Recently posted quotes:

"There is no distinctly American criminal class - except Congress." Mark Twain (1835-1910)

“Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for.” -Will Rogers (1879-1935)

"Stability in government is essential to national character and to the advantages annexed to it." -James Madison (1751-1836)

"Liberty must at all hazards be supported." -John Adams (1735-1826)


Thursday, May 28, 2009

Leadership – Part 1

How do you get to be a leader? Are you the leader already? Are you a leader or just a manager? Maybe you aren’t either, but wanna be! So, how do you get there?

Leaders aren’t trained; but managers and supervisors can be. Leaders are products of their environment, not of some training school or academy. People can be trained skills and behaviors; but leadership is a talent. Talent is a development of the environment and surroundings that have formed you over a number of years and experiences.

Some leaders are easy to spot; you just can’t miss them. Then there is the leader who pops up outta nowhere. He//she wasn’t a leader before being forced into being one. The talent was always there; simmering just under the surface. Military history gives us the two best examples: SGT Alvin York and 2LT Audie L. Murphy. No one would have ever taken either of these two to be the leader they demonstrated that they were until the exact right set of circumstances called them out, so to speak. They then lead. Both were recommended for and awarded the Medal of Honor. Each also was the most decorated individual of their respective conflicts (WWI & WWII).

Products of their environment!

So, who out there is a leader. There has to be some around. In the everyday world that most of us play our daily game in, it can be hard to tell a leader from those that aren’t. Oh yes, there are the CEOs, presidents, directors and the such of the organizations we each earn our daily bread from; but just because they have a title, it doesn’t necessarily make them a leader.

Look around and give it some thought. Where are the leaders of today?

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