Leadership 101

Tuesday, April 14th 2009 @ 12:40 AM

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There are some great quotes on leadership:

	Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things. Peter Drucker (1909 - 2005)
	A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890 - 1969)
	Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other. John F. Kennedy (1917 - 1963)

Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person is able to enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task” A definition more inclusive of followers comes from Alan Keith of Genentech who said "Leadership is ultimately about creating a way for people to contribute to making something extraordinary happen." Students of leadership have produced theories involving traits  situational interaction, function, behavior, power, vision and values charisma, and intelligence among others.

Getting the cooperation from others is one of the key skills, so here are seven suggestions

1. Acknowledge the importance of other people. The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated. -William James

2. Show enthusiasm and energy. Enthusiasm is by far the highest paid quality on earth, probably because it is one of the rarest; yet it is one of the most contagious. -Frank Bettger

3. Encourage and facilitate two-way conversation. Education is a kind of continuing dialogue, and a dialogue assumes, in the nature of the case, different points of view. -Robert Hutchins
4. Ask other people's opinions? I have opinions of my own -- strong opinions -- but I don't always agree with them. -George Bush
5. Ask questions instead of giving orders. Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what you want them to achieve and they will surprise you with their ingenuity. -Gen. George S. Patton

6. Show sincere gratitude. God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you? -William A. Ward

7. Give strength centered compliments. The life of many a person could probably be changed if someone would only make him feel important. -Dale Carnegie

 

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