I’m a Failure, and Damn Proud of It!

March 31, 2013 by

I’m-a-Failure-and-Damn-Proud-of-It-Todd-NielsenWow – What an amazing and awesome month. The goal of the 2nd Annual International Blogathon was to give the world a gift of greater leadership acumen from an international stand-point. Learning leadership views from across the globe helps increase our leadership wisdom by giving us differing perspectives. It certainly has met that goal for me personally.

I hope that the blogathon writers have inspired you.

I hope that your world becomes better because of the knowledge gained this month.

I hope that you were inspired to make changes that will impact your success.

What is Success?

“Success,” hmm… it’s a very interesting and elusive word. The definition is different for every person, and every organization. It is a goal that is constantly moving to new heights. For the truly successful, it is a journey that never comes to an end. It’s a constant climb that refines you, strengthens you, and fertilizes your growth.

“Success is a climb that never ends, the journey refines you, strengthens you, and fertilizes your growth”  Tweet This!

Recently an individual asked me what some of my strengths were. This person new of my expertise and qualifications, but I thought for a moment and had two things enlighten my mind that were completely opposite and opposing from each other. Could these two things really be my strength?

The first strength that I thought of was that I have had a lot of success in my life. I have associated myself with successful people. I know what works in helping organizations create success. I have seen what successful people do to create even more success, and I have read huge volumes of books in learning how to personally create success in different areas of my personal and professional life.  So I thought, sure why can’t that be a strength?

The Second Strength, That Greatly Outweighs the First

The second strength I thought of – is a polar opposite from the first – and greatly overshadows it. It’s probably the single largest factor that has impacted success in my life. The second strength is, um, well… I have failed. I have a failed a lot. Failure has taught me what does not work, what NOT to do. It has molded me, chopped down the rough edges, and refined and focused me into the person I am today. I am sure the same is true for most people, but my failures greatly outweigh my successes.  So by quantitative comparison, I AM A FAILURE, and as the title suggests, I’m damn proud of it. If it weren’t for the failures I’ve had, I could never have reached the success I now enjoy.

The Failure Masochist

No, I’m not a masochist that enjoys the pain of failure or the struggles that are associated with it. I don’t look for opportunities to fail. I really strive to NOT, set myself up for failure. I strive to learn from my struggles so that I don’t repeat them. Unfortunately, no matter what I do… failures come, and they are almost always painful. They break me down, and make me grow. Like a forest that erupts into blooms after a fire scorches it to the ground, so must we be after our failures come.

Are we on the Path of Success, or the Path of Failure?

It may feel like the path of failure, but it is the path of success. Whenever I begin to veer off the path of success, I get poked and prodded by failures that direct me toward a straighter and faster route to even greater success. Failures are the enablers that help us reach success considerably faster. Without failures, we could never have success.

“Failures are the enablers that help us reach success considerably faster. Without failures, we could never have success.”  Tweet This!

The last month has resulted in some of the greatest successes in my life, but that success has been preceded by a path of innumerable failures, like a thousand fire-ants that I could not shake off. Yet those failures drive me faster towards heaps of successes. I’m sure you and I are alike; we all fail, we’re all human.

While I never look forward to my failures, I am proud of what I have learned from them and you should be proud as well.

The climb to success is wrought with failures… so let us all climb together. Let us support each other, not judge each other, look for the positive, celebrate the small successes, focus on the important things in life, and celebrate the overcoming of the many small weaknesses and failures that set us back.

“We can all do a little better, we can all become great.” Tweet This!

A Month of Success

This blogathon is chock full of examples of successes and failures. Every single writer this month shared their expertise that they have gained, by failing a thousand times first. The wisdom that resulted from those failures and the forthcoming lessons of success are priceless, and only in a small part, documented in this blogathon.

I strive to always hang out with successful people, I have told this to many. In truth though, I guess I actually enjoy hanging out with failures, since that is the path we all have taken to our success. I am honored to call the writers of the 2nd Annual International Leadership Blogathon – friends; they are some of the best group of failures I ever associated with. I only say that in jest, because they are all successful experts that kindly shared the result of their failures and successes with the world.

Until Next Time!

Today we don’t say good bye, the blogathon will live on, connections will be made deals with be stricken, and successes will be amplified. The greatness that is achieved from a single lesson this month might never be known to any us. That’s ok though.

Thank you, thank you, and thank you! It’s been enlightening. Please leave a comment and tell me what you have learned this month. What are the failures that resulted in your success?

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The Top 4 Attributes Every Leader Should Embody

March 29, 2013 by

The-Top-4-Attributes-Every-Leader-Should-Embody-Paul-JolicoeurSometimes leaders get to stand in the lime light, marching forward in a triumphant pursuit of excellence and performance. Sometimes leadership requires standing in the shadows to support those closest to you.

Leadership is about influence and accomplishing tasks while utilizing the gifts of those you lead. This should look in part, as if the leader is serving those around them.

One of the greatest lessons I have learned on leadership and one of the greatest areas of accountability for myself is this:

Leaders set the example of ideal.”- Paul Jolicoeur Tweet this!

When people look at you, they are seeing the template of what is expected of them. Be the template you want to see reproduced.

When I am looking to recruit new leaders into the areas I manage I ask myself a simple question.  Would I want the people this person leads to be just like them?

If the answer is yes, then we move on. If the answer is no, we have a red flag.

This is not about perfection. No one is perfect and we can’t wait around to do anything until someone is.

With that in mind, here are 4 areas in which every leader should set the example in to their team.

1. Attitude

If you want positive team members that are looking for innovative ways to solve problems and enjoy what they do and who they do it with, start with you.

Your attitude is contagious, what do you want your team to catch?

You want them to stay positive and encouraging, not negative and destructive. Display the attitude you expect from them.

2. Personal Discipline

Stagnant water begins to stink. It gradually becomes unusable. A team member that stops growing will become marginalized, demoralized and eventually unusable.

Look for ways to help your team members grow.

Be a lifelong learner yourself, read books, listen to podcasts, take classes and attend conferences. Start by setting some goals for your year.  We are all motivated by the growth we see in others.

Be a motivating force for your team.

When they see you making the effort to learn and become a better you, they will be challenged to do the same.

3. Time Management

You should be showing up on time and utilizing your time well. When you spend too much time at work doing things that are not work related, your team will follow suit. You will have given them permission to waste time.

If they see you working hard, staying focused and managing your time well, you will motivate them to do the same.

4. Work Ethic

You expect those that report to you to get their work done. You want them to put their best effort into everything they do.

We expect others to give their best effort, that is why you recruited them and want to work with them.

It will be very difficult for them to perform like this if they don’t see you doing the same. If you aren’t working hard you will debilitate your team and bring their work ethic down.

We can only expect from others, what we ourselves are willing to model.

Whatever standard you set will become their highest standard. Leadership is a gift and we must steward it well.

In what other areas do you believe a leader should be the example of ideal? 

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Humility in Leadership: Myths, Fears, and Truths

March 2, 2013 by

Humility-leadership-kate-nassar Humility in leadership conjures vivid images in leaders’ minds. The images seem to fall into opposite camps: indecisive wimpiness or non-arrogant self-confidence.  It’s fair to say that if your image of humility in leadership is one of weakness… then you are not likely to strive for HUMILITY!

On the other hand if you see humility in leadership as the self-confident strength to lead others to shine, you are on your way or almost there.

What if you want to move from seeing humility in leadership as weakness to embracing its strength? Or perhaps you as a leader already embrace it but your leader doesn’t.

I’ve walked this journey with many leaders. So let’s walk it now.

Humility in Leadership: Steps to See Strength

Humility in Leadership: Myths, Fears, Truths (Image by: Dopamind via Flickr Creative Commons License.)

Humility in Leadership: Myths & Fears

Change involves owning your own fears for they can either create myths or extend themselves. What common fear-based myths, stop your growth to humility in leadership?

  • Fear of being a weak leader.

    New leaders, transitional leaders, and long time leaders all know they have strengths and weaknesses. Those who sense their own weaknesses more intensely than their strengths, often fear being seen as a weak leader. Will people see them as too nice to lead? From this fear comes the myth that humility in leadership is indecisive weakness.

  • Fear of being disrespected.

    Like dominoes, one fear based myth leads to another. Leaders who believe the myth that humility is indecisive weakness, fear being disrespected as a wimp. They then embrace the myth that being a strong non-humble leader builds respect. Certainly, there are many real problems that develop under weak leaders including bullying among teams, power struggles, culture of blame, finger pointing, low morale, and even chaos. Ironically, the same trouble can develop with non-humble leaders. I have seen both — over and over and over.

  • Fear of entanglement.

    This fear is often subconscious and hidden from leaders’ awareness. There are personality types as well as past experiences that drive leaders to avoid true connection with those they lead. They see connection as entanglement and loss of objectivity. They then attach this fear to humility in leadership, and form a false conclusion: Humble leaders lose their objectivity and can’t handle tough conversations with employees. Humility does not cause a loss of objectivity. In fact, it strengthens it. Humility keeps you in learning mode and objectivity comes through knowledge.

Myth: Humble leaders lose their objectivity and can’t handle tough conversations with employees.” ~Kate Nasser #leadership #peopleskills Tweet this!

Humility in Leadership: Truths

  • Humility elevates purpose above the personal.

    Leaders’ humility guides all toward the greater goals instead of personal whimsy. It balances the empathy to connect with the objectivity to achieve.

  • Humility celebrates all talents encouraging all to contribute for success.

    Leaders’ humility naturally inspires, for it highlights everyone’s abilities instead of just the leaders’ strengths.

  • Humility removes the veneer and shows leaders’ greatness.

    Humility is transparent. It shows who and what leaders are. Team members trust this authenticity and engage without the distraction of hidden agendas and politics.

  • Humility is stronger than any yell!

    Leaders who check their egos at the door have far greater influence. Humility keeps leaders listening. Humility replaces the ego — the target of conflict — with “we go“. This inspires contribution and models ideal teamwork behaviors. Conversely, it is always a problem when dominating solo type leaders demand teamwork.

  • Humility smooths resistance to change and growth.

    Humility fosters continuous learning. It allows and encourages everyone to learn from mistakes for the benefit of all. This is a prerequisite to change and growth — the secret to business success. In fact, companies fail when the market changes and they don’t. Humility in leadership feeds a culture of learning and flexibility. No one method, nor practice, nor view, nor person is cast as best. The goal is to listen, perform, learn, and succeed.

Humility in Leadership: What Ifs

What if you as a leader practice humility yet the leader you report to sees it as weakness?

  • Find out specifically what that leader sees as weak? Small changes in your behavior can close the gap between you and your leader without abandoning humility.
  • Consider what if any cultural and personality differences there are between you and your leader. These differences impact how people view behaviors and describe their impact.
What if you as a leader practice humility and the teams see you as weak?

  • Ask them where and when do they need more strength from you? Humility is not generally the culprit. Most likely there are stressful situations that you are not seeing. Remember humility is not abandonment. Assist where they need help.
  • Engage team members and discuss your leadership style. Leadership evolves and their expectations may be ahead of your evolution. Be open to learning from them.
What if you as a leader are being told to develop some humility?

  • Write down how this makes you feel before you respond else you might react defensively. Then ask for specific examples of where your behavior needs to change.
  • Review the fears and myths noted above to guide your journey of growth. Have you worked with strong humble leaders? What did you learn from them? Have a mentor or coach help you evolve and refine your leadership style.

Humility in leadership is not a label nor a fixed set of behaviors. It is a mindset of inclusion and a model of continuous learning for success. It honors and engages all. It builds tremendous trust and sustains all especially in tough times of change.

So we’ve come quite a distance. What other what ifs shall we discuss?

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Leadership Gold Nuggets From Around The World – Part 19 – 27 of 27

April 9, 2012 by

International Leadership BlogathonThis 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.

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

April 4, 2012 by

Leadership Gold NuggetsThis 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.
{Comment by Todd Nielsen} – This was one of the most popular articles of the blogathon and is worth reading in its entirety. Click the link above to read the full article. 

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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.

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Leadership by Example: How to Ignite this Quality in Your Life and Work

March 19, 2012 by

SHARE YOUR PERSPECTIVE... What bit of wisdom has MOST influenced your leadership? What other thoughts and advice do you have to share with others? Throughout the world, it is clear that our notions about LEADERSHIP are being turned upside down, questioned, revitalized and changed before our eyes. Like all renewal, the process may seem chaotic for some – but what is emerging has fresh fingerprints on it. As I’ve watched and participated in my own ways, I’ve often thought of the opening line in a treasured old, tattered book, written over fifty years ago. I found it by-chance in a hidden corner of a used bookstore. I’ve wondered if its message carries a modern day truth for all of us. It reads…

 “[William Makepeace] Thackeray once said that the world is a looking
glass and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face.”
Take a Look at Yourself by John Homer Miller

What is this reflection asking of you and me?  Something significant! 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. A daunting, yet exciting reality and opportunity, yes?

 There are some compelling reasons for us to be responding to our reflection in the mirror by re-evaluating our notions of LEADERSHIP as we have known it: Times have changed. Things are different. Our “systems” are broken. The stakes are very HIGH – and our global and domestic families are looking to us for a renewed kind of leadership, worthy of solving our most pressing problems for the good of all.

The stereotype of the traditional “leader” we have known has been a person seen with authority and privilege – even if in reality, we discover that leadership may be just a little bigger cubicle and a lot of hard and rewarding work. However, today the landscape of leadership touches each of us, at all levels of society. Leadership is as local as any of us sitting at our desks or collaborating in an online meeting or via social media or working in our communities – and as global, connected, and far-reaching as time, distance, and technology can take us. In an instant, it stretches across cultures and many dimensions of difference. We all are part of an emerging diverse, global leadership corps with opportunities every day to influence something or someone. Because of this reality, there isn’t the option we once had to just “opt-out” and leave it to others. As an example, I’ve heard many groups that say they don’t want to rely on a single leader’s authority. Yet, collectively, they are leading one another – and like other bold pioneers across the world, they are influencing change on many fronts far beyond what anyone could imagine. In his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela described the next steps for us as we continue to open the way:

 “…For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a
way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.
The true test of our devotion to freedom is just
beginning …With freedom come responsibilities.” by Nelson Mandela

What does it take to LEAD by Example?

There has been a looming set of questions being asked by many groups, “What’s your message?” What do you want?” I believe strongly that the fastest way to calm these questions will come from leadership by example. Two world renowned leaders, present and past,  serve as sources of timeless wisdom to prove this belief: Frances Hesselbein and Gandhi. Together, they make a compelling case that “leadership by example” is the answer. Each leader’s story below demonstrates the power of this quality as a tool of influence, while teaching us how we can apply it to our lives and work.

Frances Hesselbein is founding president and CEO of The Frances Hesselbein Leadership Institute (formerly the Peter F. Drucker Foundation). He is an exemplary “leader by example.” Among Frances’ long and remarkable list of leadership contributions and achievements, she is a Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient, the highest civilian honor in the United States of America for her pioneering work on behalf of the Girls Scouts, women, diversity, and volunteerism. Frances has been my mentor, teacher, and friend for many years. She taught me many valuable lessons. Two stand out related to our discussion on leadership by example:

  • Frances never deviates from her core values.
    I was asked to describe her one time: Frances is a beacon of leadership excellence. Watching her is a lesson in how to BE a leader. Meeting her is an experience you never forget. Futurist, Joel Barker, my long-time colleague, illuminated her qualities when he said, “Frances taught me how important influence – not power – is in changing the world for the better.”
  • Frances defines the leader’s role and lives it.
    She writes: “The leader of the future will not be the leader who has learned lessons of how to do it… The leader for today and the future will be focused on how to be – how to develop quality, character, mind-set, values, principles, and courage.”

Mohandas Gandhi forever whispers to us across decades, by his example, providing the ultimate self-assessment and call-to-action for our time. For me, it started many years ago when I read a story about Gandhi. He had a practice of not speaking one day a week. On one of these days, he was traveling by train. When the train stopped at a midway station, a journalist came up to the window yelling, what message do you have for me to take back to my people? Gandhi, staying true to his practice, wrote five words on a slip of paper and put it up in the window for the journalist to see. It read, “My life is my message.”  In the years since, it has become a kind of silent, perpetual mantra for me inside – I have multiple places in my office and home where I’ve placed his message in different forms. It is always asking how my behavior and actions serve as an example for others.

A Send-Off Message for You:

This seems most important at this International Leadership Blogathon, yes? This seems especially true when the send-off is defined as a celebratory demonstration of good will and enthusiasm for the beginning of a new venture. Leadership by example is perhaps our most powerful tool in putting what we are learning here from one another into action. Imagine how different the world would be if one-by-one, we would each reflect all that we wish for in how we think, behave, interact, and operate in our lives and work. At the end of my book, Putting Our Differences to Work, I quote another passage from John Homer Miller that sums it up:

 “You want [a better organization,] a better world? What you need to help [make your organization better] or to make the world better is not more education of your intellect. What you need is something spiritual and ethical added to your knowledge. You need educated emotions and a dedicated heart.”

May your life be the reflection of your leadership message.

SHARE YOUR PERSPECTIVE BELOW…
What bit of wisdom has MOST influenced your leadership?
What other thoughts and advice do you have to share with others?

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How A Group Of Frogs Became A Story About Developing Leaders

February 11, 2011 by

Steph Robey put this video together based on a classic story of frogs traveling through the woods.  The video talks about developing leaders.  While this was made for home based businesses it still has two important lessons that apply to all leaders.

  1. Words Have the Power of Life & Death
  2. It Takes the Power of a Leader to Speak Life

It is a great little video that I know you will enjoy.  Those two lessons carry a lot of meaning.  Please comment and share your thoughts.

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