|
|
|
Leadership Development - Learning LeadershipYou can't be number one with third rate talentIf you are in a leadership position, you have people working for you. And it just so happens that employees are the one resource in your company with the largest variations in performance.You buy a desk and each day when you sit down at it, it performs the same as it did the day before. Even if you sat at someone else's desk, it would perform at the same basic level. But people are different. They vary in skills, experience, attitude, intelligence, dedication, ability to work together, and so forth. Not only do variations exist among different people, the same person performs differently from one day to the next, and from one year to the next. This is where leadership comes in. Great leaders are superb at recruiting, and maintaining high levels of performance from their employees on a consistent, long-term basis. Leadership Can Be LearnedFortunately, you don't have to be born with leadership qualities to become a great leader. That is the purpose of these articles - to impart to you, the reader, what I learned about leadership over two decades in business.To be a better leader, develop the necessary skills and abilities. Just as important, eliminate the things you do that undermine your own leadership. You may have some very good leadership skills but offset them with just one leadership flaw. Even if you do everything else right, one flaw can derail your leadership. The Best Performers Are Attracted to the Best LeadersOne thing all employees have in common is that they have a boss. While many bosses are good, some maybe not so. The most capable employees working in unsatisfactory environments will quit and work for the competition. What's left is a company built on third-rate talent. You can't be number one if you don't have the top talent.What You'll Learn on This WebsiteSome of the topics you'll encounter as you read through this website:Credibility - this is one of the most important leadership skills
Confidence - in yourself, in your employees, and your employees in you
It's not all about you - valuable leadership training
Optimism - have no doubts you'll make it happen.
Calm in the storm - never get rattled
Care about your people - you can't fake authentic consideration
Hiring properly - know what qualities to look for
Always do what's right - you can never go wrong with integrity
Trust - let people do their job and have some fun
Innovation - if you're not an innovator, find one
Open communication - have at least one sounding board to make sure you have the right ideas
Thinking ahead - you don't want to be solving the same problems a year from now
Reflection - an honest evaluation of your weakness, and how to correct them
My Bona Fide'sI'm taking time off from my third career as a manager and owner of radio stations. Over a period of twenty-five years in the broadcasting business, I was responsible for seven business turnarounds. These were radio stations that were under-performing, unprofitable, or in most cases, both. My leadership abilities enabled me to make all of them profitable, and turned them from failing businesses into successful ones. Here's the story: I started out working in retail at Sears Roebuck and Company for seven years while I pursued my MBA from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Once I graduated, I moved on to work for the Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta. After five years I got bored. In a huge company like Coca-Cola it's hard to see the impact you're having. Radio broadcasting had always appealed to me because radio stations are small and light on their feet. Change can be implemented and tracked immediately. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I've made. The past 25 years have been exciting and fulfilling. I've enjoyed interacting with the powerful and often eccentric personalities associated with radio. Time to Give BackFor the last three years, I've spent time with my son, traveled, gotten my pilot's license, and pursued a few personal hobbies.But it's also been a time of discovery. Every day I ask myself "What am I supposed to be doing? What am I good at?" The answer turned out to be very simple, provide practical information to help managers be better leaders. I've learned from experience, books, seminars, conversations, and just living my life. The collective knowledge I now have has helped me become both a better leader and a better person. I've made a lot of mistakes, but by learning from them, I became a student of leadership development. As a student of leadership, I read biographies of the greatest presidents, generals, and businessmen. I took their wisdom and applied it to business. I studied the managers I worked for and identified their weaknesses, and how those weaknesses affected the employees and the company. I also tried to discover their leadership strengths. I put all of this knowledge together and used it to further my own leadership development. Every little bit helped. Each time I went to a new company, I used everything I learned previously to help my current business venture become more profitable quicker than the last. Now It's your TurnI found that leadership is built on the foundation of one's mental toughness and personal character. It's only with strength and character will you ever realize your full potential as a leader.I want to thank some of the people that I have worked for who have taught me and helped me become the leader that I am today; Tom Hoyt, Dex Allen, Claude Turner, Jeffrey Myers, Robert Bowman, and Ron Schmidt. Enjoy. |
|
|
|