Compelling Cause
What's the difference you want to make?
When I was growing up, my dream was to become an Engineer and much of my early career was spent managing engineering projects. A key lesson I learned in that role was that you can manage things, but you need to lead people.
I discovered that a key differentiator between success and failure usually had a lot to do with effective leadership skills; with leading people well. I found that you can get the best out of people when you can turn “have-to” into “want-to” because then people inspire themselves to be great.
Collaborative Culture
I first noticed corporate culture when I moved to my second employer. I didn't know that work environments could be so different! I had been with my first employer - a multinational manufacturing company - for 10 years, and so until I moved to a new company I had no understanding of "Company Culture" at all.
All I knew was what I had experienced. We were a "no-frills" company, and a part of the culture was to make sure that you held on to the best office furniture that you could accumulate as people moved on through.
If someone got a promotion, moved to a different department, or handed in their notice, the rest of the team would be on the lookout for a furniture upgrade - perhaps a more comfortable chair or a newer filing cabinet.
How to "live usefully"
We can choose to be intentional and live usefully; to live our lives “on purpose”, to make a living “on purpose”, and to run our organisations “on purpose”, with a purpose that is greater than simply making a profit or surplus.
“I would rather have it said ‘he lived usefully’ than ‘he died rich’.”
~ Benjamin Franklin.
SORTED Magazine Interview
Last year I was interviewed by SORTED Magazine Deputy Editor Tony Yorke, and here is the article that was published in the Jan/Feb 2022 Magazine.
Roger Fairhead has a dream: he wants all men to understand they have influence; they are all leaders in some shape or form – and need to take their roles and responsibilities seriously.
Seeing Beyond The Horizon
I recently listened to one of my favourite leadership voices, and I was reminded of one of his recent messages. John Maxwell was introducing the second publication of one of his earliest and most widely purchased books "Developing the Leaders within you 2.0" when he spent a few moments talking on the two themes - that effective leaders see more than others see, and they see before others see.
“A leader is one who sees more than others see, who sees farther than others see, and who sees before others do.”
~ Leroy Eims
Passing the test of tomorrow
If you want to lead people, they must trust you We need to consider how today’s ‘accepted business practices’ will stand up in light of tomorrow’s exposure?
Difference Taker, or Difference Maker
Leaders with an abundance mentality and approach to their work focus on the possibilities rather than the problems, on what could be rather than what is, on what they want to do rather than on what’s convenient, on what they could achieve to make a difference.