Well said. Hard to disagree with. Harder to live out...
Sent from my iPhone > On Dec 30, 2018, at 00:52, Billy Rojas <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > > > > Do you think you are a leader? > > Here is what some of the best minds in America, > and elsewhere, have said about leadership. > > 59 Quotes, with commentary by Billy Rojas > > > > > > > What you believe is vital. It is where you must begin. > > > > Ask yourself: "what is it, that if I believed it down to my core, would > change everything? > Kamal Ravikant > > > The secret of leadership is simple: Do what you believe in. > Paint a picture of the future. Go there. People will follow. > Seth Godin > > Your beliefs affect your choices. Your choices shape your actions. > Your actions determine your results. The future you create depends upon > > the choices you make and the actions you take today. > Roy T. Bennett > > > > BR comment: > What should be added, what must be added, is that beliefs are not created > equal. > And it is an essential truth that most people are unable to be objective about > the truth value of their beliefs. But you've got to get this right or you > end up with confirmation bias as your guiding star in life > -and that is guaranteed to result in failure. > > > If you want to bring change, then you must not believe, rather you must > perceive > -perceive what others can't -imagine what others aren't capable of - and > act in a way > > others wouldn't dare to. > Abhijit Naskar, > > > > BR comment: > You can't be timid, you need to have guts. You need to be bold. You should > not be > stupid about what course of action you take but you need to take action. > Leadership is > about bold actions, not reluctant actions, not half-hearted actions, and, > while "look before you leap" caution is always as good idea, > if you put caution first in everything you do, then you are > guaranteed to be a mediocrity. > > > Primary Rule of Leadership: > > Leadership knows; it does not believe. > Lamine Pearlheart > > > BR comment: > Research is indispensable. You need to know what you are talking about. > For that, you need to "hit the books." Which may mean make good use of > scientific studies or surveys or the like, but is necessarily means study. > And the more the better, at least up to a point. There comes a time > when you have to say, "this is enough study, now I need to ' > actually do something with my knowledge." > > But it must be actual knowledge, not guesswork. And definitely not wishful > thinking. > > --------------------------------------------------- > > > > Passion > > > > You have to be burning with an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want > to right. > If you're not passionate enough from the start, you'll never stick it out. > Steve Jobs > > > A great leader's courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not > position > > John Maxwell > > > > > Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately > own the vision, > > and relentlessly drive it to completion. > Jack Welch > > > > > Never undermine the power of passion. You have a very high chance of > achieving > > anything you are passionate about. > Israelmore Ayivor > > > > > No one needs to light a fire under you when there’s a fire in you. > Richie Norton > > > > > > > > BR Comment: > > Do not confuse passion with desperation. If you are in a crisis and simply > "must" > > succeed or face dire consequences, then the issue isn't inspiration, isn't the > > stuff dreams are made of, but escaping from a nightmare. That is a very > different ballgame. > > > To tell the difference you need to be honest with yourself. Clinically honest, > > not 'confirmation bias honest' where your beliefs simply have to be true > > or else your whole conceptual world falls apart. > > > > If you can't be honest with yourself, nothing said here, quotes or comments, > > really matters, and you may as well waste time watching situation comedy on > TV. > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > > Its all about teams and teamwork > > > Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change > the world. > > Indeed it is the only thing that ever has. > > Margaret Mead > > > Great Groups need to know that the person at the top will fight like a tiger > for them. > Warren Bennis, > > > > > BR comment: > > This cannot be emphasized enough. Real leaders are fighters. They do not > > fight needless battles but they thrive on fighting for what is right. > > If you're not a fighter then you can't be a leader, it is as simple as that. > > > > And real leaders build teams, the best teams possible under the circumstances. > > If you aren't a team player, if you do not actually build a team, forget about > > becoming a leader. This has to be something you very much want to do. > > > > > > ----------------------- > > > Leadership is all about caring, daring and sharing! > Caring for people, Daring to Act fearlessly, & Sharing the success with all! > Sujit Lalwani, Life Simplified! > > > BR comment: > > The preceding quote is crucial to everything else. Make it your First > Commandment, > > Care. Dare. Share. If you are not willing to do that much then you can't > possibly be a leader. > > > > In other words, while there are other ways to 'succeed in life,' if what you > most want > > really requires leadership, then you cannot afford to forget this quote. > > > > ------------------ > > > > > > > > Only those who play win. Only those who risk win. History favors risk-takers. > > Forget the timid. Everything else is commentary.” > Iveta Cherneva > > > > > > > > Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily; > > even if you had no title or position. > > Brian Tracy > > > BR comment: > > Many people will only listen to you if you already are successful -as the > world > > understands success, viz, something visible and obvious. And for some > purposes > > that is as it should be. But not if what is at stake is visionary, ahead of > the curve, > > but with great potential. There is the success of peasants, of little minds > who > > want nothing better than a lot of money or maximum security in life. > > Then there is the success of people like Buckminster Fuller, or the Apostle > Paul. > > Money may be desirable but not at the cost of one's vision of the future. > > Great achievements often -usually, almost always- require great sacrifice. > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------- > > > > > > > > > > A great person attracts great people and knows how to hold them together. > > Goethe > > > > > > Remember teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that > > is to overcome our need for invulnerability. > Patrick Lencioni > > > > > > > > A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough > decisions, > > and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to > be a leader, > > but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his > intent. > > Douglas MacArthur > > > > > > > BR comment: > > You can't be a conformist and be a leader; you need the kind of self > confidence that > > allows you to take a stand even when the crowd is against you. Or when the > crowd > > simply won't listen. > > > > Leadership is not about safety, although no-one should ever overlook safety, > > it is about calculated risk taking. It is not about job security. And it is > > not about 'not making waves.' Indeed, any real leader makes waves > > as a matter of how he (or she) functions in the world naturally. > > > > If you are hamstrung by your responsibilities, if you feel there is too much > to lose > > if you take risks, then follow this advice: > > > > > > Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way. > General George Patton > > > --- > > > Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their > problems > > is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence > > that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of > leadership. > > Colin Powell > > > > > > Great teams do not hold back with one another. They are unafraid to air their > dirty laundry. > > They admit their mistakes, their weaknesses, and their concerns without fear > of reprisal. > Patrick Lencion > > > > > Great leaders get people to admit the truth because they know that dreams are > buried > > under the lies they tell themselves, in order to feel okay with giving up. > Shannon L. Alder > > > > I refuse to live life with unsettled differences. > > John Paul Warren > > > > People want guidance, not rhetoric. They need to know what the plan of action > is, > > and how it will be implemented. They want to be given responsibility to help > solve > > the problem and authority to act on it. > Howard Schultz > > > > > BR comment: > "Plan of action" is the operative concept. What do you intend to do? > Actually do? > This does not mean building a sand castle in the air, one more grand scheme > that > exists essentially as an ideal in the sky, but something concrete, something > that > can be done if you take step #1, then step #2, and so forth. What -exactly- > \ > are these steps? > > Where, in the immediate future, the next hour, but no worse than the nest day, > will this take you? And understand that anyone who is willing to follow you > will want to know "what's in it for me?" If it becomes clear that there will > be > no "payoff" in a reasonable time, you will lose your followers. > > To put it in such terms, this isn't about bringing about the arrival of the > Kingdom of Heaven to Earth, it is about real world advice for > launching a start-up. Keep it practical even though you > also need a vision for great things down the road. > > -------------------------- > > > > “Abraham Lincoln was asked by an aide about the church service he had > attended. > > Lincoln responded that the minister was inspired, interesting, well-prepared, > > eloquent and the topic relevant. The aide said, “Then it was a good service?” > > Lincoln responded, “No.” The aide protested, > > “But, Mr. President, you said that the minister was inspired, interesting, > well-prepared, > > eloquent, and that the topic was relevant.” > > “Yes,” replied Lincoln, “but he didn’t challenge us to do any great thing.” > > > > --------------- > > > > > > > > > Imagine a place where everyone chooses to bring energy, passion, and > a positive attitude every day. > Stephen C. Lundin > > > > > > > Neoteny is more than retaining a youthful appearance, although that is often > > part of it. Neoteny is the retention of all those wonderful qualities that we > associate > > with youth: curiosity, playfulness, eagerness, fearlessness, warmth, energy. > > Unlike those defeated by time and age, our geezers have remained much like > our geeks > > –open, willing to take risks, hungry for knowledge and experience, > courageous, > > eager to see what the new day brings. Time and loss steal the zest from the > unlucky, > > and leave them looking longingly at the past. Neoteny is a metaphor for the > quality > > –and the gift– that keeps the fortunate of whatever age focused on all > marvelous > > undiscovered things to come. > > Warren G. Bennis > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > > > > > > Helping others reach their goals > > > > > > > Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their > personnel. > > If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can accomplish. > > Sam Walton > > > > > > I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more > leaders, > > not more followers. > > Ralph Nader > > > > > No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get > > all the credit for doing it. > > Andrew Carnegie > > > > > > > > It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when > > you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when > there is danger. > > Then people will appreciate your leadership. > > Nelson Mandela > > > > > > > > Power isn’t control at all —power is strength, and giving that strength to > others. > > A leader isn’t someone who forces others to make him stronger; a leader is > > someone willing to give his strength to others that they may have > > the strength to stand on their own. > Beth Revis, > > > > It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit. > > Harry S Truman > > > > > --------------------------------------- > > > > > > > Encouragement > > > One of the best ways to influence people is to make them feel important. > Roy T. Bennett > > > You will never reach your dreams without honoring others along the way. > John Paul Warren > > > To lead is to put myself below another so that I can lift up another. > And true leadership means that I will keep them in that position and me in > mine. > Craig D. Lounsbrough > > > > When you encourage others, you boost their self-esteem, enhance their > self-confidence, > make them work harder, lift their spirits and make them successful in their > endeavors. > > Encouragement goes straight to the heart and is always available. > > Be an encourager. Always. > Roy Bennett > > > > True leaders understand that leadership is not about them but about those > they serve. > > It is not about exalting themselves but about lifting others up. > Sheri L. Dew > > > > > Always remember people who have helped you along the way, > and don’t forget to lift someone up > Roy T. Bennett > > > > > > (On being in a position of leadership) Even if it's your dog, you've got > authority > > over somebody. Start treating him better. > Joyce Meyer > > > > One word of encouragement can be enough to spark someone’s motivation > > to continue with a difficult challenge. > Roy T. Bennett > > > > > BR comment: > You would think that the value of encouraging others would be self-evident. > However, it is anything but common wisdom. Thanks to how libertarian values > have permeated society -and the Church- the idea that it is good to > encourage others > is largely ignored. After all, the libertarian mindset has it that we are all > islands, > we all stand alone, and if you can't hack it, screw you. > > It is difficult to try and think of a more anti-Christian attitude. > > There is a rule I have tried to follow in the past even though, to be sure, > the principle does not apply all that often -so far. And to be honest about > it, > maybe I honor it mostly in the breech. But it is a goal of mine, one that > I want to honor fully in the future whenever genuine success comes my way. > > This does not mean that I have the least intention of giving away the store > just as I am getting started. I deserve some time to get my house in order, > to build a first rate business, to set aside resources for long term > purposes, etc. > However, at some point it is my intention, as a rough guide, to... > > Follow the 2/3rds rule: When you have success of some kind, when you > hit the jackpot, at least if it amounts to something, after you have taken > your 2/3rd cut, be sure that those who have helped you reach your goal > get a 1/3rd cut, or, if that does not really seem fair to yourself, a 1/4th > cut, > maybe less, but something substantial and meaningful. And in some cases, > when it really is called for, my cut should not be more than 51%. > > Sure, everyone wants to be a star, even if it only is the star of the > purchasing department. > But you are better off if you make others better off in the process -you > will be > appreciated more and earn more respect. Politicians know this instinctively. > Speeches by the winners in elections always include paeans of praise for > those who helped someone get elected. It may be boring for most TV viewers > but for those receiving thanks, it is music to their ears. Plus they know that > there might be a good job in the Senator-elect's office, a good referral that > helps boost their career, or knowledge that one's spouse will be proud, > > > Don't hog he spotlight, spread the glory around. Give others the credit they > deserve, > Build others up and they will thank you and be in your gratitude. > > In other words, give your bad ego a swift kick. Refuse to listen to your bad > ego. > Listen to your good ego instead, and share your good fortune. > > Read the Apostle Paul's letters some time. He stressed this principle > repeatedly, > In case you have not noticed. > > > > --------------- > > > Be a good shepherd > > > > > A leader.....is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most > nimble > > go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they > > are being directed from behind. > Nelson Mandela > > > > > > Leadership is the art of giving people a platform for spreading ideas that > work. > Seth Godin > > > > > > True leadership lies in guiding others to success. In ensuring that everyone > is performing > > at their best, doing the work they are pledged to do and doing it well. > > Bill Owens > > > > > BR comment: > Being a good shepherd also means being a good teacher. > > There is a pop culture adage that says: "Those who can, do, those who can't, > teach." > This saying is pure horse crap. Every skill you know was taught to you by > someone else. > Teaching is essential to everything worth doing in the world. My experience > working > for the US Navy impressed me for a lesson taught to me by the Navy, which is > that > the Navy is an educational institution as much as it is a branch of the US > Military. > > The Navy has no choice. There are always new technologies to master, there > always > are new recruits to train, and some jobs onboard an aircraft carrier demand > nothing less > than extreme competence. To achieve its objectives the Navy constantly > educates > people. You need to do so also, if you want followers for your leadership. > And education is a way of sharing. > > You aren't very good at teaching? Uhhh, you can learn how to become good, > can't you? > Not by concentrating on what you have been doing all along, but by learning > new teaching skills from others. Ask any good teacher; there is a helluva > lot more > to it than standing before a class of students and talking. That is only a > fraction > of what it takes. Most of all you need to want to teach others, but there > are effective ways to do so, that is what you need to master. > > > ---------------------------------------------- > > > > Special people > > > BR comment: > Face it, some people really are special. They have unique talents, or are > very, very smart, > or are extremely skilled at what they do. How can a leader make the most of > the opportunity > to lead someone special? > > Ted Williams was one of the all time greats at the game of baseball. He was > also notorious > for his temperament -and occasional temper. About which his manager, Joe > McCarthy > of the Boston Red Sox, once said: > > > Any manager who can't get along with a .400 hitter is crazy. > Alternatively: > > Its a really bad manager who can't get along with a .400 hitter. > > > What made Ted Williams tick? He once explained it this way- > . > "A man has to have goals --for a day, for a lifetime-- and that was mine, > to have people say, > 'There goes Ted Williams, the greatest hitter who ever lived.'" > > He was good, extraordinarily good, and he knew it. In my humble opinion, he > deserved > to indulge his ego now and then. He also said: > > "...baseball gives every American boy a chance to excel, not just to be as > good > as someone else but to be better than someone else. This is the nature of > man > and the name of the game." > > > A leader should want to maximize the value of a "Ted Williams" if he is > fortunate enough > > to be in a position of leadership vis-a-vis a genuine "talent," someone > special. > > > But not all talents are successful, or if successful in the past, not in the > here-and-now. > > A case in point concerns a friend of Alexander Hamilton, William Coleman. > > He was a lawyer and former state legislator in Massachusetts; his career had > > looked bright while the Federalists were in power but after Jefferson's > second > > election things went downhill for Coleman. Jefferson's republican associate, > > governor De Witt Clinton, was in the midst of purging Federalists from > government > > employment, and Coleman lost his job as a clerk for the Circuit Court. > > He had little money and basically he was hanging on by his fingernails. > > > This was when Hamilton intervened. > > > The story is told on pages 649-650 of Ron Chernow's 2004 volume, Alexander > Hamilton. > > Hamilton, at the time -this was 1801- wanted to start a newspaper in New > York City > to try and offer a strong counter narrative to the republican (lower case) > views of > Jefferson's supporters in the city. This became the NY Post, now the longest > running > newspaper published in the United States, But in early 1801 this was far from > a given. > Hamilton needed someone to oversee the new journal. > > If the newspaper business seems alien to you, think of this in more > contemporary terms, > say a professional quality website, a radio station, a cable TV > channel........ > > Hamilton knew that this would be controversial, he was already enmeshed in a > dispute with > another Federalist, Noah Webster. But his mission seemed to him to be > essential, > get the Federalist Party out of its doldrums and make it competitive again. > This was > not to be, of course, but there would have been no chance whatsoever if > Hamilton > had not at least given it a serious all-out try. And had he lived, who is to > say > that the Federalists were doomed to fade away? If anyone could > have rescued the Federalists it was Hamilton. > > > What Hamilton needed was an editor for the Post. He knew Coleman and trusted > him > and admired his writing. And so it came to pass that Hamilton offered him > the position > and made sure to set him up with a fully functional newspaper office and > whatever it took > to get the paper into circulation. > > Presumably Hamilton spent some of his own money along the way, but he > (Hamilton) > was not rich, he could not afford to bankroll the publication. Yet he had > important contacts > and was not reluctant to call on them for help. Some of them also knew about > Coleman and > his talents -and experience. He was a first rate writer with considerable > potential; > if he became editor of the paper the Post surely would have a bright future. > And so it did. > > Whatever you may think of Hamilton's politics, he was someone with real class. > He had wanted to help Coleman out and here was a really good way to do it. > Besides, if he did help Coleman regain his professional footing, the man > could be an important ally in politics. Coleman's difficulties were an > opportunity, was how Hamilton saw it, to advance his own interests. > And the interests of the Federalist Party. > > And what would Hamilton have looked like to the leadership class in America > if he had done nothing to help Coleman? > > It is worth pondering what would have happened if Hamilton had been a small > man, > not speaking of physical stature but in terms of ethos. What if Hamilton had > said > to Coleman, "Well, I can help you out with $20 but that's it" ? Or: "I have > some ideas > for you that might help with the newspaper as soon as you find a way to get > it started > on your own. Good luck." > > History would have been different. > > However, Hamilton was anything but a small man. > > --- > > > Too many companies believe people are interchangeable. Truly gifted people > never are. > They have unique talents. Such people cannot be forced into roles they are > not suited for, > nor should they be. Effective leaders allow great people to do the work they > were born to do. > Warren Bennis > > > > ----------------------------------------------- > > > > > The right kind of people > > > > The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do > > what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while > they do it. > Theodore Roosevelt > > > People are an organization's most valuable asset and the key to its success. > Dave Bookbinder > > > You need the right kind of people in your life. Weed out the wrong people > Ikechukwu Josep > > > > > Leadership is less about motivating people to act and more about > choosing motivated people who act. > Richie Norton > > > Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; > > leadership is defined by results, not attributes. > > Peter Drucker > > > > BR comment: > For good results you need competent and well informed people to work along > side of. > Why anyone would want to go through life without being well-informed > mystifies me > completely. Socrates said that the unexamined life is not worth living. > Maybe we can > add a corollary: The uninformed life is inexcusable. If you are uninformed > you should be ashamed of yourself. > > > ------------------------------------------------- > > > > > Imperfect people > > > Give me your prejudices -give me your biases- give me your hatred -give me > your conditioned soul- and I will give you a unified and humane humanity. > Abhijit Naskar > > > BR comment: > We all have prejudices and we all hate some things and otherwise are creatures > with subjective inclinations and biases. This is reality. Accept it for what > it is. > Then work with this reality to try and help others become better people. > Try to make yourself a better person. > > There is a quote from a source I have forgotten, which concerns a conversation > among friends in Victorian England. Someone was talking about the laws of > nature > and the beast within us all, saying that his faults and occasional bad > behavior > result from human nature. To which a matronly woman replied: "But we were > put here to rise above our nature." > > About our biases, sometimes they are antipathies, not prejudices. What is the > difference? > A prejudice originates with someone else, a parent, a friend, someone in the > community > who you think should be listened to. Antipathy results from experience and > nobody > tells you what bias you should harbor, you figure it out all by yourself. > > This can be good or it can be bad, I admit to having a pro-Japanese bias > because of all the Japanese I have met in my life, the clear -vast- > majority of whom > are decent and likeable and and intelligent people. But I also have negative > biases > about people who are part of a population group that, by and large, is often > not very swift when it comes to intelligence, that extols all kinds of > biases > against white people, and a significant percentage of which > consists of convicts or ex-convicts. > > I knew perfectly well that my antipathy is unfair to some of the people > in this population, indeed, I deeply regret it when this happens. > But what is anyone supposed to think when this population has, > among its "star" leaders Cultural Marxists like Al Sharpton and > Maxine Waters and many other bigoted fanatics just like them? > > But the problem, large scale ignorance, anti-white prejudices, > and high rates of criminality, won't go away by pretending > these liabilities don't exist. So, if there is going to be a solution it had > better be based on truth, otherwise there can't be a solution. > > The problem also won't be solved until I take into account the prejudices of > a significant percentage of white people. > > The point of all of this being that we can never associate only with perfect > people. > Their aren't any. Everyone has biases and everyone is a sinner of some kind. > > Thus we need to figure out some way to live and work together in a society > that consists of nothing but imperfect people. Including yourself. > > > ----------------------------------- > > Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off. > Colin Powell, On Leadership > > > BR comment: > When it is justifiable. Be sure it is justifiable. Sometimes people need > a dressing down. You cannot be respected if you make yourself a doormat. > Of if you tolerate shoddy work, or accept, without comment, someone's > ignorance > who should know better. If someone gets ticked off in the process, that's > life. > > You can't always be "Mr Nice." Get used to it. > > > ----------------------------------------- > > > > > Know your limitations, admit your limitations > > > > If you can't swallow your pride, you can't lead. Even the highest mountain > has animals that step on it. > Jack Weatherford > > > > The world is full of men who want to be right, when actually the secret of > > a man's strength and his pathway to true honor is his ability to admit fault > > when he has failed. God wants to fill the church with men who can say > > they are wrong when THEY ARE WRONG. A man who is willing to > > humble himself before God and his family and say:"I was wrong." will find > > that his family has all the confidence in the world in him and will much more > > readily follow him. If he stubbornly refuses to repent or admit he was wrong, > > their confidence in him and in his leadership erodes. > Jim Anderson > > > > > BR comment: > I could not have said what these two quotes say, any better. > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > Concluding quotations: > > > Leaders think and talk about the solutions. Followers think and talk about > the problems. > > Brian Tracy > > > > > > A ruler should be slow to punish and swift to reward. > > Ovid > > > > > > > Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm. > > Publilius Syrus > > > > > > > > BR Comment: > But what this is all about is navigating through a hurricane, > > > > > > > > > > > Eugene, Oregon > December 30, 2018 > > > > -- > -- > Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community > <[email protected]> > Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism > Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org > > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
