~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LEADERSHIP WIRED John C. Maxwell's FREE Semimonthly Newsletter Designed To Maximize Your Leadership Potential. January 2003 - Volume 6, Issue 2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "That which holds our attention determines our action." - William James In This Issue: * Maxwell Moment - How To Go From Thinking To Life Change * Leadership@Large - Surveying the Leadership Landscape * Interview - Learning Leadership * Quick Quotes - Change ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Maxwell Moment ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HOW TO GO FROM THINKING TO LIFE CHANGE By Dr. John C. Maxwell Step #1: When you change your thinking, you change your beliefs. I am going to work you through a six-step process of how to change, and it begins with thinking. It begins with the mind. Beliefs are nothing more than a by-product of what you have thought long enough about that you have bought into--always remember that. What you believe is a collection of continual thoughts that have formed themselves into a conviction. "Although not all change is the same, there is one common element to change, and that is thinking." That is a great truth. That is not mine, it's out of a book called, "The Seven Levels of Change." When you break down the process of thinking into manageable number of steps, you reduce the perceived risk associated with change. Being creative is when you think about your thinking, being innovative is when you act on your ideas. Step #2: When you change your beliefs, you change your expectations. Belief is the knowledge that we can do something. It is the inner feeling that what we undertake, we can accomplish. For the most part, all of us have the ability to look at something and know whether we can do it. So, in belief there is power: our eyes are opened; our opportunities become plain; our visions become realities. Our beliefs control everything we do. If we believe we can or we believe we cannot, we are correct. Accomplishment is more than a matter of working harder; it is a matter of believing positively. It's called the "sure enough" factor. If you expect to succeed, "sure enough," you will; if you expect to fail, "sure enough," you will. We become outside what we believe inside. Step #3: When you change your expectations, you change your attitude. I love Ben Franklin's quote: "Blessed is the one who expects nothing, for he shall receive it." I heard a story the other day about a man who went to the fortuneteller who looked in the crystal ball and said, "Oh, my. This is not good. I look in this ball and see that you will be poor and unhappy until you're 45 years old." The guy said, "Oh, that's terrible. Well, then what's going to happen?" The fortuneteller said, "You'll get used to it." Your expectations are going to determine your attitude. Most people get used to average; they get used to second best. Nelson Boswell said, "The first and most important step toward success is the expectation that we can succeed." Step #4: When you change your attitude, you change your behavior. William James was right when he said, "That which holds our attention determines our action." When our attitude begins to change, when we become involved with something, our behavior begins to change. The reason that we have to make personal changes is that we cannot take our people on a trip that we have not made. Too many leaders try to be travel agents instead of tour guides--they try to send people where they have never been. We give them a brochure and a "Bon Voyage!" And off they go and we wave to them, and we ask them to tell us how it was when they come back. A tour guide says, "Let me take you where I've been. Let me tell you what I have gone through. Let me tell you what I know. Let me show you what I've experienced in my life." Step #5: When you change your behavior, you change your performance. Leroy Eims said, "How can you know what is in your heart? Look at your behavior. There is no better sign of the heart than the life." The truest test of where a person is going is their behavior. Unfortunately, most people would rather live with old problems than new solutions. We would rather be comfortable than correct; we would rather stay in a routine than make changes. Even when we know that the changes are going to be better for us, we often don't make them because we feel uncomfortable or awkward about making that kind of a change. Until we can get used to living with something that is not comfortable, we cannot get any better. Step #6: When you change your performance, you change your life. Change makes a person feel alone, even if others are going through it. You say, "Oh, man! Goodness! I know the others are changing, but I don't think they're having the difficulty I'm having." There is something about the awkwardness and the time that it takes to make proper changes that just seems to isolate you from everyone else, even when a group is going through it together. You just kind of feel, "But my situation's a little bit different, and I think I'm just not quite as fast as the other ones," and there's a tendency to feel isolated, lonely, and withdrawn when you're going through this change. It is easier to turn failure into success than an excuse into a possibility. A person can fail and turn around and understand their failure, make it a success; but I want to tell you--a person who makes excuses for everything will never truly succeed. I promise you, when you excuse what you are doing and excuse where you are, and you allow the exceptions, you fail to reach your potential. Don't you know some people who just have an excuse for everything? Why they could not, should not, did not, would not, have not, will not. If "ifs" and "buts" were candies and nuts, we would all have a Merry Christmas. It is impossible to turn excuses into possibilities. Hope is the foundational principle for all change. People change because they have hope. If people do not have hope, they will not change. You are responsible for the changes that you make in your life, but the good news is, you can make the changes you need to make in your life. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Leadership@Large ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THREE-TO-ONE LEADERSHIP Practicing leadership comes down to practicing four principles in concert. First, you need power within the group. You need to be heard when you speak. You may also need allies with power. Second, you need to manage the tension of the group. If the tension is too low, there will not be a perceived need to do anything differently. If the tension is too high, the group will be too panicked to act effectively. Third, the group needs to have enough different alternatives, or ideas, to consider in order to select the right one. When you have enough power and ideas, and the tension is right, leaders have to get the group to complete the critical work. To read the rest of this article, click here: http://www.work911.com/cgi-bin/links/jump.cgi?ID=3901 _________________________________________________________________ COMMUNICATING WITH CREDIBILITY Credibility. How do you get it? More importantly, how do you keep it? Gaining credibility takes years to achieve, and maintaining it is a lifetime goal for any leader. One wrong move can erase in an instant many years of hard work. Communicating with credibility is an art form, one which you can master by using a few simple guidelines. * Align your verbal and nonverbal language. * Lead by Listening. * Make realistic promises and keep them. * Speak from the heart. * Be yourself. * Be an expert. * Be honest. * Be proactive. This article was adapted from Communicating with Credibility by Christine Zust as seen on EmergingLeader.com. Click here for the full article: http://www.work911.com/cgi-bin/links/jump.cgi?ID=1899 _________________________________________________________________ 25 RULES FOR LEADERS Leadership. Innovation. Work. Brand. Technology. Fast Company's flagship event centered around those themes for three days of real learning and just-in-time inspiration last week in San Diego. The roster of RealTime speakers included an Irish grocer, a socially responsible potter, and a pediatric physician, among others--distinct characters who all shared one common message: This is your time to lead! In calling Fast Company readers to lead change at work and at home, RealTime speakers shared their ideas about the state of business, the power of people, and the future of innovation. Here are 25 of the smartest insights that we took away from the event: 1. Audit Your Company Cultures 2. Informed People Don't Fear Change 3. Beware "Aspirational Accounting" 4. Empower Your People -- Turn Them Loose 5. Prevent Erosion of Human Assets 6. Be Generous With What You Know 7. Expand Your Roster 8. Don't Judge a Man by the Size of His Wallet 9. Harness Your Skills for Good 10. Groom Your People for Success 11. Promote Brand Awareness Throughout Your Enterprise 12. Embrace Imperfection -- Fast! 13. Don't Let the Venture Capitalists Get You Down 14. Allow Yourself to Dream 15. Increase Your Net Worth 16. Use Every Teachable Moment 17. Shine Some Hope 18. Set a New Standard of Performance 19. Laugh at Yourself 20. Get Up, Stand Up 21. Stop Whining -- Start Seeking 22. Leaders: Move It or Lose It 23. Be Honest 24. Don't Stretch This Rule 25. What's Your Bottom Line? This article was adapted from Fast Company's 25 Rules for Leaders, May 2002 by Linda Tischler. Click here for the entire article: http://www.work911.com/cgi-bin/links/jump.cgi?ID=2405 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Interview ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LEARNING LEADERSHIP Listening to a leader like Fred Smith, Sr. speak is a life- changing experience. His lucidity and his desire to share what he has learned over the years captivate the listener and leave an unforgettable impression. Zig Ziglar dedicated a recent book to him, saying, "He is the best and wisest teacher I have ever met." For twenty years, he has been a contributing editor for "Leadership Journal" and has authored three books: "You and Your Network," "Learning to Lead," and "Leading with Integrity." He has lectured in twenty universities and spoken for business conferences both nationally and internationally. Among his numerous recognitions are the Lawrence Appley Award given by the American Management Association, The Life Worth Living Award given by the Crystal Cathedral, the Australian Calilip Gold Medallion, and the INJOY Catalyst Award for Lifetime Achievement. Smith was Vice President of Operations for Gruen Watch Company, consultant to Mobil, Caterpillar and GENESCO before establishing his food packaging brokerage firm in Dallas, Texas. Mr. Smith currently mentors executives and professional individuals. His website, www.breakfastwithfred.com, is his newest venture that allows him to impart his wisdom to aspiring leaders. LW: What do you see as the biggest challenge of leadership? FS: To be a person rather than a function is the biggest challenge of leadership that I see. We often get so involved in leading that we forget that we should be well-rounded people who honor our responsibilities in the family, in the community, and in the social milieu in which we find ourselves. We want to be very careful that we don't become just a leadership function but a whole person. LW: What have you found are the important qualities of leadership? FS: The important qualities of leadership are vision, character, intelligence, a certain amount of charisma that gets people to follow you, and experience in the past to help you face the future. So much of the unethical leadership in industry today is causing problems with accounting and accountability. To me, ethics in America has gotten broken down, and we have to be careful about what kind of ethics we are following. For example, situational ethics, which were brought in by the academic community, dictates that a situation can be ethical or unethical according to your interpretation. The only weakness there is that you can always make an exception for yourself and that can be damaging. There are also legal ethics, which so much of business is following today. They think that if it's legal, it's ethical. Well, of course, that is not true. You cannot legislate righteousness or rightness, and so I think it's important to conduct business with true integrity. LW: How do goals relate to direction? FS: I think goals are simply an indication of whether you're going in the right direction. We should never see a goal that we think is terminal--when you reach one goal, you always set another, so it's very important to say in your life, "What is the direction of my life?" If you're going to go east, then you pick out certain towns on the way and these towns become your goals. But as you pass one, you are just assured that you are going in the right direction. You have to keep moving. I think a lot of people fail to set the direction before they set the goals, and sometimes the goals that they set will be counterproductive to the direction. LW: How have you maintained stress in your life? FS: As I tell some people who say that they have too much tension in their lives, you can't have the winnings of a racehorse and the placidity of a mule. If you're going to have the responsible position of leading, you can simply expect stress. But there's a big difference between stress and distress. There's healthy stress, which pulls you together; there's unhealthy stress, which is distress, and that pulls you apart. Healthy stress is positive, and unhealthy stress is negative. So I think of it like a submarine. When a submarine goes down, in order to compensate for the outside pressure, they pressurize the inside; and I think of my own life the same way. When circumstances pressure me, I must have strength on the inside to offset that outside pressure; and I find stress is very healthy, it gives energy, it gives emphasis to what you're doing; and so I simply expect it and keep it healthy rather than unhealthy. LW: What should one look for in associates? FS: The questions I like to ask about associates are, "What are their gifts?" and "What are their passions?" If I have people who know their gifts and are willing to work within their gifts, and have passion to back them up, I don't have to supervise them or motivate them--all I have to do is coordinate them and they are happy people. They're people who have a sense of meaning and joy in their lives, and they're the people I like to be around. I think young people have to be careful when choosing the industry that they're going to be in because when you choose an industry, you choose your associates; and it differs from industry to industry. So not being led just by which one pays the most money, but which one allows you to be in good association with the kind of people you like to work with is key. LW: What is the value of a sense of humor? FS: A sense of humor makes up for all of our imperfections. Most of humor is in the area between where we are and where we think we ought to be. Harvard followed a group of executives for about 30 years, studying their basic traits. Four points came up consistently, and one of them was a sense of humor--that they were able to laugh at themselves. I do think we can be terribly serious about things that we should laugh about. The things we worry about today, we laugh about tomorrow. When you go back to a school reunion, what do you laugh about? The times you almost got in trouble. And I think if we just simply say, "Is this something I'll laugh about a year from now, two years, five years from now?" and just maintain a sense of humor, particularly about ourselves, then we will be okay. You know, pious people or pompous people, they dread a sense of humor. They're afraid of it. LW: You use the phrase "finish well." What does that mean to you? FS: My son invited me to go to England with him for eight days, and he asked me during those eight days if I would tell him about the important decisions I've had to make and the meaningful people who have been a part of my life. And every time I would describe one of the meaningful people, he would always ask, "Did he finish well?" And I got to looking at them, and a lot of them did not finish well. They let their career or their occupation consume them, and they didn't end up being a whole person. So to me, it is going across the finish line with the pedal on the metal, and being useful right to the end of your life; and that you don't finish well unless you are useful and have meaning in your life right to the end. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Quick Quotes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CHANGE "The best cure for a sluggish mind is to disturb its routine." - William Danforth "When I have listened to my mistakes, I have grown." - Hugh Prather "Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth." - John F. Kennedy _________________________________________________________________ Leadership Wired is written by Dr. John C. Maxwell and is available via e-mail on a free subscription basis. You can subscribe at: http://www.INJOY.com/Newsletters. Questions about document transmission or editorial comments? Contact mailto:feedback@INJOY.com. 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