Many people end up in a supervisory position or SOHO ownership almost by default. In today’s workplace, if someone stays on their job long enough, they will probably be promoted as others more senior to them, or higher up the chain of responsibility, leave for other opportunities.
Startling Leadership Facts
Everybody knows that great leaders are made, not born. That statement sure sounds good but is it possible to be “made” into a leader? I don’t know how you see it, but I certainly have a few other questions that need to be answered.
So how DO you boost your leadership skills? If you want to improve your ability to lead, where should you focus your attention? Why are certain leadership talents more important than others?
High Performance Leadership: Are You ‘Playing Small?’
Are you holding back at what you do, or yearn to become? Do you know that you have, right now, within you all of the resources that are necessary to ‘play big’ and become a high performing leader, at whatever it is you have a true passion for? Do you know that?
The Five Key Facets of Quality Leadership
While billions of dollars are spent annually on leadership development, quality leadership is still in short supply. For example, the move towards total quality has inspired many organizations to take a long, hard look at building their leadership capacity. Quality management systems such as Baldrige, ISO 9000, European Foundation for Quality and the Canadian National Quality Institute all demand an emphasis on quality leadership.
Leadership Lessons from the Pearl Harbor Disaster
One strategy for achieving your full leadership potential is to study history, and learn from the mistakes of others. I recently read At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor, the definitive 889-page study of the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. The bountiful human errors of leadership suggest lessons for leaders that may help you prevent your competitors from catching you and your company off guard and asleep.
Great Leadership Grows From A Mixed Bag
That question is asked of me as often as “what makes a great sales person?” Both answers would be more than a mouthful, but I will provide you with a list of areas I believe are most important to remember.
Culture –
Leaders are the spearhead for the corporation’s culture. Fanaticism has its place here. Anything less than a culture that calls for greatness in everything you do will not work.
Leadership Lesson 1: “Why CAN’T We Do It?”
Pamela Kinser works for the Stanislaus County Department of Employment Training.
“When you’re working with the government,” she told me, “you have so many regulations to follow — City, County, State, and Federal. Two years ago, we knew that the Work Force Investment Act was going to come into effect, bringing a whole new set of regulations.