Leadership Quotes

You don’t have to be brilliant to be a good leader. But you do have to understand other people – how they feel, what makes them tick, and the best way to influence them. There are a lot of brilliant people in this world who are, and will remain, ineffective leaders. Why? Because they are so interested in themselves and their own accomplishments that they never get around to appreciating and understanding the feelings of the other people who are sharing this world with them. Sometimes, usually later in life, these talented, egocentric individuals suffer painful hardships. They understand, often for the first time, the kind of problems less talented or less fortunate people have suffered all their lives. They suddenly discover a new and important dimension: sensitivity to the feelings, emotions, and experiences of other people. Effective leaders don’t wait for life to bring them to their knees before they appreciate the kind of problems others are facing. Instead they constantly try to put themselves in others’ shoes – try to imagine how they would feel in the same circumstances. They are constantly aware of what makes others tick, and try to be helpful at the same time they ask others to help them.

How many of you “crammed” in school? (most of us) How many have worked on a farm? Did you “cram” on the farm? That is, did you forget to plant in the spring, loaf through the summer, then try to do everything in the fall just before harvest? Doesn’t work. Growing plants is subject to natural laws & principles. Leadership. It doesn’t just “happen”. You can’t cram for it. It isn’t just a matter of attending a seminar or course. You need to work at it over a period of time to be effective. Why? Principles are involved. Takes time to appreciate and apply principles and allow them to become the center of your life. Values may vary from person to person but the principles of effective leadership are eternal and universal.

Leadership has to do with direction. Management has to do with the speed, coordination and logistics in going in that direction. The WORKERS are chopping their way through the jungle. The MANAGERS are coordinating, making sure the tools are sharp, etc. The LEADERS climb a tree and shout “Wrong jungle!!” The MANAGERS shout back “Be quiet! We’re making progress!”

11 Rules on “HOW TO LOSE”: 1. Stop taking risks 2. Be content 3. Never deviate from what the founder did 4. Be inflexible 5. Rely totally on research and experts 6. Concentrate on competitors instead of your customers 7. Put yourself – not the customer – first 8. Solve administrative concerns first 9. Let others do your thinking for example, headquarters 10. Rely on T-G-E: “That’s Good Enough” and T-N-M-J: “That’s Not My Job!” 11. Rationalize slow growth

A BILL of RIGHTS for LEADERS & FOLLOWERS We, who lead and follow, hold these truths to be self-evident: THAT every leader is sometimes a follower, and every follower is sometimes a leader THAT the leader leads only when others follow; therefore it is the followers who bestow leadership THAT, therefore, the power of the leader emanates from the followers THAT the collective wisdom of the followers is greater than the individual wisdom of the leader; therefore the leader is called to unleash the wisdom of the whole THAT since power and wisdom reside in the followers, the leader’s goal is to help each follower attain his or her own full potential THAT the inclination to follow stems from the spirit of the followers and their belief in the integrity of the leader THAT the leader’s goals are viable only when they are held commonly by the followers THAT all leaders and followers are engaged in a common search to find a sense of individual dignity and worth. Not only do we see these to be self-evident truths, but we hold them to be a BILL of RIGHTS for followers. They are what we expect from each other while being led.

An old man, going a lone highway, Came at the evening, cold and gray, To a chasm, vast and deep and wide, Through which was flowing a sullen tide. The old man crossed in the twilight dim — That sullen stream had no fears for him; But he turned, when he reached the other side, And built a bridge to span the tide. “Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim near, “You are wasting strength in building here. Your journey will end with the ending day; You never again must pass this way. You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide, Why build you the bridge at the eventide?” The builder lifted his old gray head. “Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said, “There followeth after me today A youth whose feet must pass this way. This chasm that has been naught to me To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be. He, too, must cross in the twilight dim; Good friend, I am building the bridge for him.”

As we approach the 21st century, leadership is becoming: – A process entirely distinct from management – A process in which other people besides managers can be leaders – A relationship in which the focus is on the interactions of both leaders and followers instead of focusing on only the behaviors and /or traits of the leader – A relationship that aims at mutual purposes rather than just the wishes of the leader – A process in which people intend real changes as opposed to a process in which they achieve any goal – A relationship in which only influence behaviors are acceptable rather than one wherein all legitimate behaviors (authority and other forms of coercion included) are acceptable

LEADERSHIP – FROM ISSUE TO ACTION: l. BUILDING THE AGENDA: Leaders and followers decide to take on a significant issue after debating the pros and cons of attempting to do something about the issue. 2. ASSESSING THE ISSUE: Leaders and followers gather and analyze information and reach conclusions about the direction they intend to take concerning the issue. 3. PLANNING THE CHANGE: Leadership and followers develop an outline of the proposed change. The change reflects the mutual purposes of the leaders and followers. 4. GAINING SUPPORT: Leaders and followers influence others in the organization to support the change. People in the organization influence each other on the specifics of the proposed change. 5. MAKING THE CHANGE: Organizational policy makers decide on the proposed change. If the decision is positive, the staff members develop the strategies to institute the change in the organization. If the decision is negative, the leaders and followers go back to square one.

Leadership Characteristics – Top Ten List 1. Visionary 2. Integrity 3. Consistency 4. Coach/Facilitator 5. Accessibility 6. Flexibility 7. Courage 8. Over-Communicates 9. Positive Role Model 10. Inspirational

Leaders have a significant role in creating the state of mind that is the society. They can serve as symbols of the moral unity of the society. They can express the values that hold the society together. Most important, they can conceive and articulate goals that lift people out of their petty preoccupations, carry them above the conflicts that team a society apart, and unite them in pursuit of objectives worthy of their best efforts.

Bringing out the best in people: 1. Expect the best 2. Study other people’s needs 3. Set high standards 4. Create an environment where failure is not fatal 5. Use role models to encourage success 6. Recognize and applaud achievement 7. Place a premium on collaboration

Cardinal rules of Leadership: 1. Praise in Public, Criticize in Private 2. Praise for What’s Right and Train for What’s Wrong

What experienced professionals value most: – respect and recognition of effort – status and independence – opportunity to make a difference – honest, ethical management – free exchange of information – freedom in deciding how to do own work

Three things for a leader to remember when talking to his team: – If anything goes bad, say “I did it.” – If anything goes semi-good, say “We did it.” – If anything goes real good, say “You did it.” If you want your team to be a “winner”, the above is all that is required.

How to bring out the best in others: 1. Ask your people to share their ideas 2. Welcome change 3. Set challenging goals and measure performance 4. Be generous with feedback 5. Reward initiative 6. Develop people who show special potential

Six Traits of Effective Leaders. They: 1. Make others feel important 2. Promote a vision 3. Follow the golden rule 4. Admit mistakes 5. Criticize others only in private 6. Stay close to the action

Think about the qualities of the best leaders you ever worked for. You’ll find that most of them: – were approachable and easy to talk to – rarely became overexcited or flew off the handle – didn’t let a few problems poison their whole outlook took a friendly, pleasant, positive approach – showed consideration for the feelings of the people who worked for them

7 ways for leaders to send out a powerful and positive message: Themselves! 1. Leaders manage the process, but lead people 2. Leaders inspire people, they don?? just drive them 3. Leaders are easy to respect and look up to 4. Leaders are easy to like and get along with 5. Leaders help people to like themselves 6. Leaders help people to believe that what they??e doing is important 7. Leaders are responsive to people

TOP 7 QUALITIES OF SKILLFUL LEADERSHIP If you want to be a leader who attracts quality people, the key is to become a person of quality yourself. Leadership is the ability to attract someone to the gifts, skills, and opportunities you offer as an owner, as a manager, as a parent. I call leadership the great challenge of life. What’s important in leadership is refining your skills. All great leaders keep working on themselves until they become effective. Here are some specifics: Learn to be strong but not rude. It is an extra step you must take to become a powerful, capable leader with a wide range of reach. Some people mistake rudeness for strength. It’s not even a good substitute. Learn to be kind but not weak. We must not mistake kindness for weakness. Kindness isn’t weak. Kindness is a certain type of strength. We must be kind enough to tell somebody the truth. We must be kind enough and considerate enough to lay it on the line. We must be kind enough to tell it like it is and not deal in delusion. Learn to be bold but not a bully. It takes boldness to win the day. To build your influence, you’ve got to walk in front of your group. You’ve got to be willing to take the first arrow, tackle the first problem, discover the first sign of trouble. You’ve got to learn to be humble but not timid. You can’t get to the high life by being timid. Some people mistake timidity for humility. Humility is almost a God-like word. A sense of awe. A sense of wonder. An awareness of the human soul and spirit. An understanding that there is something unique about the human drama versus the rest of life. Humility is a grasp of the distance between us and the stars, yet having the feeling that we’re part of the stars. So, humility is a virtue, but timidity is a disease. Timidity is an affliction. It can be cured, but it is a problem. Be proud but not arrogant. It takes pride to win the day. It takes pride to build your ambition. It takes pride in community. It takes pride in cause, in accomplishment. But the key to becoming a good leader is being proud without being arrogant. In fact, I believe the worst kind of arrogance is arrogance from ignorance. It’s when you don’t know that you don’t know. Now that kind of arrogance is intolerable. If someone is smart and arrogant, we can tolerate that. But if someone is ignorant and arrogant, that’s just too much to take. Develop humor without folly. That’s important for a leader. In leadership, we learn that it’s okay to be witty, but not silly. It’s okay to be fun, but not foolish. Deal in realities. Deal in truth. Save yourself the agony. Just accept life like it is. Life is unique. Some people call it tragic, but I’d like to think it’s unique. The whole drama of life is unique. It’s fascinating.

LEADERSHIP SECRETS OF SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS 1. RESILIENCY IS KEY (Episode: “Rock Bottom” In today’s global economy, leadership is all about your multis: multinational, multicultural, multilingual. How multi are you? Marooned in an unfamiliar abyss, SpongeBob must summon his willpower and resources to learn a new dialect, land some grub, and find his way back to Bikini Bottom. 2. RECRUIT THE BEST (Episode: “Mermaidman and Barnacleboy” Behind every good leader is a great team??o hire wisely. On learning that superhero crime fighters Mermaidman and Barnacleboy live in a nearby rest home, SpongeBob coaxes them out of retirement to do what they do best: protect Goo Lagoon from evildoers. 3. DON?? REST ON YOUR LAURELS (Episode: “Employee of the Month”) A leader strives to keep his edge. After winning employee of the month 26 times in a row, SpongeBob finds his streak at risk. He rushes to outclean, outcook, and outwork his rival Squidward. “Having pride in your work,” he says, “is the only thing that makes it all worthwhile.” 4. INNOVATE, INNOVATE, INNOVATE (Episode: “Patty Hype”) Good leaders follow the rules. Great leaders change them. When SpongeBob?? suggestion for multicolored “pretty patties” is rejected, he strikes out on his own and becomes an overnight success. Then, evincing real acumen, he sells his trendy innovation in the nick of time. 5. KNOW YOUR EMPLOYEES??LIMITS. (Episode: “Squid on Strike” Looking to cut costs, Mr. Krabs docks workers for such infractions as “breathing” and “existing.” When SpongeBob and Squidward protest, they??e fired, spurring them to “dismantle the establishment” (a goal SpongeBob takes literally).

Seven building blocks of collaboration: 1. Reinvent yourself as a lateral leader 2. Seek out competent people and strategic partners 3. Build a shared understood goal 4. Designate clear roles and responsibilities, but not restrictive controls or boundaries 5. Spend lots of time in dialogue grounded in real problems 6. Create shared work spaces 7. Load the project with “zest factors”

People eyeing you as a potential leader tend to ask three questions: 1. Are you committed? 2. Do you care about me? 3. Can I trust you?

EMPOWERMENT Definition: Recognizing that People Already Have Power through their Knowledge, Experience and Motivation, and then creating an Environment that Encourages Letting that Power Out. You don’t Empower People with a Mandate. Three keys to Empowerment are: 1. Sharing Information with Everyone – Without Information, People cannot Act Responsibly – With Information, People cannot help but Act Responsibly 2. Declaring Boundaries that Create Autonomy – Purpose, Values, Image, Goals, Roles, Structure & Systems – Being Empowered to Act also means You are Accountable for Results 3. Allow Teams to Self-Manage – Synergy: Empowered Teams Can Do More than Empowered Individuals – Provide Training, Support & Encouragement – Diversity: Appreciate Individual Differences

COACH: C = Conduct one-on-one meetings regularly O = Offer feedback and assistance A = Avoid overlooking the “middle stars” C = Create an Everyone’s a Coach environment H = Help other succeed or try this one: COACH: C = Commitment O = Over learning A = Audible-Ready (flexibility) C = Consistency H = Honesty based (walk your talk)

TOP 10 SAYING OF INEFFECTIVE LEADERS: 10. We don’t do it that way around here. 9. I don’t care what they told you in that training class, this is the real world. 8. Drop what you are doing and get this to me ASAP! 7. Don’t worry about WHY, just do it! 6. Don’t let me influence your decisions, but here’s my opinion. 5. I want you to take risks, but remember our motto: “Do it right the first time!” 4. You’re planning to work this weekend, aren’t you? 3. You oughta, wanta do this. 2. We need teamwork. By the way, I’ll be doing your individual rankings this week. 1. If and when I want your opinion, I’ll give it to you.

A Swedish study of 12,000 male workers showed that those who felt they had no control over things at work had a 162% higher risk of heart attack than those who felt they had some control.

THREE KEYS TO EMPOWERMENT: 1. Sharing Information with Everyone – Without Information, People cannot Act Responsibly – With Information, People cannot help but Act Responsibly 2. Declaring Boundaries that Create Autonomy – Purpose, Values, Image, Goals, Roles, Structure & Systems – Being Empowered to Act also means You are Accountable for Results 3. Allow Teams to Self-Manage – Synergy: Empowered Teams Can Do More than Empowered Individuals – Provide Training, Support & Encouragement – Diversity: Appreciate Individual Differences

How do they train killer whales to jump over the rope at Sea World? Do they hang a rope 20 feet over the pool and then shout to the whale “Up, up, up!” No. They start with the rope under the water. When the whale swims over the rope, it gets rewarded. Then the rope is gradually raised. Each time the whale swims over it, again, a reward is given. How often do you give a “reward” to those with whom you work? Only when the final goal is reached or do you give praise along the way as incremental progress is made?

Can you be a leader without charisma? Sure, just follow these tips: ?? Don’t Worry About Your Looks – It’s what you do that counts. ?? Remember Who And What You Lead – Different situations require different styles ?? The Gettysburg Address Is Overrated – A good speech may get you on YouTube. But that’s all. ?? Persistence Pays Off – Try, try and try again. ?? Take Responsibility – Leadership means you don’t duck when things go wrong.

Sometimes when I’m travelling on business people sitting next to me on the plane will ask me: “What kind of work do you do?” and I reply: “I’m in the gap reduction business!” That usually leads to “What’s that?” and I explain that the leadership and teamwork training that I do is really all about reducing the gaps between the head, the heart and the gut. We may be able to logically understand what the best thing to do is in our heads but sometimes our hearts lack the motivation to follow through. Or we don’t take into account the intuitive feelings that come from deep down in our gut. When head, heart and gut are all in sync, whether it’s an individual or an organization, powerful things can happen.