Humility is Tremendous

I know no man who feels fully qualified to speak as an expert on “leadership”. In fact, it seems that those who appear to be the most qualified are often the most reluctant. Knowing that I am a student of the word, rather than an authority, I think my attitude toward what I’m about to say can best be described in the story of file young minister preparing to give his first sermon. As he read and observed, he could see so clearly everyone’s mistakes, and how simple it would be to set everyone straight. He couldn’t wait for the big day when he would be able to lower the boom on the congregation. Finally, the big day came, and he rose for the great occasion. After a few minutes, he realized he was in trouble and began to sense that maybe he wasn’t the hope of the world. After a few more minutes, he began to wish he’d never heard of preaching, and that there was a trap door behind the pulpit that would allow him to press a button and quickly slip out of sight. Of course, there wasn’t and finally, after five minutes, which seemed to be hours, he said a hasty benediction. With his head hung, he left the pulpit, discouraged, broken and beaten. As he walked to the rear, an old, white haired war-horse slipped his arm over the boy’s shoulder and said, “Son, IF YOU’D HAVE GONE UP, LIKE YOU CAME DOWN – YOU COULD HAVE COME DOWN LIKE YOU WENT UP.” Humility is the quality that will enable you and others to enjoy your success.

Beyond Excellence – Leadership, Service, Team Building, Management Training Video

The fast-paced team building and leadership training program is filled with advice on how to become an extraordinary person in business, and in life. Using real world examples, dozens of interesting slides, and powerful true stories, Robert Stevenson delivers a high-energy leadership training program that can help anyone to achieve higher levels of excellence. He covers a broad spectrum of ideas, including team building, leadership training, management training, team skills, accountability, dealing with stress, handling change, how to criticize, the power of laughter, how to exceed expectations, balance, and much more. Whether you are just starting out in business, or a seasoned professional, this leadership training video seminar will remind you of all the things you need to do when you are committed to soaring above and beyond excellence.

Robert Stevenson is a highly sought-after professional speaker who has delivered more than 2000 leadership training programs and team building seminars around the world. In addition to being a former All-American athlete and graduate of Georgia Tech, Robert has been a successful entrepreneur, business leader, and sales professional, maintaining hundreds of accounts in over 20 countries. Today, Robert travels around the world, sharing powerful ideas for achieving excellence, both personally and professionally. His client list reads like the Who’s Who in business. Companies like Prudential, FedEx, Radio Shack, HBO, American Express, Time Warner and Citi Group have all invited Robert Stevenson to conduct his powerful team building and leadership training programs. Now you can bring these powerful team building and leadership training ideas right to your staff in a cost-effective and easy to use format.

Strategic Leadership, Sales, Marketing Training Video

In this content-rich sales training, leadership training, and marketing skills program, highly acclaimed motivational business speaker Brian Tracy shows how to apply battle-proven methods to achieve victory in the world of business. He draws on powerful success strategies and sales skills used by famous military and business leaders throughout history. Sharing idea after idea, Brian Tracy covers a variety of sales skills and “thinking tools” that can help you to overcome adversity, live with greater focus, sell yourself more effectively, market your products & services with greater efficiency, perpetually learn sales skills, and more. This powerful sales, marketing and leadership training program will bring you innovative ideas in a cost-effective, easy to use video format. You’ll walk away with a practical blueprint for high achievement that can be immediately applied to your business and personal life.

Brian Tracy is one of the world’s most respected sales training and leadership training experts. Speaking on personal and professional performance, he has traveled and worked in more than eighty countries, and speaks four languages. Brian Tracy is a New York Times bestselling author, having written more than thirty-five books on sales training, leadership training, and personal performance. He has appeared on countless television and radio shows, and is featured regularly in major publications across the country, and overseas. He has also conducted high-level consulting assignments with several billion-dollar-plus corporations in strategic planning and organizational development. Brian Tracy is married, with four children, and is headquartered in Solana Beach, California.

A Leader Always Fails Upwards!

Abraham Lincoln really was born in a log cabin. The fact that he went on to become President — and to lead the country through the most difficult period of its history — is truly remarkable. It is even more amazing when you consider what it took to be an important leader in the middle of the nineteenth century. Although we hear a lot about people like Lincoln or Andrew Jackson or Ulysses S. Grant — people who came from nothing to wield great power — these were most definitely the exceptions that proved the rule. Moreover, the rule was, most successful people started out with all the advantages. Financially, it was much harder to get rich a hundred and fifty years ago than it is today — and if you failed, it was much harder to get back on your feet. There was no safety net from the government or from anywhere else to make sure that you did not go hungry. In those days, it was every man for himself.

With that in mind, let’s look for a minute at some of the things that Lincoln faced and overcame. You have probably seen lists similar to this, describing Lincoln’s failures, but I’d like to go through it again in order to make some important points, which we will take up immediately after the list. As you are reading this list, I’d like you also to think of setbacks you have faced in your own life, and how you responded to them.

In 1832, Lincoln was working in a general store in Illinois when he decided to run for the state legislature. However, the election was some months away, and before it took place, the general store went bankrupt and Lincoln was out of a job. So, he joined the army and served three months. When he got out, it was time for the election — which he lost.

Then, with a partner, Lincoln opened a new general store. His partner embezzled from the business, and the store went broke. In addition, shortly thereafter, the partner died, leaving Lincoln with debts that took several years to pay off.

In 1834, Lincoln ran again for the state legislature, and this time he won. He was even elected to three more terms of two years each. During this period, however, Lincoln also suffered some severe emotional problems. Today he would have been categorized as clinically depressed.

By 1836, Lincoln had become a licensed attorney. At that time, a law degree was not required to pass the bar exam, and Lincoln had been studying on his own for years. He later became a circuit-riding lawyer, traveling from county to county in Illinois to plead cases in different jurisdictions. He was one of the most diligent of all the lawyers doing this kind of work, and between 1849 and 1860 he missed only two court sessions on the circuit.

In 1838, he was defeated in an attempt to become Speaker of the Illinois legislature, and in 1843, he was defeated in an attempt to win nomination for Congress. In 1846, he was elected to Congress, but in 1848, he had to leave because his party had a policy of limiting terms. In 1854, he was defeated in a run for the U.S. Senate. In 1856, he lost the nomination for Vice President, and in 1858, he was again defeated in a race for the Senate. Yet in spite of all these setbacks, in 1860 he was elected President of the United States.

What can we learn about leadership from looking at this chronology? To me, the most remarkable thing is how every time Lincoln failed at something, he was soon trying for something even bigger. After he lost his seat in the state legislature, he ran for the national congress. After he lost a bid for the Senate, he tried to become vice president — and after he lost the Senate race again, he ended up President of the whole country.

Lincoln saw himself as a leader long before anyone else did — and this is the first key to his leadership genius. He may have failed many times, but somehow he always failed upward. He was propelled by a sense of mission, and he was willing and able to do whatever it took to get that great mission accomplished.

Quote

“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.”
- Jim Rohn

Charismatic Leadership

William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli were two of the fiercest political rivals of the 19th century. Their epic battles for control of the British Empire were marked by intense animosity that spilled over from the public arena into their personal lives. Ambitious, powerful, and politically astute, both men were spirited competitors and masterful politicians.

Though each man achieved impressive accomplishments for Britain, the quality that separated them as leaders was their approach to people. The difference is best illustrated by the account of a young woman who dined with the men on consecutive nights. When asked about her impression of the rival statesmen, she said, “When I left the dining room after sitting next to Mr. Gladstone, I thought he was the cleverest man in England. But after sitting next to Mr. Disraeli, I thought I was the cleverest woman in England.”

What distinguished Disraeli from Gladstone was charisma. Disraeli possessed a personal charm sorely lacking in the leadership style of his rival. His personal appeal attracted friends and created favorable impressions among acquaintances. Throughout his career, Disraeli’s charisma gave him an edge over Gladstone.

UNDERSTANDING CHARISMA
Of all leadership attributes, charisma is perhaps the least understood.
At first glance, charisma appears to be an invisible energy or magnetism. There’s no denying its presence, but it’s hard to put a finger on its source. Some mistakenly believe charisma is a birth trait— embedded in certain personalities, but completely absent in others.

I believe charisma is both explainable and learnable. I also believe charisma helps to boost a leader’s influence. That’s why I included it in my book, The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader. In this lesson, I’d like to examine the causes of charisma and teach you how to increase the charisma you display as a leader.

THE QUALITIES OF A CHARISMATIC LEADER
Charisma is defined as, “The ability to inspire enthusiasm, interest, or affection in others by means of personal charm or influence.” Leaders who have this special ability share four things in common:

1) They Love Life

Leaders who attract a following are passionate about life. They are celebrators, not complainers. They’re characterized by joy and warmth.
They’re energetic and radiant in an infectious way.

Look no further than the smile to illustrate the power of charisma. When people see a smile, they respond with a smile. If you’re skeptical, try it. Smile at cashiers, waiters, co-workers, etc. You’ll find your smile earns a reciprocate smile almost every time. We are hardwired to take on the energy of those around us. Leaders who love life have charisma because they fill the room with positive energy.

2) They Value the Potential in People

To become an attractive leader, expect the best from your people. I describe this behavior as “putting a 10 on everyone’s head.” Leaders see people, not as they are, but as they could be. From this vantage point, they help others to build a bridge from the present to a preferred future.

Benjamin Disraeli understood and practiced this concept, and it was one of the secrets to his charisma. He once said, “The greatest good you can do for another is not to share your riches but to reveal to him his own.” When you invest in people and lift them toward their potential, they will love you for it.

3) They Give Hope

People have an inner longing to improve their future and their fortunes.
Charismatic leaders connect with people by painting tomorrow brighter than today. To them, the future is full of amazing opportunities and unrealized dreams.

Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “Leaders are dealers in hope.” They infuse optimism into the culture around them, and they boost morale. While attentive to the current reality, they do not resign themselves to present circumstance.

4) They Share Themselves

Leaders with charisma add value to people by sharing wisdom, resources, and even special occasions. They embrace the power of inclusion, inviting others to join them for learning experiences, brainstorming sessions, or simply a cup of coffee. Such leaders embrace team spirit and value togetherness. As a result, charismatic leaders are not lonely at the top.

When it comes to charisma, the bottom line is other mindedness. For leaders, the greatest satisfaction is found by serving. They find great pleasure celebrating the successes of those around them, and the victory they enjoy the most is a team triumph.

SUMMARY
In closing, charisma has substance. It’s not manipulative energy or a magical gift endowed upon select personalities. Rather, it’s an attractive blend of learnable qualities.

Furthermore, charisma compounds a leader’s influence. Without it, leaders have trouble inspiring passion and energizing their teams. With it, leaders draw out the best in their people, give the best of themselves, and find the greatest fulfillment.

Quote

“There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order to things.”
- Niccolo Machiavelli

Leading Change

Dr. John C. Maxwell

Leadership is about change. If you need no change, you need no leader. In times of change, people seek out more and better leaders. Those successful sought-out leaders embrace the following thought: “The best reformers the world has ever known are those who began with themselves.”

Mahatma Gandhi said, “We must be the change that we envision.” Tolstoy said, “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”

The following comments are about personal change:

1. One person cannot change another person.
When I started as a young leader, I thought that a leader could change the people; and boy, did I work at it. I said, “All right, I’m going to give them thoughts, ideas, and principles; and I’m going to change people.”

After several years, I awakened to the thought that the only person who can change himself or herself is himself or herself. You can change yourself, but I cannot change you. You see, I am responsible to you but I am not responsible for you; and there is a world of difference between those two. I am responsible for teaching you good leadership, I am responsible for sharing things that can help add value to your life; but you are the only one who can take responsibility to change yourself, and that is what this whole article is about.

2. Most people need to look at the way that they look at change.
How many times have you heard somebody say, “I sure hope things will change.” The only way things will change for me is when I change. It has nothing to do with hope. You can’t just say, “Well, I just hope things will change around me,” and expect results. The only way that things will change for me is when I change.

I have also heard this before, “I don’t know why I’m this way.” Well, you are the way you are because that is the way you want to be. Let’s expose it for what it really is.

3. When you make the right personal changes, other things begin to turn out right.
So when people say, “I’d like things to turn out better for me, I’d like things to turn out right, I’d like things to turn out better in the organization, or in my family,” I say to them, “Start by making personal changes.”

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Top 10 Characteristics of Ethical Leaders and Values-Driven Organizations

By Eric Harvey & Al Lucia

1. High Values Awareness
Values are regularly communicated and discussed to ensure awareness and understanding throughout the organization.

2. High Values Accountability
People are evaluated on values-driven practices as well as results—with zero tolerance for conscious values violations.

3. Leadership By Example
Leaders earn the right to expect others to do things by doing those things themselves.

4. Values-Driven DecisionMaking
Decisions are checked to ensure they are in accord with organizational values BEFORE they are implemented.

5. In Sync Policies and Procedures
Rules, policies, and practices are evaluated to ensure they reflect and support organizational values.

6. Values-Driven Education
Training and other developmental activities teach people how to demonstrate ethics and apply organizational values.

7. Attention To Perceptions
Climate surveys and other perception-collecting activities are important components of organizational assessment and change strategies.

8. Steady, Incremental Change
Emphasis is placed on many small improvements rather than quick-fix fads and “programs of the year.”

9. Values-Based Selection
The degree to which people subscribe to and practice organizational values is a key criterion in hiring and promotion decisions.

10. Encouraged Initiative
People are rewarded forWalking The Talk rather than complaining, pointing fingers, or waiting for others to take the first step.

Today’s lesson is from Walk The Talk: And Get The Results You Want By Eric Harvey & Al Lucia For more information on this resource and other high-impact WALK THE TALK publications, please click here to learn more.

Being an Extraordinary Leader Through Tough and Challenging Times by Chris Widener

Tough and challenging times will surely come. That is a given. The question is what kind of leadership we will demonstrate during those time. Those who are weak leaders will see lasting damage done, if not see the organization fall apart completely. With Extraordinary Leaders at the helm, however, an organization can actually become stronger and thrive in spite of the tough and challenging times. That should be our goal so here are some idea on how to be an Extraordinary Leader in tough and challenging times!

1. Keep Your Eye on the Big Picture.

When things get tough, everybody’s temptation is to become acutely focused on the problem. The Extraordinary Leader, however, will keep his or her eye on the big picture. This doesn’t mean that we don’t address the problem. In fact, we have to address the problem. But what separates a leader from a follower is that the leader doesn’t get caught up in the problem. The leader sees the big picture and keeps moving toward the vision. The further they take their followers toward the vision, the further away from the problem they get.

2. Don’t Get Caught in the War or the Friendly Fire.

When it gets tough even the most loyal team members can be tempted to start shooting and, unfortunately, they sometimes shoot each other! Rather than focusing on the enemy on the outside, they begin to question each other and find many faults with one another that they normally would not have seen. The Extraordinary Leader is the one who can keep from being drug into the fray. They keep their eye on the big picture and act rationally and objectively. They understand that people are heated and are saying things they don’t really mean. The people are firing because they are angry or scared. The Extraordinary Leader understands this and rises above it. This way, they take fewer arrows and they set the example for their followers.

3. Be First to Sacrifice.

When it gets tough, like when there has to be cuts in salaries etc, the leader should do just that – lead. They need to not only be the one who is rewarded the greatest when all is well, but they need to be the first to sacrifice. The Extraordinary leader says, “I know many of you are concerned with the salary cuts. I am too. In the long run we will be healthy again but for the mean time, this is necessary. Understanding this, I want you to know that I am taking a 20% pay reduction myself. I want you to know that we are in this together.” The Extraordinary Leader is the first to sacrifice and will be rewarded with the loyalty of his or her followers.

4. Remain Calm.

Panic is one of the basest of human emotions and no one is immune to it. The Extraordinary Leader, however, takes time out regularly to think the issues through so they can remain calm. They remind themselves that all is not lost and there will be another day. They remind themselves that being calm will enable them to make the best decisions – for themselves and for their followers. Panic only leads to disaster, while calm leads to victory.

5. Motivate.

In tough and challenging times, people are naturally down. They tend to be pessimistic. They can’t see how it is all going to work out. Thus, they have a hard time getting going. The Extraordinary Leader knows this and will focus in on being the optimistic motivator. He or she will come to the office knowing that for the time being, the mood of the group will be carried and buoyed by them and their attitude. Above all else, they seek to show how the end result will be good – and with this they motivate their followers to continue on, braving the current storms, and on to their shared destiny.

6. Create Small Wins.

One of the ways to motivate is to create small wins. The Extraordinary Leader knows that in tough times his or her people think that all is lost. They wonder if they can win. So the Extraordinary Leader creates opportunities for the team to win, even if they are small. They set smaller, more achievable goals and remind and reward the team members when they hit those goals. With each small win, the leader is building the esteem and attitude of his followers, digging them out of their self-created hole of fear.

7. Keep a Sense of Humor.

Look, hardly anything in life can’t be laughed at. The Extraordinary Leader knows that even if the whole company goes down the drain, we still go home to our families and live a life of love with them. The Extraordinary Leader keeps perspective and knows that we humans act irrationally when we get scared and fail, and sometimes that is humorous. Don’t ever laugh at someone’s expense in this situation, because that will be perceived at cold and heartless, regardless of what you meant by it, but do keep the ability to laugh at yourself and the situations that present themselves. By doing this you will keep yourself and your team in an attitude that will eventually beat the tough times.

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