LeadershipJot.com

I have spent some time contemplating the failed bid for the Democrat Presidential nomination of Hillary Clinton. Naturally, I also tied thoughts into the failed bid for the Presidency by Al Gore in the 2000 election. While Al Gore won the popular vote, he lost the election by the Electoral College vote following the Supreme Court decision of the Florida recount.

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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Robert Francis “Bobby” Kennedy

Today is the day that 40 years ago Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated. I don’t like to refer to these circumstances as anniversaries, because an anniversary is a good occasion like in marriage. The assassination of a leader is a dark circumstance in our nation’s history.

Bobby Kennedy, as he was known, was the younger brother of President John F. Kennedy and served as US Attorney General during his brother’s administration. From 1965 until his assassination, was a US Senator from New York. In the early morning hours of June 5th, 1968, he won the California Democrat Primary and after giving his speech he was shot in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.

Bobby Kennedy stood for issues of civil rights, racial and economic justice, against the Vietnam War, and supporting foreign policy of non-aggression.

Quote about failure from Bobby Kennedy:
“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”

Blogging about failure on a website about leadership may strike some as odd, but I find it important for leaders to understand the role that failure plays in developing leadership potential.

Below are articles that I have written about failure:

• 3-Steps for How to Respond to Failure
• Achieve Success in a New Year
• Committing to not Fail and Learning to Succeed
• Learning from Failure through Interest and Focus with Donald Trump and Winston Churchill
• Persevering and Success after Mistakes and Failures with Peter Drucker and John Maxwell
• Quote about Success and Failure from Sir Winston Churchill
• The Story about a Leader who Failed much but Succeeded in Greatness

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Harold Geneen was a businessman who immigrated to the United States from England with his parents as an infant. During his career, he was the Chief Executive Officer of two major corporations – Raytheon and ITT.

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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Each leader tends to define leadership in their “own” words. It’s not that the definitions are different, but that the words are personalized to each leader. Leaders take the time to dwell on “what it means” and “what it takes” to lead.

Some may be placed in leadership positions overnight, but the ability to lead is developed over a long period of time. Great leaders continue to develop their leadership ability over their entire lives and never stop leading.

Defining leadership with a quote from Arthur F Carmazzi:
“To lead is not to influence others to do something they are not committed to, but rather to nurture a culture that motivates and even excites individuals to do what is required for the benefit of all.”

The main idea I like from this quote is the idea “to nurture a culture” for environmental factors are pertinent for successful leadership. Some corporate cultures are great for developing and supporting leaders; while other cultures are rigidly focused on a hierarchy to the extent that some leaders are stifled and stunted.

Position in a rigid hierarchy becomes the main factor for leadership, but position is only a factor for one facet of leadership – authority. The practice of leadership is not dependent on position. For example, many leaders in communities do not hold positions of leadership, but rather practice leadership socially to better their communities.

More on Defining Leadership:

Peter Drucker was great at defining things in business and wrote many books during his lifetime to do so. He also wrote about leadership: See Beyond the Limits of Experience to the Horizon of Potential and Lead the Journey.

Back in October, I wrote about the need for leadership when the US was starting an economic decline significantly: Now is the Time for Leadership.

Inspired by Michael E. Gerber’s book ‘The E-Myth, I wrote about Three Different Leaders of the Technician the Manager and the Entrepreneur.

Dr. Myles Monroe has a great quote to define leadership: Defining Leadership with a Quote from Dr Myles Monroe.

A quote about leadership from John Quincy Adams was noted in To Lead is to Dream Learn Do and Become More.

At the beginning of the year, I started to look at leadership as a mathematic formula: Formula for Successful Leadership.

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Too many people are standing still. They are neither moving forward nor stepping back. It is one thing to encounter failures and setbacks in life, but, in my opinion, it is even worse to not try because you may fail. If you introduce me to someone who never fails in life, I will introduce you to someone who never achieves anything worthwhile.

Quote for Leaders from Conrad Hilton:
“Achievement seems to be connected with action. Successful men and women keep moving. They make mistakes but they don’t quit.”

Conrad Hilton (1887- 1979) was the American hotelier who founded the Hilton Hotel chain.

Achievement, more than money, fame, or glory, seems to be the measure of success for a lot of entrepreneurs and other professionals. Some use money as a measurement for achievement, but it’s the working toward, realizing, and adding to achievement that is the true motivator.

People who achieve are self-driven. They don’t require someone to tell them what to do; they find out what needs to be done and do it.

My grandfather taught me this lesson when I worked with him during my teen years. My grandfather developed land and built residential homes; I worked with him because of my interest in real estate. He put me to work with carpenters, electricians, and the like; although my interest was more on the business side of real estate. I didn’t start as a good worker. I mostly did what I was told and then stopped working until the next task was given to me. Anyone who has been around a construction site knows how much cleaning up needs to be done; whether it be removing scraps of wood or cleaning up sawdust, there is always work to be done until the project is complete. When I didn’t work on a specific task, my standing instruction became “clean up.” I quickly learned how to find more tasks and didn’t wait until I was told. And I started to achieve more, because I got more done.

The action that leads to achievement is not the same as busy work – the menial tasks that always need to get done. Rather, it’s the action that impacts directly with the project. Learning how to focus your energies and turn on the action has a direct impact on what you are able to achieve. As with many other things, the more you work on something – “practice, practice, practice” – the better you work.

Work on the action that leads toward achievement and the more you will achieve. When you make mistakes, remember the 3 Steps for How to Respond to Failure. Also, keep in mind that “action” is an important part of leadership – Formula for Successful Leadership.

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I have always enjoyed the lesson from one individual who failed so much in his life, but in the end was and is regarded as one of the greatest leaders that ever lived.

The Personal Side

He was not well educated, nor did he come from a prominent family. Instead his formal education lasted merely 18 months, was self-taught, even passing the bar exam to become a lawyer, and an avid reading.

He lost his mother when he was merely 9 years old and had to overcome the death of his first sweetheart when he was 26.

Career Failures

This person failed in business when he was 21 years old. When he was 23, he was defeated in his first legislative election race. At 24, he again failed in business and suffered through a nervous breakdown by 27.

He lost two Congressional races when he was 34 and 36 and lost a US Senate race when he was 45. He failed in an effort to become the Vice President when he was 47 and lost another Senate bid the same year.

Success and Greatness

In spite of all of his failures, this person remained determined to succeed and never failed as a leader. You know him and every young person in the United States learns about his leadership at a very young age. Even around the entire world, he is known as a great leader and a shining example for national leadership.

I am writing about the sixteenth President of the United States – Abraham Lincoln.

Quote from Abraham Lincoln about failure:
“The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.”

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In Wisconsin

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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Conflicts

Conflicts rip through every team and wreak havoc on the unity and focus of team. It is critical to understand what causes conflicts and seek resolution as expeditiously and thoroughly as possible. The main cause of conflicts is personality. Sometimes, the personality conflicts are wrapped around viable issues like differences of opinion on how to best accomplish a task, what rules or regulations govern an operation, or what takes priority among multiple issues; too often conflicts are unresolved because of personalities rather than issues.

Here are 7 steps for resolving personality conflicts in the workplace:

1) Maintain friendliness:

Cordial and courteous actions and words are often all that is required to mitigate personality conflicts. Maintain a friendly environment and you may very well maintain a “personality conflict free” environment.

2) Keep it professional:

Professionalism is a pertinent factor to keep tempers and attitudes from getting out of control. The Type-A personality is a great person to have on the team, but the Type-A personality can cause problems if there isn’t a clear practice of professionalism.

3) Determine the source of problems:

When conflicts arise, do not dismiss them as matters of personality. Seek to resolve any and all underlying problems, differences of opinion, and genuine work issues. Focusing attention on problems that matter will unite the team and draw attention to teamwork.

4) Document conflicts:

When conflicts do arise, it is important to keep track of the problems to determine the depth and breadth of the issues that infect your workplace. Documentation can also be used to determine an underlying source of problems or avoidable trends in conflicts.

5) Keep relevant parties informed:

Conflicts should not be swept under the rug and hidden. Problems will haunt your team and infect your work; conflicts need to be resolved – this is the only way to maintain the unity and effectiveness of a team.

6) Don’t hesitate to take the issue higher:

Sometimes a team member may need to be laterally transferred in order to put personality issues in perspective. If properly managed, a personality conflict should never lead to firing a team member, but under some circumstance a lateral transfer may be the best answer. If you do not have the authority to transfer someone, take the issue to those with the authority. Keep in mind, proper documentation will probably be required in order to make the case, so go back to step number 4.

7) Keep it professional:

All in all, keep things professional. We are all different and this is the value of a team.

Leadership quote from William Wrigley:
“In business, when two people always agree, one of them is irrelevant.”

Conflicts, in and of themselves, are not problems, but rather contribute to the dynamism and viability of a team.

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Formula for Successful Leadership

I want to share an idea that I have been dwelling on. It’s a simple formula or model for effective and successful leadership.

Successful Leadership = (Effective Communication + Articulate Vision + Influence + Action) (Ethics)

Effective Communication

3 Dynamics of Leadership

Articulate Vision

The Leaders Vision

Influence

Dr. Myles Monroe on Leadership and Influence

Action

Leadership and Action
Influence and Action

Ethics

Ethics is the multiplier for a very critical reason – anything multiplied by zero equals zero. Without ethics, nothing else amounts to much of anything.

The Relationship of Ethics and Leadership

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Martin Luther King Jr

Today is Martin Luther King Day. Four days before he was assassinated, Dr King gave a speech at the Episcopal National Cathedral in Washington DC. During his speech, Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution, he gave us a great quote about leadership.

Great Orator

There is no question that Dr King was great with words. He definitely had tremendous influence and he made a lasting impact on our society. He made this world better. Mostly known as a great orator whose lines “I have a dream,” “This is our hope” and “Let freedom ring” are among the most popular and quoted lines of modern history.

Great Leader

There is also no question that Dr King was a great leader.  His philosophy of leadership is the true culmination of his life.

Quote about leadership from Dr Martin Luther King Jr:
“Ultimately a genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus.”

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