Dear
Friends,
During
my hip surgery recovery, I’ve had the opportunity to spend some time revisiting
several books I had previously read on the subject of leadership, What I
share are some of the notes I had taken from The Leader's
Greatest Return, by John Maxwell, a book I first read in 2022. I am
indebted to John for his leadership wisdom, and most all of what I've written
derives from notes I had taken from the first chapter or John's
bestselling book.
My
hope is that you will find some nuggets of wisdom that will assist you in
becoming a more effective leader.
You
may be saying, "Tom, you don't know me. I am not a leader," but
nothing could be further from the truth, for everyone is a leader. If
leadership could be summed up in one word, and I think it can, it would
be the word influence. You are either a good influence or a bad influence, and
the kind of leader you are- a good leader of a bad leader will depend on the
kind of influence you exercise.
“What
are the qualities one looks for in searching for a leader? I suggest you
develop your own list. In doing so you might write down words like attitude,
relatability, integrity, creativity, personality, intelligence,
determination.......Half the battle in finding a good leader is knowing what
you are looking for.”
“Recognize
that everyone you invite to be a part of your team will do one of two things-
make you better or worse, for people decisions cannot be hidden.”
“Dale Carnegie states
‘Men are developed in the same way gold is mined... Several tons of dirt must
be moved to get an ounce of gold, but you don't go into the mine looking for
dirt, you go into the mine looking for gold.”
“Great
leaders have the ability to make others greater by helping increase the vision
they have of themselves.”
“When
you believe in your people, they begin to believe in themselves. When people
believe in you, they will try harder to please you. Abraham Lincoln said, ‘I'm
a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn't
have the heart to let him down.’"
“People
who believe in you will bring out the best in you”…When you think of high
points in your life, you often will think of some important
person's words of encouragement spoken to you during the course of your
life, and those words were life changing. I personally will never forget the
words of a former pastor friend Dick Armstrong who told me over the phone,
"You are the man for the position," and those words instilled within
me the kind of confidence that assured me that I was capable of
leading an inter racial inner city church in Philadelphia church in spite of
having no previous experience in urban or inter racial ministry.
“Abraham
Lincoln said 'I'm a success today because I had a friend who believed in me,
and I didn't have the heart to let him down.’ It is true that people who
believe in you bring out the best in you. Former politician Mark Sanborn said, “great
leaders help people have a larger vision of themselves.”
“When hiring someone, there are four questions that are helpful to ask to
determine if the person will be a good fit. “
“1.
How did the culture at your last company empower or disempower you?
2.
What are the character traits of the best boss you ever had?
3.
Describe how you handle conflicts with one of your coworkers?
4.
What form of feedback do you expect to receive in this role and how often do
you expect to receive it?”
“When
you bring someone new onto your team, make sure they have clear expectations.
Remind them that they are expected to keep growing, and that they must value
other people, always take responsibility for their actions and never avoid
tough conversations.”
“A
former Delta Air executive, ‘ Says we hire for attitude, but we train for
aptitude....... Good leaders want more for their people than they want for
themselves. ……….Empathy is critical and combined with integrity, it drives
trust and gives followers a sense that their interests are being looked after,
and this creates positive energy. Followers who sense that a leader appreciates
them are motivated to carry out their duties in a more committed way.’”
“It's
important to know whether your workers enjoy work. Warren Buffett, chairman of
Berkshire Hathaway, loves what he does so much that he says, ' I tap dance to
work every day,' and Tommy Lasorda, former Los Angeles baseball manager,
when asked about his attitude, 'said the best day of my life is when I manage a
winning game. The second-best day of my life is when I manage a losing game.'”
“Character
is about managing your life so well that you can lead others well. The
formation of your character produces predictability, dependability, and
consistency, and these three qualities motivate people to place their
confidence in you”.
I hope
some of the above leadership insights can assist you whether you are in formal
or informal leadership positions or not.
And
again ,I thank John Maxwell for his insights found in The Leaders
Greatest Return
Yours
in faith and friendship,
Tom
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