“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other,” – President John F. Kennedy Lack of leadership is not only a problem in Washington politics, it’s a problem worldwide. Whether it’s in business, government, sports, ministry or the military nothing ever gets done unless there is a strong leader. History is overflowing with leadership crises. Everyday, lack of leadership weakens classrooms, homes, businesses, churches, and nations. The obvious examples are in government: In 1917, Russian Czar Nicholas II and the Russian people learned first-hand about ignoring the cries of revolutionaries who had the ear of the working-class. Filipino President/dictator Ferdinand Marcos learned that leadership cannot flaunt it’s privilege in the face of the poor without rebellion building-up in the hearts of his people. Romanian Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was publicly shot by a firing squad after years of brutal repression of his countrymen. Former CIA Director General David Petraeus, considered by many to be both a hero and military genius, was forced to resign due to the stain of scandal which affected his ability to morally lead the governments largest intelligence agency. We all know stories of leaders who are lazy, neglectful, arrogant, and/or power-hungry. There are (10) attributes that are essential to leadership: Leadership demands a Leader Leaders Lead A Leader knows how to articulate his vision A Leader is a broker, deal-maker, and a negotiator Leaders inspire their followers When Leaders stop serving, they cease to be leaders and often become dictators Leaders either know what to do or they know where to find the answer Crises do not make Leaders, they reveal Leaders A good Leaders is a good listener Leaders are creative You might be reading this post thinking “if I could only give this list to my boss!” While maybe that wouldn’t be a prudent move for your career, my advice to you would be this: forget about what your boss or peers are doing! Start now – LEAD BY EXAMPLE! You may not be in-charge of employees, a division of your company, or your sports team. But leading by example will force your peers and your bosses to take notice and either follow your example or they’ll be forced to notice as you pass by them on the leadership ladder. Soon enough, you’ll be “managing” rather than “being managed.” There’s a desk plaque in Ted Turners office that states: “LEAD, FOLLOW, OR GET OUT OF THE WAY!” I can assure you, if you start leading by example, others will follow your lead! ...
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Your Road to Success NOTE: The following post is the introduction to a series I’ve titled: “The 8 Steps to Sure Success” “Let no feeling of discouragement prey upon you and in the end, you are sure to SUCCEED!” – Abraham Lincoln Through the years, there has been an enormous amount of research conducted on highly successful people. It can be defined in so many ways depending on who is defining the term. When I think of success, it brings to mind great men and women like: George Washington, Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Jack Welch, or Steve Jobs. The list could go on for hours. Typically, we define success as attaining a goal or being the best at whatever we accomplish. However, any definition will confirm one thing – success doesn’t “just happen.” It takes hard work and passion. Most of you reading this blog are like me: we want to succeed at whatever it is that we do. And one thing that I want to do is help YOU succeed at whatever it is you were put on this Earth to do! You hold the key to lifelong success – it’s up to you! Success is rarely an accident; it happens on purpose. It is YOU who decides if you want to step onto the road to success! Interstate 75 is a major freeway running north/south extending from Michigan to Florida. If you told me that you were leaving your house in, let’s say, Chattanooga, TN and heading south to Florida for the winter, but I saw you take the exit that says “75 North to Detroit, MI,” I would be perplexed. Your words were clear, but your actions contradicted your words. So if you told me that you want to succeed, but you don’t take the necessary steps that lead to success, your actions would contradict your words! WARNING: Along the road to success, there will be bumps, potholes, and bad weather! There will be times that you fail miserably and there will be times in which you have made it to your destination early and the end results were far better than you’d ever imagined. The more you succeed, the more those around you will want to emulate you. They may aid you in your journey and help you achieve greater success. But remember: with the positive also comes the negative. During your journey, you’ll be tried and tested. Some onlookers (or even passengers!) will be envious or jealous of you. They may attempt to disrupt your journey and become stumbling blocks in your path. It is how you handle these people that will determine the final outcome. It is in these cases that it’s so important for you to remember that if people envy you, you have done something right! Keep your eyes on the finish line. With hard...
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“The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight, but has no vision!” – Helen Keller Our journey to success has commenced! This week, we begin the “8 Steps to Sure Success” with step number one: VISION. Vision is the “core” to success. I know, I know, I’m sure that fact is obvious to many of you perusing this article! It’s akin to me saying something like, “good diet and exercise are important to maintaining a healthy body.” No kidding! However, it’s still wise to remind us all of the importance of having “vision.” Ask yourself this question, “How clear is my life’s mission to me?”. If you don’t see it, how can you succeed in it? Vision includes seeing it in your mind’s eye, receiving it in your conscious comprehension, believing it to be yours to possess and declaring it to those encompassing you! Do you see yourself succeeding? What is your definition of success? The more detailed, coherent, and thorough your vision and the more mental focus you’ll be able to utilize in order to achieve it. Take a moment and look around you. Everything you see was first a vision in someone else’s mind. The watch on your wrist, those jeans you’re wearing, the coffee cup in your hand, even the computer screen that you’re looking at right now – everything was first a vision in someone’s mind. They conceived it with such clarity that it was just the matter of transferring that mental image in their mind’s eye to the physical object that you’re looking at now! As I mentioned above, vision is the core, the foundation, of success. Where there is no vision, there are no plans or goals for the future – just an empty canvas waiting to be painted with the dreams of the visionary! Do you see that beautiful house sitting on that wooded lot? Can you see the Mercedes in the driveway? The smell of the filet mignon on the BBQ? Can you see your children swimming in the custom pool in the beautifully landscaped backyard? Dream in color, in stereo sound and dream with all of your senses heightened! You need to feel it, touch it, taste it, and experience all of it! Put your mind to work, create your vision. Austin “Jack” DeCoster was 15 years old when his father died suddenly. Upon awakening the next morning, his mother approached him in the kitchen and said, “Son, your father’s 125 chickens still need to be fed and the eggs need to be gathered. They’re your responsibility now.” As a young teenager that had just lost his father, Austin bravely accepted the challenge and became driven with a desire to succeed with his father’s small poultry farm in Turner, Maine. That was over six decades ago. Those 125 chickens evolved into...
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“Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder.” – George Washington The first step in our journey to success is “vision;” the second step is “virtue.” The word “virtue” is derived from the Latin word “virtus,” which carries connotations of “valor, excellence, courage and worth” and are perceived as strengths. It can be defined in two different ways: conforming to a standard of moral excellence having the moral power to accomplish a given effect Both of those definitions deserve an introductory look for our pursuit of success. Everyone wants to succeed. We have seen our objective and we know the destination, but now we must make some very important decisions. You must first decide that whatever it takes for you to achieve success, you’re willing to do it the right way and give 100%…do not cut corners or make wrong/immoral decisions just to achieve your goal of success. When you reach your goal of success and are standing in the “winners circle,” you want to know in your heart that you earned it; that you deserve it and did not cheat yourself or anyone else in order to get there. Personally, I’d rather earn it and deserve it rather than achieve success without earning it. Far too many people, in life and in business, accept that moral comprimises are part of the system. Let me say this bluntly – At the end of the road of life, when your journey is completed, “who you are inside your heart” is more important than what you have gained or lost! Never sell your morals for success…it is wrong to do so. Success is attracted more to the person of integrity than the person of fraud. Every day, I turn on the news and see examples of people who are obsessed with success and sold their moral integrity in order to achieve it. I’m not talking about honest mistakes or even a moral stumble. Im talking about those people who make a decision from the get-go to lie, cheat, deceive, or take the immoral short-cuts to achieve success, regardless of who it affects. This wounds our spirit and injures our code of excellence. I say this to you: Show your moral courage from the beginning and maintain it until the journey is complete. Everyone must have a moral compass that points true North. If you don’t have one, you better work for someone who does! You must also have the moral power to accomplish your goals. Positive success is dictated by moral strength, moral justice, and moral force. Many men and women cannot be honest on their own – they deceive themselves. Many others cannot be honest in front of crowds or peers. Then their are those who can only be trusted when they are under the watchful eye of their leaders. How does your...
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