Down for the Cause

Outline

I. The Number One Leadership Hang up

A. Attitude is everything

B. Failure to lead by example

II. Two kinds of Failure

A. Excuses

B. Success

III. Conclusion

IV. Bibliography

ii

THE NUMBER ONE LEADERSHIP HANG UP

Jeff Wilke �89 Amazon.com senior vice president once said, “Great leaders envision the future and create what they see by making decisions for the long run rather than short-sighted choices.” Leaders know what they value. They also recognize the importance of ethical behavior. The best leaders exhibit both their values and their ethics in their leadership style and actions. Your leadership ethics and values should be visible because you live them in your actions every single day.

A lack of trust is a problem in many workplaces. If leaders never identified their values in these workplaces, the mistrust is understandable. People don't know what they can expect. If leaders have identified and shared their values, living the values daily, visibly, will create trust. To say one sentiment and to do another will damage trust - possibly forever. So I think that attitude and the ability to made sound decisions plays a big role in healthy leadership.

ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING

The following are examples of values. You might use these as the starting point for discussing values within your organization:

ambition, competency, individuality, equality, integrity, service, responsibility, accuracy, respect, dedication, diversity, improvement, enjoyment/fun, loyalty, credibility, honesty, innovativeness, teamwork, excellence, accountability, empowerment, quality, efficiency, dignity, collaboration, stewardship, empathy, accomplishment, courage, wisdom, independence, security, challenge, influence, learning, compassion, friendliness, discipline/order, generosity, persistency, optimism, dependability, flexibility.

As a leader, choose the values and the ethics that are most important to you, the values and ethics you believe in and that define your character. Then live them visibly every day at work. Living your values is one of the most powerful tools available to you to help you lead and influence others. Don't waste your best opportunity.

FAILURE TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE

During an interview with my manager, she criticized her boss for not leading. She said that, when a decision was needed, her boss immediately went to the group for an agreement rather than providing the direction the group needed. In another organization, the CEO (leader) often lamented that he repeatedly told people where to head and they didn’t go there. He always wondered why they didn’t do what he told them to do, despite the fact that he was not doing it. The secret in both of these cases is simple, but profound. The leader needs to lead the pack, not stand back and follow where the group decides to go. The leader leads. Many leaders wait for that agreement and fail to provide direction. Others fail to move in the appropriate direction while expecting and telling others to do so.

Excuses

Excuses for failure, excuses about your choices in life, excuses about what you feel you have accomplished fuel dysfunctional thinking – and consequently, undesirable actions and behaviors. Making excuses instead of taking one hundred percent responsibility for