Reed Markham is the author of such books as Leadership 2000, Excellence in Public Speaking, and Effective Speechwriting. While most of his writing concentrates on oratory, I want to share with you a quote from Reed Markham about one difference between a good leader and a great leader.

Quote from Reed Markham about a Good Leader and a Great Leader:
“A good leader inspires other men and women with confidence. A great leader inspires them with confidence in themselves.”

Leadership is influence and inspiration is one of the most effective ways to influence people. We are inspired by Michael Phelps by winning 8 gold medals at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and many young boys and girls will be lead to work hard and pursue their athletic dreams; some may even go on to become Olympians themselves.

Inspiring Presidential Candidates

Many are inspired by Barack Obama – the rise of the son of a Kenyan father and Kansan mother who went from a community organizer in the mid-90s to be the first African American candidate on a major political party ticket for the Presidency of the United States.

Many are inspired by the story of John McCain. The son and grandson of US Navy Admirals who refused any special treatment and barely survived six years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. The man who later went onto become a US Senator with the rare accomplishments of leading bipartisanship toward issues of campaign finance, border security, and banning torture.

Many also are inspired by Hillary Clinton who was the first viable woman for the Presidency having won nearly 18 million votes in the Democrat Party Primary. In this year of “change” we also have Sarah Palin, the Alaskan Governor who has built a national support base in the matter of less than two weeks as the Republican VP candidate.

Inspired by History in the Making

We are inspired by fact that for the first time in American history, this election in 2008 will be one of the most significant elections in our lifetime. Not only is this the first time that the election was completely open on both sides of the political spectrum, but which ever party wins will make history – either the first African American to be President or the first woman to be Vice President.

With all the history making this year, we are inspired with renewed confidence in our nation. We are inspired to believe that no matter the economic obstacles, we can bounce back and drive on. We are inspired that regardless of the foreign challenges from Islamic terrorism, Russian aggression, or trade disparities; we have the opportunity (or more accurately, the uniquely American “ability”…) to self-correct.

Our nation, which is one of the youngest nations, but one of the oldest governments, inspires confidence in the ennoblement of being American.

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“Hope” is an interesting word for a leader to focus on. From my background, I can tell you a lot of military leaders would put you down for using such a word; especially if you say something like “I did this and hopefully it will work.” The usual response is “Hope is not a strategy.” Hillary Clinton even used this exact phrase against General John Abizaid in a Senate briefing on Iraq; his response, “Senator, I agree with you – and I would also say that despair is not a method.”

Hope does not have to be blind and empty or absent strategy and plans. Hope is rooted in belief. Hope is a feeling. Hope is what can propel someone to action – and action is the requirement for any accomplishment. Without hope, you have despair. Without hope, you give up – quit. Sometime you may fail, but if you maintain hope, you can learn from the failure and work toward accomplishment.

One of the greatest military minds, Napoleon I of France (Napoleon Bonaparte) used the word hope and any leader would be hard-pressed to put him down for it.

Leadership quote from Napoleon Bonaparte:
“A leader is a dealer in hope.”

Barack Obama also focuses on the message of change (“Change you can believe in”), but that’s for another time.

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Since 2000, Al Gore has demonstrated that he is anything but a failure. While he never took the oath of the highest office in the United States, he has succeeded in bringing his top political issue to the forefront of American and Global conscience.

Since his political career began with a congressional seat from Tennessee, Al Gore’s public service has been known by one dominating issue – the environment. He was one of the first politicians to hold public hearings on the issue and to publically call for reduction in emissions from carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

After Al Gore failed in his bid for the Presidency in 2000 and left the office of Vice President in 2001, he dusted off a twenty year-old speech and toured the speaking circuit to discuss the issue of saving the environment. In 2006, he turned this speech into an Academy Award winning documentary – An Inconvenient Truth. In 2007, he won the Nobel Peace Prize with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change “for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change.”

Today, Green Initiatives are commonplace in our business and social arenas. In no small part, this is attributed to Al Gore’s leadership after having failed in his bid for the Presidency.

Quote about Leadership from Al Gore:

“No matter how hard the loss, defeat might serve as well as victory to shake the soul and let the glory out.”

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I always enjoy a good quote. I have taken inspiration and thought critically about several of Harold Geneen’s quotes. I’ve never read any of his books (please don’t interpret this as any consideration other than I have a limited amount of time to read and too many other books on my shelf).

Quote about Leadership from Harold Geneen:
“Leadership cannot really be taught. It can only be learned.”

I think this quote may be a bit subject to critique, but in general I do agree that “leadership cannot really be taught.” Leaders can be developed and mentored, but learning leadership is the responsibility of the individuals themselves. Learning leadership does not come from a book (or a blog, but please continue to read LeadershipJot.com!). Leadership is learned from practice and experience.

One thing that all leaders have in common is a lifetime of experience. The younger the leader is the more immature their leadership potential. The more mature the leader is the stronger their leadership potential. However, don’t judge a leader by his age. Barrack Obama may be significantly younger than Hillary Clinton or John McCain, but you cannot say he is not an effective leader. He has been running a predominately successful campaign for the Democratic Party nomination for President against more experienced and more established candidates. His has inspired and influenced many potential constituents and he has definitely left his mark on US Presidential politics.

A leader, like Barrack Obama, who may be young or just younger than others, is a leader who gained significantly from his experience in a short period of time by emphasizing quality and not merely quantity. This may be attributed to intelligence, wisdom, or, perhaps, leadership potential.

At any rate, the quality of a leader’s experience is demonstrated in their effectiveness as a leader. The quality of experience may compensate for the quantity of experience.

(Please note: this is not an endorsement for Barrack Obama.)

Other quotes about leadership from Harold Geneen:
“Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions.”
“Uncertainty will always be part of the taking charge process.”

Books by Harold Geneen:

• The Synergy Myth: And Other Ailments Of Business Today, with Brent Bowers, St. Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-14724-4
• Synergy and Other Lies: Downsizing, Bureaucracy, and Corporate Culture Debunked, with Brent Bowers, St. Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-20080-3
• Managing, with Alvin Moscow, Avon Books, ISBN 0-380-69986-9
• Alta dirección, with Alvin Moscow, Lectorum Pubns Inc, ISBN 84-253-1871-8

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Today is the State of Wisconsin Primary and for the first time in a long while I am at home instead of voting by absentee ballot. There are very few leadership positions as important as the Presidency of the United States, so I have been giving a lot of contemplation as to who I feel is the best leader for the next four-to-eight years.

John McCain

Back in 2000, I was a supporter for John McCain, a highly respectable patriot, knowledgeable and experienced candidate, and someone who is able to make better decisions than most. This year, he is the presumptive nominee with a clear and decisive lead of delegates for the Republican Party nomination.

With the DNC

This year, I am contemplating casting my vote in the Democratic Party. In Wisconsin, voters are allowed to register at the voting booth and select party affiliation at that time. By the way, the open primary registration of Wisconsin works to the advantage of Senators Obama and McCain who both do very well among independent voters.

Hillary Clinton

I honestly do not believe Senator Clinton to be the best choice. She is way too divisive for a leader. I think there would be more problems between the executive and legislative branches of government if she was elected. Do not misunderstand, I think she is very intelligent and capable as a politician, but I do not think she is who this country needs at this time.

Barack Obama

Senator Obama is, in my opinion, a highly influential leader. His oratorical abilities and celebrity status, allow him a great deal latitude from which to lead. I do not agree with every position that he takes, but I don’t 100% agree with every position that any of the candidates take. I do think that America needs an influential leader – someone who can inspire, influence, and provoke positive action.

Party Politics

As you can probably discern from this blog entry, I do not allow myself to be limited by political parties. I think it was George Washington, in his farewell address who warned against political parties and history has proven him to be accurate and wise. Great many problems have risen from party politics. Too many issues become a matter of competition to win than a decision to make for the best interest of the nation. The only good is the default mode of restraint in passing new legislation.

Jeffersonian Principle of Government

The Jeffersonian Principle of Government from our third President, Thomas Jefferson, is that government that governs best is that government that governs least. The division caused by a dual party system does keep the legislature in check, but too often distracts from issues that truly matter. There are thousands of young men and women who are dying in this nation’s wars in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and against terrorism. Too many people are struggling paycheck-to-paycheck in our economy, while fat-cat executives are given huge severance packages when they fail in their jobs. These two issues – war and economy – are the top two issues for me and most significant problems facing our nation at this time.

Casting my Vote to Make a Difference

So, today, I am going to cast my vote to play my role and be responsible for the governing of this nation. Freedom, of course, is not free. It comes with the high cost of responsibility. If we want to maintain a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people,” then we need to be responsible to fulfill our obligations by participating in the political process.

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