Leadership: The Goldener Rule – Less You and More Gold

It’s hard to tell who leads the pack when everyone can make it through high water.

[This is Part # 15 of a 20 Part Series to Improve Your Strengths] — Take the Strengths TEST

Quote: “Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.” -Dwight D. Eisenhower

Definition: “the ability or act of leading people”

It’s a life or death situation on this previously deserted island.  257 people escaped the safely crashed Boeing airliner and are relying on a triad of would-be-leaders to make the next move before a giant storm devastates the sandy coast they’ve temporarily called home.  Who do they choose?  Who will bring them out of the dark cloud they’ve landed in?

Mort, the hot-shot Wall Street investment broker who can definitely get things done, but will probably cause as much damage psychologically as the storm will physically.

Elvira, the wishy-washy, but highly productive fundraising coordinator for the several major corporations.  She gets a ton of stuff done, but no one really knows what’s going on inside.

Dale, a feed store owner of 23 years that may be quiet and smell like animal dung, but can bring the best of many wild worlds together to make ends meet for an ever-demanding audience.

Too obvious?  Not so fast!  How’d you come about reading about improving your leadership strength if it was this straight-forward, hmmm?  Time to foster the team and watch people grow!

Have a Clear Vision, Values, and Goals that Others Want to Own

What is it that you treasure most in your biggest role-model?  Fancy goodies?  Nice hair?  Great retirement package?  A killer gumbo recipe?  Probably not any of these things.  We probably need to dig a bit deeper to pinpoint the things that make them tick to find the things that inspire you to aspire.

Values and vision.  Two very difficult ‘V’ words that could stop the most massive of folks in their tracks.  Where is one to begin?  Guess what… if you don’t know, then neither will your people.  If your people don’t know what you stand for, then why the Heavens-to-Betsy would they want to follow you?

EXERCISE: Pick a team, group, family, whatever that you want to focus greater direction on.  Design a 70% draft of your Vision, Mission, and Values statements.

You have to make a path for people to follow.  Pave the way and then get out of it.

Encourage the Opinions and Contributions of Other Team Members

Do you want to know the quickest way to make a child go from dreamy, fun, life-loving visionary to jaded fuddy-duddy?