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100 Ways to Be a Better Leader

July 30, 2009 admin No comments

I found this post to day and recommend you check it out http://learnthis.ca/2009/07/100-ways-to-be-a-better-leader/

Here are a few of my favourites
 Highlight several strengths or skills you see another person has and tell them
Admit a mistake you have made
Increase communication by using open ended questions
Smile at the first people you see each and every day
 Complete the one thing you have procrastinated the most before anything else!
 Start procrastinating things a leader doesn’t do.
 Encourage and promote change. Be a change agent.
 Bring up and engage in a difficult subject or conversation
 Keep your actions and decisions aligned with your values

Which ones challenge you in your leadership right now?

Leadership Development

Show Your Leadership Skills – Research Solutions When Faced With Tough Decisions

July 19, 2009 admin No comments

The key to making good decisions is to have all the information at your disposal and a clear plan of where you wish to go and where the outcome of your decision will place you, with regards to your future moves. A true leader will take all this into consideration, and often they might have 10-20 important facts surrounding an issue to be cognizant of, and each one of varying importance.


Thus, a true leader will fully research all the data, information and potential solutions ahead of time, and a true visionary leader or genius will have anticipated this decision point far in advance and will know exactly which move to make, as well as the potential decisions that will come next. The law of unintended consequences does not impact the most brilliant of leaders, as they have already considered all the potential eventualities already.


Where can a leader gain access to research and solutions and data to make such crucial decisions you ask? Well, interestingly enough, you already have access to practically all the human knowledge available on the Internet and you should have access to all your company data, market data and good informational flow from your business units. If not, you need to concentrate on that first, before you have to make too many more decisions without enough information.


Tough decisions have to be made and many times a leader must do this, sometimes they can use the executive group to help them, but many times they do not have such access at the drop of a hat, when that important decision must be made on the fly. So, you must have access to instant and pertinent information; remember information is power, don’t be powerless.


By Lance Winslow

Lance Winslow – Lance Winslow’s Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/.

Leadership Development

Self Improvement – Leadership, Why This is Crucial to Your Success

July 14, 2009 admin No comments

It is a fact that most folks are not leaders they are followers. This is the one key character trait that successful people learn is how to be a good leader.


If you could learn one good skill trait for yourself that would be the most important for your success. It would be to learn good leadership.


You see if you are not a leader but a follower then you tend to not take action unless you are directed to do so by some one that you believe to be a leader. Also you are not likely to make decisions that are vitally important to getting the results. You tend to relay on others to make the decisions and come up with a plan for getting things done.


The problem with this for you is that without taking action or being able to make plans or decisions. You can not reach your goals and there fore you will not become successful.


When you learn good leadership skills then you have good self confidence in your ability to make decisions and also are willing to overcome your fears and take action towards accomplishing your goals. You also look to yourself for the answers and these are all so vitally important in order for you to get the results that you want and deserve for yourself.


Also by developing good leadership skills you get others to believe in you and are willing to help you achieve your goals.


Now get busy applying these tips in your life.


By Sunny James

Want to make your life better Get your Free Report – Transform your life in 90 Days! Your Free Report

Sunny James is a motivational speaker & life coach who has helped hundreds of others to get the results & success they wanted with their life in as fast as 90 days.

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Leadership Development

Leadership Skills – Compromising Values

July 9, 2009 admin No comments

When we look at history, conflict arises from misunderstandings and situations where people do not offer any compromise. Imagine an Organization, where certain values are imposed on people, leading to dissatisfaction and conflict within the workplace.


When you have several groups of people with each other, with very differing perceptions and beliefs working together for one common aim, then we risk conflicts. Stronger more mono- cultural perceptions within a group, can ruin the compromise needed to get things done.
 
Managers and Leaders need to create an understandable target, in order to offset one groups perception from dominating the other. Leaders also need to diffuse potential conflicts within these groups, by perceiving potential areas of conflict. Managing and minimal zing conflict, before fault lines occur.
 
Introducing a “common aim,” with an incentive to reach that aim, diffuses conflict. Building an understanding of that aim, is the key to creating a smooth running understanding between all parties. And that aim has to be seen as rewarding to all parties, involved in the tasks.
 
One good example was a Manufacturing Company that had an export order for tents to an African Country. The management knew that the time scale for the order was minimal, and the workforce was mainly doing semi-skilled monotonous tasks.
 
Being in a multi-cultural environment, certain groups had economic values, whilst other groups had their own Moral values. This was a potential for conflict, as several religious duties were expected from the “moral” group, that could conflict with their work.
 
To diffuse conflicts arising from having to allow the moral group to have time off to pray. The Company decided to split the shifts, allowing for workers in the “moral” group to work in the afternoon shift, as not to interfere with their religious duties, and accept to work one weekend, awarding them two days off during the week to coincide with a religious holiday.
 
The “economic values” Team, perceived the other group working weekends, as a punishment rather than a reward, and as both groups had a weekly target based on an incentive skill. Felt that they were luckier, because they could go home earlier, and had their weekends free!. Whilst the ” Moral” group, were grateful that they could continue their religious obligations, and were not affected by having to work evenings or one weekend because they did not perceive free evenings, and weekends as a natural right. Only the right to perform their religious values, without affecting their economic rights to work.
 
Creating solutions when there is always a chance of conflict is often harder in multi-cultural environments, but solutions can be found. This depends on the perceptions of people around you, and nurturing these perceptions into a viable plan to positively avoid conflicts.


By Markus Taylor

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Leadership Development

Leadership – 5 Proactive Steps to Becoming a More Effective Leader

July 5, 2009 admin No comments

Your effectiveness as a leader significantly impacts on the results that you deliver. The results that you deliver not only impacts on the success you deliver for your organisation or team but also the personal success you achieve. So what proactive things can you do to become a more effective leader?


Step 1: Do a self assessment


A great quality of effective leaders is self awareness. They know where their strengths are and are also aware of their weaker areas. Start the journey to becoming a more effective leader by carrying out and honest and objective self assessment.


Step 2: Get some feedback


Even if you are the most self aware person around, chances are you still have a few blind spots. We often fail to recognise or even see strengths that others see in us or weaknesses that are getting in the way of success. Collect some feedback from at least 10 people to get a rounded picture of where you stand as leader.


Step 3: Make a plan


Many people talk about the importance of continued development. Very few on the other hand make a clear plan when it comes to development. Think about it. Would you try to build a house without a plan? Of course not yet, many people fail to create a plan when it comes to building their leadership capability. Simply thinking about what you need to develop and putting in place some basic activities that you will undertake will set you apart from most.


Step 4: Create accountability


A plan is great and more than most will do. By creating some accountability you will greatly increase the chances of executing and getting the results you want. Why? Simply because when you have to account to someone else for what you did or did not do, you are more likely to follow through.


Step 5: Keep refreshing the plan


Professional and personal development is not done once and forgotten about. New areas emerge that you need to work on or the internal or external environment in which you work changes. Make sure that you refresh your plan periodically so that it remains relevant.


Bottom Line – Developing yourself as a leader is no longer an optional extra. So what proactive steps will you take to becoming a more effective leader and achieve success?


By Duncan Brodie

And I now invite you to download your free leadership assessment at http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/resources.php

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements (G&A) works with professionals, teams and organisations to develop their management and leadership capability.

With 25 years business experience in a range of sectors, he understands first hand the real challenges of managing and leading in the demanding business world.

Leadership Development

Leadership – 5 Leadership Lessons From Professional Cycling

July 2, 2009 admin No comments

I have recently been reading an excellent book In Search of Robert Millar. It is about the career of one of Britain’s most successful cyclists and former King of The Mountains in the Tour De France. Whilst reading I noticed a number of key lessons which are as relevant to leadership as they are to professional cycling.


Lesson 1: You need to be clear about what you want to achieve


One thing that came through from the book is that Millar had absolute clarity about what he wanted to achieve. He knew the end game. As a leader of an organisation, function or team you need to be clear about what you want to achieve. On a scale of 1 to 10 (where 10 is absolute clarity) how clear are you on what you want to achieve.


Lesson 2: You need to break your goals into steps


While it might be tempting to think that you can go from zero to hero, reality is completely different. Millar knew the steps that he needed to make in order to achieve his dream of being a successful professional cyclist. He viewed each step as another towards achieving his ultimate goal. How clear are you about the steps you need to take in order to achieve the success you want?


Lesson 3: You need to be willing to stick at it


The route to success as a professional cyclist is hugely demanding physically and mentally. And so is achieving success as a leader. There are many highs and lows along the way. Are you willing to go the distance and stick with it through the good and bad times?


Lesson 4: You have to make choices


In the early stages of his career, Millar trained with many others who made the choice not pursue cycling to professional level. Every time we make a choice about the next step it has consequences. It might mean relocating or taking some risk. As an aspiring leader you need to weigh up the pros and cons and then positively choose to act. Too often people are passive when it comes to their career and are surprised when they don’t achieve what they desire.


Lesson 5: You need to be your own person


Many fellow professionals thought Millar was introverted and odd. For example, he chose to be vegetarian at a time when most of the thought was that cyclists needed lots of red meat. What is clear throughout the book was his desire to be his own person even if it made him odd in the eyes of some others. As a leader you might have a similar set of skills, experience and attributes as everyone else. So what is it that makes you stand out from the crowd as your own person?


Bottom Line – Professional cycling just like leadership is demanding. So what lessons can you draw on from cycling or other sports that could help you to be an even better leader?


By Duncan Brodie

And now I invite you to take advantage of my free audio e-course Leadership Success available at http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements (G&A) works with professionals, teams and organisations to develop their management and leadership capability.

With 25 years business experience in a range of sectors, he understands first hand the real challenges of managing and leading in the demanding business world.

Leadership Development

Leaders Make the Future – Ten New Leadership Skills For an Uncertain World by Bob Johansen

June 29, 2009 admin No comments

“Leaders Make the Future: Ten New Leadership Skills for an Uncertain World” by Bob Johansen is an interesting read for all those who wish to lead into the future. Johansen comes at leadership from the perspective of a Forecaster, something he has done for more than thirty years, and an over all premise that today’s businesses and organizations are operating in a world characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, often referred to as VUCA in the text.


As a forecaster, Johansen states that he studies the future to learn about leadership in the present. This book contains the ten emerging skills that Johansen feels will be crucial for leaders responsible for maneuvering their organizations through the next decade. He makes a convincing case as to why these skills are important. Additionally, he provides guidance with how the reader can incorporate the skills into their own leadership styles.


The ten skills include:
1. Maker Instinct focuses on how leaders need to draw out their maker instinct and apply it to their leadership. Johansen states that future leaders will need both a can-do and a can-make spirit.
2. Clarity is a must in confusing times and a leader must be able to create and communicate with clarity without being simplistic.
3. Dilemma Flipping is being able to succeed with challenges that cannot be solved and won’t go away.
4. Immersive Learning Ability focuses on immersing yourself in new physical and virtual worlds that may be uncomfortable to increase your learning.
5. Bio-Empathy is being able to learn from nature and use that wisdom to inform your decisions.
6. Constructive Depolarizing focuses on how a leader can constructively depolarize conflict to both calm and improve the situation.
7. Quiet Transparency is a skill by which a leader by being open but not self-promoting.
8. Rapid Prototyping deals with working through many scenarios during the process of development.
9. Smart Mob Organizing is a leadership skill of organizing people using a range of media.
10. Commons Creating within which both cooperation and competition may occur.


Each chapter has relevant examples to illustrate Johansen’s main points and concludes with a good chapter summary. The concluding chapter, Readying Yourself for the Future, starts with a great statement, “Leaders can make the future. Leaders can decide what kind of future they want to create and go for it.” I also like that the author admits that the ten skills he outlines in this text are challenging to master and there are other resources to assist you with them. You won’t learn everything from this book, but then no one single volume teaches everything. This book should be used as a catalyst. Johansen describes ten skills for future leaders, and it should get you thinking about the concepts he writes about and exploring ways to incorporate these into your leading.


The speed of change can be overwhelming, and things only continue to speed up each and every year. I agree with the author that the future will be loaded with opportunities and leaders must be ready to take advantage of the opportunities as they arise and be agile enough to sidestep the dangers. This book raises important skills that each leader should at least consider if not incorporate into their leading. It is a quick read and one I encourage any leader to not just read, but meditate on the described skills and seek ways to incorporate them into their businesses and organizations.


By Alain Burrese

Alain Burrese, J.D. is a mediator/attorney and an author/speaker through his own company Burrese Enterprises Inc. He teaches people to live with the warrior’s edge and make things happen through his writing and speaking on a variety of topics focusing on the business areas of negotiation and success principles as well as self-defense and safety topics. He is the author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks, several instructional DVDs, and numerous articles. You can find out more about Alain Burrese and read many more reviews, articles and more at his website http://www.burrese.com

Leadership Development

Leaders – What Makes Them Great

June 24, 2009 admin No comments

History has shown that times of crisis produce the greatest leaders. Clearly 2009 is a time of crisis for not only the United States of America – but all the nations on earth. This is time when great leaders are needed. What are the characteristics of those leaders? Based on crises of the past, some of those necessary characteristics are vital in not just government but also business, education and other not-for-profit areas and science.


Lead From the Front


Throughout history the greatest leaders have led by example – sometimes described in the military as leading from the front (as in front of the troops rather than in the rear). Today we need leaders who lead by doing and not just by saying. George Patton the great World War II General was respected by his troops by often positioning himself in the front lines rather than in the rear. His men risked their lives daily and he knew they had to see that their commander was willing to do the same thing.


Negotiation


Dictators are not – in the long run – effective leaders. As a result, effective leaders need to be masters at the art of negotiation and compromise. If there is something in it for all parties then their will be a greater likelihood of acceptance or buy-in. The great leaders of history know what they want – but are willing to accept something less to achieve their long term goals and objectives. The greatest Presidents in U.S. history were masters of compromise. What they ended up with was often something less than what they desired at the outset of a program or a policy but they worked with Congress to achieve the larger goal and end up with legislation that would support their overall objectives. The same is true in business and in other fields also.


Vision


The greatest leaders in history have vision. They see what is not yet real and work – over time – to make it a reality. Not only do they formulate the vision – they have the ability to explain it in terms so that others can see and share in the vision. Franklin Roosevelt has a vision for saving the U.S. from the greatest economic disaster in the country’s history. He developed his vision; he shared it with those surrounding him and ultimately communicated it to Congress and the American public. Action followed which – over time- made his vision a reality.


Selflessness


The leader as selfless or self-sacrificing seems quaint and out of vogue today. Yet the greatest leaders in history were both selfless and self-sacrificing. Think of it as country or company or cause before self. The business leaders who offered their services to the US Government during the Great Depression and World War II for $1.00 per year are examples of this. Rather than increase their wealth on the back of these crises, they gave of themselves for something greater. The same can be said of Teddy Roosevelt who left the position of Assistant Secretary of the Navy at a relatively young age to create and help lead what became known as the “Rough Riders” during the Spanish American War in 1898. He left a job he loved, his wife, children and the comforts of home to face all the danger and hardship required to win a conflict in the front lines.


Humility


The greatest leaders in history were humble and self-effacing. They did not take themselves too seriously and they acknowledged their failings. No greater example of this exists today than President Abraham Lincoln who regularly poked fun at himself. This did nothing to diminish his effectiveness as a leader – or his place in history.


Knowledge


The saying goes that “knowledge is power”. Those who hold power great or small should have and constantly increase their knowledge. It was said that President John Kennedy has “ink in his vein” because he devoured newspapers. Thomas Jefferson’s library was great and diverse. It became the foundation for the Library of Congress. By 1941, General Douglas MacArthur had one of the greatest libraries of his day with both historical and military books and was intimately familiar with most of them. Unfortunately he ordered the library dynamited when the Japanese captured Manila in the Philippines. Great leaders need to have vast amounts of knowledge – both general and specific – at the disposal when making decisions. While staff is helpful, the decision ultimately often comes down to the leader’s combination of knowledge and experience.


Communication


The great communicator was the title often given to President Ronald Regan. While he did not have the greatest education or perhaps the best credentials (an actor then governor) for a U.S. President, he did have the gift of effectively communicating his vision, his philosophy, his policies and his world view. That ability to communicate has led to his ranking as one of the greatest Presidents in U.S. history. Communication means not only speaking but also listening. And the greatest leaders in history have been excellent listeners – whether to their staffs, their constituents, their troops, their employees or their adversaries. Communicating without effective listening is only half the equation.


Decision Making


Tough times require tough and timely decisions. And the greatest leaders know how to make difficult decisions and to make them in “real time”. With the American Civil War nearing its fourth year of bloody conflict, Union General Ulysses Grant committed to fighting the Confederates non-stop without pauses to “lick his wounds”. The casualties were staggering and caused outcries by politicians, the public and the troops. His men began pinning tags with the names to the back of their uniform coats so their bodies could be identified because they were so certain of their fate. And yet Grant stuck with his decisions and brought an end to the war in April 1865. While not all decisions are life and death, leaders need to be able to make the tough decisions, make them in a timely manner and stick with them in the face of harsh criticism.


Focus


It does not good for a leader to have a vision if that vision changes daily or weekly. A great leader must have focus. That means a few key issues, concepts, programs or initiatives. In spite of many distractions and problems, General George Washington was able to get his army and the government he served to maintain a focus on whatever was necessary to keep the army trained, equipped and fed in the field. While he did not win many battles, the on-going and relentless presence of the Continental Army (rather than local militias) in the end caused the French to acknowledge and support the American’s cause and ultimately gain independence from the King of England. While there are always hundreds if not thousand’s of details and issues facing leaders, the great leaders spend the majority of time on a few critical ones and delegate the rest to competent subordinates and staff.


History is a great teacher. The great leaders throughout history had a number of key characteristics in common. The leaders of today – and tomorrow – should share those traits. All leaders whether in government, business, not-for-profits or the local PTA or food bank – should learn, understand and develop the characteristics exemplified by the great leaders of the past.


By George F Franks III

George F. Franks, III is the President of Franks Consulting Group – a management consulting and leadership mentoring practice based in Bethesda, Maryland. Franks Consulting Group is on the web at: http://franksconsultinggroup.com

George Franks can be contacted by e-mail at: gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com

Leadership Development

How to Build Up Your Leadership Skills

June 18, 2009 admin No comments

Do you want to become a leader in your business or your community? First you must ask yourself exactly why you want this position? Is it for the respect or prestige? Or do you genuinely want to be able to help others and to show others by your example of what they should and can do with their lives?


If you have a genuine interest in helping others and not in glorifying yourself, you are already on the right path. So let’s take a look at some of the skills you need to qualify as a true leader:


1. You have to be able to step to every challenge. Challenge should be looked at as an opportunity fro you to really benefit other people. If you are the kind f person who tends to shy away from challenges, then you may want to work on that. Great leaders prove just how great they are in their role in times of crisis. Everyone can look back on a John F. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis and understand what it takes in order to really be an example of a true leader.


2. You have to be able to convey a message so that everyone understands. You are not just leading a chosen few, you are leading everybody you are representing. Every member of your team and your community should be able to fully understand your message and objectives and should feel represented by you in your role as a leader. A boss who only listens to a chosen few employees has really failed his entire staff. He has overlooked their role that they play and that their voice should be heard.


3. You have to have charisma and charm. You don’t have to be the next coming of John F. Kennedy, but you do have to evoke a certain element of what he embodied. A poignant and warm smile and a confident but relaxed walk and posture will help you convey this quality. Think of what it would be like to have an arrogant leader or one with absolutely no charisma whatsoever. It would not cause people to really stand and take notice of this person at all.


4. You have to learn how to gather information from other people and trust their judgment. There is a reason why high level political leaders have aides and staffs around them. You will not know everything and at times you will need the guidance and information that other people can provide. F.D.R. was known to have many people around him guiding him during World War II. Ultimately he made the final call but not without gathering the proper insight and influence from those people around him.


5. You have to know when to step back. At times your leadership skills will call for you to really show the trust in other people by allowing them to have some control and to exercise their talents and expertise. If you are running an office team of employees and they know what they are doing and they are contributing and producing, then at those times you will have to know when to just step back and be an observer.


Use these five skills as a starting point and a foundation to build upon. Ultimately there can be many more markings of a true leader, but without these five basic skills, you will not be nearly as effective and efficient in your role as a leader whether it is in business or community situations or even your own families.


By Bryan Appleton

For more on how to live and attract a more successful life, go to http://www.successfulfather.com and SIGN up for the FREE newsletter. BOOKMARK the site and return as often as possible. And choose to lead in whatever way that you can, but do so in a way that benefits everyone around you.

Bryan Appleton is an author of self-help motivational literature as well as an entrepreneur and investor. He is a single father and has made it one of his life’s goals to try and help other people live the lives they are dreaming of.

Leadership Development

Heart of a Warrior – Leadership Marine Corps Style

June 11, 2009 admin No comments

The night is dark; a deep, bone-chilling darkness without a single star, no moonlight, no lights outside the windows. It’s June 21, 1988, somewhere around 2:30 AM and you’ve been traveling since noon the day before. You’ve been on ‘em all: planes, trains, automobiles-and now a bus-a BIG bus. The biggest bus you’ve ever seen in your short 17 years of life. This is the farthest you’ve ever been from home-the farthest you’ve ever been alone. But you ain’t scared; you’re a teenager! You know it all and you’ve got something to prove-to yourself and to the world.


The bus glides to a stop; the airbrakes “hisssssss”; then silence; a silence so profound that you can actually feel it. The only sound you hear is the sound of your heartbeat and the heartbeats of the other souls on the bus with you. You finally acknowledge the FEAR.


All of sudden, the loudest voice you have ever heard bellows,” GET OFF MY STINKIN’ BUS AND PUT YOUR FEET ON MY YELLOW FOOTPRINTS-NOW!!”


That is how I remember my arrival at Marine Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina. I had arrived at Marine Corps Boot Camp. Let me tell you, in that moment (and plenty of other moments throughout the course of boot camp!) my heart pounded with fear.


Fear changed my life.


I was afraid I had made a huge mistake. I was afraid I couldn’t handle the challenges I faced. I was afraid to make the drill instructor mad. I was afraid I wouldn’t be good enough. I was afraid of my thoughts, so I quit thinking and did what I was told to do. I got off the bus.


When I heard that first unforgettable bellow, I thought to myself, “What am I doing here? Do I have what it takes? I have never really tried to do anything that I didn’t know FOR SURE I would be good at. Do I have the heart of a warrior?”


First I had to find out, what being a leader even meant.


Emerson said, “Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.”


Are you good enough to be a leader?


The United States Marine Corps defines leadership as the sum of those qualities of intellect, human understanding, and moral character that allow a person to inspire and control a group of people successfully.


Leadership principles are general rules that have guided the conduct and actions of successful leaders of the past. Generations after generation of American men and women have given special meaning to the title United States Marine. These same men and women live by a set of enduring core values and principles that form the bedrock of their character. These principles give them strength and regulate their behavior; they form the foundation that allows them to meet any challenge.


Are you good enough to be a leader?
You BET YOU ARE!!


And guess what? You have the potential to be an even stronger, more confident leader than you already are. Marines know that leadership skills take time and discipline to develop, but the payoff is worth the dedication. As I learned during boot camp, to become a better leader, there are four things that you can do everyday to improve your leadership abilities:


1. Lead as you are-Know yourself and seek self-improvement.
2. Don’t play the Blame Game-Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions.
3. Take care of your own-Take Care of those you lead.
4. Set the example-Practice what you preach.


1. Lead as you are-Know yourself and seek self-improvement


One thing I learned in the Marine Corps is that a leader must have self-awareness and seek self-improvement. You have to know yourself in order to be a good leader and the easiest way to do that is to sit down and honestly think about your strengths and weaknesses. Invest in a personal coach. Take behavioral and personal interests assessments. Ask your immediate supervisor and close family and friends to provide you with feedback.


Are those “easy” conversations-No! And it doesn’t mean you have to change who you are – it just means that you have to become a better you. Begin to learn your strengths and weaknesses and work to capitalize and improve upon them as needed. Lao Tse said, “He who knows others is learned. He who knows himself is wise.”


Marine Corps boot camp is thirteen weeks of situations where a recruit must really learn about themselves and how to adapt, improvise and overcome. The marine’s very life may one day hinge on the training and their depth of knowledge of themselves and what they can accomplish, and sometimes more importantly, what they aren’t yet capable of achieving.


If you are shy, and would like to be more outspoken, think of environments where you can practice voicing your opinion, or if you have a great sense of humor, make sure that humor is a part of your leadership style – people around you will appreciate your good nature. As you begin to learn about yourself, you build character. You also become better equipped for the ups and downs life throws your way. Marine Corps boot camp taught me to dig deep within myself and truly recognize my abilities and my limitations. I learned that true leaders are ordinary people with an extraordinary skill-to continuously reach beyond and continuously grow.


Lead as you are – always.


2. Don’t Play the Blame Game-Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions


While there are many differences between life in the Marine Corps and life outside of the military, there are also lots of similarities. After taking note of the differences, it is clear that the leadership principles that guide our nation’s most elite organization will also prove successful in your life. I’ve found that having the courage to take responsibility for your actions is respected both inside and outside of the Corps. The difference is, in the Corps it was expected, in the “real world” it is often the exception. As a Marine when I made a mistake, I owned up to it immediately- I was trained to do that, and as a Non-Commissioned Officer it was expected of me. I also expected my troops to do the same. Now that I no longer wear the uniform, I have to work hard to remind myself of the importance of taking responsibility and resisting the urge to blame others for my problems. It’s a tough world out there for the person who wants to accept responsibility- society, your co-workers, your family- heck; everyone loves to get on the blame bandwagon. It’s much easier to blame others for your problems then to recognize that you likely had something to do with them.


A couple of weeks ago I was speeding down the interstate. Suddenly, the red lights of an approaching police car flashed in my mirror. I’m sure you all can relate to that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you know you are being pulled over by a cop.


We’ve all been there, right? It usually goes something like this:


You maneuver your car to the side of the road; start plotting your defense and developing a scheme to get out of the ticket.


“You are tired; it’s early in the morning!” “Other cars were going just as fast!” “This speedometer must not be calibrated correctly.”


You might even blame the officer…


“Don’t the police have something better to do then pull over nice, law-abiding citizens?”


Then, through the fog of all of these excuses, the leader in you asks,”Were you speeding?”


“Well, uh…Yes.”


Okay, then why blame the cop or the speedometer when you were speeding? If we chose to accept responsibility only when convenient, are we leaders?


Deep thoughts-thoughts I actually had that early morning a couple weeks back; thoughts that were soon interrupted by the officer’s presence at the car. It was the leader in me who spoke was once the window was down.


“Officer, I admit I was going a little too fast back there.”


Was that really me saying those things?! Where was the excuse, or the standard denial?


The officer was speechless at first, and then he smiled as we chatted. I’d like to say that my ability to accept responsibility somehow excused me from the ticket, but it didn’t. The officer was surprised I’d admitted my wrong doing, and even apologized as he explained that he had to ticket me since he had already called it in on the radio. I accepted my fate, and paid $223 to the city of Irving, Texas. My gut reaction had been to take the easy path and blame others, or try to use persuasive words to avoid responsibility. But in the end I did the simple, yet difficult thing. I owned up to my fault. Even when there was no reward, pat on the back or free pass, I did the right thing and accepted responsibility. In that one small act, I was a leader.


As a leader, avoid placing blame. Look to see where you contributed to a problem and, once identified, move forward with a solution. Placing blame wastes time and it damages valuable relationships. If you are focused on influencing outcomes, the blame game will only slow you down. Make sure the word “accountability” is in your vocabulary.
Don’t Play the Blame Game!


3. Take care of your own-Take Care of those you lead


Leadership is about service — take care of those you lead. The primary objective of Marine Corps leadership is to accomplish the mission-GET THE JOB DONE! Good leadership gets the job done in the quickest, most effective and efficient way.


The secondary goal of Marine Corps leadership is to provide for the welfare of Marines! Mission accomplishment in the Corps really stands for protecting the American people and protecting the welfare of our nation. Yes, the Marines place mission accomplishment before troop welfare-but that merely means that all responsible military personnel must be prepared to risk their lives for the lives of those they have taken an oath to defend. Many of you are relieved that you never took such an oath.


Yes, you did.


You took an oath of friendship. You took an oath to your church. You took an oath when you married or entered a committed relationship. You even took an oath when you went to work where you work. Are you doing everything you can to care for your spouse, family members, co-workers and friends? Continually ask yourself what else you can do to help someone out. This might mean helping your colleague with her resume, or driving your elderly neighbor to the store. The more willing you are to help others, the more your relationships will be built on trust and respect.


Taking care of those you lead reminds me of the story of Geese and why they fly the way they do. You see, researchers have discovered that geese fly along in a “V” formation because as each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone, and quickly gets into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front. When the lead goose gets tired, they rotate back in the wing and another goose flies point. The geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. Finally, when a goose gets sick, or is wounded by gun shots and falls out, two geese follow to help and protect. They stay with that goose until they are either able to fly or until they die. Only then do they launch out on their own or with another formation to eventually catch up with their group. Geese instinctively take care of their own! Geese instinctively know they can’t go it alone!


Take care of those you lead.


4. Set the example-Practice what you preach


Marines instinctively look to their leaders for patterns of conduct which they may follow, emulate or use as an excuse for their own shortcomings. Sounds kind of like our kids, huh???


Leaders have one standard – a high standard they ask others to keep. The same high standard they keep for themselves.


As a leader, you have to set the example for your friends, kids, coworkers and relatives. You also have to have integrity, which is the ability to do the right thing all of the time. It means that you are honest and truthful in what you say and do. You put honesty, sense of duty and sound moral principles above all else.


Stand up for what you believe to be right!


When you lead by example, you are able to create a strong team among those who surround you. Remember things like:


1. Don’t use profanity just because others do.
2. Be loyal to your family, friends, your boss-don’t talk about them behind their backs and trash them.
3. Set the example of moral courage and remember the good ole golden rule we were all taught in kindergarten-treat others as we want to be treated. Begin to live that rule.
4. Be courteous and cheerful-polite.
5. Practice the art of unselfishness-avoid making yourself comfortable at the expense of others and be considerate and give credit to those that deserve it. Remember that golden rule!


Think of the benefits in your world when you acknowledge that you already are a leader. Imagine the possibilities when you begin leading as you are. You will gain more confidence by being yourself – rather than the person you think everyone else wants you to be. When you begin to focus on your strengths, you will discover your passion. When you acknowledge your weaknesses, they lose their power and you can take action.


By accepting responsibility for your actions and not playing the blame game, you can start focusing on solutions rather than excuses.


By becoming a better caretaker, you sleep well at night knowing those you love have everything they need.


And finally, by practicing the golden rule and setting an example of integrity, kindness and service you will have a lasting impact.


As darkness turned to light at the end of boot camp, I realized I had always been a leader. I had always known I should be responsible; that I should always try to better myself, that I should tell the truth and be considerate. You know these simple truths, too!


Start believing that you are a leader today!


When you commit yourself to becoming a stronger leader, your perspective on the world changes – you begin to feel more in control of your life, and you start to see opportunities in areas where you never looked before. By being a better leader, you will surprise yourself with the success and gratification you have discovered in your life…and your leadership potential will amaze you!


Reach beyond what you have already mastered-you will GROW!


Semper Fi!! (Always Faithful!)


By Kelley Moore

Kelley Moore

Leadership Development
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