The People Will All Say, “We did this ourselves!”

“A leader is best when neither seen nor heard; Not so good when adored or glorified; Worst when hated and despised. Fail to honor people, they will fail to honor you; But of a good leader, when his (or her) work is done; The aim fulfilled; The people will all say: “We did this ourselves.” (Lao Tse).

Lao-Tse emphasizes peace of mind and tranquility of the spirit. He stresses how important it is to be one with nature because it provides positive character. He regards genuineness, sincerity, and spontaneity to be “natural” characteristics which people are born with and possess. Yet, he claims these qualities are destroyed through education and cultural influences.

In addition, he explains how a person is able to dismiss all authority except for the authority of self and a personal God. In this case, God is understood to be everything in nature. Thus, people who know and respect the authority of their inner nature know where they belong.

Leadership is the process of defining a vision and the guiding and inspiring others to reach that vision. Leaders, establish direction, align people and motivate and inspire people to complete the vision despite any obstacles they may face along the way.

In times of change, executives and managers alike make the mistake of thinking that if people are ordered to change, they will. This is a tragic misunderstanding of human behavior and often leads managers and executives to respond like drill sergeants. We, as humans, do not change simply from gaining information, people change because they support and trust their leaders.

Leadership is crucial, core values like integrity, excellence and respect or people are extremely important. To shape, define and sustain a winning culture you need to improve some attributes:

• Vision.
• Strategic Direction.
• Prioritization.
• Multi-functional Engagement.
• Teamwork.
• Accountability.
• Analysis.
• Problem solving.
• Getting to action.
• Excitement.

To lead effectively is important to do several things well:

• Listen and understand your people´s needs.
• Develop them into stronger and better employees.
• Inspire them from their hearts.
• Find ways to support them with what they need.
• Encourage team members to take heart and do the hard things.
• Recognize their achievements.

To get the best results from your team or from a group of people, a leader has to care about excellence. You have to show the way and help people understand what´s possible. To deliver the highest quality results, a leader has to set high standards and live up to them.

When a team member gives an outstanding effort, a strong leader shows appreciation and says “Thank you”. Give thanks for the moment, and you´ll capture it forever. Imagine how someone would feel if you didn’t. The person might feel that you don´t value for their hard work. So don´t wait, notice the positive thing your people are doing. Tell them how much you appreciate it.

A leader, has a vital relationship with the other members of the team. These people will give their best effort if they know, like and trust the leader. They´ll be loyal to the leader and the team because the leader is loyal to them.

You also need to develop these same factors in yourself, this self-development will focus on two areas: leadership skills, and the personal strengths of leaders, which are two very different things. You aren’t born with personal strengths, you begin developing these behavior patterns while growing up. And you continue to get stronger as you use them throughout adult life to cope with the challenge of work and life.

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