This is the last of a multi-part article meant to share some of the tidbits of wisdom from the 2012 International Leadership Blogathon.
Article 19 – Debbe Kennedy from The USA
Leadership by Example: How to Ignite this Quality in Your Life and Work
“…it is clear that our notions about leadership are being turned upside down, questioned, revitalized and changed before our eyes.”
“The reflection of our faces in the mirror of the world is a reminder that the future, collectively, rests in our hands.”
“We are here at this time for a purpose – and it is hard to deny that we are the ones who will create the next chapter in history.”
“Leadership is as local as any of us sitting at our desks …and as global, …and far-reaching as time, distance, and technology can take us. In an instant, it stretches across cultures and many dimensions of difference.”
“Leadership by example is perhaps our most powerful tool in putting what we are learning here from one another into action.”
“May your life be the reflection of your leadership message.”
Article 20 – Don Mercer from The USA
Followership: the Corollary to Leadership
“In a team environment high performing followers are every bit as important as good leadership…”
“Great leaders will not guarantee an optimal organization, but great followers will come close.”
“We need to go beyond the standard answer of training in the actual job and move to a view of followership education just as we have done in leadership education.”
“Every organization has a culture–a personality–and multiple sub-cultures which can promote or hinder the organization’s mission.”
“The best leaders craft the details of the organization’s culture in a variety of ways from funny to quirky to serious.”
“…the wise leader should put a rock-solid cultural foundation under the details.”
The 7 principles that make up the Followership Culture are: Instant Response, Initiative, Imagination, Integrity, Inquire, Inform, Involve.”
“…great leaders know that they must go to the locations where the followers are doing their work.”
” If you educate followers to be great followers, your organization will perform at a higher level and great leaders will emerge.”
Article 21- Ronny Snel from The Netherlands
Leadership Productivity Through Improved Energy
“Many leaders fail to do one of the most important things that could help their productivity, and that is to make their health and specifically, exercise, a priority.”
“. Exercise gives you the opportunity to relax, clear your mind, and it improves your energy levels so you can get more done.”
“Exercise is a win-win situation for your business and personal life; that every leader should take seriously.”
“By exercising and eating healthy you will feel energetic; and this energy will transfer to your staff, employees, friends, and family.”
Article 22 – Glenn Wallis from The U.K.
Leaders: Know Thy Self
“ou may be technically excellent. You may be a great presenter. You may have incredibly high standards, but if you are unable to lead and develop yourself, it is unlikely that these important but somewhat peripheral strengths will be enough to become a sustainably great leader.”
“Being honest about where you are now, and clear about the human being you wish to evolve to become, is time incredibly well invested.”
“…the closer that your current self-image is to your ideal self, the higher your self-esteem will be.”
“Once you have decided what sort of person you want to be and you have committed to working towards that, you can begin to craft what sort of leader you want to become.”
Article 23 – Rahul Meta from India
Be a “Karma Yogi”- The Leadership of Thoughts and Action
“Leadership is encompassing, endearing and all pervasive to the man kind.”
Leadership is about being detached, yet being in control of the inner senses, and “thoughts.”
“People tend to forget about what they love to do and just focus on bottom lines, sales targets and the like and in that process they forget about the road they travel to their goals. Savoring the journey is more important than the relishing the time to reach the destination.”
“The process of turning back to your inner thoughts and yourself to find your true calling evokes the thought leadership process.”
“If a leader is afraid of failing, he/she has already failed.”
“Leaders believe and believe strongly in their paths and if they ‘fail’ – the failure is just an outcome. To be true to themselves and to the people they lead, learning to be not to be afraid of ‘failing’ is a must.”
“Leadership draws on the ability to be compassionate and have a superior sense of empathy.”
“Loyalty and motivation are not rationally defined, but emotionally governed and people can sense selflessness, truthfulness and a great vision which rallies them to follow their leaders to the ends of the earth and beyond.”
“…leaders should work to be a Karma Yogi. Action leadership combined with thought leadership is karma yogi.”
Article 24 – Richard Andrews from The U.K.
Really Useful Things Leaders Can Do In A Recession
“As Leaders, whether in business, in not-for-profits, or in public service; we are constantly looking for that key competitive advantage, that unique something that will set us apart from the competition and will result in us making it to the chequered flag before everyone else.”
“No improvement journey can be successful if there’s no focus on people so people have to be the starting point!”
“In most organizations, it’s not the skill set that causes problems, it’s the attitudes, the commitment and the ability to collaborate with trust and creativity.”
“Those managers and leaders who maintain a focus on their processes will know: if you’ve been running with the same process for 18 months or so, the chances are that there are some valuable gains to be made!”
“Innovation sometimes comes in a flash of inspiration. But usually it comes from hard work and collaborative exploration.”
“Recession certainly doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do, but it can offer us an opportunity to focus on getting people, products, and processes in great condition…”
Article 25 – Arohanui-Grace from New Zealand
Who is a Leader?
“…that whilst the pace of change has increased exponentially, the world in which we humans live has always been complex to a greater or lesser degree. Really, all that has changed is that some of us now see it from a different perspective.”
“…the benefit of systems thinking is not so much in any practical organisational application, but more in giving us a lens though which we can view who we are, and where we fit in the complex world in which we live and work. “
“Being and not doing is to me, the real power of systems thinking and is also the ‘who’ of leadership.”
Article 26 – John Thurlbeck from The The U.K.
Leadership …In An Unstable World!
“Leadership is a state of being. It is the human factor that people – peers, staff and colleagues in your organization and outside of it – will respond to most positively, especially when times are both challenging and stressful!”
{Note by Todd Nielsen] In this article John beatufully illustrates and proposes the questions below on examining our own leadership effectiveness. Click the link above to read the full article.
- I Connect Leadership and Vision
- I Am Visible, Approachable and Adaptive
- I Promote Our Organization’s Image and Reputation
- I Demonstrate the Impact of Our Work
- I Invest In My People
- I Constantly Scan Both Internal and External Environments
- I Keep Learning
Article 27 – Becky Robinson from The USA
Why Social Media is Important for Leaders
“Some leaders in the real world may feel they’re too busy to engage with people online. While that may be true, I believe that they are missing the opportunity to extend their reach exponentially through making connections and adding value online.”
“If you want to make a difference, why not make a bigger difference? If you have knowledge to share, why not share it with as many people as possible? If you want to add value for some, why not add value for many?”
“I believe that in not-too-distant future, leaders who choose not to engage online will diminish their perceived influence, and perhaps, their ability to achieve their goals as leaders. Such leaders will be faced with a choice: share online or face obsolescence.”
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Each of these writers would love to hear your comments and connect with you. You can do so on each of the pages above. Please share below any additional nuggets of wisdom that I might have overlooked.
Lastly – THANK YOU to all the writers who were willing to share their wisdom, and for all the readers that continually were fed with a leadership feast.
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: 
The success of the International Leadership Blogathon that I put on in March of 2012 went way beyond my expectations. I could not have predicted so many gold nuggets of wisdom that would inspire me. I not only learned a lot, but I made what I expect to be great friendships for years to come.
