You get to (MUST) choose.

Michael | December 1, 2009 | 0 Comments

Mirror, Mirror

Leaders who make a positive difference in the lives of employees, clients and customers, and the communities create:

1.    Organizations and teams to whom employees want to Belong,
2.    Continuous opportunities for Affirmation, and
3.    Meaning in their organizations that connects to the hearts and minds of employees and clients.

The obvious question for leaders is how to grow and cultivate those characteristics not only in themselves but also in the organizations they lead in order to accomplish meaningful mutual goals (i.e. get stuff done!).

In order to grow and cultivate Belonging, Affirmation, and Meaning in others we first have to do the work to know what those concepts mean for us first.

Because,
the organizations we lead
are direct reflections of who we are.

This may be a bit painful, but if your organization is rudderless, disorganized or without a clear sense of purpose the same is also most likely true of you.

Employees are like kids. They don’t do what we say,
they do what we do.

Ouch!

Therefore, we have to be very aware of and intentional about what we do, how we act, what we say.

Whether you like it or not,

as a leader you are a model of behavior for everyone who either has to or wants to follow you. Leadership then, can be a reactive process or a strategic weapon based on an intentional and strategic foundation.