Leadership Gold Nuggets From Around The World – Part 7 – 12 of 27

This is the second of a multi-part article on the wisdom and insights gained from the 2012 International Leadership Blogathon.  The first part is located here: Leadership Gold Nuggets From Around The World – Parts 1 – 6 of 27

The blogathon brought many great minds together. And while this summary does not do justice to the complete articles, it provides a glimpse into the great collection of international leadership insights. Let’s continue with the gold nuggets.

Article 7 – John Wenger from New Zealand
Leaders Hold The Power to Engage

“People want to spend eight hours of their day deriving some kind of meaning and genuine satisfaction from their work.  They want to enjoy their relationships with others and be part of a workplace culture that values connection.  They also want opportunities to learn and grow; not just technical expertise that enables them to be better at their jobs, but also learning experiences that enhance their lives.”

“The time has come for us to look at our world through a systems thinking lens.”

“To take a systems thinking perspective means we stop looking at phenomena through a narrow zoom lens, but we use the wide-angle lens and take account of the many factors that influence engagement at work.”

“There are ways to generate greater engagement and it is not simply by raising salaries: it is by investing in developing leaders.”

“…employment is not simply a transaction.”

“…in order to ensure that recruitment and retention strategies have any chance of success, they must sit alongside action on leader development.”

“Leadership emerges when leaders at all levels of organisations provide a compelling story and vision that is worth signing up to.”

“…integrity comes about when people see managers and leaders act consistently and line with a clear set of values.”

Article 8 – Kimberly Bordonero from the USA
The Leadership Brand: How to Discover Your Personal Brand Persona

{Comment by Todd Nielsen} – Kimberly’s article was the most read article of the blogathon at the time this article was published.  She identified 12 personal branding archetypes for leaders. The article is best read in its entirety. Click the link above to read the full story. Below are a few more tidbits of wisdom from her article.

“As a leader in your field, it’s particularly important to create an authentic personal brand.”

“…the need to define and differentiate your personal brand, knows no international boundaries.”

Article 9 -Oscar Capote Agudo from Spain
The People Will All Say, “We did this ourselves!”

“Leadership is the process of defining a vision and then guiding and inspiring others to reach that vision.”

“We, as humans, do not change simply from gaining information, people change because they support and trust their leaders.”

“To get the best results from your team or from a group of people, a leader has to care about excellence.”

“To deliver the highest quality results, a leader has to set high standards and live up to them.”

“Leaders, establish direction, align people and motivate and inspire people to complete the vision despite any obstacles they may face along the way.”

Article 10 – Paul S. Allen from New Zealand
Leadership: It is not about you! Get over it.

“Leadership is not just a title; and a leadership title, does not necessarily make someone a leader.”

“What a leader needs to remember is that they are not the most important person in the organisation.”

“A great leader is more concerned with the vision and cause of the organisation than their own position.”

“A great leader does not want or need people to think like them, but rather to be able to freely think for themselves.”

“Failure to train, empower, and trust up-and-coming leaders within the organisation will ultimately lead to the failure of it to set or achieve long term societal changing goals.”

“The role of the leader is to see that it happens. When the leader forgets about the cause to focus on the position then it is like a ship out of control heading for danger.”

“For the leader to be so engrossed in their own stature and direction that they forget to listen to and trust subordinates is a disaster waiting to happen.”

“For there to be great decisions made, great debate must take place.”

Article 11 – Janne Ohtonen from Finland
Achieving Success with Personal Leadership

“The world is full of recipes for success, but many times we forget that success comes from within ourselves…”

Questions that Janne proposes you ask on your journey to personal success:

• Am I sure that those I love, feel loved by me? 
• Do I feel grateful every day for having whatever I have or get today?
• Have I done my best to avoid unkind acts and words?
• What can I do today to make the world better place?
• Have I helped anyone less fortunate?
• Have I done and reviewed my personal success plan?
• What worthwhile I have yet to accomplish?
• What wonderful memories do I have?
• Does my integrity hold as well in public as in privacy?

“When you have the right attitude, you focus on the right things, obstacles are there to overcome, you feel better, and work more efficiently.”

Article 12 – Amy Beth Miller from the USA
5 Ways Leaders Botch Communication – Without Saying a Word

“Leaders who focus only on what they say to employees—through speeches and written words—overlook one of the most powerful ways they communicate: their actions.”

“To be a trusted, respected and effective leader, pay as much attention to what you aren’t saying as you do to your speeches and memos.”

The 5 Communication Mistakes that Leaders Make:

• Failing to communicate.
• Blindsiding employees with change.
• Sending them on goose chases.
• Ignoring what employees say.
• Failing to keep commitments.