Personal Growth – Page 11 – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

Leadership Minute: Hang in There

Posted May 16, 2014
by admin
1 Comment on Leadership Minute: Hang in There

Perseverance, secret of all triumphs. – Victor Hugo

Perseverance is not one of the more glamorous leadership traits. In fact; it can be downright brutal. As leaders we are taught to take Frost’ advice and journey down the road less traveled. But what happens when the road less traveled is traveled less and less by those who are supposed to be leading the way? While perseverance may not be pretty it is a necessity. We need leaders today who have a stick-with-it attitude. We need leaders who are not afraid to put it all on the line and stay the course. The power of perseverance will see you through the good times and bad, but in the end you will be rewarded with a level of success others only dream about. Today you might be tempted to throw in the towel and give up. Don’t. Your leadership can go to a new level but only as you persevere.

Please follow and like us:

Leadership Minute: Listen Up

Posted May 2, 2014
by admin
1 Comment on Leadership Minute: Listen Up

When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen. – Ernest Hemmingway

Listening is one of those ever-developing leadership skills. In our high tech world the art of undistracted listening is a waning skill. Listening is one of the highest compliments you can pay to another person. This means putting away your cell phone or tablet and actually making eye contact while acknowledging the other person. To the same degree we expect people to listen when we speak we should extend the same courtesy to others. People will feel respected when they are respected. Give the other person your undivided attention and hear what they have to say. You will be seen as a leader who cares and you will build your credibility as one who is engaged. Tune out distractions so that you can tune in to what’s really important. Listen up!

Please follow and like us:

Leadership Minute: Get Along

Posted May 1, 2014
by admin
1 Comment on Leadership Minute: Get Along

The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people. – Theodore Roosevelt

Knowing how to get along with people is essential in leadership. Building relationships based on trust and respect is necessary if you want to get things done. While it may a stretch to like everyone or for everyone to like you it is a game-changer if don’t know how to get along with others. You develop your leadership skills when you develop your relationship skills. At times you will have to separate the personal from the professional in order to move forward. And the person you think is not your friend now in the long run may be the one to surprise you down the road. The point here is simple: you can get more done and will be more productive when you learn to build bridges to other people instead of burning them. Get along to get ahead.

Please follow and like us:

Leadership Minute: Positive Influences

Posted April 18, 2014
by admin

I believe that you should gravitate to people who are doing productive and positive things with their lives. – Nadia Comaneci

Your rise as a leader as well as your influence as a leader is largely determined by your ability to surround yourself with positive people and choosing to have a positive disposition. It’s nearly impossible to go forward and achieve your dreams and goals if you are surrounded by negative people. The drag and pull they generate will be a great hindrance to you if you don’t shake them off. It’s as you choose a positive and productive path forward and your ability to surround yourself with like-minded people that you will succeed. Gravitate toward people show share your positive outlook and energy and draw from it. A positive attitude will give you the energy you need to be the productive leader you wish to become.

Please follow and like us:

Leadership Minute: What Makes You Different?

What makes you different is not what you have in your head; it is what you have in your heart. – Charlie “Tremendous” Jones

As a leader, head knowledge is important. Your rise as a leader is precipitated by you willingness and eagerness to learn and draw from a wide range of experiences. Some will be good while others not so good. Learning is essential to your growth as a leader. But make no mistake; what makes you different as a leader is not what you have in your head but what’s in your heart. The heart of a leader; the sum total of all that is good, decent, kind, caring and intuitive will serve you better and longer than any amount of head knowledge. But what a powerful leader you can be when you learn to blend the two in a positive way. What makes you different?

Please follow and like us:

Leadership Minute: Have Fun

Posted March 28, 2014
by admin
3 Comments on Leadership Minute: Have Fun

Fun is good. – Dr. Seuss

For all of the important and serious things that occupy a leaders day one thing worth mentioning is the need for fun. The price of leadership is great responsibility. And yet your temperament as a leader is important. It’s important not just for those around you but for yourself. Are you wound too tight? Would your colleagues agree? The decisions you make are serious but try not to take yourself too serious. Don’t forget to laugh. Remember that the troubles you have today are preparing you for better things tomorrow. Your ability to have fun along the way is just as necessary as any other decision you make. At the end of the day, whether good or bad, let it be said that you find it all most rewarding and fun. Life is just too short for you to be miserable as a leader. Lighten up!

Please follow and like us:

Leadership Minute: Step of Faith

Posted March 27, 2014
by admin
2 Comments on Leadership Minute: Step of Faith

Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

One of the most exhilarating and yet one of the most fearful steps for many leaders is those blind steps of faith. We tend to be careful, calculated, and want to know the whole game plan. But there are those unique and special times when you just have to go with your gut instincts and take a step of faith even if you don’t see the entire picture. Sometimes your goals and dreams await you on the other side of your faith. Dare to dream, set your sights high, and when the time comes, dare to step out and go for it. The big picture will become clearer with each step you take.

Please follow and like us:

Leadership Minute: Working Together

Posted March 13, 2014
by admin
2 Comments on Leadership Minute: Working Together

There is nothing wrong with competition. The problem for many leaders is that thy end up competing against their peers in their organization in a way that hurts the team and them. – John Maxwell

Hopefully within your organization are a group of committed individuals who have a strong desire to succeed. The energy they generate is vital to your future. The more of them you have the better positioned you are going forward. But be careful not to allow that energy to be used in a negative way. Healthy competition is good but it can be counterproductive when it turns friends into enemies or colleagues into adversaries. Don’t allow factions to emerge because of the actions of a few. Your team must be reminded that you are all working toward the same goals and everyone’s success must be celebrated. When you work together you can succeed together.

Please follow and like us:

Leadership Minute: Make The Connection

If you’re talking with your head, you’re going to speak to their heads. If you’re talking with your heart, you’re going to reach their hearts. If you talk with your life, you’re going to reach their lives. – Italo Magni

In many ways leadership is about making connections. It comes with the territory. But the depth of your connections is up to you. When you seek to only connect with others from an intellectual standpoint then your impact will be nominal. When you go a little deeper and lead with your heart then you can make a difference. Certainly your influence is increased. But when you lead with your life and connect on that more intimate level you can change the world. Do you desire to be a world-changing leader? Make the investment to lead with your life and then everything else will fall into place. It will not be easy and will require much from you. But it’s worth it. Make the connection.

Please follow and like us:

Leadership Minute: Keep Your Composure

The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. – James Allen

As a leader, how you respond when things do not happen as you’d like is your moment to either build confidence with your team or send the wrong signal. The leader who keeps his composure is the one who delivers much needed confidence. And in the midst of turbulent times you can communicate the message that, in spite of the circumstances, things are going to be fine. How you handle the unexpected and conflict is your moment to shine. Regardless of how chaotic things may get you can lead your team with a steady hand when you are clear-minded and keep your composure.

Please follow and like us: