Wednesday, September 15, 2010

What Does Leadership Mean?

Recently, a team building consultant asked a group of people, "Who here likes to be managed?" Nobody raised their hand. "When asked, who likes to be led?" This seemed a little more acceptable. Truth is, people need to be inspired. People need to be motivated. People need to be trusted and people need to be led. This is not to devalue a manager or supervisor role, but to reach deep into what motivates people, what inspires people and what helps them to become great at what they do. It's not the role of a leader to micromanage this process. It's the role of the leader to provide the pathway and up to the team member if they choose to go down the path. Ask any leader, "What inspires a leader?". The good ones might say by inspiring others, they then become inspired. It's a relationship. It's a common purpose. That people become the best at what they do and develop into the leaders one would hope they become.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Finding Inspiration

I looked around my office the other day and thought, this place needs some personality. Sure, my achievements are on the wall, but when I look around how do I stay inspired? Because of past achievements? Ever heard of making your work space or office a place of inspiration; a place you can have variety; a place you can reflect pieces of your personality.
Slowly, I brought in pictures. I let parts of my interests and things I can use to find inspiration and keep my motivation. It's now full of diversity. From the focus of what I do to pictures of my family to fun office toys to a wall of inspiration. It's a variety that reflects a space of inspiration. It's about creating an environment, a space, where you can create a haven that focuses on your personality, that blends with what you do, that helps you find inspiration in everything around you.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Appreciating the Day

It's easy to get caught up in the responsibilities in life. To get into a routine that can numb the normal individual. But why live life this way? Why not sit and think about the things we should be greatful for. Thanks to the day I get to wake up and live. It's full of adventures, but thank goodness I get to live it.

I wrote a life plan to document first what issues I think I need to overcome in life. Secondly, I wrote down the things I am appreciative of. When ranking them, I noticed that the issues I thought I had to overcome meant nothing to the things I appreciated. That if I lost the things I appreciated, I wouldn't even think about the things I needed to overcome. Funny thing is, I would spend more time on the things I thought I needed to overcome, instead of the things I really appreciate. If you think we're going in circles, it's because we are.

Truth is we spend so much time on things we THINK are important instead of the things that really are important to us. It's time to spend time on the things that are really important to us. It's time to appreciate each day that we have to live. Everything else is secondary.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Promoting Successes

Ever notice how easy it is to focus on what went wrong instead of what went right? The negative seems to trump the positive. For some, a person says or does something wrong and it can linger. Someone does or says something right, it becomes standard or not under the microscope.

It's time to change that way of thinking. No matter how big or small, there is something that can be said about celebrating successes fully the way that we might dread failures or mistakes. Appreciating successes can lead to more successes because it's better to feel good about something than not so good. No more focusing on what is wrong with things or what went wrong in a situation. Let's appreciate what is right in this world and what makes us successful and happy.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

The Building Blocks of Life

Sometimes the experience we may might think is our worst situation might be the turning of the propeller that enables us to fly. I regret nothing. Sure, knowing what I know now, I might have changed a few things. But, sometimes going through these tough times, builds someone up to the person they are supposed to become. Not having these experiences as a building block would have made tough experiences much more difficult, if not impossible to overcome.

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." ~Eleanor Roosevelt. I have learned I am who I am. I am on a path. This path is not free of debris. But realizing you are able to get past any situation creates a champion mentality. It's not easy. But it does build you for the other challenges that life has to offer. The building blocks of life that you choose how to accept.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Overcoming Adversity

Sometimes life is like running an obstacle course, but with a lot more hurdles. If you are flexible and steady, you have a good chance of winning the race. Anything else can create more hurdles. Success is not a matter of events or circumstances playing out perfectly. It's a matter of these things not playing out perfectly and rising to the occasion. Heard the saying, "It's easy to steer the ship, when the waters are calm." It's true. How many can steer it when the waters are rough? Right now, the economy is tough. Things are changing rapidly. What we will end up as will not be what we started with. Leaders are born or developed during these changing times. Watching and observing or directly affecting strategies that will pave the way to how we operate in the near future. It's a stressful time. But's it's also a unique time. A time to demonstrate your ability. A time to show others what you are made of. A time of leadership. So, are you ready to run the race?

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Teaching Leadership

It's not about the disagreement but the facts surrounding the argument that determines if someone is viewing things objectively or has made up their mind before hearing a particular point of view.

I have observed the good leaders are able to sometimes change their thinking based upon a valid argument and of course, there are others who think that they already know the answer, so why have the discussion? It is hard to fill a cup which is already full. Yes, I got this from Avatar. And yes, I'm well aware that it was said before the movie.

So how do you change that thinking? The thinking in which someone knows the answer before the question is asked or discussed? Well, I don't have the answer because I'm still learning. Maybe trial and error is the key. To let one try it out and figure it out for themselves. It's the hardest way to learn, but at least you learn.