http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7O8s6NgAck
Many of you have sent tweets, emails, and even smoke signals my way checking on me. I’m still here and kicking; but as silly as it is, I’ve got a nasty case of carpal tunnel at the moment, so I’m trying to keep my typing to a minimum. Maybe it’s the universe’s hint for me to let you do more of the talking. (Insert your joke about me talking too much here.)
We’ve all had leaders who’ve invested in us. So let’s think about it: What leader has had perhaps the most significant impact on you? What is it about him or her that you admire? What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from him or her?
Give us your thoughts in the comments section below!
Bill Nelson’s my man – see http://www.academy-of-rock.co.uk/readnow and click on the link re Bill Nelson and reinvention – not a high profile figure but someone who has cracked authenticity and reinvention
Very cool. I’ll definitely check him out. Thanks for posting!
A woman leader I admired in my youth was a person who dealt honestly, fairly and kindly to me and all others in her organization.
Awesome. It’s amazing the impact those simple things can have on the life of another.
Leaders are faced with an increasingly complex world and while its difficult to point to a single ‘must have’ requirement, I believe that courage is at the core. Courage to speak up, courage to advocate, courage to take risks, courage to have tough conversations — and make tough decisions. To lead is to step out, set the course, and persevere. Courage is the guiding star.
Courage is one that’s popped here and over on Twitter where I posed the question as well. So would you say that someone who doesn’t possess great amounts of courage couldn’t be a leader?
I think its the difference between having a title or a higher box on an org chart — and really being a leader. Having a lack of courage will eventually catch up with us and it will become a de-railer. Every good leader I have known has had courage on some level. The great leaders I have known were differentiated by courage.
Very cool. And I’m with you–a title doesn’t make you a leader any more than standing in a garage makes you a car. (hat tip to C.S. Lewis)
Interesting discussion. I hadn’t specifically considered the relationship between courage and leadership. But I agree that courage is incredibly important to effective leadership.
the leader lets his followers think of ways out a task and lets them carry those out whike taking responsibility for any problems creeping up in the execution of the task thereby nurturing fresh thought process in the team
Empowering the team is a big one. You’re right about that.
In nearly a dozen years of leadership roles, a critical aspect I’ve learned is that you must strive to treat each suboordinate equally, however, you can’t treat everyone the same. To effectively lead, you must realize that everyone is motivated differently. Learning key details about each person you lead will be critical to understanding their motivators.