Tag: Leadership

Leadership

Some people like to work from the bowels of the industry. They want to stay anonymous deep within the machine. And that is okay because no company can go anywhere unless you have good people doing good things whether they stand on the bridge or in the boiler room.

Some people cannot think of working anyplace else except on the bridge. Being there to make the decisions and guide the course of the company. And that too is okay because you need good people willing to make hard decisions for the betterment of the company and to best help those who work there.

The question is not where you work. Instead, the question should be what you bring to the table. Are you there to grab a paycheck and be left alone, or are you there to give it your all and help your company to the next level. There are a lot of people willing to take a paycheck and yet give only minimum work performance in return. The problem is found with minimum or average work performance the company stutters and falls. Upper management looks around, realizes that the product is good and decides to move someplace with better labor performance.

I have heard that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. The company is only as good as its poorest performer. In a case like this, you cannot look around and point at other people and say it’s his fault, or her fault, or their fault. You have to look in the mirror and make sure it’s not your fault. And then you go forth to put out your best efforts.

This is not pointing fingers at others. This is not ignoring them either. After you look in the mirror and go forth, you are providing leadership. And leadership is good no matter what level it comes from.

Thanks for being with me today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

The Leader Within

Have you ever been working a project and somewhere towards the latter middle stage it starts to stagnate? This happens to many people, including myself. The significant action is to move past the lull, and forward with the project.

At times, and for many reasons, moving forward through a lull is hard to accomplish. And many times, having a project slow down can cause it to be shelved for months or even years. Many great projects, once slowed down and tied up in red tape, falter and fail. Not because they weren’t fantastic ideas, because they lost the momentum to find completion.

This is where real leadership stands out and does its best. It takes a real leader to understand the value of a project, and the return on investment the project can bring back to the business. A real leader can often spot the concerns which would bog down a plan and take steps to prevent the slow down before it occurs.

Now, I have a secret nugget of wisdom for you. There is a real leader within each and every one of us. The leader is there waiting to be encouraged and brought forward. The real leader will put the need of the project, and the needs of the people ahead of the fear of standing out or being noticed. The real leader is not as worried about ridicule or words sent her or his way,  as much as she or he cares about positive outcomes.

You hear many people say that the idea is great, only they can’t do it. Most people, though, will be able to encourage others and keep the project moving if they just try.

It takes courage the first time you stand to lead because you haven’t done it before. And yet, the more you do it, the easier it can become, and the more people will look up to you as the ‘can-do’ person.

Do not go out and look for a stalled project that you can elbow your way into. Just keep your eyes open and work your projects as they come up. If you keep them rolling on a positive track, people will sit up and notice.

Thanks for reading today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

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