Get Out Of The Communication Stone Age: Give Leadership Talks

Author: Brent Filson

PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in newsletters and on web sites provided attribution is provided to the author, and it appears with the included copyright, resource box and live web site link. Email notice of intent to publish is appreciated but not required: mail to: brent@actionleadership.com

Word count: 715

Get Out Of The Communication Stone Age: Give Leadership Talks By Brent Filson

160 years ago, the newly invented electric telegraph carried the first news message. The message zipped 40 miles in a flash over wires from Baltimore to Washington, D.C.

The public was dazzled -- except Henry David Thoreau. He wrote: ""We are in great haste to construct a magnetic telegraph from Maine to Texas; but Maine and Texas, it may be, have nothing important to communicate.""

Today, we live in a Golden Age of communication. We have the Internet. We have faxes. We have e-mails. We have streaming video. We have on-line audio. We have RSS feeds. We have logs and blogs.

Yet today Thoreau is as right as rain. When it comes to really getting our messages across, we're stuck in the Stone Age.

Here's why. The vast majority of business leaders I've encountered are repeatedly making a huge mistake in communication, a mistake that's screwing up their jobs and careers. They're stuck giving presentations and speeches. They're NOT giving Leadership Talks!

What's a Leadership Talk? Look at it this way: There's a hierarchy of verbal persuasion when it comes to business leadership. The lowest levels are speeches and presentations. They communicate information. The highest, most effective way of communicating is the Leadership Talk. The Leadership Talk does more than simply send information. It has the leader establish a deep, human, emotional connection with the audience. That's where leaders communicate for the best results.

Here are a few examples of leadership talks. When Churchill said, ""We will fight on the beaches ... "" That was a leadership talk. When Kennedy said, ""Ask not what your country can do for you ... "" that was a leadership talk. When Reagan said, ""Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"" That was a leadership talk.

You can come up with a lot of examples too. Go back to those moments when the words of a leader inspired people to take ardent action, and you've probably put your finger on an authentic leadership talk.

Mind you, I'm not just talking about great leaders of history. I'm also talking about all leaders everywhere no matter what their function or rank. After all, leaders speak 15 to 20 times a day: everything from formal speeches to informal chats. When those interactions are leadership talks, not just speeches or presentations, the effectiveness of those leaders is dramatically increased.

That's where business leaders communicate for the best results. You can order people to go from point A to point B. But the best way to get great results is to have people want to go from A to B. Instilling ""want to"" in others, motivating them ... isn't that what great leadership is all about?

Don't get me wrong. The Leadership Talk is not some kind of ""feel-good"" way of relating. It took me 20 years to figure out how to give Leadership Talks and write two books about it. There are specific processes one must manifest in order to give Leadership Talks. Usually it takes me two full days to teach people how to do it. Once they learn it, they can use it throughout the rest of their careers. The Leadership Talk is relatively easy to learn and it takes years to master. The point is that through it, you can take specific, concrete steps to motivate people to take action that gets great results. For instance, before leaders can develop and deliver a Leadership Talk, they must first answer ""yes"" to three simple questions: ""Do you know what the audience needs? Can you transfer your deep believe to others so they believe as strongly as you do about the challenges you face? And can you have that audience take ardent action that gets results?"" If leaders ""no"" to any one of those questions, he/she can't give a Leadership Talk.

160 years ago the dots and dashes that chattered down the wires from Baltimore to Washington spelled out that the Whigs had nominated Henry Clay to run for the presidency.

Back then, Thoreau might have said nothing important was communicated; but today if you want to lead for great results, take Thoreau to heart. Communicate what truly IS important. Don't give presentations and speeches. Give Leadership Talks. Forge those deep, human, emotional connections with your audiences. Get them motivated to take ardent action for great results.

2006 © The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

The author of 23 books, Brent Filson's recent books are, THE LEADERSHIP TALK: THE GREATEST LEADERSHIP TOOL and 101 WAYS TO GIVE GREAT LEADERSHIP TALKS. He is founder and president of The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. - and for more than 20 years has been helping leaders of top companies worldwide get audacious results. Sign up for his free leadership e-zine at http://www.actionleadership.com and get a free white paper: ""49 Ways To Turn Action Into Results."" For more about The Leadership Talk: http://theleadershiptalk.com

About the author: The author of 23 books, Brent Filson's most recent books are: THE LEADERSHIP TALK: THE GREATEST LEADERSHIP TOOL and 101 WAYS TO GIVE GREAT LEADERSHIP TALKS. http://www.actionleadership.com

The Three C's of Leadership

Author: Rick Johnson

Curiosity - Creativity - Commitment --- The Three C's of Leadership BY: Rick Johnson CEO Strategist llc

People who get results are high impact leaders. They are consistent, explicit and concise and they command a presence when they walk into a room. They have enough charisma to turn the dullest moment into a high-energy event. When they move on, others want to go with them. Their openness and honesty creates a legacy which people admire and look up to. They gain commitment and foster trust.

Most of us are not born leaders. However, a good percentage of us long to become leaders of men and make deep connections in our careers seeking that ultimate leadership position. It may be Sales Manager, Warehouse Supervisor, Vice President, CFO or even CEO.

To achieve our leadership objective understanding the Three C's of Leadership is essential:

* Curiosity * Creativity * Commitment

Curiosity

Every successful leader demonstrates a curiosity that would not be satisfied without personal examination of what exactly were the causes of failure to meet expectations. This was validated through NAW's (National Association of Wholesaler Distributors) research ""Profiles in Wholesale Distribution Leadership. http://www.nawpubs.org/orderform.html . In this project, individual leadership models differed in their specific approaches. The common thread that linked every model together was their respect for the individual and the willingness and ability to listen with an understanding that embellished their own leadership contribution to the organization. The most obvious similarity between these the seven exceptional leaders interviewed was the fact that they were all curious, creative and committed. Leadership is about curiosity, scenario planning, strategic planning and calculated risk taking. Effective leaders are excellent listeners that have tremendous questioning skills. The power of influence is often in the question and not in the answers. Effective leaders understand this concept. A common trait found in every successful leader I have ever been associated with is unhesitant curiosity. Curiosity about their markets, their business, their industry, their employees and what it takes to grow, prosper and create competitive advantage. These leaders have accepted the fact that they may not have all the answers. More importantly, they recognize that they don't have to have all the answers. Changing a leadership style is not the easiest thing in the world to do. Development of their leadership skills is a continuous process. This process includes: * Enhancement of their instinctive curiosity and a strengthening of their focus on being a customer driven organization. Service and quality become a way of life within the organization and it is used to support their competitive advantage. * Taking their vision and redefining it as an end game which challenges their executive team to create a strategic plan to meet this end game. * The recognition that employees are the most precious asset and backing up that recognition by the willingness to invest profits in the development of these employees. * Empowerment that is accompanied by the resources necessary to succeed and accountability for results. * Utilizing a board of directors as a resource while sharing management challenges seeking policy and guidance, incorporating contingency planning and scenario planning as a regular exercise. Wholesale distribution organizations increasingly are characterized by a large and incredibly complex set of independent relationships between highly diverse groups of people. To be successful, today's leader must determine how to get active involvement built on a platform of creativity, commitment and curiosity out of their employees. Creativity

Successful leaders take the time to listen, imagine and investigate numerous alternatives. With the involvement of people they forge creative solutions to difficult problems. They challenge their people to stretch, go beyond their previous boundaries and think outside the box. Successful leaders feed off their people and allow their people to feed off of them. They give credit where credit is due. They give recognition as a means of gaining respect. They believe individuals can make a difference. Through these methods they learn to create new insights and possibilities. Successful leadership means creating a sense of urgency, getting mutual commitment to action. Action steps are always clearly defined and precise. Often, due to the personification of the leader's own personality and charisma, employees are eager to leap into action - without forethought. A successful leader recognizes this possibility and takes the necessary steps to avoid this pitfall by teaching precision in planning. They are clear and explicit. They communicate with encouraging clarity that commands ownership by everyone involved in the commitments made. The successful leader is constantly building advantages into the organizations. The belief is that you don't always have to be better than your competition but you must be different. This concept demands creativity and innovations.

Commitment

Commitment is critical element to success whether the company is in a growth mode, a stabilizing mode or an acquisition mode or any other type of circumstance. Failure to demonstrate commitment by the leader can have negative consequences that inhibit success. Commitment is essential to developing trust. Trust is necessary to get people to reach down deep inside and give everything they have under the most difficult circumstances. The reason people follow any leader, especially in the business world, is due to trust. The only way to develop trust is by demonstrating personal commitment to success. Talking to people with respect to gain their respect and demonstrating your personal work ethic is part of your commitment. Their respect is a key ingredient to developing trust. Trust is gained when people think the company cares about their welfare and recognizes the role they play in creating a profit.. People have to think that the company not only cares about their problems but that the leader and the company is committed toward making every effort to solve them. Employees want to take pride in their leaders. They are eager to give their trust but demonstrating the kind of commitment as a leader that deserves that trust can not be over emphasized. Don't let the employees down. Commitment to the employees and the company is built around a true concern for the people within the organization. It is based on fairness and consistency. The effectiveness of a true leader is not measured in terms of the leadership he or she exercises. It is measured in the leadership evoked. It is not measured in terms of power over subordinates but in terms of the power released in subordinates. Leadership is not measured in terms of goals and objectives but it is measured in terms of the accomplishment of others as a result of that leadership. Leadership is not measured in the decisions made, the costs cut, the plans made. It is measured in terms of the growth in confidence, sense of responsibility and acceptance of accountability of the employees that are a result of that leadership.

Leadership and commitment are intertwined. They go together. Leadership and commitment help create solidarity. Solidarity implies a unity within a group that enables it to manifest its strength and exert its influence as a group. Unity implies oneness, especially of what is varied or diverse in its direction or clarity. Unity describes the inner relationships of individual parts making up the whole. It is an achievement that demands the probability of action and leadership. That action, that leadership, if appropriate and precise, leads to trust. Demonstrate your commitment to the company, to your employees and to success in every possible way. Your employees need to know you are committed.

Once these principles are learned and practiced , leverage of these leadership skills to develop the management team is the next step. The true test of a successful leader is that he leaves behind the conviction, the will and the understanding to carry on.

Leaders must make emotional connections with the management team that surrounds them. They must encourage these people to open up, share dialog and reveal dreams. They must teach and mentor. It's not as easy as Willie Nelson would have you believe. A good leader is not intimidated by the success of others. They encourage others to succeed and help them fulfill their wants and needs. Leveraging leadership helps determine the hidden factors in communication. Understanding inferences and assertions become a key component to understanding people. Curious leaders have high questioning and prospering skills that allow them to drill down to real facts and issues. Leveraging their leadership allows successful leaders to establish emotional connections, which diminish fear and intimidation. This encourages enthusiasm and cooperation.

Excellence in what you do, continuous improvement aren't words. They're a way of life. When you understand that they're a way of life, then the change that you have in the way you perform is beyond comprehension because you just wind up operating at a different level, and if you can find a way to capture that in the culture of your business, in the culture that you emanate to your people, then as this culture structure changes, you have an opportunity for a superior level of performance. Excellence, and that's what in the end it's all about. Excellence breeds a high level of profitability. Chuck Steiner (2003) his NAW interview,

Success depends on more than just ""best practice"" success drivers. Success demands a superior level of leadership--a level that requires deep commitment. This commitment will not flourish in workplace environments that are still dominated by the ""slap & point"" or the ""carrot and stick"" method of management often used in the past.

About the author: www.ceostrategist.com Dr. Rick Johnson (rick@ceostrategist.com) is the founder of CEO Strategist LLC. an experienced based firm specializing in leadership and the creation of competitive advantage in wholesale distribution. CEO Strategist LLC. works in an advisory capacity with distributor executives in board representation, executive coaching, team coaching and education and training to make the changes necessary to create or maintain co

Coaching --- A Secret Ingredient for Effective Leadership

Author: Rick Johnson

A prerequisite for effective leadership is the ability to coach your employees. Don't confuse coaching with mentoring. There is a suttle difference between coaching and mentoring.

Coaching means; To help improve performance by encouraging, motivating and directing others to achieve their goals.

Mentoring means; Becoming a confidant - leading through the use of past examples and experience

Coaching is the frontline to improved employee performance. Mentoring is a skill required for selected employee long term development. We are going to focus on coaching in this article. Coaching is proven to work when these two factors are present. First, the employee is willing and wants to grow, second, there is a gap between where they are now and where they want to be. These two basic factors are absolutely essential for you and the employee to solve problems, create a new life, turn a business around, to increase sales and profitability, and design and implement a plan of action.

Ultimately humans consistently do only that which they naturally and effortlessly love to do. Finding that passion again and determining what you really want for yourself and your business is your first task. Coaching will help distinguish between what the employee ""should want"" and ""have to want"" from what they truly want for themselves. Once you help them develop their vision, they are much more likely to naturally and consistently proceed in that direction.

Very few people ever learn the skills of how to think. In our schools, families, and social structures, we learn ""how"" and ""what"" to do and we learn ""what"" to think. Our world is full of individuals who have chosen dependent, me first, excuse-ridden attitudes. It has become a way of life. This type of attitude is a dead end for employees. It is unwanted, unproductive, and unprofitable. Possibility thinking through coaching opens the door to a whole new way of seeing and interacting within the environment of the business world we find ourselves in.

The old saying ""No Pain, No Gain"" is exactly the same as the scientific principle of cause and effect. The employees you select to coach and mentor will learn to produce more with less effort. They become more productive and more valuable to the organization. Coaching can help employees eliminate roadblocks and help identify if not eliminate critical constraints that prevent success. Coaching helps employees intensify their focus and become more visionary and productive. Supportive and mutually beneficial relationships are what business and a friendly family culture are all about. Unfortunately, few people learn the communication, decision-making, and perception skills needed to nurture these incredible skills. It is amazing how simple they are to understand and how difficult they are to implement. Coaching can increase the skill level in each of these areas.

The Five Key Objectives of Coaching

1. Identifying the obstacles to success and helping the employee overcome them. Personal and professional success comes much more easily when you have a strong coach or mentor. 2. Better decisions are a result of the willingness to discuss ideas and concerns. Winners are always seeking feedback from others. 3. Expand the self imposed horizon and boundaries the employee has created for themselves 4. Setting individual goals and objectives 5. Identifying and working on individual weaknesses that can impede success The Umbrella Principles

Think of coaching like an umbrella. There are several principles that fall under this umbrella that support the five key objectives of coaching, these include:

* Observing Behavior * Effective listening * Providing Feedback * Recognizing performance * Training

The Five Steps in the Coaching Process

An effective coaching process requires that goals and expectations are clearly understood. It is essential that the employee being coached receive all the appropriate training based on his job responsibilities and future developmental needs. Behavior observation, communication and finally behavior modification are essential to success at coaching. This includes feedback and positive reinforcement.

1. Set clear goals & expectations. Setting goals and objectives is no easy task. They must be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely. (SMART) Goals and objectives are the very first step in effective coaching. The employee should participate in this process. After all, the goals should be specific to that individual and they must take ownership. As goals or expectations change, it is your job as coach to communicate these changes to your employees. The goal should be negotiated, not dictated.

2. Training. To be an effective coach, you need to understand the employee's strengths and weaknesses. This includes a thorough understanding of their training needs and accomplishments. Do they have the necessary skills and knowledge to accomplish the goals and objectives that have been set? Making sure that the employee has the opportunity to get the required training to develop their skill set is a prerequisite to effective coaching. One of your basic challenging responsibilities as a coach is to identify the skills and knowledge the employee needs and then arrange for the appropriate training.

3. Behavior Observation. How does the employee react to a crisis? How do they handle themselves when they are placed in leadership situations? How do they react to peer pressure? As a coach observing the employee's behavior and noting specifics that need attention and discussion is a primary responsibility. It is important that you collect and record both positive and negative performance along the way to add credibility to your feedback.

4. Feedback Meeting with the employee regularly to discuss performance and other issues is absolutely critical to their development. The key is not in telling the employee what to do but it is helping the employee find the answers on their own. This can be done by asking very specific thought provoking questions. Make sure you give the employee kudos for all the positive behavior you have observed.

5. Positive Reinforcement. Believe it or not, employees want to be held accountable. If we re going to hold employees accountable, they have to know how they are performing. Specifically we should emphasize the positive aspects of their performance. Focusing on the good things an employee accomplishes will motivate them to continue to do good work, and in turn will ensure repeat performance. It's About Leadership Make no mistake, coaching and mentoring is about leadership. It is difficult to be a coach or a mentor without leadership skills. Coaching and mentoring is all about the development of others. It requires effective development activities and projects related to current and future performance expectations. It requires the unique ability to recognize potential skill and ability in others that is worthy of development. A good coach, an effective leader, possesses an innate ability to motivate and inspire others to achieve stretch goals. They have the ability, the knowledge and the sensitivity to generate an adaptive style according to the individual and circumstances at hand earning respect and trust. E-mail rick@ceostrategist.com for a list of the key characteristics of a good coach or mentor and a questionnaire to help define personal goals.

About the author: www.ceostrategist.com Dr. Rick Johnson (rick@ceostrategist.com) is the founder of CEO Strategist LLC. an experienced based firm specializing in leadership and the creation of competitive advantage in wholesale distribution. CEO Strategist LLC. works in an advisory capacity with distributor executives in board representation, executive coaching, team coaching and education and training to make the changes necessary to create or maintain co

What is Your Leadership Legacy?

Author: Rick Johnson

What's Your Leadership Legacy Going To Be?

It's a brand new year and your major focus is most likely on your 2006 business plan and how you are going to achieve the goals and objectives you have set for the business. This thought process focuses predominantly on business issues, external influences, strategy and keeping the team focused on success.

But what about you? What are your personal plans as a leader for 2006 and beyond? What are you doing to improve the impact you have on people? Who is responsible for your personal growth and success? To be an effective leader, regular self analysis and reflection is absolutely critical to your personal growth. Start by asking yourself the following questions. (It is okay to talk to yourself as long as you don't start answering yourself out loud)

* What do you want people to say about your impact as a leader? * What do you want people to say about you as a business person? * What do you want people to say about you as an individual? * What do you want your leadership legacy to be? * What wisdom and intellectual knowledge will you implant in your employees? * Are you a mentor?

Think about some of the headlines mentioned in this months e-mail about former CEOs who now face jail time. (Kenneth Lay, Jeff Skilling and Bernie Ebbers) Think about some of the more successful leaders like Lee Iacocca and Jack Welch. It is pretty easy to define the leadership legacy each of these individuals created.

So how do you create a leadership legacy you can be proud of, one that speaks volumes about who you are and what you accomplished? The answer begins by taking a personal inventory of your personal values. Make sure that you clearly distinguish your personal values from your business values. A major piece of the formula is creating balance in your life. Family is without a doubt your number one priority. I often ask the following question during leadership seminars.

""What is the one thing in your life that you would be willing to die for? I mean take a bullet right in the heart for?""

""When you figure out the answer to that question - You'll know EXACTLY what you should be living for.""

Once you understand and practice the concept of balance the rest should come easy. Vision and mission becomes the business portion of your legacy that is built on your personal platform. This is your passion. This is what you expect to accomplish and how you are going to accomplish it. It is the foundation of your end game. This is what you are passionate about; a passion that will drive you toward success.

Creating a legacy around this balance, this drive, this passion, vision and mission is dependant upon your personal values and integrity intertwined with your people skills. How do you treat people? Do you really care? Have your earned their trust and respect by giving them trust and respect?

No, we can't be absolutely positive about what people are going to say about us. But, we can do some things that influence what people think when our personal legacy is discussed. Identifying what we want our legacy to be is the first step. Creating a definitive plan to achieve that legacy built on our personal values, integrity and passion is what we need to focus on. This requires a constant personal reflection and renewal of our commitment to create a legacy to be proud of.

About the author: www.ceostrategist.com Dr. Rick Johnson (rick@ceostrategist.com) is the founder of CEO Strategist LLC. an experienced based firm specializing in leadership and the creation of competitive advantage in wholesale distribution. CEO Strategist LLC. works in an advisory capacity with distributor executives in board representation, executive coaching, team coaching and education and training to make the changes necessary to create or maintain co

How do develop the 10 Capabilities to Leadership - Capability 2 - The Ability to Inspire others!

Author: lee stemm

In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.

- Albert Schweitzer

All effective leaders have their own unique vision of what they want to accomplish. That vision becomes the energy behind every effort and the force that pushes through all the problems on the way. With vision, the leader is on a mission and a contagious spirit is felt among the crowd until others begin to rise alongside the leader.

Unity is essential for the dream to be realised. Long hours of labour are given gladly to accomplish the goal. Individual rights are set aside because the whole is much more important than the part. Time flies, morale soars upward, heroic stories are told, and the commitment is the watchword. Why? Because the leader has a vision!

Vision is everywhere for a leader. It sparks and fuels the fire within, and draws you forward. It is also the fire lighter for others who follow that leader.

Leadership is communicating to people their worth and potential so clearly that they come to see it themselves.

Vision starts within; therefore if you lack vision, look inside. What are your natural gifts and desires? Look to your calling if you have one. And if you still don't sense a vision of your own, then consider hooking up with a leader whose vision resonates with you. Become a partner. Powerful visions become a magnet; they attract, challenge and unite people who have similar values and goals. Nobody can accomplish great things alone. To fulfil a big vision, you need a good team.

What motivates others?

1. Significant contributions - People want to feel that they are valued and that they can contribute to others. They need to see that what they are doing is not wasted effort, but is making a contribution. People must see value in what they are doing. Motivation comes not by activity alone, but by the desire to reach the end results. 2. Good Participation - People support what they create. Being a part of the goal-setting process is motivating and it allows people to feel needed. They like to feel they are making a difference. When people have given input, they have a stake in the issue. They own it and support it. Seeing goals become reality and helping to shape the future is fulfilling. Goal participation builds team spirit, enhances morale, and helps everyone feel important. 3. Positive dissatisfaction - Someone said that dissatisfaction is the one-word definition for motivation. Dissatisfied people are highly motivated people, for they see the need for immediate change. They know something is wrong and often know what needs to be done. Dissatisfaction can inspire change or it can lead to a critical spirit. It can lead to apathy or stir one into action. The key is harnessing this energy toward effective change. 4. Recognition - People want to be noticed. They want credit for personal achievements and appreciation for their contributions. Recognition is one way to give meaning to a person's existence. 5. Clear expectations - People are motivated when they know exactly what they are to do and have the confidence that they can do it successfully. No one wants to jump into a tank that is vague or a job whose description is uncertain. Motivation rises in a job when the goals, expectations, and responsibilities are clearly understood. When delegating responsibility, be sure to give the necessary authority to carry out the task. People perform better when they have some control over their work and their time.

Remember: The number one motivational principle in the world is: People do what people see. Leaders must care for people before they can develop them.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said: ""Trust people and they will be true to you: treat them greatly and they will show themselves great.""

About the author: Lee stemm is a leadership + performance coach who supports business and organisational leaders in developing a coaching culture providing a framework for leadership that fosters transformation. join our monthly teleclass on leadership topics http://www.inspiringexcellence.net

Best Leadership Advice: Business Success Secrets From 7 Top Leaders

Author: Paul Thornton

Fortune magazine once published an article entitled ""The Best Advice I Ever Got."" It was a great article that offered wit and wisdom about achieving business success. I liked it so much, that it motivated me to produce my newest book, Leadership:Best Advice I Ever Got, which describes the best leadership advice 136 successful CEOs, coaches, consultants, professors, managers, executives, presidents, politicians, and religious leaders received that most helped them become effective and successful leaders.

Here are 7 secrets to leadership success:

1. Leadership is about making things happen

If you want to make something happen with your life, in school, in your profession or in your community, do it. Perceived obstacles crumble against persistent desire. John Baldoni, Author, Leadership Communication Consultant and Founder of Baldoni Consulting LLC, shared this advice that had come from his father, a physician. He taught him the value of persistence. At the same time, his mother taught him compassion for others. Therefore, persistence for your cause should not be gained at the expense of others. Another bit of leadership wisdom!

2. Listen and understand the issue, then lead

Time and time again we have all been told, ""God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason""...or as Stephen Covey said...""Seek to understand, rather than be understood."" As a leader, listening first to the issue, then trying to coach, has been the most valuable advice that Cordia Harrington, President and CEO of Tennessee Bun Company has been given.

3. Answer the three questions everyone within your organization wants answers to

What the people of an organization want from their leader are answers to the following: Where are we going? How are we going to get there? What is my role? Kevin Nolan, President & Chief Executive Officer of Affinity Health Systems, Inc. believes the more clarity that can be added to each of the three questions, the better the result.

4. Master the goals that will allow you to work anywhere in today's dynamic business world

Debbe Kennedy, President, CEO and Founder of Global Dialogue Center and Leadership Solutions Companies, and author of Action Dialogues and Breakthrough once shared this piece of advice that was instrumental in shaping her direction, future and achievements. She was a young manager at IBM just promoted to her first staff assignment in a regional marketing office. For reasons she can't explain, one of her colleagues named Bookie called her into his office while she was visiting his location. He then began to offer unsolicited advice, but advice that now stays fresh in her mind. He mentioned that jobs, missions, titles and organizations would come and go as business is dynamic-- meaning it is always changing. He advised her not to focus your goals toward any of these, but instead learn to master the skills that will allow you to work anywhere.

He was talking about four skills: The ability to develop an idea Effectively plan for its implementation Execute second-to-none Achieve superior results time after time

With this in mind, Kennedy advises readers to seek jobs and opportunities with this in mind. Forget what others do. Work to be known for delivering excellence. It speaks for itself and it opens doors.

5. Be curious

Curiosity is a prerequisite to continuous improvement and even excellence. The person who gave Mary Jean Thornton, Former Executive Vice President & CIO, The Travelers this advice urged her to study people, processes, and structures. He inspired her to be intellectually curious. He often reminded Thornton that making progress, in part, was based upon thinking. She has learned to apply this notion of intellectual curiosity by thinking about her organization's future, understanding the present, and knowing and challenging herself to creatively move the people and the organization closer to its vision.

6. Listen to both sides of the argument

The most valuable advice Brian P. Lees, Massachusetts State Senator and Senate Minority Leader ever received came from his mentor, United States Senator Edward W. Brooke III. He told him to listen to all different kinds of people and ideas. Listening only to those who share your background and opinions can be imprudent. It is important to respect your neighbors' rights to their own views. Listening to and talking with a variety of people, from professors to police officers, from senior citizens to schoolchildren, is essential not only to be a good leader in business, but to also be a valuable member within your community.

7. Prepare, prepare, prepare

If you fail to prepare, you are preparing to fail. If one has truly prepared and something goes wrong the strength of the rest of what you've prepared for usually makes this something easier to handle without crisis and panic. One of the best pieces of advice Dave Hixson, Men's Varsity Basketball Coach at Amherst College has ever received and continues to use and pass on is this anonymous quote, ""Preparation is the science of winning.""

Along with this are two expressions from Rick Pitino's book Success is a Choice, which speaks to preparation. Hixson asks his teams every year: ""Do you deserve to win?"" and ""Have you done the work?"" This speaks to the importance of preparation toward achieving your final goal. If you haven't done the work (preparation) the answer to the second question is an easy ""no!""

Great advice comes from many sources: parents, other relatives, consultants, bosses, co-workers, mentors, teachers, coaches, and friends. The important point to remember is to stay open, listen to everyone, but also develop your own leadership style.

About the author: Paul B. Thornton us President, Be the Leader Associates, www.betheleader.com and author of seven books on management and leadership. His latest book, Leadership-Best Advice I Ever Got, is available at WingSpan Press, amazon.com, and bn.com.

A Leadership Secret: Replace Goals With Processes Using The Shared Dream

Author: Brent Filson

PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in newsletters and on web sites provided attribution is provided to the author, and it appears with the included copyright, resource box and live web site link. Email notice of intent to publish is appreciated but not required: mail to: brent@actionleadership.com

Word count: 1082

Summary: Most leaders have been taught to set goals for their groups. However, the author asserts that goal-setting is not the most effective way to lead. He suggests that turning goals into processes achieves more results, and he details a step by step plan to do it.

A Leadership Secret: Replace Goals With Processes Using The Shared Dream by Brent Filson

I bring leadership processes that help leaders get more results faster continually. The results will come in a specific length of time. The results will go beyond what the leaders are achieving now. The results can be measured, validated, and used as springboards for even more results. The results can be translated into money saved/earned. The results can't be achieved without the help of Leadership Talks. And yet ...

Yet ... getting this big jump in results scares many leaders and can lead to burn out in the people they lead.

You'd think leaders would welcome such results. No such luck. Here's why: They see results as a point not a process.

Seeing results in this way prevents you from getting the more substantial results you're really capable of. Look, results are limitless. Those who don't know that don't know much about leadership. Those who believe that must believe in the process-reality of results.

Let's look at the difference between a goal and a process. You've been dealing with goals and processes your whole career, but it's important to your success to see the difference in leadership terms.

A goal is the result or achievement toward which effort is directed. A process is a continuous series or actions or changes. A goal can hinder results. (The word goal derives from an Old English word, ""gaelan"" meaning ""to hinder."") A process can multiply them.

I worked with the head of the head of manufacturing of a global company. Responding to relentless cost cutting pressures, he was continually setting formidable quarterly stretch goals on quality and productivity.

The line workers were meeting the goals; but upon reaching one summit of goals, they inevitably faced another (the next quarterly goals) and were getting burned out.

I suggested that to avoid this burn out, they look at the results not in terms of quarterly goals but in terms of processes. I gave him a two-step process to do it.

(1) Define your goals. The manufacturing division had to deliver numbers to corporate, productivity increases, quality advancements, etc. Those numbers were goals they had to absolutely meet. Meeting them was vital to their jobs and careers.

Viewing them as the right goals and adhering to their commitment to meet those goals are necessary first steps in translating those goals into processes.

2. Apply the Shared Dream. The Shared Dream can be one of the most powerful tools in leadership. Yet few leaders I know are aware of it, if not in name at least in activity.

Leadership processes are the best processes, and the Shared Dream is one of the best of the best. Because it is one key way we can translate results into processes.

Translating results into processes involves: *a team effort; it cannot be done simply by fiat. * the ardent commitment of all parties concerned, people can't be left out or left behind. *continual and systematic support, evaluation and monitoring of the processes. *the application of the Shared Dream.

What is the Shared Dream? It is simply the uniting of your vision as a leader and the dream of the people you lead then using the union to get great results.

For instance, the manufacturing division was supposed to get 3 to 5% reduction in costs per year, irrespective of inflation.

To make the yearly goals, the division had to meet quarterly benchmarks. The problem was that the cost reductions were the division's and the company's vision, not really the line-workers dream.

The employees dream, we found out through a number of facilitated on-the-site meetings, was predominately job security. (That was a pretty obvious finding but one we needed to nail down with interactions with the employees.) Lower cost overseas manufacturing was cutting into the company's margins. The threat was real that they would close shop in the states and take the manufacturing overseas.

So, there was a gap between vision of the division leaders, constant cost reductions, and the dream of the division workers, job security.

Of course, you might say that cost reductions were in fact all about job security. But the employees didn't see it that way. ""That's the malarkey the suits feed us,"" said one worker.

The idea was to have them move from being goal-oriented to being process-oriented. That change of viewpoint needed a change of commitment.

Without a Shared Dream, with the goals not transformed into processes, people were getting burned out, going through the motions, anger, suppressing, tired, wanting out.

The division leader got together with the employees in a number of on-the-job meetings and talked about their dream. They came up with the idea that if their manufacturing was competing in the world market place, the best way to compete was to become ""world class"" manufacturing enterprise.

The people researched the requirements of being world class manufacturing, using top world manufacturers are benchmarks. They came up with eight quantitative measures that defined ""world class."" These measurements included continual productivity and quality increases, speed of throughput, etc.

By the way, when I say ""people"" I mean this came from the rank and file. Representatives of workers groups participated.

Together, the leaders and rank and file, put together action programs to meet those targets. Those action programs were processes. In essence, they put together a Shared Dream. They changed results into processes.

""Let's meet those targets together!"" is a Shared Dream if they and you want it badly. It's not a Shared Dream if it's your vision -- you have to get quarterly decreases.

Your vision is not motivational unless it matches their dream. Just because it is your vision does not mean it is their dream. Don't confuse your order for their dream. A gap between vision and dream handicaps organizations.

Here is the Shared Dream process. -- Define Your Vision -- Define their dream. -- Combine the vision and dream to get the Shared Dream. -- Test the Shared Dream. -- Describe the rewards and punishments of achieving or failing to achieve the Shared Dream. -- Make the final cut at describing the Shared Dream. -- Implement the Shared Dream as a trigger for turning goals into processes. -- Monitor and evaluate the progress.

One might say, ""That's a lot of trouble to go through. Why don't you just tell them what they have to do and make them do it?""

But that's the point. Your ordering them is far different in terms of results outcomes than their motivating themselves to make it happen. And it won't happen unless you go through the rigorous process of turning their goals into processes using the Shared Dream.

2006 © The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

About the author: The author of 23 books, Brent Filson's recent books are, THE LEADERSHIP TALK: THE GREATEST LEADERSHIP TOOL and 101 WAYS TO GIVE GREAT LEADERSHIP TALKS. He is founder and president of The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. - and for more than 20 years has been helping leaders of top companies worldwide get audacious results. Sign up for his free leadership e-zine and get a free white paper: ""49 Ways To Turn Action Into Results,"" at ww

Leadership by Persuasion - Four Steps to Success

Author: Patsi Krakoff, Psy. D.

As a leader, your success depends upon your ability to get things done: up, down and across all lines. To survive and succeed, you must learn four essential skills of persuading people. You must convince others to take action on your behalf even when you have no formal authority.

Persuasion is an essential proficiency for all leaders, requiring you to move people toward a position they don't currently hold. You must not only make a rational argument, but also frame your ideas, approaches and solutions in ways that appeal to diverse groups of people with basic human emotions.

Preparing the Way

Any direct attempt to persuade may provoke colleagues to oppose and polarize. Because persuasion is a learning and negotiating process, it must include three phases: discovery, preparation and dialogue.

Before you even begin to speak, consider your position from every angle. Presenting your ideas takes planning to learn about your audience and prepare your arguments.

Dialogue occurs both before and during the persuasion process. You must invite people to discuss solutions, debate the merits of your position, offer honest feedback and suggest alternatives. You must test and revise ideas to reflect colleagues' concerns and needs. Success depends on being open-minded and willing to incorporate compromises.

Four Steps to Successful Persuasion

Leading through persuasion requires you to follow four essential steps:

1. Establish credibility. Credibility develops from two sources: expertise and relationships. Listen carefully to other people's suggestions. Establish an environment in which they know their opinions are valued. Prepare by collecting data and information that both support and contradict your arguments.

2. Understand your audience. Frame your goals in a way that identifies common ground. Your primary goal is to identify tangible benefits to which your targeted audience can relate. This requires conversations to collect essential information by asking thoughtful questions. This process will often prompt you to alter your initial argument or include compromises. Identify key decision makers, stakeholders and the organization's network of influence. Pinpoint their interests and how they view alternatives.

3. Reinforce your positions with vivid language and compelling evidence. Persuasion requires you to present evidence: strong data in multiple forms (stories, graphs, images, metaphors and examples). Make your position come alive by using vivid language that complements graphics. In most cases, a rock-solid argument:

- Is logical and consistent with facts and experience

- Favorably addresses your audience's interests

- Eliminates or neutralizes competing alternatives

- Recognizes and deals with office politics

- Receives endorsements from objective, authoritative third parties

4. Connect Emotionally. Your connection to your audience must demonstrate both intellectual and emotional commitment to your position. Successful persuaders cultivate an accurate sense of their audience's emotional state, and they adjust their arguments' tone accordingly. Whatever your position, you must match your emotional fervor to your audience's ability to receive your message.

In today's organizations, work is generally completed by cross-functional teams of peers, with a mix of baby boomers and Gen-Xers who show little tolerance for authority. Electronic communication and globalization have further eroded the traditional hierarchy. People who perform work don't just ask "" what should I do?"" but "" why should I do it?""

Leaders must answer the ""why"" question effectively. Persuasion is an essential proficiency for all leaders who want to succeed in the 21st century organization.

About the author: Patsi Krakoff, Psy. D. writes articles for business and executive coaches and consultants. She provides articles on leadership and executive development for sale, and formatted into customized newsletters. Get Patsi's Secrets of Successful Ezines 7-Step Mini-Course to learn what you need to know to publish a successful ezine. http://snipurl.com/Ezi ne_MiniCourse

Tact and Charisma: Required Assets in Today's Leadership

Author: Joy Cagil

Have you ever entered a social gathering, felt immediately drawn to a person, and seen that others also huddle around him? On the other hand, have you noticed yourself feel more at ease when a certain person is present in a crowd? Chances are, the person in the first situation had charisma and the person in the second situation had tact.

The most successful people in starring roles in society have tact or charisma or both. People with charisma immediately secure others' loyalty at first sight, with or without having many desirable assets. People with tact instinctively grasp the situation and put everyone at ease by being able to say the right thing at the right time. Moreover, they lead others into acting in positive ways and they ease sticky situations.

Although a tactful act is instantaneous, tact involves a holding back of judgment and measured action. Charisma, on the other hand, glows with abundant action. Followers of charismatic people trust them full-heartedly, with affection, obedience, and emotional involvement. A charismatic person connects to people right away practically on most levels, physically, emotionally, and intellectually. Yet, tact calms the action down and soothes agitated nerves. A tactful person is one who would most likely put people at ease and stabilize any shaky situation. People are appreciative of tact but are mesmerized by charisma just like the children of Hamelin when they were magically drawn to Pied Piper.

Charisma has been a characteristic of some leaders who had crowds, mobs, or groups following them. People usually feel strongly attracted to a charismatic person.

The idea of charisma, as a God-given gift or talent, first found its place in theology. Charismata (Greek for ""spiritual gifts"") was spoken of by Christians during the early apostolic age when this was considered a sign of grace. Later the word charisma was used in describing some political leaders and popular people in the public eye. Marilyn Monroe, Martin Luther King, F. D. Roosevelt, Leon Trotsky, Adolf Hitler, President Kennedy, President Reagan, and President Clinton had charisma. As the examples of these people show, charisma has little to do with morals or being good or evil. Even today, in the entertainment arts, people attract more attention if they have charisma. Charisma compared to tact is an asset of the façade of personality.

Charisma is more of an external human feature; tact is more of an internal affair. Although some intuition is involved inside, tact may be teachable, but not charisma. The spring from where charisma flows is not clearly identified. Charisma is like a magnet that stirs up emotions, affectionate feelings, and blind trust. The followers of a charismatic person become missionaries in his cause and trust his every word as the members of Al Queda did, following Osama Bin Laden with religious fervor.

Tact develops as an interpretive sensitivity to the other person or situation. As people gain experience and become more reflective, they become more tactful. How can one act with tact if he interprets the other person in the wrong way? For the same token, how can one act with tact if he interprets himself the wrong way? Knowledge of one's own self and one's own vision are factors inside a person who combines charisma and tact, because self-knowledge leads to confidence.

Since confidence inside a situation is a quality of tact and charisma, their combined use shows strength in personal style. A personal style with both charisma and tact has its own components.

One of those components is a person's silent message, the way he carries himself in every way, even before he opens his mouth. Another is the ability to speak well, articulating every thought and idea. If a person can't put forth his ideas properly, who would appreciate them? Another vital asset is listening skills, a key to effective communication. Then, persuasion skills and ability to adapt to others by understanding their situation take the stage. In addition, motivating others to follow one's lead, treating them in a pleasant way, using one's time well, and respecting others' time and personal space are very important.

Our forefathers acted with tact. Some of them also had charisma. Combining the two made them invincible. Theirs will always be a tough act to follow.

As an example, Benjamin Franklin was a person of tact. Through his tactful approach, he was able to obtain liberal grants and loans from Louis XVI of France despite the objections of the France's Finance minister. After the revolutionary war, when United States Delegates (Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay) met with the British John Hartley to sign a treaty recognizing the colonies in the new world as an independent country, Franklin pointed out that the British Empire had made war on the United States unjustly, causing the colonies great injuries. ""Nevertheless,"" he said, ""Now not only peace will be achieved, but also reconciliation."" He added, ""Reconciliation is a sweet word."" Franklin knew what to say, when to say it, and the way to say it. In a high pressure situation, tact reinforces intent.

Tact and charisma spring in unison from highly evolved minds and attractive personalities. A combination of tact and charisma produces winners who act with spirit and heart. When those winners connect to others in a commitment of optimistic acts, they elevate everyone's quality of life.

One day people like that, especially those elected leaders, who combine tact and charisma inside themselves may unite the world into one loving family. Aren't we all after that utopia?

About the author: Joy Cagil is an author on a site for Creative Writing (http://www.Writing.Com/) Her training is in foreign languages and linguistics. In her background are varied subjects such as humanities, mental health, women's issues, and visual arts. Her portfolio can be found at

Leadership for the 18 Year Old

Author: Joel Chue

How many 18 year old young adults out there are truly leaders today? Not many and this is a fact! Why do I say this? Well, first of all, I am the product of this education system and from the experience I had in the army, all I met was mostly failed leadership. How many 18 year old young adults out there are truly leaders today? Not many and this is a fact! Why do I say this? Well, first of all, I am the product of this education system and from the experience I had in the army, all I met was mostly failed leadership. Luckily, the government has taken steps and actions to remedy the situation through new integrated programs to foster leadership in schools and away from rote-learning. With time, perhaps we will be learning such skills more effectively. However, it's because of my negative experiences with bad leaders that make me wonder:"" How can an 18 year old young adult really learn about leadership?"" and ""What are some of the fundamentals of good leadership an 18 year old must have?""

The purpose of my title as well as the opening statement serves to capture your attention and to get you to read on since a typical 18 year old young adult do get turn off with such topics. I hope that you continue to read this article and take at least one idea to implement in your life.

What is meant by leadership? American Management Consultant, Peter F. Drucker has this to say,"" Leadership is not magnetic personality-that can just as well be a glib tongue. It is not making friends and influencing people-that is flattery. Leadership is lifting a person's vision to higher sights, the raising of a person's performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations."" This is the true picture of leadership and now let's takes a look at some of the details.

A leader has to have a team. Not any team with members he randomly picks. This only happens in school where the teacher assigns you your team members. A true leader learns to make his own decisions in choosing the members he required in his team. By learning to do so, he forms a mastermind team, a team whose vision and values aligned with the leader. It requires courage, skill, experience, good EQ as well as intelligence to assemble and maintain such a team. From selecting the right members to planning to execution of the plans, it requires hard work and effort. In this team ...

A leader is foremost a servant. He has to first give then receive. The notion of giving solely is so foreign to many of us that we are constantly into the W.I.T.F.M (What's in it for me ) and R.O.I ( Return of Investment ) that we fail to give a little at all. Why are we so afraid to give that little bit? Don't we realize that there is a universal law - ""The Law of Compensation"" like the law of gravity which governs us 24/7? This law states that you will always be compensated for your efforts and for your contributions, whatever it is, however much or however little. Don't always ask for something in return. Have faith in the law and do give more than you receive.

So what does the leader actually give? He gives encouragement; he is motivated by the wish to empower his members, to bring out the best of his mastermind team. He is supportive to every team member and never ridicules, condemns or ignores ideas contributed. How else can he encourage, he does so by delegating, and this empowers them for the role of the leader is to nurture his followers into leaders. Why is this consider empowerment? Johann Wolfgang von Goethe explains, ""Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them become what they are capable of being."" The greatest ability of the leader is recognizing the ability in others and encourages it.""

To lead is also to show the way by going in advance. A leader has to lead by example. He has to take the first step. This inspires great confidence, courage and strength in the team. A team performs best with such a leader. So where does the leader lead his followers to? To places where they wish to go, but wouldn't go alone. This is what a true leader does, to inspire his team not only with words but with action, meaningful action that requires courage.

There are many qualities of a good leader which I cannot write about in such a short article. If you truly desire to be a good leader, take action to become one, start by reading a book on leadership, any small step helps. To conclude, heed the timeless principle of leadership by American business philosopher Jim Rohn, ""The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not a bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.""

About the Author

Joel Chue Author of 'Mastermind Secrets' Ebook.

How Can Ordinary People Leverage a Mastermind Group System to Produce Extraordinary Results Over and Over Again?

A Free 24 page Report Shows You How

Copyrights © 2006 Joel Chue @ http://www. mastermind-your-way-to-success.com

Mastermind Group Hub The contents of this article may be copied, reproduced, or freely distributed for all nonprofit purposes without the consent of the author as long as the author's name, copyright notice and contact information are included.

About the author: Joel Chue Author of 'Mastermind Secrets' Ebook.

'How Can Ordinary People Leverage a Mastermind Group System to Produce Extraordinary Results Over and Over Again?'

A Free 24 page Report Shows You How

Leadership - What kind of Legacy will you Leave?

Author: lee stemm

Barrry Everingham, a Melbourne-based writer, has been a commentator and writer on the British royal family for 30 years. In the ""Australia"" dated April 21 st 2006 he wrote this - ""Princess Diana in death did what others had been trying to achieve for decades. She changed the face of the monarchy forever. The principal players seem more human and caring. But underneath, the rumblings of republicanism are boiling away in England and Australia. ""

When I read this and realized that Princess Diana had died september 1st 1997, over 8 years ago and still her memory is carried on. She stood for her ethics, demonstrated her values and contribution as a leader. She had the abiltiy to touch a nation's spirit and as she gained more confidence within her role, she won the hearts of the people.

I stoped for a moment and started to reflect on my life, what kind of legacy would I like to leave? I know that when you have purpose, direction and a sense of meaning in your leadership that you will rise to the occassion. Integrity has a high influence value that leads to high standards and expectations. Leaders can give up anything except responsiblity, either for themselves or for their organisations. Diana, took up her responsiblities and faced the challenges that were in front of her with grace and determination.

At times today, I feel that too many people are ready to assert their rights, but not to assume their responsibilities. Anthony Robbins said, 'don't let yourself be victimised by the age you live in. It's not the times that will bring us down, any more than it's society. There'a a tendency today to absolve indivdulas of moral responsiblity and treat them as victims of social circumstances. You buy that and you pay with your soul. What limits people is lack of character. ""When the character of leaders is low, so are their standards.""

What kind of standards do you have? What kind of legacy would you leave? Every leader has certain expectations for himself as well for the organisation. You may have never writeen them down. Take time now to list the standards that you maintain for yourself and for your organisation. What in your life is non-negotiable?

Steps to develop your legacy:

1. Take a few moments and write down your roles as you now see them. Are you satisfied with that mirror image of your life? Explore your roles within your career, family and relationships. Look at what contribution you make and what achievements are important to you. 2. Set up time to completely separate yourself from daily activities and to begin to work on your personal mission statement. 3. Go through your principles within your career, personal, health and relationships - are they the same or are they inconsistent. Do they form a pattern for the behaviour in your life? Are you comfortable with the implications of your analysis? 4. Start a collection of notes, quotes, and ideas you may want to use as a resource material in writing, your personal mission statement. 5. Identify a project you will be facing in the near future and apply the principle of mental creation. Write down the results you desire and what steps will lead to those results. 6. Share the principles of starting with the end in mind, with your family or work group and suggest that together you begin the process of developing a family or group mission statement.

Integrity results in a solid reptuation, not just an image

About the author: Lee Stemm specializes in developing leaders to gain the strategies to listen and communicate strategically and non-defensively. free mini-course six pillars of self esteem - http://www.inspiringexcellence.net

The Hanging Of Jonathan Wild: A Leadership Lesson

Author: Brent Filson

PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in newsletters and on web sites provided attribution is provided to the author, and it appears with the included copyright, resource box and live web site link. Email notice of intent to publish is appreciated but not required: mail to: brent@actionleadership.com

Word count: 473

Summary: Most organizations are hampered by the poor performance of some of its members. The author shows the right perspective a leader should have in dealing with them.

The Hanging Of Jonathan Wild: A Leadership Lesson by Brent Filson

Jonathan Wild, notorious English criminal (1682-1725) picked the pocket of the priest who administered the last rites on the gallows at Tyburn. The unrepentant felon triumphantly waved his trophy, a corkscrew, just before he was dropped to his death.

There is a leadership lesson in this. And it's a lesson many leaders miss. When you're leading a group of people of whatever size to get results, understand that roughly about 20 percent of the people will be against you. The 20 percent won't do or at least won't want to do what you require and thus may perform poorly on the job.

One of the most persistent and difficult challenges of leadership is dealing with poor performers. Aside from job-related problems they engender, they also squander time and resources. ""Forty percent of my time,"" a CEO told me, ""is devoted to dealing with ten percent of my employees.""

Mind you, I'm not talking about poor performance tied to ""skill"" issues. People who are not measuring up because they lack skills and knowledge to do well usually need a different intervention than people who have ""will"" issues.

You might make a rough equivalence between the people performing poorly on the job because of will issues with the Jonathan Wilds of the world. After all, as an upright citizen, Wild was a ""poor performer."" But as a pickpocket, he was adroit.

Putting aside the specific kinds of interventions you might undertake, the important thing is your perspective. In dealing with them, you absolutely must not underestimate the skills, talents, and proficiency they bring to poor performance. They can ""pick your pocket"" and you won't even know it.

You have three choices when dealing with them. You can choose to live with them as they are. You can choose to rid yourself of them. Or you can choose to intervene to try and change them. There's no fourth choice.

Or maybe I should say there's no first choice either. The first ""choice"" may be no choice at all. You probably can't leave them alone. Poor performers are usually not content to be one-man-bands. They love company. They need to recruit others onto their poor-performance teams - or at least keep them from joining your team. In this capacity, they're smart, adaptive, innovative, and good leaders. Your underestimating them gives them an advantage against you.

There are many ways to deal with poor performers. (Articles on my web site detail a few.) The point is that in your dealings, keep in mind you could be up against some Jonathan Wilds, those people who may be performing poorly on the job but who perform excellently in their parallel, and maybe to them more important, job -- which is being against you.

2006 © The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

About the author: The author of 23 books, Brent Filson's recent books are, THE LEADERSHIP TALK: THE GREATEST LEADERSHIP TOOL and 101 WAYS TO GIVE GREAT LEADERSHIP TALKS. He is founder and president of The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. - and for more than 20 years has been helping leaders of top companies worldwide get audacious results. Sign up for his free leadership e-zine and get a free white paper: ""49 Ways To Turn Action Into Results,"" at ht

Leadership in Today's World

Author: Carl Hoffman

The most important thing you do is LEAD your people. Every productive activity on your daily agenda is leadership, regardless of what you call it. You manage, advise, teach, decide, and direct. The list goes on but it's all leading.

The most valuable commodity of any great organization is the quality of good people. They deserve the most inspired caring leadership you can provide.

Leaders seize the opportunity and use it properly to attain excellence.

A critical factor in the exercise of leadership is the adaptability of the person in charge. Whenever any of the variables change, the necessarily ""right"" style must change. The leader must then adjust his or her approach. The style that worked yesterday may not work tomorrow--but the leader will adapt. It takes time for a new leader to identify the ""right"" style of leadership. By the time that leader discovers the correct approach he or she may have damaged his or her credibility. The leader may then have established a pattern of behavior that will stick with him or her for the rest of their lives.

Another component of good leadership is caring. Good leaders care about and take of their people. They help them deal with stress that arise both from the job and from external sources.Leaders never let the pressure of their job interfere with taking care of their people.

What your members of your team or organization say is important. Without exception every group complains to some degree. But this is not always bad. Quality of leadership must be assessed by looking at where the irritants lie. If discussions generally dwell on internal issues within the team or organization, leadership might need improvement. If they focus instead on internal issues at a higher level such as company or corporate headquarters, there is a chance your people are satisfied with your leadership.

Equally important in the assessment of leadership is how participants interact in sensing sessions. This is commonly seen as an indicator of morale--how they feel about themselves. It is also a broad indicator of how they feel about their organization.

Cooperative groups generally come from good environment. They talk about anything. At times they even complain but they also frequently recommend solutions. The tone and body language of these group suggest that they are basically satisfied with their leadership. The willingness to recommend improvements suggest confidence in their leaders to listen to opinions and to act on recommendations.

Vocal, hostile groups generally come from poor environments. These groups use sensing sessions to vent their frustrations. They don't sense that their leaders understand or care enough about them to deal with their problems. In most cases, these groups see their leaders adding more to their burden than they take away.

Reticent groups also generally come from poor environments. They hesitate to say anything. These groups demonstrate the resignation that sets in when they feel no one cares about their problems. Alternatively, they may respresent teams that work under repressive leadership that is intoleratnt to ""whiners"" or threatens retribution for complaining. A good senior leader can do things to overcome poor leadership below them. The converse is not true . Even the most inspired junior leaders cannot compensate for the ""wrong"" style imposed upon them and their team from above.

So far we've dealt with selection of leadership style, based on individual and organizational varibles . Another way to look at leadership is to consider how it is used. We will explore the leader's selection of the ""right"" approach to running an organization in my next edition on leadership.

About the author: Carl Hoffman has over 20 years of sales and marketing experience and is owner of many online business ventures. He has authored numerous business related articles. If you are looking to start your own on line business or build on an existing one visit him at Best Work at Home Ideas and Opportunities: http://www.CEHoffman.com

Looking for a gift they have over 5,000 ideas. http://www.pennywarehouseonline.com

Leadership Development

Author: Marcus Peterson

In performing leadership functions, managers sometimes make attempts to change over from one leadership style to another with changes in the situation. This is rather difficult to do for most people and unless one learns to do it effectively, it may only make matters worse. What really matters from the point of view of effective direction is that the leader provides the lead to the satisfaction of the led.

A manager must be very careful in his conduct in the presence of his subordinates. Every little act, gesture, expression and movement on his part is watched and interpreted by the subordinates in relation to their own work. In exercising leadership functions in his formal position, a manager must avoid all kinds of false impression formation on the part of his subordinates. He must strive to develop and maintain morale by evoking confidence and zeal.

The leader can win and maintain his subordinate's confidence in him by establishing his superiority in knowledge and his ability to provide psychological support when needed. According to experts, leader should make use of orientation, which consists in providing the subordinate with the required information about his functions and its relationship with other functions, follow it up with training in managerial skills and continued supervision and provide his subordinates with job security assuming that he is efficient.

In addition, the other important function of managerial leadership is to create and sustain enthusiasm for organizational goals and activities. This is somewhat complicated. The manager exercising leadership in motivating his subordinates towards organizational goals should try to determine the conditions of factors in the organizational situation which prompt a subordinate to put in efforts beyond the acceptable minimum. The function of creating enthusiasm for the enterprise goals can be performed by the use of two techniques: inspiring subordinates and strengthening personal qualities.

About the author: Leadership provides detailed information on Leadership, Leadership Training, Leadership Development, Leadership Styles and more. Leadership is affliated with Corporate Leadership Training .

Int'l LLL Leadership Gains Governance Knowledge in Washington, DC

Author: Rex Andrews

St. Louis, MO, Mar. 20, 2006 - International Lutheran Laymen's League President Jack Kidwell and Lutheran Hour Ministries Executive Director Greg Lewis attended a conference hosted by the American Society of Association Executives in Washington, DC March 2 and 3. The conference dealt with how strong governance is critical to the success of an organization and offered ways to improve an organization's governance model. ""We will take the ideas learned from this conference and use them to compare today's LLL governance model with the models used by other successful not-for-profit organizations,"" said Lewis. ""These ideas will allow for an even more dynamic board that understands its role, fulfills its responsibilities, demonstrates visionary leadership, and leads our organization to new heights."" The ASAE, headquartered in Washington, DC, exists to enhance the power and performance of the association community worldwide through resources, education, ideas, and advocacy. It has more than 23,000 association professionals and industry partners. Its members manage trade associations, professional societies, and philanthropic organizations across the United States and in 50 countries. Lewis and Kidwell Also Meet with U.S. Deputy Director Tim Goeglein While in Washington, DC, Kidwell and Lewis also met with Tim Goeglein, special assistant to the President of the United States and deputy director of the White House Office of Public Liaison, to share with him LHM's new strategic outreach plan for engaging the laity of the Church. Goeglein spoke at the 2005 international convention in Topeka, Kansas, about how he shares his faith in his work and he has a long-standing relationship with the Int'l LLL and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. ""The plan was well received by him and he shared his encouragement to us about what we're doing,"" said Lewis. ""He is an influential leader in our country who we'll keep posted on where we're headed in the upcoming months."" Lutheran Hour Ministries is a Christian outreach ministry supporting churches worldwide in its mission of Bringing Christ to the Nations-and the Nations to the Church. It is also a volunteer movement more than 100,000 people strong. LHM produces Christian radio and TV programming for broadcast, as well as Internet and print communications, dramas, music, and outreach materials, to reach the unchurched in more than 40 countries. LHM's flagship program, The Lutheran Hour®, is the world's longest-running Christian outreach radio program. It airs weekly on more than 800 stations.

About the author: Rex Andrews, living in Dewey, Arizona with his Artist wife. Operates a Home Business can be contacted by email mentorme@cableone.net. Does mentoring For Free, view his web site at http://www.coachme-mentorme.net for more information.

Leadership Styles

Author: Marcus Peterson

The term ""leadership style"" refers to a leader's behavior. Behavioral pattern, which the leader reflects in his role as a leader, is often described as the style of leadership. Leadership style is the result of a leader's philosophy, personality, experience, and value system. It also depends upon the type of followers and the organizational atmosphere prevailing in the enterprise.

There are four types of leadership style. It includes autocratic leadership, participative leadership, free rein leadership and paternalistic leadership. The autocratic leader gives orders that must be obeyed by the subordinates. He determines policies for the group without consulting them, and does not give detailed information about future plans, but simply tells the group what immediate steps they must take. He gives personal praise or criticism to each member on his own initiative and remains aloof from the group for the major part of the time.

A participative leader is one who gives instructions only after consulting the group. He sees to it that policies are worked out in group discussion and with the acceptance of the group. Participative manager decentralizes managerial authority. His decisions are not unilateral like that of the autocrat. Unlike an autocratic leader who controls through the authority he possesses, a participative leader exercises control mostly by using forces within the group.

A free rein leader lets the group lead itself. The free rein leader avoids power. He depends largely upon the group to establish its own goals and work out its own problems. Group members work themselves and provide their own motivation. Under paternalistic leadership, the leader assumes that his function is paternal or fatherly. His attitude is that of treating the relationship between the leader and his group as that of a family with the leader as the head of family. He works to help, guide, protect and keep his followers happily working together as members of a family.

About the author: Leadership provides detailed information on Leadership, Leadership Training, Leadership Development, Leadership Styles and more. Leadership is affliated with Corporate Leadership Training .

Leadership Skills

Author: Chris Thomas

Recent studies have shown that industrial supervisors are working at less than 60% of their potential. Basic management skills training is guaranteed to change all this and at such little cost . Introduction

There is no doubt that the single most important aspect of a manager's job is the management of people. Of course, a supervisor must manage resources other than people. However, none of the other resources compare in importance to PEOPLE. The challenge to manage people effective is unquestionably the greatest of all the challenges that face all managers.

The problem with people

It is estimated that there are over 6 billion human beings presently living on our planet and there are not two of us who are exactly alike. In other words every one us is unique. One of the greatest mysteries has been, and still is, to fully understand how we work. It has obsessed scientists and the great thinkers since the beginning of mankind. Our progress has been minimal and maybe we will never know. A simplistic way for us to understand this complex issue is to consider a human like an onion with many layers. For example:

1. Hereditary traits

These are our genetic strings (DNA) that are passed down from generation to generation.

2. Personal values

These are created when we are children and are heavily influenced by our parents, etc.

3. Attitudes and beliefs

These are influenced by your personal values. It is what you think about things, situations and people. For example, you may enjoy romantic music but dislike noisy people.

4. Feelings

Feelings follow attitudes and beliefs. For example, you feel good when you hear romantic music.

5. Behavior

This is directly related to your feelings. For example, romantic music makes you smile, and people shouting makes you react angrily. One of the important challenges for the great thinkers has been to determine to what extent can the features of each layer be changed or manipulated. This single study area has proved to be minefield of differing views that has resulted in enough books to fill many warehouses.

For our purposes, we will assume that once someone has reached working age then he has unchangeable values, attitudes and feelings. In consequence, the only layer that we can work with as a manager is the final layer - our BEHAVIOR.

However, it is important to understand how behavior has been influenced by the other inner layers.

Now that scientists have defined human DNA it is possible that future mankind can develop the perfect manager and then clone millions. However, in the meantime you will need this training manual!

The final factor in our simple equation is EMOTION, which has a profound effect on our behavior. It stimulates our love and caring behavior but also invokes violence and cruelty.

Statistic analysis

A lot of work was done in the 1960's to evaluate what really motivated workers. The responses of thousands of workers were tabulated and ranked in order of motivational influence. Not only did these studies solidly support the basic theory but an unexpected phenomenon appeared.

Although the relative rankings were consistent, there was always large gap between the top six factors and all the others.

These statistics are quite remarkable and have never been seriously contested. However, it is very important to realize that the above list is not based on importance because the low scorers are high potential de-motivators if not at acceptable levels.

Another important factor is that many of the early studies and the resulting statistics concentrated on what made people feel good and maintained morale. This has now become more objective with more emphasis on what motivates people to be more productive.

What is leadership?

It is a natural requirement of human beings, like most other animal groups, to have leaders. There are many excellent wildlife films that show the dramatic and tragic process of leadership challenges in the animal kingdom.

In caveman days we probably did much the same. Although the group was not directly involved in these struggles they obviously supported the outcome. When mankind developed from being hunters to being predominantly farmers the leader role became more sophisticated and different qualities were required.

The Holy Grail of management Throughout the history of management science there has been an unrelenting quest to find the holy grail of management success - a one best leadership style. As a result several main theories have emerged: trait theory, behavior theory, X-Y-Z theory and contingency theory. The toolbox style

I like to imagine all the theories like a toolbox where some jobs need a delicate instrument but others a heavy hammer. The choice is dictated by the job you have to do and your knowledge and skill. The tools that you have and choose and the way that you use them will determine the success of the work, and management is exactly the same. Let's look at the toolbox that you could have available if you choose to put them together and learn to use them.

About the author: Chris Thomas is the author of the Managers Toolbox training material located at http://www.managers-toolbo x.com and runs the very successful Basic Management Course for new leaders and supervisors.

Leadership Power Stress: (Part 1) Sources

Author: Patsi Krakoff, Psy. D

"Power stress is part of the experience that results from the exercise of influence and sense of responsibility felt in leadership positions." - (Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee, Resonant Leadership, Harvard Business School Press, 2005)

Leadership requires the exercise of influence or power. It requires having an impact on others to make things happen. It involves responsibility for the organization. Leaders are under continual scrutiny and evaluation. All these things increase the feels of pressure and stress.

For people who head organizations, choices are rarely simple and clear. Communications and decision making are incredibly complex. Worse, leaders are often called upon to get results and lead people over whom they have little authority.

There is no doubt that it is lonely at the top. Affiliation with others is known to relieve stress, yet leaders are selected for their high need for power and achievement. Under pressure, a leader will work harder rather than reach out to others.

Furthermore, the higher one is in position, the less authentic the feedback. Leaders are prone to CEO disease, where the feedback going upwards is distorted or diluted.

Sources of Leadership Power Stress

Here are a few sources of stress that are unique to people in leadership positions. Leaders experience increased stress because they:

- Must make important decisions with conflicting and complex data

- Must influence others over whom they have little authority

- Have a high need for power

- Are driven by power and achievement over affiliation with others

- Must continually get results no matter what

- Lack realistic and authentic feedback from others

- Constantly fight fires, solve problems and crises

- Must take responsibility even for uncontrollable events

- Are more visible to stakeholders, the public and customers

- Are subject to unrelenting evaluation from peers, boards, and competitors

- Must exercise constant self-control

- Must place the good of the organization above personal impulses and needs

- They work for organizations that encourage self-sacrifice and long hours

- They work for organizations that undervalue renewal, recuperation, and relaxation

Such high levels of stress have deleterious effects on the immune system, leading to physiological states that cause diseases. Worse, power stress leads to destructive psychological states.

A leader may withdraw unto him or herself in an effort to protect from stress. Conversely, he or she may strike out at others in inconsistent ways, with inappropriate expressions of anger or emotions. The leader may double up his or her efforts to achieve results, and in the process, miss important information from people. This further alienates people, who may begin to perceive the leader as arrogant and no longer receptive. There is no doubt there is a substantial cost incurred as a result of leadership power stress.

Power stress causes a leader to go from resonance to dissonance. Once this happens, there is a lack of trust, and consequently, a lessening of influence over the troops. Results falter, and the leader becomes ineffective in a downward spiral to burnout.

The Cycle of Sacrifice and Renewal

The problem is not simply power stress. It has always been a part of leadership reality. The problem is too little recovery time. There is no half-time on the field. While the pressure and stresses will not relent, there must also be greater attention to recuperation on both a personal and organizational level.

Leaders sacrifice themselves continuously on the job. Some leaders have learned skills that deliberately and consciously step out of the destructive patterns to renew themselves - physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Leaders who manage the cycle of sacrifice, stress, and renewal are mindful of what it takes to turn situations around. They are able to motivate themselves and others by being optimistic, focusing on values, and connecting with others.

They can't do that without mastering stress and renewal. This involves paying attention to mind, body, heart and spirit. These effective leaders know that without attending to themselves first, they won't have the energy to maintain resonance, to manage other people.

This is part 1 of a 2 part article on Leadership Power Stress by author Patsi Krakoff. In part 2 we examine the cures for relieving power stress.

About the author: Patsi Krakoff, Psy. D. writes articles for business and executive coaches and consultants. She provides articles on leadership and executive development for sale, and formatted into customized newsletters. Get Patsi's Secrets of Successful Ezines 7-Step Mini-Course to learn what you need to know to publish a successful ezine. http://snipurl.com/Ezi ne_MiniCourse

Making Your Leadership Your Life

Author: Brent Filson

PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in newsletters and on web sites provided attribution is provided to the author, and it appears with the included copyright, resource box and live web site link. Email notice of intent to publish is appreciated but not required: mail to: brent@actionleadership.com

Word count: 794

Summary: Many leaders think that their leadership is something they do on-the-job and not in their life off-the-job. However, the author contends that the best leadership should be applicable both to on-and-off-the-job activities.

Make Your Leadership Your Life And Your Life Your Leadership by Brent Filson

Companies facing global competition are expecting more from all employees, more initiative, more innovation and more results. Critical to meeting these expectations is leadership. The word ""leadership"" comes from a old Norse word meaning ""to make go."" Leadership is needed in organizations to make things go, to muster and coordinate direction, ardent commitment and resource alignment.

Working with thousands of leaders of all ranks and functions during the past 21 years, I've seen that most leaders deem leadership as exclusively an on-the-job dynamic. They don't see it as a life dynamic.

Companies seeking more from their employees must promote leadership that delivers more, and that leadership can only deliver more if it is effective both on and off the job.

If you don't make your leadership your life and your life your leadership, you diminish both your leadership and your life.

The reasons are simple. The best leaders establish a deep, human, emotional connection with the audience. Why is that necessary to achieve organizational results? Leadership isn't about getting people to do what they want to do. If people simply had to do what they wanted to do, leaders wouldn't be needed. Instead, leadership is about getting people to do what they don't want to do and be totally committed to doing it. These people have a good chance of achieving a lot more results, achieving those results faster, and achieving ""more, faster"" on a continual basis. One may tyrannically order people to get results, but the effectiveness of such leadership is not as consistent nor as substantial as having people make the free choice to get results. And people will make that free choice mainly in an environment in which deep, human, emotional relationships are developed.

Look at the leaders in your life. I'm sure you've been at the receiving end of both the tyrants and those with whom you've had deeply beneficial relationships with. Weren't you more likely to go all out for those leaders who promoted an environment in which those better relationships flourished?

Clearly, that's an environment one should seek to establish in one's life as well. The relationships you develop as a leader can be similar to the relationships you should develop in your life outside your job. In my many seminars on the Leadership Talk, I have seen people use my processes outside their job, with their spouses, friends, and children, etc.

There are many values that should be promoted in our lives: trust, honesty, integrity, coming through on commitments, fairness, tenacity, tolerance, and more. Let's ""trust"" as one example.

I believe we should live a life of trusting others. I call it ""living in trust."" Of course, trust can be taken too far, and we may open ourselves up to be deceived and betrayed. My wife says I often trust others too much; and certainly I have paid in many ways over my life for such a propensity. But I believe that even though we may be deceived if we trust too much; we will nevertheless suffer more if we don't trust enough.

Living in trust means extending trust without conditions until that trust is clearly betrayed. And then, depending on the circumstances, we may continue to extend trust even if it is betrayed. For when it is betrayed, we may not necessarily be the poorer for it. We may indeed be the richer; for without trust, we cannot establish deep relationships.

My view of trust in life can be extended to leadership. Leadership is about getting continual increases in great results. To do that, leaders must engender trust in the people they lead. In fact, great results can't accrue without strong bonds of trust established between the leader and the people.

I've often said that it is better for a leader to have bought the Brooklyn Bridge for a nickel rather than to have sold it for one. People will not be led by you to do extraordinary things unless they trust you; but they won't trust you unless they know you are taking the risk to trust them. In fact, many organizations get into trouble when the people don't trust or stop trusting their leaders; and when their leaders stop trusting them.

So, trust operates both in our lives and on our jobs as leaders and must be cultivated both on and off the job.

There are many other values that should be manifested in both the life one leads and the leadership one manifests. The point is that when you make sure the leadership traits you carry out on the job are the very traits you live by in your life, you enhance the quality of your leadership and your life.

2006 © The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

The author of 23 books, Brent Filson's recent books are, THE LEADERSHIP TALK: THE GREATEST LEADERSHIP TOOL and 101 WAYS TO GIVE GREAT LEADERSHIP TALKS. He is founder and president of The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. - and for more than 20 years has been helping leaders of top companies worldwide get audacious results. Sign up for his free leadership e-zine and get a free white paper: ""49 Ways To Turn Action Into Results,"" at http://www.actionleadership.com For more on the Leadership Talk: http:///www.theleadershiptalk.com

About the author: None

Make Your Leadership Your Life And Your Life Your Leadership

Author: Brent Filson

PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in newsletters and on web sites provided attribution is provided to the author, and it appears with the included copyright, resource box and live web site link. Email notice of intent to publish is appreciated but not required: mail to: brent@actionleadership.com

Word count: 794

Make Your Leadership Your Life And Your Life Your Leadership by Brent Filson

Companies facing global competition are expecting more from all employees, more initiative, more innovation and more results. Critical to meeting these expectations is leadership. The word ""leadership"" comes from a old Norse word meaning ""to make go."" Leadership is needed in organizations to make things go, to muster and coordinate direction, ardent commitment and resource alignment.

Working with thousands of leaders of all ranks and functions during the past 21 years, I've seen that most leaders deem leadership as exclusively an on-the-job dynamic. They don't see it as a life dynamic.

Companies seeking more from their employees must promote leadership that delivers more, and that leadership can only deliver more if it is effective both on and off the job.

If you don't make your leadership your life and your life your leadership, you diminish both your leadership and your life.

The reasons are simple. The best leaders establish a deep, human, emotional connection with the audience. Why is that necessary to achieve organizational results? Leadership isn't about getting people to do what they want to do. If people simply had to do what they wanted to do, leaders wouldn't be needed. Instead, leadership is about getting people to do what they don't want to do and be totally committed to doing it. These people have a good chance of achieving a lot more results, achieving those results faster, and achieving ""more, faster"" on a continual basis. One may tyrannically order people to get results, but the effectiveness of such leadership is not as consistent nor as substantial as having people make the free choice to get results. And people will make that free choice mainly in an environment in which deep, human, emotional relationships are developed.

Look at the leaders in your life. I'm sure you've been at the receiving end of both the tyrants and those with whom you've had deeply beneficial relationships with. Weren't you more likely to go all out for those leaders who promoted an environment in which those better relationships flourished?

Clearly, that's an environment one should seek to establish in one's life as well. The relationships you develop as a leader can be similar to the relationships you should develop in your life outside your job. In my many seminars on the Leadership Talk, I have seen people use my processes outside their job, with their spouses, friends, and children, etc.

There are many values that should be promoted in our lives: trust, honesty, integrity, coming through on commitments, fairness, tenacity, tolerance, and more. Let's ""trust"" as one example.

I believe we should live a life of trusting others. I call it ""living in trust."" Of course, trust can be taken too far, and we may open ourselves up to be deceived and betrayed. My wife says I often trust others too much; and certainly I have paid in many ways over my life for such a propensity. But though we may be deceived if we trust too much, we will nevertheless suffer more if we don't trust enough.

Living in trust means extending trust without conditions until that trust is clearly betrayed. And then, depending on the circumstances, we may continue to extend trust even if it is betrayed. For when it is betrayed, we may not necessarily be the poorer for it. We may indeed be the richer; for without trust, we cannot establish deep relationships.

My view of trust in life can be extended to leadership. Leadership is about getting continual increases in great results. To do that, leaders must engender trust in the people they lead. In fact, great results can't accrue without strong bonds of trust established between the leader and the people.

I've often said that it is better for a leader to buy the Brooklyn Bridge for a nickel rather than to sell it for one. People will not be led by you to do extraordinary things unless they trust you; but they won't trust you unless they know you are taking the risk to trust them. In fact, many organizations get into trouble when the people don't trust or stop trusting their leaders, and when their leaders stop trusting them.

So, trust operates both in our lives and on our jobs as leaders and must be cultivated both on and off the job.

There are many other values that should be manifested in both the life one leads and the leadership one manifests. The point is that when you make sure the leadership traits you carry out on the job are the very traits you live by in your life, you enhance the quality of your leadership and your life.

2006 © The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

The author of 23 books, Brent Filson's recent books are, THE LEADERSHIP TALK: THE GREATEST LEADERSHIP TOOL and 101 WAYS TO GIVE GREAT LEADERSHIP TALKS. He is founder and president of The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. - and for more than 20 years has been helping leaders of top companies worldwide get audacious results. Sign up for his free leadership e-zine and get a free white paper: ""49 Ways To Turn Action Into Results,"" at http://www.actionleadership.com For more on the Leadership Talk: http://www.theleadershiptalk.com

About the author: The author of 23 books, Brent Filson's most recent books are: THE LEADERSHIP TALK: THE GREATEST LEADERSHIP TOOL and 101 WAYS TO GIVE GREAT LEADERSHIP TALKS. http://www.actionleadership.com