Leadership Is Not For Everyone

You are lost in the woods if you think you can have positive and productive and productive impact while ignoring the artistic side of your leadership.’

If you are going to lead, then perhaps learning to be authentic and accept responsibility is the most courageous place to start.’

You must listen to the stories people are telling about you and your culture, and then you must influence the stories.’

As a leader, you need to look reality in the face and accept it.’

Eliminating pretending as an organizational or personal strategy is a critical step to leading courageously.’

‘It’s time to come to terms with the fact that you simply can’t do it all.’

Driving your direct reports into action and encouraging involvement and initiative is critical to building high performance.’

Your presence as a leader relates to the heart and soul of who you are much more than it does to what you do.’

People are not afraid of taking action; they are afraid of what will happen if they take action.’

A courageous leader promotes personal responsibility in the organization.’

‘If you avoid responsibility, responsibility will eventually come back to get you.’

Source:

Mike Staver (2012). Leadership Isn’t for Cowards: How to Drive Performance by Challenging People and Confronting Problems

Turning Excuses Into Results

Here is the good news: ‘You are the Source of Your Suffering- and That’s the Good News.’

Choose to be happy. ‘Happiness is not correlated to perfect circumstances or a lack of stress in your life, but to the amount of personal accountability you accept.’

Ask yourself, ‘What am I missing?’ Because ‘what is missing from a situation is that which you are not giving.’

Do not feed your ego. ‘A bad day for the ego is a good day for the soul of a leader.’

Stay away from micromanaging people. ‘If you feel you have to over-manage or micromanage, it is because you are under-leading.’

Stop hiring and promoting the wrong people. ‘You will have problem employees for as long as you continue to hire them and put up with them.’

Take action. ‘It is nearly always action– not opinion- that adds the most value.’

Always do what you say you are going to do. Because ‘clarity is the source– not the product- of a highly efficient and successful team.’

Trust is a choice.’

Source:

Cy Wakeman (2010). Reality-Based Leadership: Ditch the Drama, Restore Sanity to the Workplace, & Turn Excuses Into Results