Real Learning From the Real World
Posted at 7:16 AM on Monday, November 10, 2008
There are opportunities for us to learn from everyday life situations . . . everyday . . . but only if we look for them and take time to reflect on and digest them.
Recently we've all shared a common experience, that I know we can learn much from - and learn different things than you might think. That event? The U.S. Presidential campaign and election (and if you are reading this from outside the U.S. the lessons are just as valuable). As a leader, there are probably hundreds of lessons we can take from these events . . . but only if we step back, think, and reflect on them.
I've been doing that thinking and reflecting over that last year, as I have watched the polls, the press, and the process. As I've examined the speeches the systems, and the selection, I been learning and relearning key leadership lessons.
And as a result of this I've built what I believe to be a very innovative leadership tool for your leadership development right now.. That tool is a teleseminar titled Leadership Lessons from Presidential Politics. During it I will share over 25 ideas, tips, techniques and skills that I've extracted from the process. All of these ideas result in more effective leadership skills for you and can be applied right away!
Consider this as the most innovative leadership skills training you will participate in this year! Whether you are focused on upper level corporate leadership or supervisor training you will find lessons you can apply immediately.
This teleseminar will offered twice on November 12 - 2 pm ET and 9 pm ET and I'm paying your registration fee (people normally pay us $57 for live teleseminars) - but you can participate even if you are unable to attend. To learn more about the specific ideas I will be sharing, and to register, sign up for Leadership Lessons from Presidential Politics here. Also posted in Learning and Training. Labels: presidential leadership PermaLink - 0 comments
Judgement or Observation?
Posted at 5:14 AM on Tuesday, October 14, 2008
The other day my son commented that his mother and I were being judgemental. this came after I made a comment about something as we drove down the road. My immediate response was that I wasn't judging, but making an observation. This led to a spirited conversation in our car about the differences between observation and judgement. The differences are huge and we see them every day. Here are a couple of examples. "His hair is long." - observation "His hair is too long." or "His hair needs to be cut." - judgements "The table is black." - observation "The table is ugly." - judgement "She is very skilled." - observation, if based on truly observing the skills being discussed "She is better than I am." judgement, unless there is factual measurement on a criteria that all agree defines "better." The conversation we had in our car was more than wordplay or a dictionary challenge. It defines an important concept that we often lose sight of or miss by not thinking clearly. As a leader when developing others, giving feedback or making decisions, we need to be crystal clear on our judgements vs. our observations. Are you passing judgement on people and their behavior? Whether positive or negative, spoken or unspoken those judgements will have an impact on people's performance (so if you are going to judge, make it a positive one!) When giving feedback are your statements largely observational or judgmental? If you try to pass judgement off as fact you risk being wrong and setting a stage for defensiveness, resistance or worse. While we all need to make judgements, when making decisions, especially important ones, it is again important to separate observation from assumption and judgement. doing so will help you make better decisions. No where right now is it clearer than in the campaign for the U.S. Presidency. Both Senator Obama and Senator McCain (and in many more cases their spokespeople, surrogates and fans) make statements meant to be interpreted as observations or statements of fact, when in effect they are merely judgements or personal interpretations. Use the time you watch or listen to campaign related activities over the next couple of days to help you identify and sort out observations from judgements. This practice will help you in your life, and perhaps help you sort out the truth from the massive spin that is employed by both campaigns as well as their supporters. Also posted in Leadership. Labels: decision making, feedback, presidential candidates, presidential leadership PermaLink - 3 comments
Presidental Quotations on Leadership
Posted at 2:17 PM on Thursday, October 09, 2008
In this election season, I decided to share a few quotations from U.S. Presidents about leadership itself. Here's the one I shared with our Powerquotes list today: "I would rather try to persuade a man to go along, because
once I have persuaded him he will stick. If I scare him, he
will stay as long as he is scared and then he is gone."
-- Dwight D. EisenhowerAnd here are a couple more . . . "Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."
-- John F. Kennedy
"I not only use all the brains that I have, but all that I can borrow."
-- Woodrow Wilson
"Patience and perseverance have a magical affect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish."
-- John Quincy AdamsMake sure you vote for the best Leader among the Presidential candidates, and add your favorite Presidential quotation on leadership in the comments section. Thanks! Also posted in Leadership.Labels: Best Leadership Blogs, presidential candidates, presidential leadership, Presidential survey, quotations PermaLink - 0 comments
Which Presidential Candidate Is the Best Leader?
Posted at 7:00 AM on Wednesday, October 08, 2008
There are many criteria we can use to vote for a particular candidate. I'm most interested in one of those criteria - which candidate, Barack Obama or John McCain, do you feel has the strongest leadership skills? Please share your ideas by voting on our Presidential Leadership survey. You will have the chance to compare each candidate on 12 leadership competencies from my book Remarkable Leadership. Cast your vote and request the results which we will share in a Special Report on October 16th, invite everyone else you know to vote as well! I'll be providing updates and additional information over the next few days. Also posted in Leadership. Labels: Barack Obama, John McCain, leadership, presidential candidates, presidential leadership PermaLink - 1 comments
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