Develop Leadership Skills - Are You A Leader of The Future?

With anything in life if you develop leadership skills this will have a profound effect on your business and your personal life. Leaders are born and made and all leaders are different plus you will not become a leader overnight.

One of the things that a leader must do is have the ability to make decision and sometimes those decisions could well be unpopular but they have to be made. One of the skills is learning how to motivate people who may not like the decision being made.

This is a valuable skill and it will add confidence to a leader's ability which in turn will make them more effective as a leader. Leaders must be allowed to learn from their mistakes and encouraged to make decision where if there is an error it is looked on as a learning curve rather than the end of the world.

To develop leadership skills you must become a student as your education will play a vital role in how you perform as a leader. As with anything you must study different leadership styles and educate yourself to improve your leadership skills.

Understanding how to effectively communicate with different personality types will great increase your success as a leader. All people are different with different wants needs and desires so understanding how to talk with them will also help you in motivating them.

One of the biggest issues facing leaders is the fact they don't take into account different people's personality and each person needs to be communicated with in a different manner. This is what makes people want to follow certain people, they feel that the leader has connected with them on a personal level.

Also don't think that just one personality type makes the best leaders, far from it all personality types makes great leaders because they all bring something different to the table. Different personality types will all have their strengths and weakness.

An example of this would be a controller personality where they will be very direct when talking to you and can come across as aggressive even if they are not, they will also have a lot of confidence and be extremely sure about themselves.

Another will be a thinker type personality where they will spend time analysing a problem before making a decision but they will tend to be very approachable put you at ease. Both have strengths and weaknesses but both can make fantastic leaders.

To develop leadership skills takes time and education and if you are willing to put in the effort then you can be a great leader.

Some of the leadership I have found online to help with my education if from My Lead System Pro where you will learn from the industry leaders the exact formula they use to grow their business everyday.

When you develop leadership skills you will naturally attract people into your business. And by following the training above you will have the right tools and training to pass onto other.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. Tristram Lodge

Original article

What Are The Inner Values Of An Inspirational Leader?

Inspirational Executive Leadership

Executive leadership involves big responsibilities, that's why it has to be highly efficient in terms of management. Leadership needs to have effective and competent management abilities. But as much as management and technical skills are important, executive leadership also needs substance, and it therefore has to be inspirational. In the corporate world, suit talk and sleek appearances are attractive, but it is necessary for executive leaders to possess personality traits that can bring success.

How is executive leadership in the company you work for? When gauging the executive leadership of an organization, one crucial aspect you need to consider is if you work for an organization with willing followers. That is, people actually want to follow the leaders instead of being compelled. Look for inspirational leadership. A leader that people want to follow has true influence, and that is the mark of an inspirational leader. Inspirational leadership can easily lead people to success.

Elements Of Successful Leadership

There are 5 important elements of successful leadership:

VisionAuthorityEnergyInfluenceStrategic direction

Among these 5 elements, influence is essential. A leader must know how to persuade and convince his people to move to action. Inspiration and motivation are the two powerful driving forces that a leader needs to instill in his people. Bringing out this energy in followers creates an effective and efficient workforce that can readily achieve success. Here lies the true power of a leader- the power to move people to action.

Inspirational executive leadership creates enthusiastic followers that take initiative and are willing to commit to the goals of the organization.

The current workplace is comprised of Generation X and Millenial workers. There may be generational gaps, but executive leadership ought to endeavor to create a motivated and engaged workforce from these employees. Leaders can always find knowledge from numerous online resources and leadership books. Then again, excellent leadership does not solely rely on theoretical knowledge. What really matters is being truly equipped and proficient in responding to random situations and personalities that exist in the corporate jungle.

Inner Values Of An Inspirational Leader

You will find many resources that indicate the dominant traits of leadership. However, it is crucial to also focus on the inner values of inspirational leadership:

Transparency and authenticity. This means that a leader is being true to himself, not afraid to show his vulnerability.Intuitiveness. An inspirational leader relies on his intuition, complementing this soft data in his decision- making.Empathy. An effective leader cares for the welfare of his people.Uniqueness. A successful leader capitalizes on his unique qualities which makes him gain enthusiastic followers.

By the way, do you want to learn more about leadership in your company? If so, download your FREE ebook here: Guide to Elegant Courage Leadership

Jodi and Mike specialize in executive coaching with individuals and teams. http://lighthouse-leadership.com/

Original article

What Makes An Exceptional Team Leader?

Lately, I've been assessing the usefulness of team captains. Logistically, it's nice to have them so that there's someone to lead off-season workouts and things like that...but I'm not sure if they need to have a "captain" title in order to rally the troops to go to the weight room.

What happens when the leadership is in the lower classes? What if we've got a sophomore who's an amazing leader...but she's on a team with four seniors? That could be a team dynamic nightmare.

I believe in leadership training and its benefits to our athletes while they're on the team and afterward...I just don't know if they need that title to receive those benefits. At the end, I'll ask for your help with a couple of questions, so be prepared!

3 qualities our captains should have in order to lead effectively

Clear strategic focus. I know that seems obvious, but I've coached teams where the captains didn't know what was important to them. If it's more important to the captains that the team jumps when they say to jump than it is for the team to accomplish its goals, then the focus is off.

Open to new ideas. By the time players get to the collegiate level, they've been on many teams, been coached by many coaches, and have been led by lots of captains. This means that, even though a player may not be a team leader, they may have great ideas about how captains should behave. Great captains will listen to their teammates and maybe even take them up on a suggestion they make.

Forge strong bonds. The best captains I've had mobilize the team and are laser focused on their goals. They squash petty issues and internal fighting before I even know it's happening. They create time for the team to bond and hang out outside of practice time so they really get to know one another. Great captains make the team into a family.

Questions for you, dear reader

Do you pick your captains or does the team pick? How much input to you have in the process? What about not having team captains at all? Have you done it and did it work? What do you look for in team leaders? Do you think the "captain" title is necessary? Hit me up on Twitter with your answers.

The thing is, great team captains are amazing...they can transform a team from okay and full of cliques, to united and focused. On the flip side of the coin, bad captains can wreck team chemistry and any chance your team has at success. Let me know what you think.

Dawn Redd is the Head Volleyball Coach at Beloit College. Come visit Coach Dawn's community of coaching nerds and team leaders over at her blog, http://www.coachdawnwrites.com/, where she teaches how to become an excellent coach, motivate individuals, and build successful teams.

Her book, Coach Dawn's Guide To Motivating Female Athletes, is available for purchase on her website.

Follow Coach Dawn on Twitter: @CoachDawnWrites

Original article

Are You an Accidental Leader? Sometimes They Are the Best Kind

Perhaps you've seen the movie which is set off into a future dystopia where a former mailman ends up the leader of a rebel force which overthrows the two-bit ruthless dictator of the local authority. In many regards you could call him the accidental leader, someone who rises up from the people, and is loved and respected by those who choose to follow. Some might say this is a natural leader coming into fruition due to the scenario and present events he happens to find himself thrust into. Now then, I would like to talk to you for a moment about how accidental leadership happens.

Now then, perhaps you are reading this article because you are an accidental Leader, or you are the sidekick, wing man, and/or assistant of someone who has just become one of those types of leaders. That is to say; he has been chosen by his peers, and has also accepted the responsibility. Perhaps, because there is a job to be done - he feels confident in doing it, and has the wisdom and belief of those around him to make it happen. Not everyone has the strength of character inside to do such a thing, and even those that do may not come forward due to the inherent social risks.

Nevertheless, sometimes there comes a point when it is no longer acceptable to sit on the sidelines, perhaps the individual has strong moral character, and can no longer allow whatever is taking place to go on, from their point of view of course. Therefore, they take action, and the rest is history as those who later try to piece together what happened and how this accidental leader rose to power. Often the accidental leader didn't rise as much as they were thrust into that leadership role.

Have you ever noticed that folks in this position often fit into that leadership role as if it was a glove being put on? Not like the O.J. Simpson glove, rather one that fits quite well? In the famous philosophical work "The Prince" Machiavellian describes such transformation, and explains that folks who are born into power, or work within the system to later seize power must often lead by fear, whereas a prince who comes from the people can lead with love, respect, and admiration of the followers without the use of fear.

If you are an Accidental Leader you need to understand these principles if you are to fit into this new role of yours. Often, those that enter the leadership arena and find themselves in this situation by happenstance eventually turn out to be the very best leaders of all. There's something to be said from understanding the people, and being one with them that makes all the difference.

In fact, you might even note that many of our leaders today worked very hard to position themselves as just the "common Joe on the street" and yet, still possess the leadership talent, abilities, and moral strength of character to lead. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative eBook on Change Management Leadership. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net/

Original article

Action And Integrity, Not Rhetoric, Makes A Leader

After over three decades of working closely with well over a thousand individuals in leadership positions, in training, qualifying, identifying and consulting, as well as having been both a volunteer and a paid leader for both for- profit and non- profit organizations, I have grown weary of late at the ever- increasing usage of fancy rhetoric, techno- jargon, platitudes, generalities, etc., that seem to be appearing in ever- increasing abundance in far too many organizations and their leadership. True leadership has never been about great words or oratory, nor using impressive technical sounding language. As it has always been, it is what a leader does, what actions he takes, and his personal and professional integrity that makes someone a great leader. It has never been about the rhetoric! Rumi wrote, "It is the inner bond that draws one person to another, not words."

1. Although many wannabe leaders have always resorted to rhetoric, why is it that it seems even more widespread today than ever before? Part of this is that there appears, in most organizations, to be far less competition for leadership positions than in years past. This often creates lower quality leaders, as organizations and their members are thus forced to accept less quality to be their leaders. Because there is so much competition for individual's time, effort, and resources, and because we have observed a diminishing number of individuals who even belong to organizations, both membership rolls and thus the choices for potential leaders have suffered.

2. Far too many of the individuals thrust into leadership positions are either unwilling, unable, or insufficiently committed, to undergo effective training and learning. While in better times, many organizations did not envision the need to professionally train its leaders, in these leaner times, when in many cases there is an apparent dearth of leadership in many cases, this lack of leadership preparation has come back to haunt them. People are not born as leaders, but leadership is a combination of training, personal qualities, traits, and an attitude that makes someone a truly great leader. Many people, unfortunately, have only minimal training, and often only take away from the training some expressions or words that trainers often use. True professional training is multi-faceted, and involves continuous and ongoing work, and development of an understanding that true leaders take action in a timely basis rather than resort to mere rhetoric.

Far too often, this techno- jargon, or rhetoric replaces comprehension. Individuals unready to lead look to a guru and a quick fix, and thus rely on terminology. Some of these dangerous terms that are both overused and misused include: governance; metrics; teams; next level; etc. True leaders understand that they must develop a true caring bond with those they represent, adopting an attitude that a leader's primary responsibility is to provide value and to serve the needs of his constituents.

Richard Brody, with over 30 years consultative sales, marketing, training, managerial, and operations experience, has trained sales and marketing people in numerous industries, given hundreds of seminars, appeared as a company spokesperson on over 200 radio and television programs, and regularly blogs on real estate, politics, economics, management, leadership, negotiations, conferences and conventions, etc. He has negotiated, arranged and/ or organized hundreds of conferences and conventions. He's a Senior Consultant with RGB Consultation Services, an Ecobroker, a Licensed Buyers Agent (LBA) and Licensed Salesperson in NYS, in real estate.
Richard has owned businesses, been a Chief Operating Officer, a Chief Executive Officer, and a Director of Development, as well as a consultant. He has a Consulting Website ( http://tinyurl.com/rgbcons ), and his company PLAN2LEAD, LLC's site ( http://www.plan2lead.net/ ), and can be followed on Twitter

Original article

How Would You Rate Yourself As A Leader?

On a one to ten scale, if 10 was highest, how would you rate yourself, both as a person and as a leader? How is your attitude? Is it positive, marginal or negative? Do others want to be around you? Are you truly self- confident, without merely being egotistical? Do you possess absolute integrity? Do you motivate others? Who sets the agenda, you as the leader or your followers? Do you dare to have the courage of your convictions? How about inner strength? Are your goals and your visions clearly identifiable and worthwhile? While all of us are healthier when we think of ourselves as a 10, leaders must strive for that lofty rating, and do all they can do deserve it.

1. Do you have a positive attitude? Do you use adversity as an opportunity, or do you let obstacles become problems? The best leaders exclude even using the word problem, but rather view obstacles as challenges to overcome, and look ahead to future challenges rather than dread future problems. Is yours a can- do attitude, or do you letter outside circumstances and naysayers defeat you?

2. Do you draw others to you by your behavior, demeanor, attitude and aura, or do you tend to drive them away? When you enter a room, do you positively influence others around you towards positivity and good, or are you negative? If there are adversities, do you lead or run for cover, take responsibility or blame others?

3. Are you self-confident, while remaining modest, and avoiding egoism? Do you possess the inner strength and fortitude that empowers you to move forward, and take timely action? Do you trust your judgment? Are you consistent?

4. Do you possess absolute integrity? Before answering that too quickly, integrity combines conscience, words, actions and deeds, judgments, attitudes, consistency, honest, trustworthiness, etc.

5. Do you motivate others by your own behavior? Motivation is more than simply motivational words, but true effective leaders lead by example, because there is no greater motivator than when someone notices a leader that leads by example, and walks his talk!

6. Who sets the agenda? True leaders always set the agenda for an organization, always being guided by the needs of the organization, and the goal of providing value to the members and the group, as well as having an essential vision that sets goals to accomplish to better serve the organization's mission. In my over thirty years of working with thousands of individuals in leadership positions, I have come to realize that when someone says they will create an agenda based on what others want, those people are simply not leaders, and unless they change their perspective dramatically, never will be either.

7. Do you have the courage of your convictions? Do you dare to take action, even if you realize that some others might disagree, argue and oppose your positions? Ate you always led by your conscience, and do you dare to take action when lesser individuals continue to procrastinate?

8. Do you have an essential vision, and are you willing to articulate it clearly, motivating others to adopt it as their own? Do you set and express short term, intermediate term and longer term goals? Do your visions and goals lead you to a vibrant action plan, with a realistic and motivating time line along the way?

Are you the 10 that a great leader should be, and always devotes himself to? Or are you merely satisfied with being adequate and getting a passing grade, that perhaps you determine to be a 7? An adequate leader is generally a mediocre leader, and if one does not think of himself, with good cause, of being both personally a 10, as well as a 10 as a leader, he generally will not be as successful as a great and effective leader wants to be.

Be a 10!

Richard Brody, with over 30 years consultative sales, marketing, training, managerial, and operations experience, has trained sales and marketing people in numerous industries, given hundreds of seminars, appeared as a company spokesperson on over 200 radio and television programs, and regularly blogs on real estate, politics, economics, management, leadership, negotiations, conferences and conventions, etc. He has negotiated, arranged and/ or organized hundreds of conferences and conventions. He's a Senior Consultant with RGB Consultation Services, an Ecobroker, a Licensed Buyers Agent (LBA) and Licensed Salesperson in NYS, in real estate.
Richard has owned businesses, been a Chief Operating Officer, a Chief Executive Officer, and a Director of Development, as well as a consultant. He has a Consulting Website ( http://tinyurl.com/rgbcons ), and his company PLAN2LEAD, LLC's site ( http://www.plan2lead.net/ ), and can be followed on Twitter

Original article

In the Life of a Leader the Right Kind of Fear Can Be a Highly Healthy Characteristic

Our world does not need more clever men or more rich men but it certainly needs more godly men and women. This leader was not only clever but wise and not only rich but godly, and these characteristics are scarce commodities in the present days.

Read Peter's first letter and learn some significant and crucial lesson regarding leadership and being a leader in difficult times.

Peter had changed bosses and that is central to the whole second half of his life. He had been a business man in the fishing industry, but now he was catching a different type of catch. Everything about him was transformed and different.

When we came to Jesus Christ we changed bosses. We changed 'lords'. We no longer serve sin, but Jesus Christ.

Peter speaks about being holy and being different from others and what is involved in this and sometimes we do not like to be different or regarded as being different.

He Who called you is holy, so be holy in all that you do. What a challenge! This is a most unpopular sentence for many many people!

We are called to be like Father, or to be like our heavenly Dad. God is not like other people. He certainly is different, and Peter teaches us to aim to be like Him!

To be holy or godly in the highest sense, and not in some cartoonist fashion, but as God would make us and shape us, is one of life's most challenging tasks.

But verse 17 in the first Chapter of his letter will help us, because if we get the right kind of fear, and right kind of love, we will live the right kind of life.

On he goes to speak of the precious blood of Jesus Christ, with which we are redeemed and bought back from sin, and sinfulness. That rascal stole so much from mankind in the garden and Jesus paid the price on the cross to buy it back. That is the whole meaning of redeem.

Our holy God has called us and changed us and transformed us and forgiven us and filled us, and these are some of the reasons why this same holy loving God calls us to be holy.

Because He is a gracious Father Who judges our work and witness impartially, we are to live our lives here as strangers or aliens or misfits, and in reverent fear.

When we have the right kind of fear and the right kind of love then we will have no trouble being holy. That will follow.

Fear is a good thing. Fear of putting your hand in an open fire or fear of rushing across a busy road without looking, or fear of hurting someone you love. The fear of God is healthy, and in a leader it is a most valuable and precious quality.

Peter did not want these disciples of Jesus to disobey God, or disappoint God, and this is why he writes as he does.

Sandy Shaw

Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children's Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.
He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org/ entitled "Word from Scotland" on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.
His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.

Original article

You Are a Born Leader

What is leadership? Is it learned, bestowed or innate? How do leaders come into existence? What is the cause behind a leader? Or who made leaders? These stuffs serve as a fundamental to explore the nature of leadership as well as leaders. For something to exist, something must exist as a cause. Whether leaders are made or born, always exist as an effect, not as a cause to themselves. For instance, I exist as an effect; I am not a cause to myself. I simply exist and welcome it. The wise courage to look back at my cause, will relief and help me understand the nature of who am I and where I came from. This concept may seem subtle and complex, but I would love to see the nature of leadership in this manner. In the world, we have leaders, yet we don't know them whether they are true or false leaders. We simply follow blindly without questioning the nature of true leadership. We don't have the culture of philosophizing. In the 21st century, it is a matter of imperative to question, discover and understand the nature of leadership for a betterment of humanity.

Under all conditions, bosses always expect us to be loyal and not to question authority. However, loyalty should be at the cost of understanding and willingness to follow. Without the discovery of the true leadership, humanity remains constant or unchanged. Bosses normally conceal the path of change, and emphasize immediate docility and submissiveness. In effect, subordinates follow foolishly and remain unrealized of huge body mass. Blind loyalty doesn't work and help anymore. It only destroys human potential and shatters the promising future of the coming generation. Hence, it is high time for everyone to understand the nature of leadership and discover the leader within.

Broadly speaking, there are two theories of leadership, acquired/learned leadership and innate leadership. These two theories stand from a different position and diametrically opposite to each other, never complement. Learned leadership theory adheres to the concept that leaders are made, not born. According to this theory, for someone to be a leader, he/she should acquire leadership skills through education, training and experience. On the other hand, innate leadership theory claims that leaders are born, not made. He or she was born with the talents, gifts, abilities and skills of leadership capacity. As of this theory, leaders were born totally equipped and fully loaded with the ingredients of leadership. For several years, these two theories have been undergoing a fierce philosophical debate among scholars, leaders and professionals. Regardless the heated philosophical debate, the world has been led for long time by the people who believe that leadership is learned. This happens because the world leadership is based up on a certain elite group, tribe or kings. It is a belief that planted into the human race as a total denial of leadership by commoners. Such belief denies the rest, and merely gives a privilege to certain elite groups, tribes and kings.

If leadership was learned, why the world failed to produce true leaders? Still the planet looks forward for genuine leaders-the leaders who can change, innovate and create. Only true leaders can bring dramatic change and speedy recovery from wounds of politics. But, where are the true leaders? Where do they hide? If leadership was learned, why schools, colleges and universities could not make it? Educational institutions consume a tremendous monetary asset to produce leaders; however, their effort seems futile and colossal failure.

I have a peculiar position on the subject of leadership. For a long time, I have been puzzled about the nature of leadership. I thought a lot, read enormous and asked also lot to find out the bottom-line of leadership and the truth about it. Eventually, along with the evidence of what history says about leadership, I have come to conclude that leaders are absolutely born, not made. However, for someone to be a leader, he/she should discover the inner treasures of leadership from the 'being'. This may seem hard to believe, but think about the nature of life pertinent to leadership; everyone, be it a human or a bird or an animal, wants to dominate and influence the rest. Naturally, we all want to influence and lead our environment. Even animals and birds in their own design exercise dominance more than human being does. In every community, whether it is a human community or an animal community, there is a leader or a boss. The desire to influence is not something that comes from an environment; it is an inbuilt potential somewhere within us. This tells us that we are all born leaders. There is nothing wrong to influence, but a problem arises when we start to influence without discovering the leader within.

Leadership comes to us naturally. Our very design is leadership. The leadership to inspire, motivate, utilize, change, innovate, develop, create and build, dwells within us. It is our birth certificate-the certificate that life offers to every one of us freely. Think as an individual, what roles and responsibilities do you have to accomplish? What service can you render to humanity? If you ponder about it, you have a lot to do, and lead individuals from death to life, from ignorance to knowledge, from darkness to light, from dictatorship to democracy, from lies to truth, from immoral to moral, from disease to health, from pessimism to optimism, from purposelessness to purposeful, from cry to laughter, from impossibilities to possibilities, from uncertainty to certainty, from fear to fearless, from sleepless night to serenity, from conflict to peace, from problems to solutions, from backwardness to prosperity, from finite to infinite, from yesterday to tomorrow, and many others. These are the inherent functions of leadership that every one of us can offer to humanity. You can offer it and I can too. Therefore, we have leadership talents. We don't learn leadership, for leadership emanates from the foundation of love. The service to humanity happens to be, not because of leadership itself, but because of the burning love within us.

Every one of us has an enormous potential to render a service. However, a problem lies ahead, because it is a tougher task to discover the talents and gifts from within. Most of us love to walk and think on the surface, but very few enjoy the inner journey of discovery. We have been conditioned to be outsiders rather than insiders. We are little bit shallow, and as a consequence our understanding remains at the surface. We walk on the surface, think shallow and love little. This is the dilemma to leadership discovery. Someone who remains shallow can never be a leader, even to himself.

Leadership is process of discovery. Hence, the leader has to be sought, discovered, cultivated and grown from within. For someone to grow a tree, he/she should provide the right environment or the set of conditions where the seed can germinate, grow and become a forest. No one can make a tree because the seed has already an inherent potential to grow and offer fruits. The planter or gardener only studies the nature of the seed and put into a condition where it can grow and produce fruits. The same story is true with leadership discovery. The seed is already within our 'being'. It is an inbuilt seed, but it should be studied, discovered and provided the right conditions for its manifestation. The seed of leadership greatness has been breathed into every one of us from the creator of the universe. Your birth is nothing, but the manifestation of new leader on the planet. The planet jubilates a lot for that matter.

Original article

A Strong Confident Leader Imparts Confidence and Encouragment Among Those Looking for Leadership

As a leader this man knows how to lead in the fullest and finest and highest sense.

Peter did not want these disciples of Jesus to disobey God, or disappoint God, and this is why he writes as he does, and he goes on to speak to them and teach them and us regarding what is central and important.

Take time and even make time to read what he has to say in his first letter. It is always interesting to read other people's letters and this letter has endured for nigh on two thousand years.

Silver and gold are so durable and most people are aware of that, but the precious blood of Christ is more so.

This leads on to us living a life of gratitude and not grumbling.

Peter goes on to explain to us what we are worth, and we are not worth much in terms of silver or gold, but Jesus Christ shed His precious blood for you and me! Do you realise the profound significance of that?

Is Peter here not also referring to the preciousness of the man, Jesus Christ, and not just the blood, as he writes about the lamb? Peter always writes so highly of Jesus, the one whom Peter had tried to divert from going to the Cross. Some thirty years previously that is what he attempted to do, but now he see circumstances so differently.

Jesus redeemed me, and bought me, and ransomed me, and set me free from futility and emptiness, and from getting nowhere.

When a group of young folks were asked to write down what difference Jesus Christ has meant to you, many answered that Jesus has given me purpose, or Jesus has given me a reason for living and a goal, and made my life meaningful. What a privilege for me to be given a purpose for living.

How terrible it must be go around living and not knowing why you are here and not being sure of your aim and goal and purpose.

There are two reasons for being thankful in this part of his letter and we need to know why we ought to be thankful and grateful at times. We should be thankful because we have been ransomed from futile empty ways, and then we are gifted with purpose and meaning.

This results in our having a confidence. A confident leader should be able to impart confidence to those around him. Good leaders should encourage confidence and when they do so the people they lead will never be afraid of them wondering if they are going to be rebuked and told off.

Bad leaders impart bad fear which is nothing other than sin, but good leaders inspire and motivate and uplift.

Confidence is one of the marks of a disciple of Jesus Christ.

There are many people who are uncertain and unsure, but we have confidence in God and a sure and certain confidence that Jesus Christ is on the throne of this world.

Sandy Shaw

Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children's Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.

He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org/ entitled "Word from Scotland" on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.

His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.

Original article

The Choice To Be A Leader: Are You The One?

Nature Vs. Nurture

There are key secrets to leadership success that set great leaders apart from mediocre leaders. People may become leaders through the guidance of mentors, lessons from seminars, along with their innate qualities developed over the years. Natural leadership qualities may even possibly exist from birth. The constant debate over nature vs. nurture in leadership continues, but it is reasonable to say that both having inherent leadership characteristics and developing leadership skills play crucial roles in successful leadership.

Supervisor, Manager and Leader

Some people in organizations use leadership, management and supervision interchangeably. The definitions of these three terms actually differ, but one person alone can do all these.

Supervision - an individual provides direction and oversees other employees. A successful supervisor is able to give training, recognition, appreciation and feedback to subordinate employees.
Management - an individual performs the affairs of a business, providing direction and ensuring that work is under control. A manager guides subordinate employees, handles problems and administers and organizes work processes. Effective management makes employees more productive than they would have been without him/her as the manager. Simply put, a manager provides everything so that employees will be able to accomplish their jobs successfully. According to Warren Bennis, Ph.D in "On Becoming A Leader", "A manager does things right, while a leader does the right thing".

A manager or supervisor may have leadership skills to some extent, but true leaders are actually rare. The right combination of skills, personality and ambition that make up true leadership is difficult to develop and exhibit.

Theories Of Leadership

Don Clark, in his leadership resource "Big Dog Leadership Pace" stated the Bernard "Bass" theory of leadership. According to this theory, there are 3 basic ways to explain how people become leaders.

In a small group of people, leadership develops because of some personality traits. This is the Trait Theory that which connote that some people naturally become leaders because of some of their personality traits.
An ordinary person may manifest extraordinary leadership qualities during a crisis or an important event as presupposed by The Great Events Theory.
People can learn leadership skills and choose to be a leader, and this is the Transformational Leadership Theory.

To be a successful leader, a person needs to make the decision. One must choose to lead, to take charge, provide vision and inspire others to success. It wasn't the same thing for Keanu Reeves as Neo in the 1999 smash hit "The Matrix", but you, you get to decide if you are the "One". The choice to be a leader is yours.

By the way, do you want to learn more about leadership in your company? If so, download your FREE ebook here: Guide to Elegant Courage Leadership

Jodi and Mike specialize in executive coaching with individuals and teams. http://lighthouse-leadership.com/

Original article

Developing Confidence As A Leader

On what does a strong sense of self-worth-confidence-depend? Money? Good looks? High intelligence? Nice clothes? An important job? An expensive car? Love? Helping other people? What if I were to tell you, you can be confident without any of that? Do not believe me? Well, in fact, it is true. Just as you can smile for no particular reason (simply raise the corner of your mouth) and laugh for no particular reason (try it) you also can be confident without any particular reason. You do not need permission from anybody to be confident. Many people think confidence has to be based on achievements. Confidence comes from the inside, no one can give it to you, just as I can not make you rich, more handsome, or more beautiful. It is all up to you, I know you may desire a quick fix to increase your confidence, but developing confidence is a process.

Where are you now? When you enter a room full of strangers do you: A: Sink into a corner and watch? B: Look for a person alone and team up? C: Stride around the room, greeting everyone as you go?

It does not matter where you are there is always room for improvement. Confidence is entirely a matter of mind. It maybe a fact that you are not tall, or able to wear designer clothes or drive a sports car, but you can still be confident. It is your attitude that counts. And this is not theory. When I first met my wife Deborah, over 10 years ago I was only making $6.15 an hour and I did not have a college degree. She had a Master's degree and a salary paying job. She never knew how much I made, my attitude was that of a multi-millionaire. When she found out that I did not have a college education she was in shock, but she could not resist this stud. It was my confidence in myself that won her over, I knew I was going to be wealthy in a matter of time.

I am going to share with you my secret weapons for building confidence. The only requirement is that you apply them immediately.

Visualization: See Yourself As the Person You Desire To Be. Create that vision, and live the vision. It took me from $6.15 an hour to millions.

Affirmations: Develop The Habit Of Speaking Positive Words To Yourself. Your voice is the sweetest sound to your ears. Remember you can not expect someone else to speak nice things to you, if you are not willing to.

Record Yourself: Set aside at least 15 minutes and record yourself either on camera or on an audio recorder. Have a good friend critique you. Also leave a message on your phone and see how you sound when you leave messages on someone else's voicemail. This is to help you become confident with your own image and voice.

Do Not Compare Yourself to Others: Be Authentic. No one respects a "Me Too". Be who God created you to be. Find your true self and love it.

Take Action: Next time you are at a social gathering, introduce yourself to someone new and make a friend.

Challenge: Introduce yourself to 7 new people this week. You can do it you are a Confident Leader.

Loyal Leadership Inc. is designed to empower you with the skills, training and accountability you need to achieve the consistent results you demand in the most important areas of your life. Loyal Leadership Inc. trains entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, managers and sales professionals in how to accelerate the achievement of their professional, financial and personal goals. Our Leadership Consultants brings years of leadership expertise with a results-driven dedication to delivering solid, sustainable results.

Our depth of resources enables us to design strategies and implement solutions for the leadership of your organization. These resources, coupled with a culture of collaboration and creativity, ensure solutions targeted to the unique needs of each client situation. http://www.loyalleadership.com/

Original article

Every Leader Needs to Be Aware of the Light, Love, Strength and Guidance Which Is Freely Available

There are principles for leadership here which we can learn nowhere else in the entire world and yet so many ignore and overlook and even reject all the riches and guidance and direction on offer.

David, the second King of Israel, needed everything that was available if he was going to overcome his weaknesses and be strengthened where he was so vulnerable and forgiven where he was exceedingly and seriously sinful.

He needed Almighty God and he declares how he relied upon God in the second book of Samuel Chapter 22 and which is repeated in Psalm 18. We can learn much from a study of the Old Testament.

If there are no reservations on our side, there will be none on His, and leaders in every walk of life need to know this and experience the reality of it.

David would never turn away to other gods. He knew they did not exist anyway. It would be stupid to do that and it would be nothing other than sin, and David did not want to sin at that level.

He had been forgiven for previous misdemeanors so why fall again into a very subtle trap?

He is not sinless compared with our sinless Christ, but God had cleaned him up and lifted him up after his many and various falls.

David never denied that he belonged to God, and he never denied his faith in God even when he experienced failures and faults.

David would be true to God even when Satan tried to trip him up.

What a word for us in Christ at the beginning of a New Year, and in fact what a word at any time.

David would never turn way to other gods, although his son Solomon did and made a mess of things.

Think of Paul in this light in his letters to Timothy. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. But oh how he knew and realised that he was a sinner. Is this why he mentions so frequently in his letters the Grace of God?

If we do not keep the faith we are unlikely to fight the good fight and complete and finish the race marked out for us.

God's ways with men are described in such colourful detail. To the crooked God is shrewd.

God will not be a partner in certain activities or businesses or good ideas.

God's strength and light are given in place of our weakness, and darkness which is all around us, but darkness is no impediment to God.

When many were trying to blow David out God kept him alight.

Darkness doesn't hinder or stop God.

We see the darkness, and when we are aware of its dangers and temptations, we rely upon the light of Jesus Christ, and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Every leader needs to be aware of the light and love and strength and guidance which is available.

Sandy Shaw

Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children's Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.
He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org/ entitled "Word from Scotland" on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.
His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.

Original article

The Leader In You Is Ready To Lead

Having attended every leadership school the United States Air Force had to offer me as a military officer, I know a thing or two about leadership. I'm not writing this article to brag or boost, but to point out the fact you have good leadership skills as well.

Case in point, leadership like many other things have more than one definition. Webster's Dictionary defines leadership as something that leads and in essence this is leadership in its most organic definition.

The fact of the matter is, we are all leaders in our own right because we lead our life. Leading our personal life is the foundation for leadership and with training and experience we give our self a chance to develop our leadership skills and abilities.

Sadly some people do not think they are leaders. Why? The primary reason some people do not think they are leaders is because they don't think they are enough, in other words some people do not believe in themselves, have low self-esteem and or have never really learned what being a leader is all about.

One thing I can tell leadership is not is this, leadership is not a title. Leadership is an individual who is willing to work hard making a difference for an organization and or for him or her self. Leadership entails service above self, the greater good and oftentimes sacrificing his or her personal life so others can benefit.

I can tell you from personal experience during my 20 year career from second lieutenant to lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force, I worked for some good leaders and some, not so good leaders. So the question is, what is the difference between a good leader and a bad leader?

What a great question and I'm glad you asked what is the difference between a good and bad leader. In my experience, the primary difference between a good and bad leader is a lack of respect for the institution of leadership. For example, a leader never puts him or her self before the mission and or vision of the organization.

The organization and its mission, value and most importantly the people they serve come first. A good leader embraces the mission and values of their organization and make it better by giving subordinates and or employees and opportunity to be the best at what they do.

On the other hand, a bad leader will stifle the expertise and opportunities of their employees or subordinates, thus going against the grain developing a strong and cohesive organization. As I stated before, there is a marked difference between a good leader and a bad leader and we have likely all experienced and or seen both in our career.

So how do we crack the code to become the best leader we can be? I subscribe to everyone to be leaders of influence and the reason why is as a leader you must lead by example.

We we lead by example, we sacrifice the ego to gain trust. Keep the organizations missions and values front and center, train and allow your employees and subordinates to develop their leadership skills, and lastly repeat the process with succeeding leaders and new employees.

In other words, the more qualified and experienced leaders you have in an organization, the stronger the organization will become and this is where you want to be. Remember, we are all leaders whether we identify with it or not, we all lead our lives and have the ability to lead others as well.

Keep this important point in mind, we are enough and sufficient to be the best leaders we can possibly be. Start your journey today because the leader in you is ready to lead.

Paul Lawrence Vann is a inspirational speaker, author, certified professional coach and talk show host. Paul leads Wealth Building Academy, LLC; a speaking, training, information products and coaching business. Paul is author of the book, Living on Higher Ground and co-author of 101 Great Ways to Enhance Your Career. He has been interviewed by hundreds of radio stations throughout the U.S., and was a regular on Channel 9, WUSA's, Mind Over Money Show in Washington, DC. Paul's clients include Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, military and educational institutions through the U.S. and Canada. He hosts The Wealthy Speaker Show providing empowerment to thousands around the world. Subscribe to Paul's free ezine, Living on Higher Ground at: http://www.paullawrencevann.com/

Original article

Building A Foundation In Young Peoples Lives For Becoming A Leader

In case you've noticed the term that leaders are born ready, not produced through some kind of training. If you happen to think this is often accurate, then you might want to visualize how the historical past has proved it wrong. There are numerous biographies of effective leaders throughout the generations which have been the silent type or reserved during their childhood. Those don't resemble natural qualities of any leader in today's culture. The attributes of a leader have been perfected throughout the years, many of the experiences that they seem to have been through contributed to their way of life as a person of leadership traits.

A great number of parents or teachers want their young children or pupils to become leaders. Though in order to be a leader you should first really know what some of their qualities are and ways to foster the creation of these traits as part of your children or church groups. One technique that teachers and parents can best teach this quality is by way of example. Teens and kids learn most things by watching their "leaders". Focus on what honesty means and how its an admirable trait to obtain. Dive into new resources online and at the library which also highlight honesty, and utilize storytelling as the main premise.

Another method is to endorse creative and independent thinking. Highlight that in order to nurture this quality, it is extremely useful to ask questions however it is also important think outside the box. After you talk with your child or students about any subject at all, always ask open questions, that support creative thinking. Make use of the "One Step Farther" principle. After you've gotten many of the obvious answers, ask one more question, to produce a deeper, more creative idea. Questions like "why", "what would happen if...", "how do it make you feel...", encourage your child or student to think outside the box. Check with them and encourage independent thinking. Additionally, it's also crucial you hear your toddler or students. Whenever your child or student has a resourceful, unusual suggestion, never negate it or make fun of it.

Always treat your baby's or students ideas with respect. Confidence can be one of the number one qualities needed for success as a whole. In order to develop confidence, avoid criticizing in any respect. Rather praise them genuinely and often. Develop a habit to speak about your child's or students strengths and attainments on a regular basis. Remember to ensure it is a point to bring up 1 good quality with them day-after-day. If you adopt it as a routine, over time it should do wonders for your youth group or family team bonding experience. It involves just a couple of minutes to say an achievement or perhaps a strength (a good quality). Encourage them by asking them to be able to repeat key terms "you can do it" often.

A leader takes responsibility. When something goes negatively, it often makes us happy if we can blame something else or someone else. A leader takes responsibility. Make certain that your little one or student knows that he's the "boss" in his life. His success is his responsibility. We aren't victims of our environment, we've got control over our life. Teach them to "derive from a place of power". As soon as your child or student blames another person or something else for a mishap, or comes up with excuses, you have a method to inspire them to assume responsibility.

Be sure that your teen or student knows that its Ok to make mistakes. Mistakes are an opportunity to learn. You can help them draw conclusions, without "making him wrong", by asking: "what did you learn from this?", "can you try to guess went wrong?", "why do you think this happened?", "how could you avoid this?" and again "can you try to guess would happen if...?". They should understand that he has no control over other people, and isn't expected to have control over other people's actions, but he has full control over his own reaction. This can give your child the feeling of power, as opposed to "become a victim".

This basic range of conversations that you truly have with your family unit and students throughout their early years must have a significant impact on the way they develop and experience their adult lives. Just be sure you make enough time and resolve to discuss what s going on in their lives on a regular basis. Also, inspire them to be their best. Through doing this, you happen to be modeling what it takes to be considered a true leader and at the same time you are developing your kids and students into future leaders.

What if you are struggling on ideas to become a positive role model to kids?

I know how difficult it can be to try and create leadership qualities in young adults so that they grow up healthy, but if you really want to make a big impact at your place of work you'll need to learn a single method that works amazingly well. This method is simple to pick up and it doesn't take much practice, you can read how to do it in my free report here: Christian Youth Group Activities.

Don't give up on kids, it's NOT impossible to raise them the right way. Learn more ways to incorporate Youth Group Activities in your schedule by clicking the link.

Original article

A Leader Must Conquer Self

In far too many instances, our greatest and most dangerous enemy is our self. Sometimes this is because of attitude, sometimes because of an inability to introspectively examine our strengths and weaknesses, and at still other times it is a result of our behavior and/or reaction to a variety of circumstances. Plato stated this perfectly, "The first and greatest victory is to conquer yourself; to be conquered by yourself is of all things most shameful and vile." When it comes to one's ability to be a truly effective leader, this is even more relevant. True leaders must understand and honestly appraise their strengths and weaknesses, and adapt as necessary to become better and more effective.

1. When one considers a position of leadership, he should first examine his reasons for doing so. What are his true motives? Does he want to lead because he feels he can make a real difference, or because he desires the recognition and/ or accolades? Will the individual commit to the time and effort? Will this potential leader know himself so well that he can overcome adversity and obstacles, rather be saddled an incapacitated by them? When one is in a leadership position, there can be no place for self doubt. A true leader has undergone training and learned and applied techniques and philosophies of leadership. Although I have trained over a thousand potential leaders over more than three decades, only those who first commit to self understanding and take from that true inner strength, have ended up being able to fulfill the position in an effective and consistent manner.

2. Many people claim to know themselves, but few actually take the time to do a thorough self examination. I have observed that while most of those in leadership present themselves publicly as confident, in reality most are not nearly that self assured. Many of those leaders who some believe to be driven by their egos, are not egoistic at all, but rather so insecure that they portray themselves that way to cover up their insecurities. When someone understands themselves fully, it gives them the opportunity to learn more, understand more, make wiser decisions, use better judgment, and overall demonstrate far greater wisdom, than those unwilling or unable to undergo this essential exercise. Self understanding is an essential, yet often overlooked part of leadership training. Since no two individuals are alike in every way, there can be no thorough and complete leadership training without an emphasis on customizing training to an individual and his needs.

Once someone conquers himself, there is very little he cannot overcome. Self understanding provides a leader with the strength and courage to face difficult circumstances and challenges, and thus turn adversity into victory!

Richard Brody, with over 30 years consultative sales, marketing, training, managerial, and operations experience, has trained sales and marketing people in numerous industries, given hundreds of seminars, appeared as a company spokesperson on over 200 radio and television programs, and regularly blogs on real estate, politics, economics, management, leadership, negotiations, conferences and conventions, etc. He has negotiated, arranged and/or organized hundreds of conferences and conventions. He's a Senior Consultant with RGB Consultation Services, an Ecobroker, a Licensed Buyers Agent (LBA) and Licensed Salesperson in NYS, in real estate.
Richard has owned businesses, been a Chief Operating Officer, a Chief Executive Officer, and a Director of Development, as well as a consultant. He has a Consulting Website ( http://tinyurl.com/rgbcons ), and his company PLAN2LEAD, LLC's site ( http://www.plan2lead.net/ ), and can be followed on Twitter.

Original article

Leadership Coaching: Why Do People Follow A Leader?

Charisma, Vision and Character

There are leaders, and there are followers. What sets a leader apart? A leader stands tall in the midst of the pack as he/she shines and exudes strength, judiciousness and character. Leadership charisma, vision and character are what attract followers. A key to understanding leadership is understanding followership. A leader has a goal and a vision, heading towards a certain direction. People who believe in the leader's vision and are confident in the leader's direction then become followers. The followers' belief and confidence in their leader enable and empower them to do their part in accomplishing their goals as a group.

A leader must be accountable and trustworthy. If problems or obstacles arise and the group falters, the leader takes responsibility and analyzes the situation. Accountability in leadership is taking control of the problem, not searching for people to blame. People choose to follow a trustworthy and responsible leader. Followers are motivated to strive and take risks without fear of punishment if they trust their leader.

Assurance And Skillful Communication

A leader makes promises, and followers trust in these promises. Followers believe that at the end of their journey, they will be recognized and rewarded for their efforts. Effective leadership knows how to answer when followers ask "What's in it for us"?

Skillful communication is crucial in successful leadership. A leader knows that there will be risks as they travel their chosen path, that's why he/she skillfully communicates the directions and risks to the followers. The followers can then properly carry out their tasks and responsibilities.

Where is leadership found? Too often, leadership finds its place in positional power. A leader may be the CEO, the founder of a business, the president, department head, or the person in charge. Leadership combined with positional power magnifies the ability of an individual to attract important followers. Ownership title of business owners, for one thing, gives a certain amount of respect, and therefore attracting followership. Then there is longevity, which is also an essential factor in attracting and retaining supporters. Followers could follow their leader for 10 years or more unless they lose trust in their direction.

The Keys To Successful Leadership

What qualities are essential to make leadership successful?

Making the choice to leadChoosing to be the person others choose to followCreating a vision for the futureInspiring othersBeing others- oriented, making people feel valued and appreciatedBeing ethical and living a life of valuesSetting the pace through expectations and leading by exampleCaring for others and acting with compassion

By the way, do you want to learn more about leadership in your company? If so, download your FREE ebook here: Guide to Elegant Courage Leadership

Jodi and Mike specialize in executive coaching with individuals and teams. http://lighthouse-leadership.com/

Original article

Powerful Leadership - 5 Crucial Skills Required to Become a Great Leader!

Powerful leadership requires a commitment to developing key personal skills and abilities. Great leaders must have a driving desire to make things happen. If you want to be the head and not the tail, then you must fine tune key leadership skills in order to become effective so that others will want to follow.

Some people are born with natural talents that lend themselves to becoming a great leader. But despite the fact that you may have been born with some of these talents, it still takes continual enthusiasm, drive, and experience for true development as a leader to occur.

5 Crucial Skills Needed to Become a Great Leader

1. Vision

Leaders need to know the vision of their group or organization. They must have a clear sense of purpose. Knowing the organization's goals and objectives, how the organization works, and being able to communicate the vision to others, helps put everyone on the same page.

Leaders need to help others catch a personal vision of the big picture, so that everyone is moving in the same direction on the road to success.

2. Encouragement

Leadership is not about using harassment or fear as a driving force to get others to take action. Great leaders encourage others to accomplish the goals of the group. Encouragement is contagious and it benefits everyone when it is flowing freely.

3. Trust

Trustworthiness is vital to great leadership. Your followers must have trust and confidence in you. And if they do, they will go to great lengths for you and the group.

Strong relationships, trustworthiness, and high ethics build trust and confidence. Leaders that deal with people in a positive way, lay a foundation of strength for the group. Stronger relationships equal a stronger measure of trust and confidence in the capabilities of the leader.

4. Communication

Communication is crucial skill of a leader. You must be able to clearly communicate the goals and objectives that you are all about to undertake as an organization. A leader's vision and plan must be clearly communicated to others in order to keep everyone on the same page.

5. Judgment

Great leaders have great judgment. If you want to grow as a leader, you must continue to improve and develop your judgment and decision making skills.

Leaders need to make wise decisions in a variety of situations. Your followers will come to rely on your judgment. Good, wise decision making is crucial to the success of a leader and the organization.

Keep in mind: In life we all eventually find ourselves in a leadership role, in some shape or form, big or small. And the Lord wants to see His children become strong leaders and He gives them instructions and tells them how they can be.

"And the LORD shall make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath; if that you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God to observe and to do them." -- Deuteronomy 28:13

Conclusion: Leaders lead. Leaders have followers and you're not much of a leader if no one is following. Being a great leader is about constantly growing, developing, and setting an example, because you are a reflection of what your followers must be. Develop these five crucial skills and demonstrate powerful leadership.

May you develop your skills to grow into a powerful, effective leader and experience much growing prosperity!

And now, get a Free life changing "How to Attract Prosperity" download. Plus enjoy Christian and Self-Improvement Resources along with Motivational Videos and a Meditation Podcast.

Check this out: http://www.growingprosperity.com/.

B.K. Smith seeks to provide resources to help you prosper in all areas of life - including your spirit, soul, body, finances, and relationships.

Original article

4 Warning Signs That You Are Losing The Plot As A Leader Or Manager

Achieving long term success as a leader or manager is not as easy as it looks. While most can achieve short term results, the truly exceptional leaders and managers can do it consistently. That's not to say they never get anything wrong but, when they do, they put the learning to good use and get even better.

It is easy to fall into the trap of believing that everything is going really well. At the same time, there are probably some early warning signs that you could be losing the plot.

Warning Sign 1: You Are Losing A Lot Of Good People

Employees are the life blood of most businesses and the reality is it is your people assets, rather than the plant and machinery, that really make the difference. Good people who deliver great results will always be in demand, irrelevant of the market or economic conditions. If you start to see a spike in the number of people leaving, particularly your best people, waken up and find out the underlying reasons.

Warning 2: People Are Not Engaged

More and more organisations seem to be finding it a bigger challenge to get the level of employee engagement to the level they would like. Yet it is often simple things like seeking out ideas, listening to employees and taking action on the ideas that they are putting forward that make a huge difference to the levels of engagement. If people are not engaging, step back and consider whether it is down to the way you and the senior team are interacting, or not interacting, with employees.

Warning 3: Turf Wars Are Developing

When the chips are down, people will often go to extreme lengths to protect their position or the interests of their function or team. When this happens, it is easy for people to start to put the interests of the organisation a lot further down the pecking order than their own, or their functions', interests. When these battles start to emerge it is rarely good news for the organisation as a whole.

Warning 4: Customers Are Voting With Their Feet

Customer or client retention is hugely important in these tougher times. If you are noticing that you are losing a lot of clients or that complaints are increasing, it can be a sign that all is not well. The key is to discover what the underlying problems are and tackle them as quickly as you can.

The Bottom Line: There are a whole range of indicators that things are not going as well as they could. Being alert to them is key to adapting and continuing to be successful as a leader and manager.

To become an even better leader I invite you to sign up for my free audio e-course Leadership Success at http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/leaders-main.html

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements works with accountants, health 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.
http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/leaders-main.html

Original article

A Leader Must Take That First Step

In over three decades of working intimately with over a thousand leaders, in a variety of situations, circumstances, demographics, and types of organizations, I have often heard someone in a leadership position saying that they wish to accomplish something, or get something done, but don't know how, or where to start. Quintilian wrote, "While we deliberate about beginning, it is already too late to begin." I have repeatedly stated during my many hundreds of leadership seminars that a leader just has to force himself to start, and begin the process. It is far better to begin, and have to begin again, than to never start the process. No project, achievement, or idea has ever been achieved or implemented until someone in leadership steps up and becomes a real leader, and gets started in some direction towards that goal.

1. Many leaders suffer from a syndrome I have come to refer to as terminal excusitis. They seem to feel that avoiding failure is far better than achieving successful and worthwhile goals, and often spend far more time and effort developing ways to avoid taking action so as to avoid blame or responsibility, than developing a plan and taking timely action. I have come to believe that there is probably no greater fault or "sin" committed by someone in leadership than to avoid taking timely action. While there is never any assurance that the initial course of action is the best and/ or most viable one, evaluations of leadership models and actual case studies consistently indicate that far more damage is caused to most organizations by avoiding action (procrastination) than by making any mistake.

2. These steps do not have to be major ones, either. They can be the leadership equivalent of baby steps. But taking any step generates awareness, enthusiasm and momentum, as well as makes it obvious that the organization is making efforts to maximize the experience and value of belonging and being involved. All steps can be modified, tweaked and amended, and true leaders understand that an essential part of any action plan is to first get started, and then continuously evaluate and make necessary modifications. Part of the planning process should involve alternatives to be taken after the first step in the process is begun.

The reality is that you can never get anything done unless you start. Making mistakes are a part of the process. Great leaders have always learned from adversity, and become better as a result of what they learn from their mistakes. As long as there is a mission, a vision and a goal, and the process is begun, the momentum for achievement becomes the preamble to a greater reality.

Richard Brody,with over 30 years consultative sales,marketing,training,managerial, and operations experience,has trained sales and marketing people in numerous industries, given hundreds of seminars, appeared as a company spokesperson on over 200 radio and television programs, and regularly blogs on real estate, politics, economics, management, leadership, negotiations, conferences and conventions, etc. He has negotiated, arranged and/ or organized hundreds of conferences and conventions. He's a Senior Consultant with RGB Consultation Services, an Ecobroker, a Licensed Buyers Agent (LBA) and Licensed Salesperson in NYS, in real estate.
Richard has owned businesses, been a Chief Operating Officer, a Chief Executive Officer, and a Director of Development, as well as a consultant. He has a Consulting Website ( http://tinyurl.com/rgbcons ), and his company PLAN2LEAD, LLC's site ( http://www.plan2lead.net/ ), and can be followed on Twitter

Original article

Leadership Coaching: The Natural Leader

What Are Natural Leaders?

It´s one or the other- being a leader or being a follower. Natural leadership qualities spring from the nature of a leader. On the other hand, if a person is contented with merely complying and submitting, being delegated to than leading, then that is the nature of a follower. What drives natural leadership abilities?

Leadership comes from the core, basically. That is, a person´s emotional needs drive them to be a leader. People who want to stand out, lead and be apart from the mediocre often has the need to be right, be better than others, be recognized and be acknowledged. They want to hold authority and power. There are different kinds of leaders, nonetheless. Some leaders are inclined to succumb to greed, vanity, arrogance and impatience. Leadership is power and authority over people, that´s why it is most sought after by the ambitious. Leadership does take guts and courage.

Leadership Core Values And Courage

But what about true leaders? What makes true leaders? True leaders are leaders at heart. They are connected to their own source of power and ability. Leadership is not what it is if it does not aim to achieve goals. To attain goals, a leader must have the courage. There is the need to win. Several elements comprise leadership courage. To be a courageous leader, one should have motivation and determination.

True leadership is courageous because it believes in its core values. Some leaders are driven to exert their power and subdue because of their fears and false beliefs about authority and responsibility, but this is not true leadership.

Leadership is beset by random circumstances, and true leadership is defined by its ability to respond. Despite the conflict and the surrounding dramas, a true leader responds with focus and composure. A true leader knows his or her true power, and it gives them courage. Leaders do have fears, but true leadership does not get overwhelmed by their reservations. Instead, they see the bigger picture and remain committed to the goal. They lead their own lives exemplary in the same way that they lead people effectively.

True Leaders Are Gifted

It takes a certain gift to be a leader, and this makes them distinct from followers. True leaders are by nature, intuitive. They know their authority, vision and life path. They are confident of their choices. True leaders feel their own power and identity. They are in touch with their inspiration and empowerment. They see their mission, creativity, reality and ability. A true leader knows that his or her journey is going to be different. More than following a path, a leader has to discover and seek paths. There are unknown perils to brave, that´s why it takes real courage to respond to the call of leadership.

Do you want to learn more about Business Succession? Download our brand new Organizational Culture guide Business Succession

As leadership coaches Jodi and Mike help organizations in business succession with a focus balancing economics with organizational culture http://lighthouse-leadership.com/

Original article