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The Easy Way Out = The Road to Failure

April 8, 2013 By

Sometimes things jump out at you when you aren’t even looking for them. Case in point – I was searching on-line for information regarding banking relationships when a pop-up appeared that included a statement from President Theodore Roosevelt to the effect that there were only five things that would destroy this country; prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living, and a get rich quick attitude toward life. As I examined these five attitudes, I realized that each one indicated a person who was looking for the easy way rather than the right way.

Great leaders know that survival as an individual and as a nation is often dependent on foregoing the easy way and deliberately choosing to take the more difficult path. Great leaders recognize that doing the right thing is not easy; that standing up for core values and beliefs is not easy; that demanding integrity from yourself and those you lead is not easy. More importantly, great leaders inspire those around them to choose the more difficult path to success because it is not only the right thing to do, it also builds long-term relationships that benefit all concerned.

As people who aspire to be great leaders, each of us accepts the responsibility that great leadership carries; to do what is right and to inspire those who follow our lead to do likewise. A living example is far stronger and much more memorable than a well spoken lecture. Choose to do what is right; know the values and beliefs that you will not compromise; recognize and perform your duties; live in a manner that clearly demonstrates your integrity and your honor so that no one will ever question your motives. Be an example that others choose to follow and aspire to become.

Filed Under: Building a Legacy, Dynamic Leadership, Great Leaders, Lead from strength, Leadership, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Who Is the Most Important Person You’ll Ever Meet?

April 1, 2013 By

Several years ago, I attended the funeral for a friend named Scott whose father had been my first agency manager. Many of us who were at the service had worked with Scott when he was an agent in his father’s agency. As is wont to happen at the wake after the memorial service, a group of us were standing and talking about “the old days” when we had all been newly minted agents in Ray’s office.

A young man I did not know walked up to the group and waited patiently for a break in the conversation. When it came, he introduced himself and said, “Everyone tells me that my grandfather was the best that ever was at what he did. Since you all worked for him, I was hoping you could tell me, what was it that made him the best at what he did?”

After a few moments of quiet contemplation, each of us offered our views. When all opinions had been voiced, the young man summed it up in one sentence. “My grandfather made each of you feel like you were the most important person in the entire world.” There it was in the proverbial nutshell!

No matter who Ray was with, he made that person believe that no one, no thing, could ever be more important than he or she was at that moment. Ray gave you his undivided attention. His focus was entirely on you.

Great leaders know that every person has a genuine need to feel important; needs to know that what they say and what they do is important; and, that the leader recognizes, respects, and appreciates their contributions.  If we are to be great leaders, we should take a moment to look in the mirror and carefully examine how we treat others. Do we treat them as the important people they are; or, do we pay lip service to their unique abilities and lose their respect and their loyalty?

Who is the most important person you’ll ever meet? I would suggest that it’s the person you are with at the moment and that they deserve to be treated accordingly.

Filed Under: Building a Legacy, Dynamic Leadership, Great Leaders, Lead from strength, Leadership, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , , ,

Is That a Stumbling Block or a Stepping Stone?

March 25, 2013 By

No one has ever made life’s journey without encountering obstacles. There will always be unexpected “bumps in the road” and how we deal with them will determine if they are stumbling blocks or stepping stones.

Several months ago, I shared with you the wisdom of an Eagle Scout candidate who stated that leaders inspire you to accomplish things you never thought yourself capable of doing. This morning I read something said by Sir Winston Churchill that gave me another view of inspiration.

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficultly.”

I believe the same can be said for inadequate leaders and great leaders. Consider…

The mediocre or poor leader encounters an obstacle and sees a problem. This problem quickly becomes an overwhelming roadblock to success; an impediment that makes it impossible to reach a goal. In other words, a ready-made excuse for failure. While he or she may not accept the excuse from his or her followers, it is expected that superiors will not only accept it from him/her; but, will acknowledge its validity and support the failure to achieve the objective.

Conversely, great leaders see the obstacle for what it is; an opportunity to excel; a chance to do something that lesser men and women have failed to accomplish. The great leader sees the opportunity to demonstrate the “can do” attitude of the team and highlights the contributions of each team member in finding the solution to the difficulty.

Great leaders inspire their followers to closely examine the stumbling block and find ways to convert it into a stepping stone to ongoing success!

Filed Under: Building a Legacy, Dynamic Leadership, Great Leaders, Lead from strength, Leadership, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , ,

When It Comes to People, Perhaps You Can Judge the Book by its Cover

March 9, 2013 By

In a touch of irony, I read two quotations this week that lead me to believe that some books can be judged by their covers … if the “books” are the people we meet.  I’m not talking about the clothes they wear, the cars they drive, or the titles on their doors.  Rather, I’m talking about the way they treat others.  Consider this …

The Greek Orator, Demosthenes, wrote that a person “cannot have a proud and chivalrous spirit if (his) conduct is mean and paltry; for whatever a man’s actions are, such must be his spirit.”

Think for a moment about the leaders you have known.  How did they treat others.  In all probability, those that you consider to be great leaders are most likely those that you believe treated others fairly.  They played no favorites.  Every person received the same consideration and attention.  The ones for whom you have little regard for their leadership skills are very probably the ones who you believe treated some of their followers unfairly.  They could not be counted on to be impartial.  They only gave favorable treatment to those that they perceived to be in a position to provide some benefit to them.

Great leaders have the unique ability to set aside personal feelings and consider the well-being of ALL those that they lead, not just the favored few.  While we may not always like the decisions that these leaders make, we respect them and are confident that their verdicts are rendered with an eye toward the impact of their decisions on everyone.  Great leaders do not make decisions based on the preferences of “yes men”; the whims of those whose support they seek; the desires of those from whom they wish to curry favor.  Great leaders do what is best for all concerned; what is right.

This leads to the second quotation, attributed to Malcolm S. Forbes, that I read.  “You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”

Every action each of us takes is viewed by someone and we are judged by it.  Will you be seen as a person of great character or as weak and self-important?

Filed Under: Building a Legacy, Dynamic Leadership, Lead from strength, Leadership, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , ,

Can You Respect the Person in the Mirror?

February 24, 2013 By

I recently read a quote from Abraham Lincoln in which he stated his intention to conduct his administration in a manner such that, when it ended, he could like and respect the man he saw in the mirror.  This determination to do what is right is one of the hallmarks of a great leader.

Weak leaders and weaker followers do what is easy, what is expedient, that which is popular.  They are willing to compromise their ethics, their values, and their own sense of right and wrong simply to maintain their position.  They will go along to get along with no thought as to whether their actions will benefit or harm others.  In the end, they lose the respect of those who follow them and have no respect for themselves.

Strong leaders, on the other hand, know what they stand for and recognize an inviolate code of conduct that governs all that they do.  While they acknowledge the value of compromise when working for the common good, they also adhere to moral precepts that cannot be sacrificed without harming the world around them.  For these leaders, there is the proverbial “line in the sand” which cannot be crossed; principles that cannot be violated.

These leaders uphold their personal integrity so that, on any given day, they can look in the mirror and like the person that they see and respect the person that they are.

Filed Under: Building a Legacy, Dynamic Leadership, Lead from strength, Leadership, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , ,

Do Have to be a Boss to be a Leader?

February 2, 2013 By

Last week, my friend Nick shared a story with me about an individual (we’ll call him “Larry”) with whom he had worked.  He called the individual a true example of leadership even though Larry’s job was never thought of as a leadership position.

“Larry and I were on a jobsite when there was a lightning strike nearby and there were people in the area of the strike.  While it wasn’t really his job, Larry immediately ran to where the people were and began checking on the condition of the people.  Who was injured?  How badly were they hurt?  Who had called the  EMT’s?

“Larry took the initiative and dug right in, making sure everyone was OK, everyone was safe.  He took the initiative when he saw something that needed to be done and made sure it was done and done right.”

Nick concluded that Larry’s willingness to respond to a need and get to work made Larry a real leader.  As Nick said, “Larry didn’t want to stand on the sidelines and direct traffic; tell everybody else what to do.  He was willing to get his hands dirty and do what needed to be done, confident that others would follow his example.”

Filed Under: Dynamic Leadership, Lead from strength, Leadership, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , ,
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