Tag: Leadership
-
LEADERSHIP IS ‘WRITING ON A BLANK SHEET OF PAPER’
Several years ago, I had the honor of interviewing Millard Fuller on the topic of leadership and listening. Millard founded Habitat for Humanity International in 1976 and served in executive roles until 2005. Through his stellar leadership, Habitat grew into a worldwide Christian housing ministry and in 1996, former U.S. President Bill Clinton awarded Fuller…
-
WHICH VOICE DO YOU CHOOSE TO LISTEN TO?
A powerful old story captures the importance of the messages that we listen to inside of our heads. An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life: “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.” It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he…
-
LISTEN LIKE MR. ROGERS
On March 20, we celebrate TV personality and Rollins College Alum Mr. Fred Rogers who would have been 86 years old. He passed away in 2003. Fred Rogers dedicated his life to serving children. His relentless commitment to all that is best in people led to an astonishing array of honors, from induction into the…
-
LISTENING LEADERS TAKE NOTES
A fundamental tool for listening leaders is taking notes. Although you may periodically take notes when you are on the phone or in meetings, the majority of leaders normally do not take written notes. The following 6 suggestions are designed to help you improve your note-taking ability: 1. Be prepared and decide whether or…
-
GET ON THE BALCONY
Do you spend most of your time in the ‘DOING’ of life? If so, you are most likely not realizing your fullest capacity. Consider the importance of GETTING ON THE BALCONY periodically to check out what is happening. This is all about having a clear perspective in the midst of the action. Here are 4…
-
NO BEAT, NO RHYTHM, NO CONSISTENCY
In the film Mr. Holland’s Opus, music teacher Mr. Holland worked relentlessly in helping student Lou Russ, the state wrestling champion, to find the beat on the bass drum so that he would be able to pass the band course. No beat, no pass…. it’s as simple as that. Eventually, Lou found the beat and,…
-
DON’T FILL THE SILENCE VACUUM
Ron Heifetz, Senior Lecturer at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, is one of the foremost authorities on leadership. I had the privilege of learning with Ron several years ago and can personally attest to the unconventional approach he uses to teach leadership. In a Fast Company interview years ago he stated that “most leaders die…
-
WALK TOWARD THE BARKING DOG
When I got out of the Army years ago, I needed to find work and landed a job with the local utilities company as a meter reader. This worked out well for me since I was going to night school and I was off by 3:00 PM every day. After the first day, I realized…
-
5 STEPS TO DEAL WITH THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
What does the “Elephant in the Room” mean? This is where everyone in a meeting knows that there is an issue or problem BUT no one is talking about it. In many cases, the more the elephant is ignored, the bigger it grows! What are the costs of NOT dealing with it? Big problems and…
-
LEAD LIKE A THERMOSTAT
Leaders don’t just take the temperature of their team or their organization, they control it. A thermometer takes the temperature; a thermostat regulates it. So goes the life of an effective leader, otherwise known as….the thermostat. To create change, you have to control the temperature. There are 2 primary tasks: RAISE THE HEAT: So people…