- Accept life as it is, make the best of it, and “Shoot for the stars”.
- Live in the world you inhabit and swallow a daily dose of reality.
- Look upon things as they are and remember “Perception is reality”.
- Take opportunities and challenges as you find them. Keep your head high and make the best of them. Turn them to your advantage and position yourself for positive results.
- To effectively and successfully lead others, one must first master oneself. To effectively and successfully sell a product, one must sell oneself first. Robert E. Lee once said, “I cannot consent to place in the control of others one who cannot control oneself!”
- A leader’s primary responsibility is to think of the wellbeing of others first. Leaders are masterful coaches that design the positions to fit the players and take the role of service, support, motivate, impact, impress and influence to produce optimum results.
- The “Great duty of life” is “the promotion of the happiness and the welfare of our fellow men and women”!
- A leader should always do what good conscience dictates so he or she will never cause for self-doubt. A leader’s duty is to always do what is right. It takes discipline, focus, and self-determination, and will become easier by practice, and you will enjoy in the midst of your trials the pleasure and inner peace of an approving conscience. That peace of mind that comes from knowing and believing that you have done the right thing is simply a priceless treasure and a true sign of positive leadership!
- Don’t hide anything from your direct reports and team members. Your people can tell if you’re hiding something. It makes them uncertain or suspicious, both of which lead to lack of trust in your leadership. Lay out the rules of the engagement (the ways you wish to conduct business) as you see them with your team. Let your folks know where they are, and work on a plan to go forward. Keep your folks up to date on their status as it relates to them, to their respective disciplines and the company. Sharing your vision and expectations with your respective teams and direct reports makes you a great leader in their eyes and earns you their trust and respect.
- Learn how to lead the younger generation. We have an abundance of “X”, “Y” and “Millennial” generations in the workplace today. Leaders of younger generations are from the most social generation in history. They are in constant contact with peers and family through iMessages and social media sites. But they are also highly isolated because so much of their relational contact is through technology. This has led to poor people skills, low emotional intelligence, and the inability to handle interpersonal challenges. Leaders should work to build relationships one-on-one. A helpful way to do so is to join industry or peer communities to take advantage of meeting and networking in person. Not only will this help their professional development but also help them learn to communicate on a leveled playing field with those of various generations and years of experience.
Check back next month for Lesson 2!
Happy Sailing, Grasshoppers! 😊
Chris Abbey
For More resources or information, check out Inc.’ magazine article on 8 Tips for Effective Leadership @
https://www.inc.com/young-entrepreneur-council/8-tips-for-effective-leadership.html
