 | ||
| ||
|
Definition of Leadership |
|
| home | site map | links | about | contact | privacy policy |
|
|
|
Being Other Focused
In the Wall Street Journal, Franklin Lavin, U.S. Ambassabor to Singapore wrote the Manager's Journal column about some of the things he learned from the late President Reagan while working on his staff. ******** PLEASE NOTE ************ If you are thinking about moving on from this article because of your feelings about the politics of President Reagan, please don't. The lesson I am about to share isn't about politics or partisan-ship, or any of those things. *********************************** It is about caring. About being focused on others. It is a lesson for all leaders. Lavin shares a story about an appearance the President was making at an Alabama school for handicapped children. The event was going super well, until one of the children with a severe speech impediment asked a question of the President. No one in the audience could understand and the room became tense. The President asked him to repeat the question, and the energy in the room was further dampened. Again, no one understood. Here is how Lavin tells what happened next, "The teachers froze. What was to have been an upbeat day was turning into a disaster... Reagan to the rescue. 'I'm sorry' he said with a smile, 'but you know I've got this hearing aid in my ear. Every once in awhile the darn thing just conks out on me. And it's just gone dead. Sorry to put you through this again, but I'm going to ask one of my staff people to go over to you so you can tell them directly what your question is. Then he can pass it back to me.'" This is what caring, gentle people do. This is what leaders do. If they see someone hurting, they try to help. They don't help to "get through it" or get people back to work. They help, and care, and listen because it is the right thing to do. They show they care through their actions. If you are like me, as you read this you thought, "How would I have handled that?" and "Would I have been as successful as President Reagan?" They are good questions. The better question though is, what can I do today to be more focused on others, and therefore help them succeed? Kevin Eikenberry is a leadership expert and the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company. To receive a free Special Report on leadership that includes resources, ideas, and advice go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/leadership.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.
Leadership is best defined by the quality of your thoughts, decisions and actions. It is also underpinned by the quality of the tools you use in your role. Be seen to bring true leadership to your organization and act with the authority that it brings to you.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Common Mistakes Extraordinary Leaders Dont Make When people make a decision (either consciously or unconsciously) to followyour leadership, they do it primarily because of one of two things: YourCharacter or your Skills. They want to know if you are the kind of personthey want to follow and if you have the skills to take them further. Leadership Skills - 10 Ways to Beef Up 10 Ways to Beef Up Your Leadership SkillsHave you ever heard someone say, "Actually, I have to admit that I think I am really bad at managing other people. My staff all hate me and I'm incapable of doing my job". Leadership is About Growing Others - Its Not About You! "Before you become a leader success is all about growing yourself. Once you become a leader success is all about growing others. A Good Leader Knows The Teams Colours Leadership can be a very challenging task. As leaders we don't always get to choose who is on our team. Leadership - Passion, Purpose, Profit - Its Not That Hard Go to any educational institution, look at airport bookshelves, shopping centres and open your eyes to the myriad of products available today and you could be forgiven to thinking that the art of leadership was beyond mere mortals.After many years in corporate life before starting my own business I finally got the chance to prove for myself what I had always beleived - leadership is simple, it is being a person who has passion, purpose and who uses that to bring others with them on the journey and reaps the rewards. How To Get To Know A Disabled Person When you first meet someone who is blind, deaf, or in a wheelchair, what is your initial reaction? Curiosity? Sympathy? Awkwardness? If you experience any of these emotions, you are not alone. Chances are you don't regularly associate with someone who is disabled, so these feelings are quite common. Ten Characteristics of Leadership Many people are interested in the characteristics of a great leader. There are many lists of these traits. Leadership Development and Jumping Out of Airships A German silent film melodrama depicts an airship bombing London during World War I. Lit up by searchlights and strafed by fighters, the crippled airship loses altitude as the captain frantically jettisons dispensable gear to lighten weight. Two Leadership Traps: How To Avoid Them and How To Get Out Of Them (Part 2) Here's how to get out of, or avoid, the "I need .. Leadership Skill Training Quality leadership is a positive asset that is needed in every organization. Observe any successful club, committee or team and you will find a capable leader in each of these organizations. Celebrating Successes: The Power Of Compliments Years ago, when I was new in management circles, a veteran administrator decided to share his self-described secret of success. He said: You have to be careful, Bill. Visions of Leadership Right about now, you've made the discovery that if you intend to push your company beyond its current plateau, you will have to change the way you relate to your work. You have doubtlessly concluded this next level mandates you to let go of things like hiring, product design, perhaps even day-to-day sales - many things you handled in the past - and focus yourself on your role as CEO. Extraordinary People in Mediocre Times My grandfather used to speak of the days when people drove the world. It was a time when people were proud to contribute and move society and industry forward at full steam. Beyond Authority: Debunking the Top 3 Leadership Myths Have you noticed that across the business world people are recognizing that we are fast outgrowing the thinking and language of hierarchy, but we're also struggling to create a new, more collaborative future? The challenge for all is to figure out how to operate in this emerging paradigm-the one that our own efforts are helping to shape.As I work with top leaders in organizations and then, independently, the staff they lead, I'm frequently struck by the gulf that occurs between the two in the early stages of change. People or Objects? - - You Decide "How you think determines how you act. How you act, in turn, determines how others react to you. Recommended Books on Leadership and Team Building The single most important thing a leader can do is lead by example, and if you want your team to be dynamic and learn more, you've got to continually innovate and find new ways to encourage, reward, and motivate YOURSELF! That's right, I said you've got to motivate YOU! If you lead by example, and you're motivated, soon your team will be too!That being said, here are my recommendations for a few good leadership and team building books. Enjoy!The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow them and People Will Follow You Failing ForwardJohn C. A Blueprint for Leadership - How to Be a Better Leader If you were to build a house, you would begin with a blueprint. This blueprint proves useful because it contains more than directions on how to build a house. Make the Most of Your Mentoring Relationships Mentoring is one of the best ways to learn, to get feedback, and to take your career to the next level. Here are ten tips for making the most of your mentoring relationships. Be the Samurai Sword Relationships are constantly facing crisis. Everywhere we look people are in dispute with one another. The Flexible Leadership Workshop The Leadership ChallengeLeaders in today's society are faced with an increasingly complex challenge: To deliver business results in the face of rapidly changing conditions, while building team members' capacity to address the future. While organizations are becoming generally flatter, less hierarchical, less "command-and-control," individual managers must still determine which leadership style to employ.
|
|
home | site map | links | about | contact | privacy policy
|
| © 2010 Defintion Of Leadership & Career Consulting Limited Powered By CCL WebServices |