Tag: leadership

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accountability motivation

Anything Goes… Until it Doesn’t

Quote by John Maxwell: a life in which anything goes will ultimately be a life in which nothing goes well. Maxwell, John C.. Developing the Leader Within You 2.0 (Developing the Leader Series) (p. 34). HarperCollins Leadership. Kindle Edition.

“A life in which anything goes will ultimately be a life in which nothing goes well.”

Maxwell, John C. Developing the Leader Within You 2.0 (Developing the Leader Series)(p. 34). HarperCollins Leadership. Kindle Edition.

We all have at least some autonomy to do whatever we want. We can…

  • Spend work goofing off because the boss is out today
  • Eat that full bag of chips… along with an entire pizza
  • Cheat on those financials because only you know the data
  • Lie about what happen since you were the only witness

Yes, we have the freedom to do what we want. And in an anything-goes-world, there is much more beyond my imagination that any of us could do.

But sooner or later, we will suffer the consequences of bad decisions.

  • The latest employee evaluation criticizes your lack of productivity
  • You suffer a health crisis because on your eating habits
  • The auditors are demanding the data because something is definately off
  • There is evidence that proves you lied

Anything goes is a poor strategy for going forward. We all need boundaries. We are accountable for our actions. John Maxwell had this quote concerning planning our daily-to-do list. It’s a reminder to me that even the decisions that may not appear to have large consequences can come back to affect us.

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Leadership motivation

The Power of Multiplication

I recently wrote an article for Church of God news on a California pastor’s effectiveness at developing leaders. It is good when someone takes a leadership role. It is even better when a person mentors others to be leaders as well.

Hispanic Pastor Discovers the Power of Multiplication

This has got me thinking about how I can be more effective as a leader.

  • Who am I affecting?
  • Who am I training?
  • Does it need to be more formal and intentional?
  • Do I consider the impact of multiplication versus addition when it comes to leadership?

This pastor is making an impact in his community. I got a lot of great lessons from his example.

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motivation

The Powerful Leadership Skill No One Wants to Use

Cartoon of two boys staring at a manhole. One says, "Sorry Mister. At least you can say you were part of a home run."

What is the most important leadership skill?

  • Is it the ability to ram your idea through your team?
  • Perhaps it’s Powerpoint skills? (Let’s hope not!)
  • Or maybe it’s the generosity to bring in doughnuts when your team has put in the hours on a big project?

No, one skill is a superpower that many souls value, but very few leaders have the courage to use it.

When I read this article by Josh Aten on Inc.com the other day, it struck me how simple the concept is. Then I thought about how rare of a quality it is. Frankly, many of us are scared to even consider it because we think it makes us appear weak. What is that quality?

it turns out that one of the most important leadership skills is admitting when you’re wrong.

Josh Aten on Inc.com

It’s so simple and obvious. Yet, I can see how it would have a stigma in many workplaces. After all, aren’t leaders supposed to be right all the time? Many leaders think that’s the case. Like my cartoon in 2009 showed, apologies can appear to show weakness and open us up to liability.

We Know Better

But we all know better. Nobody is right all the time. Anybody who has been in a relationship knows there are times they were wrong. We may not admit it, but we know there are times we should apologize, admit we were wrong and move on. It’s good for loving relationships. It’s good for all relationships, including professional ones.

I have had to use that skill recently. My wife and I have had some animated discussions about attitude. I’ve had to admit I can be the problem. It’s humbling when I can see the blind spots everyone else has but have no clue about my own. No wonder Jesus talked about the speck we see in a brother’s eye while we have a plank in our own eye. Yes, I’m guilty of that and I was wrong.

A sincere apology is a leadership skill that we rarely see in a business school curriculum. If we search for a good example in the media, we will probably be disappointed. Don’t expect to find a good example with politicians. We would even be hard-pressed to find a good example with journalists who have experienced a very unfortunate incident with a Zoom call.

Cartoon of two boys staring at a manhole. One says, "Sorry Mister. At least you can say you were part of a home run."
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motivation Quotes

Leading an Excellent Life

“One cannot lead a life that is truly excellent without feeling that one belongs to something greater and more permanent than oneself.”

MIHALY CSIKSZENTMIHALYI in Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

Daniel Pink’s book, Drive, reminded me that all of us long for something more permanent and eternal. We know we are limited by our abilities and age. We can delude ourselves into thinking we are immortal, but deep down, we know we aren’t. If anything good can come from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that all of us are forced to face our mortality. This disease may not take us down. But sooner or later, something will.

Who or what do you belong to? Is it a firm foundation that will carry you through difficulties? Is it something that will last long after you are gone? Is it something that gives you hope and a future when everything else crumbles around you?

Businesses and organizations have life cycles just like people. Governments will rise and fall. The latest fad and fashion will look so dated in a few years. Where you put your faith will determine if and how you can lead a life of excellence.

Categories
Leadership motivation

Are You Still a Great Leader?

smiling adult businessman at table with gadgets holding presentation
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

COVID-19 has changed business in monumental ways, including the traits of effective leadership. The other day, I read an article on Inc.com entitled, If You Don’t Make These 5 Changes, You’re Not a Great Leader Anymore by Bill Murphy, Jr. He followed a study that tracked emergent leaders. It found that today’s effective leaders take actionable forms of leadership are more likely to be seen as great leaders.

The findings in the article state that there are five necessary qualities to be an effective leader in today’s climate:

  1. Monitor More
  2. More Feedback
  3. Coordinating Teamwork
  4. More Altruism
  5. Recognizing a New Paradigm

What I got out of the article is that effective leaders change with the times. Much of office leadership today is done virtually. A good leader observes what continues to work and experiments with the factors that no longer serve him or her.

People change, technology changes and situations change. The leader that acknowledges this and changes as well will continue to make great strides. Leadership takes responsibility and changes with the times.

What are you changing today to keep your leadership effective?