Author Archives: The Book Chamber

Power

05 Friday May 2017

Posted by in Power

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“Absolute power corrupts absolutely”  – Lord Acton 

 

Here is a little history on this quote.  I thought it was pretty good.

“Absolute power corrupts absolutely” arose as part of a quotation by the expansively named and impressively hirsute John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, first Baron Acton (1834–1902). The historian and moralist, who was otherwise known simply as Lord Acton, expressed this opinion in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton in 1887:

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.”

Power is a funny concept.  Many leaders want it, few can handle it.  Power makes me think of dynamite.  A lot of leadership discussion is centered around power.  Dan Rockwell of LeadershipFreak has a post on Seven Powerful Ways to Enhance Your Power.  It can be found at:  https://leadershipfreak.blog/2011/06/16/seven-powerful-ways-to-enhance-your-power/

In the post, the idea is to give power away to become more powerful.  Seems the wrong way to go about it.  But… if we can use power as a strength for others, we are tied to that strength and the chain reaction begins…

Speak the Truth

04 Thursday May 2017

Posted by in Trust

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True leaders have confidence to stand alone, courage to make tough decisions and compassion to listen to the needs of others.”  General Douglas MacArthur

Great quote.  Which of the three do you think is the hardest? How hard is it for a person to have all three qualities?

 

Going along with the quote above, here is a really good post by Karin Hurt, http://switchandshift.com/why-leaders-must-say-what-they-mean

Do you say what you mean?  I know we have all been around that person who “speaks out of both sides of their mouth” or someone who is “two-faced.”  We never want to be that way as leaders.  We need to speak the truth.  How we do that says a lot about our leadership style.  When speaking the truth, it usually takes less words.  More is less?  You bet!

Hope you enjoy and can take something from it.

Remember… THINK LEADERSHIP

Why Leaders Must Say What They Mean

Positioning, spin, strategic ambiguity – why do so many leaders fail to say what they mean?

Leaders worry that if they say what they really mean…

  • Someone might panic
  • The truth will leak
  • Employees will make bad choices
  • They’ll become disengaged

Spinning the truth has all of those same side effects, only worse.  When humans aren’t told the truth, the stories they concoct to fill in the blanks are far more dramatic than the actual scene.

I’m always surprised by how surprised employees are when they’re told the honest truth.

  • “I’ve never heard that feedback before.”
  • “Thanks for respecting us enough to include us in the solution.”
  • “It’s refreshing to hear what’s really happening”
  • “Thanks for giving us advanced notice.”

When we are clear about our values, thought processes, and rationale, our teams get a behind-the-scenes view of our choices.

Why We Must Say What We Mean

Meaning It Creates Alignment

When we are clear about our values, thought processes, and rationale, our teams get a behind-the-scenes view of our choices. It is far easier for team members to align with a vision they fully understand.

Meaning It Builds Trust

Trust begets trust. When we trust enough to share a bit about ourselves, the relationship deepens. When we show we trust in the team, they are more likely to reciprocate. When there is less information available, people do what they can to fill in the blanks.  Usually the imagined future and actions are far more distasteful than the reality.

Meaning It Accelerates Change

In times of change and crises, people crave meaningful conversation.  Truth-telling reduces anxiety, speculation, and chatter.  When people are focused on the work, the change moves more quickly and smoothly.

In times of change and crises, people crave meaningful conversation.

Broader Development

People will learn more when they are on the inside.  They learn more from understanding the nuances and underlying struggles behind a decision.  Leaders learn from watching leaders.  By having more meaningful conversations, you will get more honest feedback and support that you can use in your own leadership journey.

Meaning Begets Meaning: When we treat people with trust, they trust us. When we mean what we say, others will say what they mean.

How to Say What You Mean

Speak from your Heart

Speak with confident humility.  Be honest with your thoughts and feelings.

Speak your Truth

Share your perspective and how you got there.

Speak with Compassion

Consider the impact of your words, and choose them well.

Speak what Should be Said

Speak about the difficult truths others avoid.

Speak with Confidence

Articulate your truth with energy and poise.

Call for stories. Please click here to share your experiences of when saying what you mean, made a difference.
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Intentional Leadership

02 Tuesday May 2017

Posted by in Leader, Leadership

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  • “Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives – choice, not chance, determines your destiny.” —Aristotle

    One of the great concepts of leadership is that it never goes out of style.  Even for a post that was written in 2014.  While looking for the idea of “intentional leadership” and what it means I ran across the following by Ken Blanchard, https://whyleadnow.com/2014/01/10/intentional-leadership-3-timeless-narratives-for-2014/ 

    There are some really good ideas here in this post and as leaders, we would be wise to be “intentional” about knowing what they are.  We all have high intentions and for the most part we put sincere effort into our intentions because we are looking for a desired outcome.  However, sometimes we just do not make the intelligent execution to make it happen.  After reading this post about intentional leadership, all three must be met.  We really cannot have one without the others.

    Intentional Leadership—3 Timeless Narratives
    January is littered by a multitude of good intentions! That new number at the end of the Roman calendar, blindly promising to bring us prosperity and success, does often become a distant memory by the time the groundhog raises his weary head from a winter slumber. But the start of something new—a year, a friendship, a work project—can be a great opportunity to lead yourself and others to great success through three simple narratives.

    High Intentions

    The giddy hope and high expectations of a new year often outpace our ability to align old habits with those new intensions. However, high intention is the heart beat of any personal or social revolution. It is woven into the tapestry of humanity, to naturally hope for higher levels of happiness and purpose in our lives. High intensions do not mean that a person who has them need be dissatisfied with the life they are living, but rather are open to challenges and disappointment as they seek meaning and purpose at work, at home, or at play.

    Sincere Effort

    However, the highest intentions are but a thought in the wind without sincere effort to make those intentions a reality. An athlete or an artist does not become excellent without sincere effort. Effort is easy, sincere effort is meeting of the cruelest of tasks with the same zeal for the things we love to do. Sincere effort requires us to do more than put one foot in front of the other; it requires us to take each step, each daily task, as an opportunity to align it with our highest intensions.

    Intelligent Execution

    Our highest intentions and sincerest efforts must be driven by more than just arbitrary motion or aimless daily activity. It’s one thing to have a workout scheduled on your calendar, but it’s another task to lace up the shoes and complete that workout. If you have made resolutions, or have a set of goals for yourself this year, they will ultimately be measured by the intelligence of their execution, not the height of your intensions or the sincerity of your efforts. Forming an intelligent execution strategy promotes real goal achievement. With intelligent execution, you are moving from intensions and knowing, in to action through doing.

    Excellence at work or in life is more than a thought or an idea, it is a purpose driven effort. Make your choices wiser and more productive this year through high intentions, sincere effort, and intelligent execution of those efforts. Live the life you intend to live!-

Boy, All I Need Is One Thing To Make Me Happy

27 Thursday Apr 2017

Posted by in Contentment

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  • Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, “What’s in it for me?” –Brian Tracy

    I found this the other day while going through my “motivational folder.”  If I remember correctly my Dad gave it to me when I was a teenager.  It’s amazing the “stuff” you hang on to…Alot of truisms here.

    Remember what we are striving for… THINK LEADERSHIP

    happy_sad_face-100691488-large

     

    Boy, All I Need Is One Thing To Make Me Happy

    I wish it were winter time, I’m so tired of this heat.

    If it would just snow again.

    Is this snow ever going to melt?

    If I had a 10-speed bike, I’d be happy. That’s all I want. A 10-speed bike.

    Boy, will I be happy when I get a car. No more begging for rides.

    I’d be happy if I could stay out later at night. One hour later, is that too much to ask?

    I will never be happy until I’m going steady.

    Once I’m out of high school, I’ll be happy.

    I need a job. If I could just find a job, I’d never complain again. I want to go to college.

    I’ve got to get out of these dorms. The rules are getting me down. Once I get an apartment, I’ll be happy as a lark.

    I need a place of my own. I want to get married, settle down. I’m tired of roaming and living alone.

    I’ll be happy once I’m married. If only we had more money.

    Children will make me happy. As soon as I have a baby, I’ll be satisfied.

    If you could only talk, I wish you were still a baby.

    If you buy me a second car, I promise, nothing else, ever.

    A dishwasher. How can I keep up with all these dishes? I need a dishwasher.

    Boy, I’ll be happy when the kids go to school. I wish the kids would come home.

    I’ve got it! A camper will make us happy. We could sneak off, enjoy one another. Motorcycles, that’s it.  Maybe a boat.

    Once we get out of debt, we’ll be happy.

    I need to get more involved in the community. If I just had a church responsibility.

    I wish I had more time to spend with the family. I’d be happier. They’d be happier.

    I want a divorce. Then I’ll be happy. I’d never ask for another thing if I could just be free again.

    If I could just find a steady companion, someone to talk to. That’s all I need. A second chance at marriage. I’d make it this time.  A second chance. Is that asking too much?

    I’d be happy if the children were more independent. Our kids never come to see us. Always off Heaven knows where. After all we have given them, they out to at least visit on holidays.

    Listen, if we had a few grandchildren, we would never ask for anything else.

    Why can’t they understand, we don’t want to raise our grandchildren.

    When was the last time the grandkids came to visit?

    We won’t be satisfied until we set aside money for retirement. I would rest easier knowing our cemetery plots are selected and paid for. Once we retire and slow down, we’ll be happy.

    There is nothing to do, I need a hobby.

    I wish I felt better. I’m always taking medicine. If I felt better, I’d never complain again. I’d be happy if we could catch up on the doctor bills.

    We better sell this big house. We’ll move into an apartment. Things will be easier in a small place.

    Don’t you miss the old house?

    I wish the children would stop by and visit more often. I’m so lonely. A few more visitors would make me happy.

    Can’t people understand? I need my rest. I’ll be happy once I get into a good rest home.

    I wish I weren’t so sleepy all the time. I’d be happy if I were young again.

    I wish I had someone to talk to. I’d be perfectly happy if I had a friend.

    I want to sleep. Rest would make me happy. If this would all just end, then….then, I’d be happy.

     

    As a rule, Man’s a fool.

    When it’s hot, he wants it cool.

    When it’s cool, he wants it hot.

    Always wanting what it’s not.

    Never wanting what he’s got.