"If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then you are an excellent leader."

Dolly Parton

           

Change is good. You go first

"Sometimes in the winds of change we find our true direction." ~Unknown

 Change is not easy. But it is simple. Things will always change. We don't have a choice about that, but we do have a choice on how we react to change; and as a leader whether or not we choose to create change. The choice really boils down to this...either we manage change or it will manage us.

 As a leader, however, deciding to make changes is the easy part. Getting your people on board is much more difficult. Why is that? Quite simply, change is an emotional process. We are all creatures of habit who usually resist it and welcome routine. Uncharted waters are scary!

 In the long run, however, sameness is the fast tract to mediocrity. And, mediocre companies won't survive. Tuli Kupferburg said it best... "When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge." And, that is your challenge...to convince your team that the new world you are trying to create is better than the one you're in.

Is it easy? Of course not. It takes planning, commitment, patience and courage. The truth, of course, is that change can be a wonderful gift. In fact, it is the key that unlocks the doors to growth and excitement in any organization. And, most importantly, without it...your competition will pass you by.

A big part of success, as a leader, will be your ability to inspire your team to get out of their comfort zones; to assure them that even though they are on a new path, it's the right path, for the right reasons.

 That's what this book is all about....ideas, to inspire, to motivate, and to encourage your team to move forward and to embrace change.

 I'd like to share one of the chapters titled: "Learn from Old Warwick".

Enjoy!

  Excerpt from: Change is Good...You Go First By Mac Anderson and Tom Feltenstein

  Learn from Old Warwick

 Fostering a spirit of teamwork is critical in times of change. The key element is trust. Trust for the leader and trust for each other. There is a wonderful story from the play, Some Folks Feel the Rain; Others Just Get Wet; and I think it's worth sharing again to shed some light on how people think about teamwork...

 A man was lost while driving through the country. As he tried to reach for the map, he accidentally drove off the road into a ditch. Though he wasn't injured, his car was stuck deep in the mud. So the man walked to a nearby farm to ask for help.

 "Warwick can get you out of that ditch," said the farmer, pointing to an old mule standing in a field. The man looked at the decrepit old mule and looked at the farmer who just stood there repeating, "Yep, old Warwick can do the job." The man figured he had nothing to lose.

The two men and the mule made their way back to the ditch. The farmer hitched the mule to the car. With a snap of the reins, he shouted, "Pull, Fred! Pull, Jack! Pull, Ted! Pull, Warwick!"

 And the mule pulled that car right out of the ditch. The man was amazed. He thanked the farmer, patted the mule, and asked, "Why did you call out all of those names before you called Warwick?"

 The farmer grinned and said, "Old Warwick is just about blind. As long as he believes he's part of a team, he doesn't mind pulling."

 To watch the movie or to look inside the book, just click here.

Self leadership

“Nothing so conclusively proves a man's ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself.” 

—Thomas J. Watson

Words to Learn By

 by John C. Maxwell

In my years studying leadership and evaluating leaders, I have stumbled across a leadership shortcoming that continually amazes me. Leaders will manage a team, work with the same individuals every day, yet hardly know anything about their people! These leaders have never prioritized acquainting themselves with the dreams, thoughts, hopes, opinions, and values of those they lead.

The best leaders are readers of people. They have the intuitive ability to understand others by discerning how they feel and recognizing what they sense.

I have found that leaders overestimate the amount of time and effort needed to get to know someone. In fact, in only one hour with you in private conversation, I could, probably by asking three questions, find the passion of your life:

What do you dream about?
 A person’s dreams are powerful revealers of passion. When a person starts to talk about their dreams, it’s as if something bubbles up from within. Their eyes brighten, their face glows, and you can feel the excitement in their words.

What do you cry about?  
 Passion can be uncovered by peering into the hurts deep inside a human soul. The experience of pain or loss can be a formidably motivating force. When listening to a story of grief, you hear a voice thick with emotion, you see watery eyes flooded with feeling, and in that moment you glimpse the intense connections between a person’s deepest pain and their greatest passion.

What makes you happy?
 I have fun hearing what makes people tick and seeing the smile that comes when they talk about where they find joy. Enjoyment is an incredible energizer to the human spirit. When a person operates in an area of pleasure, they are apt to be brimming with life and exuding passion.

If you can uncover a person’s dreams, hurts, and joys, you’ve discovered the central dimensions of their life.

The ability to connect with others is a major determining factor in reaching your full potential. In his popular training program, Everyone Communicates, Few Connect, world-renowned leadership expert John C. Maxwell shares the keys to developing the crucial skill of connecting. It’s a skill you can apply in your personal, professional and family relationships—and you can start right now!Click here now for more details or to order!

The Parable of Brother Leo

A legend tells of a French monastery known throughout Europe for the extraordinary leadership of a man known only as Brother Leo. Several monks began a pilgrimage to visit Brother Leo to learn from him. Almost immediately, they began to bicker about who should do various chores.

On the third day they met another monk going to the monastery, and he joined them. This monk never complained or shirked a duty, and whenever the others would fight over a chore, he would gracefully volunteer and do it himself. By the last day, the others were following his example, and from then on they worked together smoothly.
When they reached the monastery and asked to see Brother Leo, the man who greeted them laughed. "But our brother is among you!" And he pointed to the fellow who had joined them.


Today, many people seek leadership positions, not so much for what they can do for others but for what the position can do for them: status, connections, perks, advantages. They do service as an investment, a way to build an impressive resume.


The parable about Brother Leo teaches another model of leadership, where leaders are preoccupied with serving rather than being followed, with giving rather than getting, with doing rather than demanding. Leadership based on example, not command. This is called servant leadership.


Can you imagine how much better things would be if more politicians, educators, and business executives saw themselves as servant leaders?




Michael Josephson
www.charactercounts.org

A Movie about Leadership

Leadership means many things to many people. But what are some of the shared qualities that all great leaders have?

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our
faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the
presence of fate is strength undefeatable."
-- Helen Keller

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How to Lead: Discover the Leader Within You
The "How to Lead: Discover the Leader Within You" leadership system teaches the 48 essential skills needed to be an effective, respected leader.

It starts by helping you to evaluate your own leadership style, and learn to use your strengths and manage weaknesses. It then teaches the key skill-sets needed to lead effectively: Creation of a robust vision of the future; Motivation; Execution and Team member development. This course will give you the skills to be an effective, successful leader, and promises to transform our life.

"How to Lead" is an incredibly high quality program, developed by true world experts.

"I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition."

Martha Washington

Creating lasting change

In times of uncertainty, people look to leaders for guidance. Imagine having the ability to positively and profoundly affect any individual, group or situation. What if you could influence and drive a team to produce exceptional results and empower them to go beyond supporting an organization to inspiring a mission-driven movement? What if you could help a loved one or co-worker identify what is stopping them from getting what they want in life and give them the tools to break through?

Creating Lasting Change: The 7 Steps to Maximum Impact guides you down the path to becoming a more effective inspirational leader. In this 10-day program, you will examine leadership from a unique perspective—the ability to influence the thoughts, feelings and actions of others.

Conquer Today's Challenges. Take Control Now.

heart, leadership

"Throw your heart over the fence and the rest will follow!"

-- Norman Vincent Peale

Resource for the Week:
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How to Lead: Discover the Leader Within You

The "How to Lead: Discover the Leader Within You" leadership system teaches the 48 essential skills needed to be an effective, respected leader.

It starts by helping you to evaluate your own leadership style, and learn to use your strengths and manage weaknesses. It then teaches the key skill-sets needed to lead effectively: Creation of a robust vision of the future; Motivation; Execution and Team member development. This course will give you the skills to be an effective, successful leader, and promises to transform our life.
"How to Lead" is an incredibly high quality program, developed by true world experts.