Leaders Like Bus Drivers
I have to take EDSA every day of my life. Crowded most of the time as vehicles travel at the lightning speed of 30 kilometers per hour perhaps many times slower. And when traffic is light, I watch out for those dangerous, reckless and negligent bus drivers who race each other to get to their stops.
Now this got me thinking.
Small Moments in Leadership
An unusual tribute was paid to Abraham Lincoln by Carl Sandburg. The poet wrote, "Not often in the story of mankind does a man arrive on earth who is both steel and velvet, who is as hard as rock and soft as drifting fog, who holds in his heart and mind the paradox of terrible storm and peace unspeakable and perfect."
Lincoln demonstrated then and now how a person can possess both a will of iron and a heart of tenderness. Nothing deterred the president during the American Civil War from his "noble" cause, and few persons have ever endured more criticism and detractors than Lincoln. Yet he was no more a man of steel than one of velvet.
When General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army, Lincoln sent an unexpected message to the enemy commander. "Tell your men they may keep their horses; they'll need them for plowing," said the president. Then this: "Tell your men they may keep their rifles; they'll need them for hunting." When Lee read those words he wept.
This is why Lincoln was a statesman. He was not a mere politician.
The 38th Developing The Leader Within You™ Workshop
January 27 and 28, 2009
8:30AM - 5:00PM
EDSA Shangri-La, Mandaluyong City
Becoming an Enlarger
Dr. John C. Maxwell is a very prolific author. He has written many books on the subject matter of leadership. So what does Dr. Maxwell have to do with NBA players like Shaq, Olajuwon and Mutombo? A lot. I would like to share with you his article entitled: “Becoming An Enlarger.”
Dr. Maxwell says:
Before the NBA ever heard of Shaquille O'Neal, Dikembe Mutombo or Tim Duncan; back before anyone knew the name Hakeem Olajuwon; in the days before Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ruled the hardwoods, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell changed the nature of professional basketball with the way they played the center position.
Chamberlain was a great scorer and Russell was known more for his defense, but no matter which end of the court they were on, they played above the rim like no centers before them ever had.
Russell, however, is best known not for his offense or his defense but for something else - winning. His No. 6 jersey was retired by the Boston Celtics in 1972 to honor his contributions as the anchor to teams that won nine consecutive NBA titles. He added two more titles as a player/coach.
That's why it was such an honor to meet him at a recent NBA All-Star game, and that's why I wasn't surprised to hear what he said about great team players: "The most important measure of how good a game I played was how much better I'd made my teammates play."
One of the qualities of a great team player, you see, is that they enlarge others. Bill Russell isn't just a large man; he's a man who enlarged others. He made them better.
Steel And Velvet
I was doing my 2nd day training of our 2 day John Maxwell Leadership Workshop and Seminar to some of the budding leaders for a very huge business organization and I talked about good leaders being big enough to apologize for their mistakes and earn the respect of his or her people.
Bigger Than You
Bertoldo de Giovanni is a name even the most enthusiastic lover of art is unlikely to recognize. He was the pupil of Donatello, the greatest sculptor of his time, and he was the teacher of Michelangelo, the greatest sculptor of all time.
Leadership And Customer Service
Mark Sanborn in his book entitled: You Don't Need a Title to be a Leader talks about the correlation between leadership and customer service. Sanborn says:
Several years ago, I experienced an unfortunate breakdown in service with my insurance broker, whom I had used for many years. It was serious enough for me to escalate my complaint to one of the owners of the company. To my surprise, he expressed complete disregard for my situation. Offended, I decided to take my business elsewhere.
The Human Touch
It's a digital world.
Everything is going digital.
Every time I get to speak to bankers all over the country I would chide them and poke them with this provoking thought.
Straight into their eyes this is what I say: “You guys boasts of your excellent service. Your TV ads show your tellers transacting with a smile. But every time I call up your bank I never get a chance to talk to a human being. I get to talk to an answering machine.”