What Leaders Do

"A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way." -John C. Maxwell

In the past few months I have been transitioning from being an "individual contributor" to managing people. Managing people is not something that I would say is my strong suit. Management involves administrative paperwork, charts and numbers to obtain.

What I do like is leading people and not because I believe I am a great leader. Leading people is a challenge for which I enjoy the scary nature of it. You are at the front of the line with a vast and dark forest in front of you. There is no light to guide or tell you which way is safest.

To be further back in the line is important for all that needs to be done. But safety exists when you have someone to follow. The path is being cleared in front of you and you must trust the knowledge and instinct of that one person leading the pack.

So it begs the question, what do leaders really do? And in his book What Leaders Really Do - John P. Kotter says that a difference has to be drawn between what a leader does and what management does. This isn't to say that one is more important then the other, but to help us understand that they are different.

He states; management is about coping with complexity; it brings order and predictability to a situation. Leadership, is about learning how to cope with rapid change. And how does this distinction play out?

• Management involves planning and budgeting. Leadership involves setting direction.
• Management involves organizing and staffing. Leadership involves aligning people.
• Management provides control and solves problems. Leadership provides motivation.

It is an interesting book that helps dispel some notions about why leaders do what they do...and of course why they don't do what they don't do. I hear people at times bemoan the fact of why the top leader of an organization gets paid to do that particular job. Many fail to realize what exactly it is those leaders do.

Sure, there does seem to be a disparity of compensation but that isn't the point. If you have anxiety or jealousy over your compensation versus a leader's compensation, get over it. And then get up and make those changes needed to become a leader yourself. What is important here is to help you understand that being a leader involves different skills.

You may say that you don't possess those skills and I'm here to say that each of us do have those skills. Albeit at different levels of skill, we have them. As you read again the bullet points above, compare what you already do in life similar to what a leader does.

Set direction, align people and motivate...think planning a family outing to go Christmas shopping. You provide direction as to the what is going to be accomplished (get the Christmas shopping done), assign the right people to look for the gifts (maybe the kids shopping for similarly aged cousins, etc.) and then motivate them (we get this done we all go out to eat).

It does not just mean running a large corporation or even a small one...it is what you do in every day life which shows that the skills are there. You just have to believe in yourself first and then hone those skills. And how do you hone those skills? You read, you take classes, get a degree, practice, you keep faith in yourself and others, while maintaining a great attitude about it.

What you will find is that accepting a position at church or with the local school will occur. Other people will start to notice and acknowledge your leadership qualities. That is why you are being asked to lead them. Once you have a position of leadership, don't squander the opportunity. Use your leadership to better those around you, lead them to greatness.

Be bold, be a leader....and as always, stay inspired my friends.

Positive Leadership

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing; the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.” -Viktor Frankl

There are times in your life when your attitude will be tested. It may be a family issue, problems at work and sometimes it occurs in your church life. How you respond to these tests of life will dictate many times the outcome of each. It will dictate the direction of your life. The point being is that your attitude can have a huge impact upon your life.

A few years back, a friend went through a couple of job changes. They were not of his doing and he simply was caught in the circumstances of the times. He and his wife also had various challenges with children, health and the death of relatives.

They were experiencing many of the things all of us go through. Yet to compound all of that with job loss seemed too much for anyone to carry on their shoulders. It seemed that they were carrying an unfair share of life's problems. Certainly they had every right to complain. But he kept an attitude of positive thought under the pressure.

My friend lost his first job due to company layoffs, but he had positioned himself to gain another job rather quickly. In this second job, it was a good one but after a short amount of time, a returning soldier was given his job back. The employer had promised to keep both but circumstances had changed and only one could be kept. There being no room, my friend was let go. The returning soldier deserved his old job back and so my friend left with a cheerful heart.

What happend to my friend? He kept looking, kept his attitude positive and landed a job to manage another, larger company. It was a bigger position with more responsibility and leadership. It was the job that was waiting to meet up with him at the right intersection and time in life. This man will know who he is and I'm proud to know him. He is a man of great character, great attitude and a leader among those he comes in contact with.

It is those qualities by which great leaders operate. Leaders who have learned and continue to learn how to 'rule' their attitudes. These people know how they want to feel and then chose to feel that way. Their mood and choices help create the end result. You too can be that kind of person, with the right kind of attitude.

Stay inspired my friends!

Something of Value for Free

"Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things." -Peter Drucker

How many times do you get for free, something that can improve your daily work life? Something free that many would pay lots of money for, can be yours for free with the click of a button. A friend of mine has done just that.

David Spell is a retired police officer from just outside metro-Atlanta. After nearly thirty years, he left the police business as a Lieutenant. He had a great career and some incredible adventures. If you like exciting police stories, he wrote two books, "Street Cop" and "Street Cop II: Reloaded" about that career, you won't be disappointed.

While still working for the police department, he went back to school, earning both a masters degree in Management and a Ph.D in Theology. So David knows what he is talking about and in his blog, he imparts a lot of that wisdom on a daily basis.

Just recently, he announced the release of a new e-book on leadership called "Leading into the 21st Century…and Beyond." It is a collection of his most popular posts on leadership, management, supervision, and personal development.

And it is free.

David will be releasing the book through Amazon soon but he is giving it to you free simply by subscribing to his blog. All you have to do is go to DavidSpell.Com and fill out the SUBSCRIBE box on the right-hand side of the screen. It is free and David doesn't spam you with emails and does not give away email addresses to other people.

I have known David for a number of years and his knowledge and guidance has helped me in my own career. It can make a difference in your career as well. One such bit of knwledge that changed my way of thinking involves a glass of water.

In his e-Book, David writes;

The optimists see the glass and say, "It is half full."
The pessimists see the glass and say, "It is half empty."
The faith person sees the glass and says, "It is completely full."

David goes on to describe how the glass is actually full and it will change the way you look at things. It changed how I approached many of the daily circumstances that arise in our lives. So for me, I highly recommend you sign up today and then;

- Read it daily.
- Employ the ideas.
- Impart the knowledge to others.

Stay inspired my friends.