Quotes On Leadership

I've been posting on this blog for a little while and I'm getting quite a few people stopping by BUT... I still have no idea whether a) you find it useful, b) why you came here and c) whether you want different stuff? I set up the blog mostly for my own amusement but enough people are reading it for me to ask these questions. So please....leave some comments...good or bad...I just want to know! Thanks for your time

"The two things that people want more than sex or money are recognition and praise.” – Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics Whilst I'm not sure that there is anything that people want more than sex or money if there is anything I'm sure recognition and praise would be top of the list! In our daily lives it is far too easy to those who work with and for us for granted. A sincerely given word of praise or recognition can make someone feel wanted and appreciated more than any salary raise or extra benefit ever could. If we want to be true leaderships then we should develop the art of praising others when they do well and of recognizing their efforts.

If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities. - Maya Angelou I've just found this quote.  It's a wonderful expression of one of the privileges of leadership - being a leader can mean that your single intention and desire can profoundly affect many people.  Not all of us can hope to touch a million people but we can play a part in changing many "realities".

Example is not the main thing in influencing others, it is the only thing. Albert Schweitzer A leader can shape his followers best by showing them the way forward rather than telling them  about it. If you want to show your team how important serving your clients is make sure that they can see  you taking it seriously and going the extra mile.  If they can see that you are committed they are more likely to follow your example. To paraphrase Gandhi if you want to make a change be the best example of that change and others  will follow. 

"The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just." Abraham Lincoln Not all leaders are given a winning hand and sometimes failure seems likely. The mark of a good leader is the ability to continue to do the right thing even when success is elusive. Lincoln was more pragmatic than his words reveal but he also knew that sometimes doing the right thing is better than doing the thing most likely to bring success. From that all leaders can learn

"He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander" - Aristotle There is a discipline involved in being a good follower. It's not always easy to obey command with which you don't agree. As a follower you do so because you accept that you are being led and that your leader may have a bigger vision than your own. In addition you respect that decision because it has been made by a leader you have accepted. When a follower becomes a leader the experience of learning to obey is enormously valuable. The leader who has been a good follower can understand the frustrations of being led and can take that into account in making and implementing decisions.

"As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others." Bill Gates It is accepted wisdom that a good leader "empowers" their followers but what does that mean in practice? It means accepting that you don't know everything. It means accepting that you can't do everything. Empowering people means giving them real responsibility for the success of the joint venture. Giving away responsibility is a visible act of trust and it allows followers to contribute. We live in a time of increasing speed and complexity in all areas of our lives. If a leader fails to accept that success means trusting others they will fail to achieve their potential.