a lifeboat

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“Be a lighthouse rather than a lifeboat. Guide by example, and let others find their own way.”

—Barbara Kipfer, author of 14,000 Things to be Happy About

Image of a lighthose on a clear day

Image from Unsplash by Courtney Corlew

To what extend do you consider yourself a leader? Perhaps you are a manager or executive. Maybe you have your own company or plan on starting one soon. What is your leadership style? Are you a lighthouse that shines your light as a vision to guide and inspire? Perhaps you operate as a lifeboat, constantly doing far too much of the heavy lifting and seeing it as your job to save people and carry them to safety.

Who are the leaders that have inspired you through their good examples and challenged you to always be and do your best?

The key word in the last sentence is “Your,” which points to the critical aspect of living an authentic self-directed life.

EXERCISE:

Where might a “less you” and “more them” approach to leadership be the best approach to realize greater fulfillment and success for everyone?

Note: If you happen to be a parent, please try this approach with your children. Feel free to reply to this post and let me know how things go!