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Leadership

Throw Away All Your Leadership Books

I hate to say it, but most business leadership books are absolute trash. Typically, they’re oriented toward Fortune 500 companies and written by people who don’t have a clue about how to lead one of the regular, everyday businesses that make up 99% of the business sphere. In this article, I’m going to tell you about the real secret of successful leadership — what you should be doing if you want to be a leader in your field.

Nowadays, it’s the “in” thing to be a leader, and sure, there are certainly things you can identify with those who claim leadership. But you have to wonder: why are people always talking about how to be a leader? Why aren’t they just out there leading by example, showing us instead of telling us?

Some people seem to think that everybody is capable of being a leader, is a leader, or should be a leader. Well, here’s a news flash: if everybody’s a leader, then no one is. To be a leader, you need followers; and in any case, you can’t have everybody occupying the same space in society. There’s nothing wrong with being a leader, but you actually have to be out front to claim the title. You’re never going to get anywhere if all you want to do is achieve income equality or a level playing field, which won’t happen anyway. Utopian ideals don’t mix well with business reality. If you want to distribute income and leadership equally, get out of business, because your competitors will eat you alive.

There must be and will be a leader in every environment and situation. Even when people start out entirely even, someone will eventually take the lead. It’s a natural law that some people will do better than others. Some will create wealth with the money they have, and leverage it into greater wealth. So what makes that person a leader? Well, a true leader is good at persuading people to do what they want them to do. They have something to say that makes people rally around them and give them their support, in the form of labor, social prestige, or money. This is true of secular, religious, and business leaders alike. Sometimes the leaders are benevolent; sometimes they’re dictators.

If nothing else, business leaders have to convince people that their products or services are good deals for them. They can successfully pitch their product to an audience and get those people to respond.

The point is that when you think about leadership, don’t think about some nondescript thing that people can’t really quantify, and don’t entertain any politically correct ideas about what qualifies someone to be a leader. You’re a true leader only if you’ve learned to persuade people to follow you or to do what you want them to do. Jesus Christ was a true leader. Ronald Reagan was a true leader. So were Mao and even Hitler, though we don’t like to bring him up in polite conversation. Some of these people were born with natural charisma; others developed it.

It’s your duty as a marketer to use your creativity, inventiveness, and skills like public speaking and writing copy to enhance your leadership skills, whether or not you’re a natural leader. This results in increased sales and profit, because you can persuade people to buy what you’re offering. Learn to be a good persuader, and you’ll find yourself more successful than you’d be if you followed any of those leadership books. They’re a dime a dozen. Forget them. There’s no question that great salespeople, great marketers and good copywriters are great leaders, because we persuade people to take action and buy our products. In fact, most leadership is about selling — even politics.

Back when Andrew Jackson was a general — before he became president — he had a great saying: “I lead, you follow, and everybody else gets the hell out of the way.” You have to take the reins, because no one will just give them to you. But let’s be real here; most people are letting the business reins flop around loose. Dive on them and take charge of your market, especially when no one else will. Become the very definition of leadership for your market, and keep pushing that leadership in everyone’s faces.

John Maxwell once defined leadership as influence, and I firmly believe that your ability to influence other people is what makes you a real leader. Lots of people think they’re leaders, when no one is actually really following them. A specific position doesn’t automatically translate into leadership. Leadership isn’t a title, whether the title is CEO or President of the United States. Yes, people who serve under you may do what you say when you order them to, but if you’re not a true leader they won’t follow you when you turn your back, and they may find ways to sabotage you. If you’re a true leader, then you’re influencing people, providing real value in their lives You’re singing the song they want to hear, and they want to follow your lead.

Years ago I read another quote that went, “Good leaders are good followers.” When I first read it, I thought it was nonsense. How could a good leader be a good follower? But in the years since, I’ve given that quote a lot of thought, and I’ve seen the wisdom in it. A good leader understands his followers very, very well. There’s a push and pull there. Good leaders know how to admit when they’re wrong; they go to their followers and work with them, listening to what they have to say. And it’s doubly true today, as business leadership trends toward more of a one-to-one working relationship with the rank-and-file, where leadership supplies the vision and the rest of the team provides the strategy and execution. A good leader empowers his people.

The reason I know that most leadership books are crap is that I bought too many back in the 1990s; leadership was a very popular subject then. In most of those books, it’s difficult to pin down what the author is even getting at, because everything is so homogenized. Toss those books away — or at least put them on the shelves to collect dust — and remember that true leadership is based on your ability to influence and persuade other people. This is a learnable skill that you can develop over time.

If you liked this article and are serious about making more money, please consider letting T.J. Rohleder (a.k.a. “America’s Blue Jeans Millionaire”) personally help you. Check out his podcasts and coaching programs by going to http://www.tjrohleder.com.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/T.J._Rohleder/1735800

 

EBooks, People

Book Excerpt – Mein Kampf (My Struggle)

When my mother died my fate had already been decided in one respect. During the last months of her illness I went to Vienna to take the entrance examination for the Academy of Fine Arts. Armed with a bulky packet of sketches, I felt convinced that I should pass the examination quite easily. At the Realschule I was by far the best student in the drawing class, and since that time I had made more than ordinary progress in the practice of drawing. Therefore I was pleased with myself and was proud and happy at the prospect of what I considered an assured success.

But there was one misgiving: It seemed to me that I was better qualified for drawing than for painting, especially in the various branches of architectural drawing. At the same time my interest in architecture was constantly increasing. And I advanced in this direction at a still more rapid pace after my first visit to Vienna, which lasted two weeks. I was not yet sixteen years old. I went to the Hof Museum to study the paintings in the art gallery there; but the building itself captured almost all my interest, from early morning until late at night I spent all my time visiting the various public buildings. And it was the buildings themselves that were always the principal attraction for me. For hours and hours I could stand in wonderment before the Opera and the Parliament. The whole Ring Strasse had a magic effect upon me, as if it were a scene from the Thousand-and-one-Nights. Continue reading →

Leadership

Leadership: Why Define It? Can We Define It?

Warning… This leadership discussion his highly flammable.

Leadership. It cannot be defined. What? That can’t be because Webster defines it, Oxford brands it, and Google’s all over it. Right now, there are leadership “experts” calling me names. They mock me and call me an amateur. Ron Burgundy is calling Busch League. They say I’ve lost my mind. That’s fine. It’s not the first time and won’t be the last.

Leadership. It cannot be defined. I’ll throw out some questions I hear that lead me to this premise that I keep repeating and experts keep denying:

Why are there thousands (OK, hundreds) of books on the subject?

Why are there so many different ingredients in leadership, many that people agree upon, many more that they won’t?

When you ask 10 people to name 5 traits that make up a good leader, you’ll get 10 different answers.

Is leadership a noun, a verb, both?

Is there good leadership? Bad leadership?

Are there poor leaders?

If I view leadership as a positive, how can you have poor leadership? Isn’t that like having dry water?

I could go on and on about the subject of leadership and how we can’t pin down it’s true definition. Why would we want too? Why do we constantly try and put leadership in this neat little box and package it as one size fits all? Why do we go back and forth on the makeup of great leaders, than try and construct one like were in the movie Weird Science? No thanks, I’ll pass on the Scud Missile in my living room.

Leadership. It cannot be defined. It’s “true” meaning changes colors like a chameleon as it adapts from situation to situation. Leadership was never meant to be defined. It’s a Unicorn, Sasquatch, the Lock Ness. It can transform like Optimus. We have faith in it and we believe in it, right? It can be surrounded by fog yet simultaneously crystal clear. It’s all around us but we can’t physically see it… or can we? It’s a ghost that whispers your name but you can’t tell which direction it’s coming from. If leadership falls in a forest and no one’s around, does it make any noise? Leadership is a Stealth Bomber, undetectable on radar. Lincoln and Washington were great leaders right? Why? I guarantee that someone’s answer can be applied to Hitler, Stalin, and Genghis Kahn… for arguments sake.

Now’s the time to stop defining leadership. It needs no definition. It needs no introduction. Leadership has no agenda and doesn’t play favorites. Leadership doesn’t play at all.

Let it be… it will find you.

[http://www.fogofleadership.com]

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Tim_Woody/207212

 

Leadership

Where Christian Leadership Principles Begin

Recently our country has been overloaded with far too many incidents of leaders in business, sports, and politics who have been exposed or destroyed through “leadership” failures. The headlines, tabloids, and blogs today continue to tell the sad stories of people whose flaws are now pubic domain as well as late-night comedian disdain. This is a particularly daunting challenge for Christian leaders in business. It is far to easy for all of us to base our fundamental leadership principles upon currently popular yet misguided core principles.

So how can Christian business leaders avoid these same failures? Where should Christian leadership principles begin?

Before I answer that question, I need to mention the two primary ways society’s most popular leadership principles fall short (and even Christian business leaders get caught).

Where Society’s Leadership Principles Begin… and Fail

First, today’s society focuses far too much awe and reverence on leadership charisma. Peter Drucker, the world-renowned author and management expert, once said that, “Charisma has nothing to do with leadership. Hitler, Stalin, and Mao were the most charismatic leaders of the 20th century. It that is leadership, I want no part of it!”

Second, society also places far too much emphasis on leadership skill. Be it brilliance in strategy, finance, marketing, innovation, or any number of important competencies, an over reliance on leadership skills alone is wholly inadequate for higher level leadership success.

“Whoa, Dr. Jim, are you saying a leader’s high skill level is a bad thing?” No, not at all. For example, would you prefer the leader(s) of your company to be:

•a highly skilled professionals of questionable character, or

•a moderately skilled professionals of unquestionable character?

I bet I know (and I just gave away the answer to the title of this article.)

Where Christian Leadership Principles Begin

Christians leadership principles must first and always begin with our character. For it is our character that is the wellspring of everything we do: from how we treat our colleagues and customers, how to talk to employees, when we pay our bills, how we manage and discipline, and everything else. It’s the depth of our character, the combination of our wisdom, integrity, and self-discipline, that can separate us from society’s expectations of leaders and propel us and our teams to a higher level of success and significance.

The incredibly gifted military leader, General Norman Schwarzkopf, may have said it best when he stated, “Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character, but if you must be without one, be without strategy!”

Regardless of a person’s political power, net worth, position rank, social status, or professional skills, without a solid foundation of character, any leadership house will crumble – including believers in business!

How To Get Started

To help you clarify your core Christian leadership principles, here is a three-step plan I encourage you to begin now (This is a system I use in both professional coaching and business team strategic planning/culture transformation.).

 

  1. Craft a character-development plan for yourself and your team List and define those core convictions you and your team refuse to negotiate, the lines-in-the-sand you refuse to cross, in how you treat your colleagues, customers, constituents, community, and competitors.
  2. Develop operational definitions for each conviction, how others will actually “see” that conviction played out. In other words, how will you and your team walk-the-walk of your core convictions?
  3. Create a feedback system that recognizes rewards behaviors that align with your core convictions.

 

I firmly believe that your Christian leadership principles should first and foremost be based on your character, not your charisma, competence, or any other quality.

For more insights on how to begin with Christian leadership principles, download my white paper ” Taking Leadership to a Higher Level ” and tell me your thoughts.

Dr. Jim Harris teaches thousands of professionals every year how to crystallize their goals, leverage their strengths, energize their teams, and realize their significance as a professional and as a leader. From keynotes and workshops to 1-on-1 coaching and digital learning products, Dr. Jim helps transform your potential into productivity, and your passion into results. An author of eight books, Dr. Jim offers you, your team, and your audience a unique combination of perspective, insight, passion, and integrity.

He is currently the President of the Ropella Leadership Transformation of The Ropella Group. To learn more, subscribe to our videos.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Dr._Jim_Harris/1261279

 

Leadership

Leadership As a Human Service

What is leadership or who is a leader? The common knowledge about leadership definition is to influence the thoughts and behaviors of other people by motivating and inspiring with the purpose to utilize resources (human & material) so as to build organizations, communities, nations and the globe. The bottom-line is to put people into a service willingly and happily through a leadership talent. Now, it is not difficult to define who is a leader or what is a leader all about. A leader is someone who inspires, motivates and utilizes both human and materials resources wisely or effectively. This very definition carries a wisdom that supersedes the literal definition of leadership. If we think critically and analyze the essence of leadership, it is all about human service-the universal service.

At the surface, the definition of leadership seems a piece of cake to understand and far from complexity. However, it is not easy to serve organization, communities, nations and the world without the wisdom of leadership. The very essence of leadership is service. By service it means that to devote one’s life wholeheartedly to the entire humanity without segregation. Leadership is a choice to serve. It has nothing to do with a position, good office or title. Hence, good leaders deliberately choose to serve, not to be served.

Leadership is wide in scope, complex in nature and abundant in service. It is also a universal truth that humanity needs to survive and flourish. Humanity merely flourishes, if it starts to serve itself; otherwise, without service the devil is too big to overcome. Without visionary leaders, tomorrow is too obscure and more uncertain. Humanity needs not managers or administers, but leaders who can reconnect yesterday to today, and today to tomorrow, for service is not one time event. This is meant to say that genuine leaders have the enormous power to connect cultures and histories to the promising future.

Indeed, life is a service. The foundation or the root of life is service. Jesus Christ, the leader of leaders, served humanity to death. He is still the iconic model of leadership for those who want to serve life entirely. He sweated blood and served humanity to death. He served, but He was not served in return. During His time, on the planet, He taught humanity to love and serve itself. Even in His last time, before He departed, He deeply interceded the disciples to go to the world and serve humanity to death. This is the moral and wisdom of leadership that we learn from Jesus. In accordance with this, we had also a number of leaders who sacrificed their lives for service, such as Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln and mother Teresa. These three people had a lot in common. Three of them consumed their lives in serving humanity. Even Nelson Mandela, the living leader, is also one of the best leaders ever Africa produced. If we look back to their histories, we find freedom, love, liberation, prosperity, truth, but to the extreme their histories carry an absolute service to humanity. Truly, humanity is blessed and flourished to freedom through their leadership services. The service is diverse in kind, but universal toward the path of prosperity. Their echoes and traces are still behind them and helping us to enjoy the beauty of life. Hence, their histories are the assets of leadership and by far the figures or model of service.

If leadership is about service, who wants to serve? Apparently, we all want to be served, and don’t want to serve humanity. We are ego-centric or selfish spirit. Selfish spirit wants this and that, never gratifies. For someone to be a good leader, the self-concept must be overlooked and become the true him in order to be an instrument of service. Service is an innate, but selfishness is an induced spirit from the outside world.

True leaders are original, unshakable, unified, lived spirit and flow like a river to serve and reconstruct the planet, and also understand the very nature of life as a service rendering to the whole humanity irrespective of race, religion, ideology or nationality. Such deeper understanding happens to be because of leadership discovery. Leadership is special, but subtle and complex, because leaders should discover the talents, gifts, abilities and skills within the ‘being’. It is true that for someone who has not discovered the inner treasures, has nothing to offer, but a lot to take from others through selfish spirit. If by chance he or she comes to a position to lead a nation, the whole country’s treasure will be put into his/her personal account. We can take dictators as an example in this situation. Dictators draw the whole countries’ assets into their personal interest and assume little responsibility. Under dictatorship leadership a considerable human resources can easily be exploited, wasted or misused. Dictators are unrealized leaders and threat to human civilization. The failure to discover their inner leadership talents and gifts resulted to a nations’ definite backwardness, diseases, illiteracy, tribal conflict, tyranny, sordid poverty and many other problems that are pertaining to human issues. Such dilemma is more visible in countries under dictatorship leadership, particularly in the developing countries.

Dictators and leaders are diametrically opposite. There is no a commonplace between them. It is like the difference between the sky and earth. When one goes up, the other goes down, or vice versa. Leaders are realized talents, whereas dictators are unrealized talents. Leaders produce whereas dictators waste or abuse. Leaders render service whereas dictators take away. Leaders are visionary whereas dictators are shortsighted mind. Leaders aim high whereas dictators aim personal. Leaders are change agents whereas dictators are deteriorate agents. Leaders build whereas dictators destroy. Leaders die for service, whereas dictators die for the self.

It is the same talent that works in both. The same energy builds or destroys, or the same energy makes a leader or a dictator. It depends on how it is wisely or foolishly used. The same water can cultivate or destroy vegetations at the same time. Hence, the usage matters a lot more. Leaders discover the talents from within and use them wisely for human service and future generation.

Leaders are not made or born from the outside world. Leaders are born from within. Some leadership authors adhere to the idea that leadership is a learned or acquired. However, if we look back to human history, we find a lot of learned leaders who have committed a colossal errors and tortured humanity to death. Education has nothing to do with genuine leaders, though it is important as a stimulus to cause the leader within everyone to be born. Even intelligence is not an indispensable unless it is tuned up by the spirit of leadership. For instance let’s take Adolf Hitler, the butcher of humanity. Hitler’s IQ was around 140, but he ended up against human gene. He had the wrong spirit though he was genius and courageous.

True leaders are holy spirited, visionary, born from within, shone from in-out and dedicated to the purpose of human service. The service is universal for common purpose in reference to human prosperity and rebuilding of the planet. Leaders have an infinite potential to serve, create, change, innovate and develop nations to the heights of civilization.

In the 21st century, we don’t need administrators or managers, but deadly we need leaders. Nations are over administered or managed, but little change, innovation and development. The absence of leadership resulted to nations’ stagnation, tribal conflict, genocide, tyranny and problem of implementations. All the global issues, such as nuclear weapon, economic crisis, epidemic diseases, global warming, ideological conflicts, severe corruption and many others, are also byproduct of poor leadership capacity. The new brand of leadership that points towards service is the solution to all these global issues. The new brand of leadership makes the clear-cut between leadership by consent and force, and calls for the deeper relationship between leaders and followers, employers and employees. This kind of leadership will help the world to enter into new era of potential realization, and the downfall and disappearance of dictators and kings.

Leadership as a service emanates from within, assumes a considerable responsibility, and characterizes by loyalty, trustworthiness, unwavering courage, definiteness of decisions and plans, cooperation, change, innovation, solid personality, sympathy, sense of justice and the like. It dismisses also the threats of human survival, and is more powerful than any form of leadership, for it helps humanity to prosper, cooperate, function, realize and reach the heights of civilizations.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Berhane_A_Tedla/1257974