Leadership: The Truth Lives In The Heart

Leadership: The Truth Lives In The Heart
By Nick Arrizza, M.D.

When something is said to you how do you know that that thing that was said is the truth for you or not?

If you take the time to reflect on this important matter I think you will see that when it is the truth it either feels right or esonates within your body in some way.

If you are even more perceptive you'll likely notice that those feelings and/or that esonance is localized over your heart region.

Those feelings often are characterized by feeling expansive, buoyant, light, inner peace, a sense of rightness or groundedness, joyful, fulfilled, energized, and so on.

There is however an even more important insight that I wish to draw you attention to here.

You see the very fact that you felt anything i.e. were able to discern the truthfulness of the given statement means that you must have already within you an inner reference point of truth by which to gauge the truthfulness of the said statement.

If you didn't have such a reference point you would never be able to discern the truth about anything that was ever said to you. In other words you would be totally vulnerable to being exploited by information promoted by others with their own agendas.

So how does knowing that you already know the truth make you feel? If you have followed what has been said here you likely feel empowered by it.

Unfortunately most individuals never realize that this inner truth lives within them and instead allow themselves to feel anxious, vulnerable, weak, and like victims.

This is the opposite of being an empowered leader, isn't it?

If you would like some help in reconnecting yourself to your inner truth kindly visit the web link below.

Dr. Nick Arrizza is trained in Chemical Engineering, Business Management & Leadership, Medicine and Psychiatry. He is an Energy Psychiatrist, Healer, Key Note Speaker,Editor of a New Ezine Called Spirituality And Science (which is requesting high quality article submissions) Author of Esteem for the Self: A Manual for Personal Transformation (available in ebook format on his web site), Stress Management Coach, Peak Performance Coach & Energy Medicine Researcher, Specializes in Life and Executive Performance Coaching, is the Developer of a powerful new tool called the Mind Resonance Process(TM) that helps build physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being by helping to permanently release negative beliefs, emotions, perceptions and memories. He holds live workshops, international telephone coaching sessions and international teleconference workshops on Physical. Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Well Being.

Web Site: http://www.telecoaching4u.com/IntroConsult.htm

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21st Century Leadership Empowers Leaders at Every Level

21st Century Leadership Empowers Leaders at Every Level
By Wayne Messick

Historically a new-hire moved from learning the required tasks of their particular job to eventually understanding the goals, strengths, and weaknesses of the business in an orderly way - often having as much to do with their getting older as with their getting better, smarter, or more capable.

They were then promoted from being a productive part of the organization (worker) to supervising others who are on their way up.

Much later, if the politics (of birth, etc.) were right he moved from telling selected people what to do, to the head of the business where he now taught what he knew to the people who were telling the others what to do.

That went on until it was time or past time for him to be let out to pasture.

That was then - Doing it Right is now - and the future.

Doing it Right is based on the principles of right action, the right people doing the right things in the right way and for the right reasons.

For instance, in 2006 a new-hire may know as much or more about the right way as the old man.

The right way to do things is only the right way if it results in pushing us in the right direction.

The old man has valuable insights the new-hire needs to understand - sooner rather than later - about what really is the right direction. And the people in the middle add value to those below and above them.

Contributions to future success come from all levels of the enterprise - and its not just the boys any more.

The problem in many companies is that everyone has their picture of the right ways, the right, directions, and the right reasons - and they assume their picture is what everyone else is seeing.

A few years ago there was a lot ink dedicated to the revolutionary idea of the flattened hierarchy style of management - where bureaucratic organizations were eliminating some if not most of the levels within their organization.

The idea was to get ideas, strategies, etc. from the top to the very bottom in 2-3 steps. This was supposed to enhance communications, efficiencies, innovations, blah blah blah. This was so obvious. What was the big deal?

The vast majority (90%) of all businesses already had that sort of organization in place. And they were not any better at doing things right - just because they did not have the money to have more levels of management.

Today companies are successful not because of their organization charts - but because of an internal attitude that supports the principles of doing it right.

The 21st Century version of the flattened hierarchy is to empower individuals wherever they are in the organization to step outside their defined boxes and contribute.

It is about an atmosphere of learning, doing, and teaching simultaneously by everyone to everyone - for the benefit of everyone.

When the machine operators, supervisors, managers, and owner/operators (you fill in your job descriptions) effortlessly pass information and respect up, down, across, and around the organization - they've got it.

If a new-hire thinks they know best about how things should be done - they should be taught why, in terms of the organizations mission - to help them confirm to themselves and others that their idea are valid.

Or to teach them more about the direction we are headed - to make sure their how will actually take them that way.

The old man needs to know what to look for when putting on more new hires and promoting more people into the roles of a successful 21st Century company. The more he knows about what is really going on out there - on the floor, in the community, and the industry - the better choices he can make.

The people in the middle, the supervisors and team leaders, traditionally being pushed from one direction and pulled from the other - need to learn how to effectively turn this pressure into steam that drives the organization.

So, what is my point? Well it is not your dads (granddads) business environment any more. And if that is true - how can everyone contribute as team members, cooperate as team players, to create a winning team?

First: An atmosphere free of traditional labor vs management must be present. In the 21st Century long-term interdependent relationships based on this old model will not survive. There is more external competition than we can stand already, we do not need it inside the organization too.

Second: The people at the top must admit that they do not know everything - and that just because their partner's daughter is twenty-three and has been there four months - does not mean she doesn't have excellent/valid input into the way things ought to be.

Third: Everybody else must admit that just because the boss is old (55+) does not mean he just doesn't get it and that he will ever change. Both groups have so much to offer the team and being able to offer it without fear of criticism is mandatory.

Finally: There should be a structured way of systematically reinforcing the right actions we understand, learning the ones we don't, and communicating them within the organization. Human nature keeps drawing us back to where we are comfortable - so we need a continual push until the new place is more comfortable than the old.

The introduction and reinforcement of right action strategies is the purpose of Doing it Right: Realizing Your Company's Potential.

It dovetails with existing task oriented training to provide the framework for overall actions.

It provides a context for sponsoring organizations - trade associations for example - to better serve their constituencies by providing a framework around their existing educational programs.

The principles of right actions are vital for you personal and business success Doing it Right may offer you the best way to establish and maintain those right actions.

And now, its content is available online at no charge.

Wayne Messick, publisher of Doing It Right http://www.ibizresources.com/doright.htm - decided to help 500,000 business owners integrate 21st Century leadership strategies by putting the book's interactive content on their web site where its content is available at no charge and let the search engines and word of mouth do the rest.

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In Leadership Results Are Limitless

In Leadership, Results Are Limitless
By Brent Filson

Results are limitless. That's not a supposition. That's a fact. Leaders who don't believe that don't understand the power of leadership to achieve great results. Leaders who believe it and live by their belief have an unmatched advantage over those leaders who don't.

To begin to understand how and why results-are-results are limitless, consider these facts:

* In 1878, Jean Bouillaud, member of the French Academy of Sciences, said upon hearing a demonstration of Thomas Edison's phonograph, It is quite impossible that the noble organs of human speech could be replaced ignoble, senseless metal.

* In 1899, Charles H. Duell (Commissioner of U.S. Office of Patents.), urging President William McKinley to abolish his office, said,Everything that can be invented has been invented.

* An 1909 article in the Scientific American stated, The automobile has practically reached the limit of its development is suggested by the fact that during the past year no improvements of a radical nature have been introduced.

* Popular Mechanics stated in March 1949: Where a calculator on the ENIAC is equipped with 18,000 vacuum tubes and weighs 30 tons, computers in the future may have only 1,000 vacuum tubes and perhaps only weight 11/2 tons.

The point isn't that experts are wrong. Experts, we know, have been wrong countless times. The point isn't that things change. That's obvious. The point is this: BECAUSE THINGS CHANGE, RESULTS ARE LIMITLESS. IN OTHER WORDS, WHATEVER RESULTS YOU ARE ACHIEVING, YOU CAN ALWAYS ACHIEVE MORE.

This may seem like a non sequitur. After all, leaders know that things change. But many leaders whom I have encountered don't make the connection and fail to realize that results are limitless.

But there is a connection -- a profound connection. And leaders who don't make that connection, don't live that connection, are giving short shrift to their leadership and the people they lead.

Living by the results-are-limitless credo can set you apart as a leader who consistently gets results, no matter what the challenge you face.

Start to take a small but well-defined step to manifest results-are-limitless leadership.

(1) Identify. Identify one thing you think is NOT BEING QUESTIONED. Make sure it is something people believe has eached the limit of its development. It may be a product or features of a product. It may be the way your organization is structured. It may be a successful engineering program.

(2) Question. Treat it as if it's fundamental premise were false. Can you shoot holes in the logical reasons for its existence? If it ain't broke, see what would happen if you break (change) it with one end in mind, achieving more results.

(3) Change. See if you can come up with answers that will lead either to replacing what you're questioning or improving it.

(4) Continue. Don't look at this as an academic assignment. It's not homework. It's the beginning of making the credo part of the DNA of your leadership.

Repeat: This as a leadership endeavor. Determine who are the cause leaders you need to make the change happen. Talk to them about how they would take leadership to affect that change. You should not only have What if ... discussions but more importantly, Why not ... discussions.

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

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

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

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Leader Have a Love Affair at Work: Gain Approval Nu Leadership Series

Leader, Have a Love Affair at Work: Gain Approval - Nu Leadership Series
By Daryl Green

In the past a leader was a boss. Today's leaders must be partners with their people...they no longer can lead solely based on positional power. Ken Blanchard

Can you keep a secret about your organization? Do you want a more productive workplace? Yes! Well, a leader must love their employees. This is the biggest secret in organizational folklore. Its folklore because todays managers simply wont believe it. What do I mean by love their employees? Leaders need to value their employees on a very personal level. This technique could eliminate many management problems. To be fair, its a value based on biblical truth. Jesus, when asked by his critics about the greatest commandments, explains in Matthew 22: 37, 39, You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mindAnd the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Miller, author of The Empowered Leader, argues that to be an effective leader, you must be perceived as someone people want to follow. He notes there is a tendency by most leaders to treat others as extensions of themselves.

Leaders should be concerned about employee development. Routinely, managers dont take a personal interest in employee growth. Mayo argued the first-line supervisor was a critical point of contact between workers and management; however, few leaders possessed the key attribute of satisfying worker needs while meeting organizational objectives. Unfortunately, Ive seen talented people underutilized at work. This issue is so great that my wife and I have written our new book called More Than a Conqueror: Achieving Personal Fulfillment in Government Service. It analyzes the current needs of the public worker to be valued in their organizations. Likewise, it is true that private sector workers desire the same thing. Many employees dont give 110% to their organizations, due to not being valued, as well as organizations having low expectations for employees.

Therefore, it is critical that effective leaders jumpstart team morale in this type of organizational quagmire. Start today!

References:

Green, D. & Green, E (2006). More than a Conqueror: Achieving Personal Fulfillment in Government Service. Knoxville, TN: PMLA Press

Miller, C. (1995). The Empowered Leader. United States of America: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Wren, D. (1994). The Evolution of Management Thought. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

2006 by Daryl D. Green

Daryl D. Green has published over 100 articles in the field of decision-making (personal and organizational), leadership, and organizational behavior. Mr. Green is also the author of two acclaimed books, Awakening the Talents Within and My Cup Runneth Over. He is a columnist, lecturer, professor, and management consultant. Mr. Green has a BS in engineering and a MA in organizational management. Currently, he is a doctoral degree in strategic leadership. For more information,visit his website at http://www.darylgreen.org

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The Optimal Leadership Model

The Optimal Leadership Model
By David Hemmanns

Transformational Leadership and the Integrated Leadership Model

To optimize the rate of success in todays competitive market, businesses must have an effective leader who will maximize the human resources available to increase market share. Transformational leadership focuses on developing leadership strategies that align an organizations vision with the tasks performed. A characteristic of Transformational leaders is that they create a new vision; a vision that separates them from competitors, and from where the organization is now (Symons, 2006, p. 18). The behaviors exemplified by a transformational leader provide the effective leadership skills necessary to provide momentum that will innovate todays businesses. Over the past two decades, transformational leadership has emerged as one of the most popular approaches to understanding leader effectiveness (Piccolo and Colquitt, 2006, p. 327).

The integrated leadership model emphasizes leadership behaviors which focus on establishing a relationship between increased job performance and customer satisfaction. Leaders can use the philosophy of the integrated leadership model to obtain the momentum necessary to motivate and maximize the utilization of human resources. The integrated leadership model illustrates a relationship between job satisfaction and customer satisfaction. Integrated Leadership Model promotes job satisfaction and motivates staff to participate in activities that will produce quality customer outcomes (Perra, 1999).

Knowledge of Skill Levels

Gaining a broader understanding of employees skill levels is a behavior in transformational leadership that helps leaders to develop strategies to maximize the use of human resources. Leaders can use the practice of evaluating the behavior aspects of employees to determine how to provide successful motivation and stimulation for employees. For leaders, understanding the differences in how generations approach authority, leadership, and loyalty can be especially important (Salopek, 2006, p. 22).

The lack of knowledge on the skill levels of employees can cause an organization to have treats that have a negative effect on organizational performance. Successful leadership depends on a leaders ability to develop strategies which maximizes the use of available resources. The process of maximizing the use of available resources includes matching skill levels with organizational tasks.

Understanding Core Objectives

Preparing employees to have a better understanding of an organizations core values and objectives is an example of the utilization of the integrated leadership model. The awareness of employees on the values and objectives of an organization promotes consistencies in work ethic and performance. A better understanding of organizational values and objectives will assist leaders in providing the direction employees need in completing the mission and vision of the organization.

Lack of knowledge on the goals and objectives of an organization can negatively influence the performance of members of an organization. Rosen discusses how sales teams have the tendency to focus on only 20 percent of an organizations customer based on the assumption that 80 percent of an organizations revenue being generated by only 20 percent an organizations customer base (Rosen, 2006). Building your sales team around the 80-20 rule contradicts the core objective of leadership which is, to make your people more valuable (Rosen, 2006, p. 26)

Cultural Leadership

Focusing on cultural leadership is a behavior characteristic in the transformational leadership which enhances the merger of employees personal values with an organizations values. In an interview with L. Daniel Jorndt, chairman and chief executive officer of Walgreens Co., Jorndt illustrates this confidence he has with Walgreens Companys current culture. Jorndt stated, True to the generations of leaders before them, the people who run Walgreen Co. today are not flashy. They dont generate much media buzz, stage lavish parties or generate headlines like higher-profile corporate trendsetters. They speak plain, Midwestern terms about hard work, discipline and long-term rewards rather than short-term gains (Griffin, 2000, p. 221).The interview portraits the strong cultural values which Walgreens has built over their 100 plus year tenure in the drug store industry.

The existence of sub-cultures within an organization can make it difficult for an organization to enforce its cultural values among the organizations employees. Businesses must evaluate and focus on ways to improve organizational management the awareness of the organizational values and desired cultural environment. Turman feels that organizational management includes using focused agencies designed to improve program management, and created or enhanced an evaluation culture within an organization (2003).

Conclusion

To compete in todays market place business must have the ability to maximize the use of available resources. Effective leadership will provide organizations with the direction and the vision needed to maximize survival. The behavior characteristics discussed by the author provide a collaboration of transformational leadership and the integrated leadership model to optimize organizational leadership. The combination of transformational leadership and the integrated leadership model represents an optimal leadership model for todays competitive market.

References

Burns, J.M. (1978). Leadership. Harper & Row. New York. Retrieved June 26, 2006 from EBSCOhost Database.

Griffin, M. (2000, December). Positive, Productive People Are Key to Walgreens' Success: An Interview with L. Daniel Jorndt. Chain Store Age. 76(12), 221. Retrieved June 28, 2006 from EBSCOhost Database.

Duta, A. (2005). Meta-Level Dialectical Interpenetrations in Transformational and Leadership. Conference Papers -- International Communication Association, Annual Meeting. New York, NY. Retrieved June 28, 2006 from EBSCOhost Database.

Piccolo, R. and Colquitt, J. (April, 2006). Transformational leadership and job behaviors: The mediating role of core job characteristics. Academy of Management Journal. 49(2), 327-340. Retrieved June 26, 2006 from EBSCOhost Database.

Perra, B. (1999, January). The Leader in You. Nursing Management. 30(1), 35. Retrieved June 27, 2006 from EBSCOhost Database.

Rosen, Keith. (June, 2006). Kill the 80-20 rule. Qualified Re-modeler. 32(6), 26. Retrieved June 26, 2006 from EBSCOhost Database.

Salopek, J. J. Leadership for a new age. (June, 2006) T+D. 60(6), 22-23. Retrieved June 25, 2006 from EBSCOhost Database.

Symons, J. (April, 2006). The vision thing. e.learning age. 18-19. Retrieved June 26, 2006 from EBSCOhost Database.

I am currently pursuing my Doctoral degree in Business Administration to leverage my education with my work experience to further my development as an optimal strategic decision maker equip with the tools necessary to manage the challenges faced by todays large corporations.

I am currently employed at IBM Corporation as a System P Sales Specialist. I have a strong sales, technical operations, and customer relations background due my job experiences and educational background. My employment experiences have enable me to master skills such as labor management, organizational development and training, technical expertise, conflict resolution, forecasting, organizational restructuring, as well as operations management.

I obtained my MBA in 2006 from the University of Phoenix and I received my BS in Computer Science in 1995 from Bethune-Cookman College.

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Transformational Leadership

Transformational Leadership
By Bharat Gaurav Kapur

What is leadership? When this question is asked most of the people answer leadership is the capacity or an ability of a person to lead. Earlier theories of leadership viz. trait, behaviour and contingency theories explain the meaning of leadership from different angles. But all these theories spring from the point of view of leaders i.e. How to control the followers? Now-a-days the most recent type of leadership is Transformational Leadership theory which also theorises from the point of view of leaders but it attempts to transform the followers or subordinates into leaders.

Transformational Leaders have three basic characteristics. These characteristics help them to turn their subordinates into leaders. These are explained as below: -

1.) VISION - This is the ability of an individual to bind people with an idea e.g. Subhash Chander who initiated KBC, Super Lotto etc.

2.) FRAMING - A process by which leaders define the purpose of their movement in highly meaningful terms. (Like Laloo Prasad Yadav, who is an excellent folk orator, who sways the mass mind and that helps him to maintain his vote bank.)

3.) IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT It is a leaders attempt to control the impressions that others form about a leader. (Like Vijay Mallaya and his media publicity and Bollywood connections.)

Leadership is all about leaders and followers, superiors and subordinates. Transformational Leadership can be understood in a simple way by chasing The followers point of view. Wherever there are two persons some contradiction often arise. It is said, Two intelligent persons often differ and in fact contradict each other. And most of us consider ourselves to be intelligent at our own levels. So contradiction is always there. Contradiction may be of many types but broadly it is of two types. First at personal levels i.e. two or more persons generally quarrel with each other as Ek mayan mein do talwarein nahi reh sakti. In fact Ek mayan mein ek talwar bhi rakkho to aawaz karti hai. i.e. we sometimes contradict ourselves also.

Like in case of women generally they take a long time to dress up. This is because they are in a contradiction with themselves only, which is What to wear? So contradiction is at personal levels. Second, it may be at organizational levels also i.e. differences of any kind between different combinations of organizational hierarchy. So when we start believing that some contradiction is to be there we can arise on the meaning of Transformational Leadership from two different angles.

First-------from angle of viewpoints.

There are normally three types of viewpoints first which is ours, second, which is yours, and a third one, which is normally the right one. So contradiction arises. Now, Who is a Transformational Leader? and this is the basic question. Transformational Leader is a person who often reduces the contradiction between the first and the second and very smoothly takes these two viewpoints to the third one, which is as I earlier mentioned is generally the right one (third viewpoint is generally the philosophy of your workplace). This is very much similar to Henry Fayols principle of management-----Subordination of individuals interest to general interest.

Second---------from the angle of change.

Whenever there is a contradiction, a seed for change is sown. And whenever a change is there people start resisting it. But ultimately the subordinates have to more or less yield to the change (We can take example of natural calamities. We normally have resistance to them but we accept them after they have occurred.). S, again the same question, Who is a Transformational Leader? Now, Transformational Leader is a person who reduces the time lag between the resistance to change and acceptance of change as smoothly as possible.

So to sum up Transformational Leaders rely on persuasion, idealism, intellect, and motivation through values and shared vision( Like principals of colleges, CEOs etc.)

Superiors should try to groom their subordinates in such a way that they grasp the their qualities. A leader attempts to transform the subordinates of today into the leaders of tomorrow.

This is what Transformational Leadership is all about.

Bharat Gaurav Kapur
(Lecturer in Commerce)
Sri Aurobindo College of
Commerce and Management,
Ludhiana.
bgkapurbg@yahoo.co.in
9855451309, 01862290309

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Leadership A Perspective From Tao

Leadership- A Perspective From Tao
By R.G. Srinivasan

Tao Te Ching said to be written by Lao Tzu during the period of warring states in china around the second century B.C.; a compilation of Chinese philosophy dating back to 6th century B.C. or even earlier, is a profound philosophical work with many lessons for the corporate of the 21st century.

There is a lot of debate on issues of what differentiates a leader from a manager. One of the biggest challenges for leaders is to lead and lead by example. He is less preoccupied with control functions which are a function of knowledge and more with broader objectives of how the future should be shaped. Future can be shaped with visions, dreams and emotions. He also realizes that for the future to shape up well he needs to utilize the Present to the maximum advantage. He can achieve higher ideals and aspirations only when he is in touch with the ground realities. Experience of events and situations and behavioral aspects bring him closer to current realities and help discern the undercurrents of change so that he can translate them to better solutions.

The managerial functions of organization and control have more to do with knowledge whereas a leader thrives on futuristic vision, people centered approach, a bias for action and in creating the future which he desires. All this emanates from the experiential.

Let us now look at the leadership paradigm from what Tao Te Ching has to say about knowledge and experience.

Knowledge & Experience: Tao is the way. The way in which we conduct our lives in accordance with the natural principles conducive to right living and thinking, without regrets and in such a manner that we develop and realize our potential without harming others or preventing others from realizing their potential which is beneficial to the society. Such a way of life may be conducted without a name. This may simply be called the way. Or to distinguish from other ways we may describe it and give it a name so that others may know of it.

By thoughts and words and by means of being non participating observers we may gain knowledge of its manifestation. But only through participation in this way do we gain experience of it for ourselves.

So knowledge is not the same as experience. When we have knowledge of something, we can describe only our knowledge and not the experience. And when we have experience, we can describe the knowledge of that experience and not the experience itself.

Let us look at an illustration. We observe the marketplace and we see the manifestation of market place. Then we have reports from our sales person which is the knowledge from the experience. So we now have the knowledge. But it is not equal to the experience of the marketplace. So we go down physically to the marketplace and buy or sell products or interact with the many components of the market. We now have the experience. With the experience come right decisions and actions. But we cannot still convey the experience itself, only the knowledge of the experience may be conveyed.

Knowledge and experience both are real. But they are different realities which may cause complexities. When they are used according to that which may be appropriate we may transcend the barriers of such complexities.

This perhaps explains why many of the leaders are men who have risen from the ranks. Even if they have not risen from the bottom you may easily identify them by their hands on nature and leading from the front. Hands on men who have the knowledge, knowledge of experience and experience itself. Leaders who understand the complex reality of the manifestation, knowledge and experience prefer to lead from the front and not from sterile cabins far removed from the experience itself. These are the leaders you cannot keep away from the marketplace or their people or their constituents or customers. These are the men who instinctively understand the Tao of leadership - The Way.

This is not to say being hands on and lead from the front is the only leadership criteria. This is one of the distinguishing qualities of leadership. It is said that the greatest leader of all time Alexander The Great always lead every battle from the front when the battle began and only then did he move on to other roles.

What would you prefer to be? An acquirer of knowledge or a leader.

R.G. Srinivasan is a managerial professional, Writer and Author. He writes a regular blog on management thoughts with interesting articles, resources, personal experiences and links useful for any manager at http://management-thoughts.blogspot.com.

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10 Reasons Why Friendliness Is A Leadership Necessity

10 Reasons Why Friendliness Is A Leadership Necessity
By Brent Filson

We've heard it many times, It's a dog eat dog world. The trouble is, some leaders actually believe it. They conduct themselves like the alpha dog in a pack, holding sway through intimidation. This instinctive behavior helps insure survival in a dog world, but applied to the human world of organizational dynamics, it can lead to disaster.

Alpha dog leadership can eventually turn out to be destructive to the people, their organization, and the leaders themselves. To use another common metaphor, That dog won't hunt.

After all, leaders do nothing more important than get results; and the best results are what I've been teaching for more than two decades, more results faster, continually. An alpha-dog leader might chew up people to get more results and get them faster, but I submit that it takes a far different personality trait to engender the continually aspect of the imperative. That trait isn't the despot modeled by so many leaders, it's ... well, friendliness.

Having a friendly attitude as a leader means eschewing the alpha-dog way of leadership. It means being gentle, kind, helpful, and cordial in your relationships, even in times of anger and stress -- ESPECIALLY in times of anger and stress. Here are 10 reasons friendliness gets far more results than an alpha-dog way.

(1) We stay in control. Apha-dog leaders seek to control others. But they misconstrue what control really means. In truth, such leaders are really out of control much of the time, since they're at the mercy of their emotional outbursts and the reactions of others to those outbursts. In leadership, the best way to control a situation, i.e., the best way to get great results, is to put the people in control. Don't constrain them through short-term compulsion but liberate them by playing the longer game. Unleash their initiative and creativity by allowing them to make free choices, and they will be under your control in more profound and effective ways than the alpha-dog leader could imagine.

(2) People respond more openly and positively to friendliness. Humans seek happiness; and friendliness is a great way to spread happiness. It enables you to communicate much more effectively because it bonds you with others in ways that anger, coercion, intimidation can't. And that bonding is the stuff that great results flow from.

(3) We are modeling good interactions, bringing the future into the present. Whether leaders know it or not, their words and actions are carefully watched by the people they lead. People have an instinctive need to model those words and actions; or if they disagree with them, speak and act in opposite ways. By radiating friendliness, leaders are being the means that are the ends in the making.

(4) We make real issues relevant factors, not false issues like anger and intimidation. Friendliness tends to clarify issues; intimidation, because it is associated with fear, obfuscates them. So often intimidating leaders make themselves and their tormenting ways the issue. Whereas the real issues should be, how do we get results, how do we get more results, how do we get faster results, and how do we get more, faster continually? The fear they provoke is like crack cocaine, temporarily stimulating but addictive and in the long run destructive to the leader and the people.

(5) With friendliness, we set the agenda. A good offense is the best defense applies with friendliness. You should be on the offense with friendliness, displaying it even in challenging circumstances when it may take an act of disciplined courage on your part. This helps you set the agenda in terms of how people respond to one another in these circumstances. Of course, your friendliness will not affect some people who may be determined to subvert your leadership no matter what your attitude is; however, friendliness can, like the clearing of brush-lines to contain a forest fire, keep rancor from spreading deeply into the organization.

(6) We increase the chance that others will support our cause. The truth is that leaders can't motivate anybody to do anything. The people make the choice to be motivated or not. Friendly leaders have the best chance of creating an environment in which the people make that choice. As Abraham Lincoln said, If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend. Therein is a drop of honey that catches his heart, which, say what he will, is the great highroad to his reason, and which, once gained, you will find but little trouble in convincing him of the justice of your cause, if indeed that cause is really a good one.

(7) Our opponents can be put off balance. As a leader, you'll often have people working against you, spoiling for a fight; and when they encounter a friendly attitude on your part, they may be thrown off balance in benignly effective ways. Furthermore, your friendliness can encourage others to take up your cause against them.

(8) With friendliness everybody has an opportunity to win. Unfriendly leaders often win battles but lose wars. They may compel others to get on board; but if those others do so out of compulsion and not genuine conviction and motivation, the fruits of any victories can become ashes. Most people welcome friendliness -- even if they disagree with and even dislike the leader. Furthermore, our friendliness can prompt the people we interact with to reflect on their own character, a prerequisite for their choosing to be motivated. In an environment of friendliness, all parties have an opportunity to achieve something positive.

(9)Friendliness is fire prevention equipment against your burning bridges behind you. An opponent may seem to be your opponent today but in the future you may need him to be your partner in implementing changes. Friendliness gives us an opportunity to have productive relationships even with those who oppose us, enriching both the present and the future.

(10) Getting results through friendliness can take a lot less energy than getting results through coercion and intimidation. Friendliness isn't an absolute necessity in leadership. I've seen great leaders who were terrific curmudgeons. It's just that unfriendly people have to go through a lot more trouble getting people motivated.

Two caveats. One, friendliness can be mistaken for weakness. In fact, friendliness can BE weakness if it manifests as a way of avoiding challenging people to do the hard things to get great results. In leadership, friendliness has a clear function which is to people achieve constantly improving results. This entails your challenging people to do what they often don't want to do. Anybody can be nice to them and let them do what they want. But a leader must continually be challenging people to struggle mightily for extraordinary results. If friendliness doesn't help you fulfill that function then it's simply a lifestyle choice, not a leadership tool, and ultimately in terms of leadership, a weakness.

Two, even if you do use it as a strong leadership tool, you certainly can't be friendly 100 percent of the time. If you try to be, you'll find yourself becoming a rather one-dimensional leader. One of the most difficult accomplishments facing any leader is simply being who you really are especially under pressure. To force-fit friendliness in a situation where you might not ordinarily exhibit it or to use friendliness to manipulate people into conforming to your wishes is not the best leadership uses of friendliness.

It may be a dog-eat-dog world; but by progressing in the Way of friendliness, leaders can invest their lives and this world with moments of beauty and meaning -- and get more results in the bargain.

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

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Leading Others in 3 Dimensions Nu Leadership Series

Leading Others in 3- Dimensions - Nu Leadership Series
By Daryl Green

Every one of those people died. But they still had faith, even though they had not received what they had been promised. They were glad just to see these things from far away, and they agreed that they were only strangers and foreigners on this earth.Romans 11:13

Many organizations operate in a state of uncertainty due to the rapid changes in todays marketplace. How can organizations afford to be clueless when forecasting for future changes? Exemplary organizations think strategically and operate in duality. Duality means operating in two universes, present and future. Wacker, Taylor, and Means, authors of The Visionarys Handbook, argue that organizations must operate in duality for survival; however, the nature of organizations resists it.

Lets explore this concept biblically. The Apostle Paul operated in duality. He worked as a tent maker, taking care of his personal needs. He was engaged in worldwide evangelism and mentoring of the early churches. Yet, Paul kept his eyes on the future of Christs return. He carried out his day-to-day busy work, but kept his eyes on the ultimate goal. Likewise, many leaders are faced with this physical dilemma of operating in a three dimensional plane.

Are you prepared for operating in duality, Leader? God may be calling you to action. This calling normally denotes Gods way of guiding people to religious service. John 15: 16 reads, You did not choose me. I chose you and sent you out to produce fruit, the kind of fruit that will last.

Likewise, Christians operate in duality. There are plenty of examples. You see Jesus, a carpenter called, called to be the Savior and Paul, a tentmaker, called to be the Gentile Ambassador. The author of Romans 11:13 explains, Every one of those people died. But they still had faith, even though they had not received what they had been promised. They were glad just to see these things from far away, and they agreed that they were only strangers and foreigners on this earth. Therefore, it is clear that individuals and organizations can exist in duality.

References:

Bible, Contemporary English Version

The Navigators (2006). Exploring the Biblical Overview. Received on May 31, 2006 from http://www.navigators.org/us/ministries/b2g/articles/The%20Call/items/Exploring%20The%20Bible%20Overview

Wacker, W., Taylor, J., & Means, H. (2000). The Visionarys Handbook. New York: HarperBusiness.

2006 by Daryl D. Green

Daryl D. Green has published over 100 articles in the field of decision-making (personal and organizational), leadership, and organizational behavior. Mr. Green is also the author of two acclaimed books, Awakening the Talents Within and My Cup Runneth Over. He is a columnist, lecturer, professor, and management consultant. Mr. Green has a BS in engineering and a MA in organizational management. Currently, he is a doctoral degree in strategic leadership. For more information,visit his website at http://www.darylgreen.org

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Zocalo Square Final Destination In Mexico City

Zocalo Square Final Destination In Mexico City
By Lea Adams

Every year millions of travelers and tourists visit Mexican coasts, riviera maya on one hand and Pacific coast on the other. However, Mexico has other charming sites to explore and one of them is the capital of the Mexican United States as the formal name of Mexico states it. The Federal District of Mexico City apart from colonial architecture that can be admired in the city centre, has also more ancient archeological sites as the ones located near Plaza del Zcalo where azteca archeologial temples as the site known as Templo Mayor discovers the beginnings of the city in front of travelers' eyes. Built at the beginning of the XVIth century during colonial dominion by the Spaniards, the Zocalo Square is the third biggest square in the world and is located on ancient ruins that reveals prehispanic cultures earlier than the Aztecas. Plaza del Zcalo is a place where centuries reunite and the proof resides in the blending between cultures and societies that succeded along the history in today's capital of Mexico. From Templo Mayor, witness of the most ancients ancestors through colonial period after discovering the American continent by the Europeans to Mexican Independence from Spain, this square abunds in history and traditions that worth to be discover by any visitor.

The impressive Palacio Nacional on one side of the square where today resides the Town Hall of Mexico City as well as the National Executive Power of the Mexican administration is worth visit especially when one has the chance to admire Diego Rivera's paintings. But Plaza del Zcalo shelters also one of the two Cathedrals of Mexico City built during three centuries: the Saint Nicholas Cathedral. Indeed, the city distinguish itself by having two cathedrals instead of one -the other is the ancient Cathedral of Virgin Guadeloupe (Catedral de la Virgen de Guadalupe), though the latter being quite ancient is not functional anymore to religious mass and for this reason the Catholic Church has built a new building nearby that has taken over its religious obligations-. Like a curiosity for those travelling by plane to Mexico City, pay attention while the plane aproaches the Benito Jurez Airport that the Mexican flag erected in the Plaza del Zcalo can be seen from the air. That gives visitors some idea of the patriotism level featuring this country. While being in the Zocalo Square if the traveler decides to go to other areas of the capital is best they call a taxi it they don't have a car rented for their stay.

Never venture out on the street to take cab that passes by, always go through a taxi company amongst the serious taxi services existing in Mexico city. The tasty and rich Mexican breakfasts that finish at 12 o'clock are a delightful experience for travelers that want to know more about one of the finest and more complex cuisines in the world. A mixture between maya and azteca roots combined with a colonial touch has created the cocina criolla with incredible dishes that makes this gastronomic experience unforgettable. In front of the Palacio Nacional, that is on the other side of the Zocalo Square, the Majestic hotel , at the upper floor offers the Sunday's Mexican Breakfasts famous among many Mexico City residents as well as other connaisseurs of the cities attractive curiosities. So a perfect combinations of delicious Mexican dishes, a pottery boiled black and aromatic coffee while the Zocalo Square reveals itself in all its splendour.

Professor and travel guide.

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Basic Leadership Skill

We are pleased to announce that the first Basic Leadership Skill Training Program for Searchers has successfully finished as per the ...