The Best Leaders Tip #12 – Lead holistically

This is my final of 12 posts about how to be among the Best Leaders.  In these, I provide inspiration for everyone seeking professional and personal growth as a leader of people, projects, groups, teams and organizations. I welcome your comments and feedback.  Visit my website for more information.

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BE A GROWN-UP

Best Leader Tip #12        Lead holistically.  The academic field of leadership is evolving to this, more holistic view of leadership. – where although we understand and acknowledge the various types and styles of leadership and when to use them, we lead as whole people, embracing our teams with all their differences, demonstrating values-based behaviors, setting a clear vision and motivating our people to achieve it, communicating authentically and powerfully, and making sure our organizations are aligned with their entire systems.  This is also known as integrative leadership. 

To me, this sums up all the steps to being the best leader.

The Best Leaders Tip #11 – There is no direct line between working around the clock and success

This is my 11th of 12 posts about how to be among the Best Leaders.  In these, I provide inspiration for everyone seeking professional and personal growth as a leader of people, projects, groups, teams and organizations. I welcome your comments and feedback.  Visit my website for more information.

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BE A GROWN-UP

Best Leader Tip #11        Take care of yourself.  The most effective leaders know that there is no straight line between success and working around the clock.  Not having a social life, never exercising, eating poorly, and letting your body and mind get out of balance, however, IS a direct path to feeling bad and even illness.  Take care of yourself while you work hard.  Be super organized with your time and you’ll find room for all your priorities, which must include your physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental health.

For confidence today, remember the past

If you feel your self confidence flagging, try this:
Each morning this week, remember one accomplishment of yours. It could be nailing an important presentation, landing a key client, making a great dinner or giving birth to your child—anything you did that you felt was important. Remember, just for three minutes, how that made you feel, and what you overcame to get to your wonderful, final result. Did you swallow hard and manage your beating heart, putting one foot in front of the other? Did you take a deep breath and just jump in? Did you ignore naysayers or logistical speed bumps? Did you still your trembling knees and just keep going? What happened next? Applause, congratulations, relief, euphoria…? Call up those feelings and memories now. Hold them with you all day.
Repeat for a new memory each day this week.

Designing Leadership: Thought of the Week

Be Brave.

From time to time, all of us are faced with a choice of being popular, or doing the right thing. For leaders, this is not a choice. Do the right thing. Always.

Designing Leadership: Thought of the Week

Lesson for Success (from running)-

To get where you want to go, keep your eye on the horizon. And, to know how you’re progressing, notice the passing scenery, who’s in front of you, who’s behind you, the roadblocks that might come your way, and the openings. Stay in shape and above all, just keep going!

Communication inspiration from MLK Jr

“People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.”
— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Inspiration from MLK Jr

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Designing Leadership: Thought of the Week

Be Fun.

Overheard at my health club in Chicago:  “LA is nice – the weather is terrific, but I just couldn’t live there.  It’s Neverland… people just don’t seem to grow up.” Sounds like my kind of place.  In fact, I know it is (I am a proud former resident of Los Angeles).  Wherever we live and work, we all need a culture of fun, a spirit of play… until the sun comes up over Santa Monica Boulevard…!  (Thank you, Ms. Crow).

Designing Leadership – Thought of the Week

Committed to designing effective organizations and courageous leaders, this Thought of the Week series provides tips for reflection and your use.

Be Compassionate.
“How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these. ”
― George Washington Carver

Boo… not boo-hoo

Halloween means plenty of delicious, fun scary sights and sounds. We like to be scared because it’s exciting and makes us feel alive in the moment. We also know, for the most part, that our Halloween-based frights aren’t real, so our brains don’t let us get too deeply afraid. Real life however, holds plenty of frightening experiences that, if not managed well, can hold us back from making our dreams come true. What to do? Here are some tips to keep your “Boo’s” from turning into “boo-hoo’s.”

1. Get to the bottom of your fear. What are you actually afraid of? What is the worst thing that could happen? How would you handle that? Visualize and plan for the worst possible scenario you can think up – you’ll get calmer.
2. Fear is a feeling, and feelings are fleeting. Wait for the feeling to pass, and be deliberate with happy thoughts and calmness to replace them.
3. Don’t dwell on maybe’s… many things might or might not happen. Remember your power in creating what you want to happen.
4. Forget what happened before – stay in this moment and don’t let past traumas or disappointments color your present experience unduly.