Team of rivals

Very interesting point. Worth following and keeping in mind.


"
After his 1860 election, Lincoln realized with inspired humility and wisdom that he needed to include his well-experienced political rivals in his cabinet. A divided Union needed a government of unity. He invited his campaign opponents to serve a cause larger than their ambitions.
“These were the very strongest men,” Lincoln told a journalist. “Then I had no right to deprive the country of their services.”
Lincoln still provides key lessons for today’s fractured governments in need of a “team of rivals.” He knew how to share credit and accept blame. He listened hard and welcomed dissent without retaliation. He could navigate negative emotions and rise above criticism by keeping his clarity of vision and his sense of humor. He could be contrite and confident for the sake of something bigger than himself.
"


From Link

Leadership traits

Interesting one from Forbes.


I particularly like the first and the eighth!




1.) The Commitment Not To Lead A Little Life: “Like many people, I was going through life getting caught in little details. But then I thought, do I really want to live my life in a comfortable apartment, taking care of myself and just earning money, when instead I could perhaps change the future of my nation, a country where there is a desperate, aching, yearning need with thousands of kids nearby in starvation?”
These are the words of Taddy Blecher, Founder and former CEO of CIDA City Campus, who also co-founded the Branson School of Entrepreneurship with Sir Richard Branson.


8.) Emotional Intelligence: “When I meet someone, I instinctively know if I like the person, if we have the same values and if this is someone with whom I’d like to have dinner and talk about things other than business. If the answer is yes, then my gut tells me to do the deal.”
Robert Johnson is the founder, and former Chairman and CEO of Black Entertainment Television (BET), which he sold to Viacom in 2001.

6 defining moments that bring leadership out

interesting.




Act When You Are The Problem. Evans and Foster accept that this can be especially tricky. But it is no less powerful if confronted. The person who takes ownership of problems and acknowledges that colleagues avoid telling him or her difficult news or try to bypass them is ultimately in a better position and can help remove barriers to progress.




through forbes

Leadership lessons

Great post

More on that post here

• Help assure their employees (especially those working in particularly creative or complex jobs) have the chance to spend at least part of their working hours in “flow”; the uninterrupted, highly concentrated  state where the best and most innovative work tends to get accomplished.
• Create an environment where employees generally feel challenged and energized – vs. so bored that they lose interest, or so pressured that they burn out.
• Make sure meetings feel useful and productive (he encourages asking employees to rate meetings and offer suggestions for improvement).
• Encourage and require learning.  Slavet notes (and I couldn’t agree more) that the “ability to learn is like the compounding interest on an investment: after two or three years, a relentless learner stands head and shoulders above his/her peers.” He suggest regularly asking employees what they’ve learned and how it’s helped them, their customers, or their teams.
• Establish a 5:1 ratio of positive to negative interactions with your employees.

Good. 

Management and Leadership

"Mistake #1: People use the terms "management" and "leadership" interchangeably. This shows that they don't see the crucial difference between the two and the vital functions that each role plays.

Mistake #2: People use the term "leadership" to refer to the people at the very top of hierarchies. They then call the people in the layers below them in the organization "management." And then all the rest are workers, specialists, and individual contributors. This is also a mistake and very misleading.

Mistake #3: People often think of "leadership" in terms of personality characteristics, usually as something they call charisma. Since few people have great charisma, this leads logically to the conclusion that few people can provide leadership, which gets us into increasing trouble."

Well said. And I see so many shameless ones managers who call themselves leaders without the idea of what the word means. They make it sound [and seem] as hollow as a monkey trying to swipe a credit card for buying expensive caviar. 

'Nuff said.

Link here

10 communication secrets

"The best communicators are great listeners and observers. Great communicators are skilled a reading a person/group by sensing the moods, dynamics, attitudes, values and concerns of those being communicated with. Not only do they read they environment well, but they possess the uncanny ability to adapt their messaging to said environment without missing a beat. The message is not about the messenger; it has nothing to do with messenger; it is however 100% about meeting the needs and the expectations of those you’re communicating with."

Link here

Brilliant piece