What Makes a Good Leader?

What Makes a Good Leader?

As populations increase and cultures and people become more diverse, more issues and problems face us more than ever before. Many people assume these problems and important issues will be taken care of by government but this assumption is becoming less and less of a reality. Many of the critical issues and problems are the kind government is least equipped to handle. And some of the issues and problems are caused by government itself.

This is why the world needs strong, competent leaders now more than ever before. Progress can only happen when someone assumes a leadership role – when someone tackles these problems and takes action to solve the problem and correct the injustice.

There are plenty of managers out there but what propels someone to leadership status? What is it that a leader has that a manager or an authority person doesn’t have?

We tend to admire people who can lead-people who can capture our imaginations, turn us on to important ideas, and recruit our energies for great and noble purposes. Progress happens when someone decides that a better way exists and influences others to find that better way.

What is it that these great leaders had while many others try and fail?

There are leaders who are followed because they have authority, they have a formal title or rank and command respect and attention like Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln and George S Patton.  People follow them because they are the boss.  On the other spectrum there are people who are leaders who have earned their leaderships status without a title. They are respected and followed for what they stand for like Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King and Mohandas Gandhi.

In all cases, these leaders were individuals who knew how to influence others. They understood people and they knew how to use the tools of authority. Of course the ideal way to influence is to have both formal authority and earned authority. Interestingly, it is common for a person with no formal authority and high earned authority to have greater influence over others than someone who has high formal authority but little or no earned authority. Just look at what MLK, Mother Teresa and Gandhi accomplished. They earned the respect, trust and allegiance of those who followed them. In retrospect, can you say the same thing about the bosses you’ve had, your government officials or even the Presidents of the U. S.?

Today leaders are being asked to provide a new kid of authority; service leadership. This viewpoint suggests that the role of a leader, no matter what type of authority is involved, is to lead by helping or enabling others, not by forcing them. It requires the capacity to lead both with a focus on service to those benefiting from the end result, and to those who do the work achieving the objectives. Such leadership requires working with a spirit and set of values that emphasize worthwhile contributions. Service leaders see their role as enabling or empowering others to accomplish something worthy. They are willing to place empowerment above personal power; contribution above their own ego satisfaction; and the needs of the team above their own needs for credit and acclaim.

With that said, how many people do you know who qualify as a leader? Are you a leader?

Source: Toastmaster International –High Performance Leadership

Not My President

We got what we asked for. Say what! “Not my President” you say. I beg to differ.

What have the masses been begging for? Let’s see; government that works for the people, transparency, jobs, better education, less taxes, roads fixed, and healthcare etcetera. You may not have said it like that but that’s the result if you want those things. Basically, you need to look at the essence of what you want not HOW it will show up. That’s the Law of Attraction ‘s job. It will give it to you.

Consciously you may be saying you don’t like the new administration but your subconscious is saying you want these things taken care of. So now we have a dilemma. Your sub-conscious wants these things fixed but your conscious mind has made up its mind on how and by what means it will show up. Guess which one wins, your sub conscious mind? Your conscious mind now must deal with the package your sub conscious mind has determined it will show up in. Yikes!

The sub conscious mind is very powerful that is why it’s important to be mindful of what you wish for. You just may get it. The Law of Attraction will give it to you but it doesn’t mean it will show up like you envisioned.

Are we Breeding Responsibility or Dependency?

People will rise up to the expectations that you set for them.  Ask any good coach, manager or parent and they will tell you the very same thing. Sometimes athletes, employees and children can’t see the potential that lies within them but someone else can.  So the coach, manager or parent inspires and sometimes pushes the individual to aim higher, to be all that they can be.  Isn’t that what we’re here for, to be the best that we can be, to become better than the generation before us, to leave this place better than how we found it?

So what happened that a growing number of people think they’re entitled to government hand outs? What happened to honor, pride and self worth in working to provide for yourself and family? Remember when children were raised to become productive members of society, to give more - expect less, to have a sense of honor and integrity in what you do, to take responsibility for your actions, to strive to live up to your full potential and become a self-supporting adult, to ask what you can do for others not what others can do for you, where conning the system or any other entity was shunned, where being self supporting was respected and a badge of honor?

Oh! There are still people like that around however it’s become more acceptable to see what you can get away with than being a responsible adult. What’s in it for me has become more important than what’s best for mankind.

Now this didn’t just happen overnight.  It’s been brewing for quite some time.  The exact time frame is up for debate.  It was likely a combination of events and a mind shift that changed the core essence of what the US was founded on.

It happened slowing, bit by bit, whittling away a parent’s confidence that they needed to bow to the pressure of the so called professionals.  Parents feared they were damaging their children if they were too strict or disciplined them too harshly.  Worse yet, the children started hearing this type of thinking and used it as emotional blackmail to keep their parent’s from parenting. Some wise parents saw it for what it was while others bowed to their children’s threats and demands.  They were afraid they would lose their child’s love but instead they lost their respect.  Alas there went the best form of education, setting the example.  Let’s not forget that it’s the parents that have the greatest influence in a child’s life.

Now we have a growing number of our society that believes they should be taken care of.  Any slight discomfort is cause to blame someone or something else for their own lack of personal responsibility.  Hey! It’s easier to blame than actually doing what needs to be done. It’s a cop out.  In the long run the person looses out on building their self-esteem and growing as a person. They miss out on feeling good about themselves.

Teaching someone to be responsible is a never ending process. It takes patience and guidance to see it through but the rewards are well worth it. It not only benefits the individual but society as a whole.

My question is, with such a growing number of people believing they are entitled to hand outs, what happens when the number of responsible contributing members of society is outweighed by the entitlement society? Who will provide for what they believe they deserve?

It’s time to raise the expectations of all members of society, to stop asking what the country can do for you but what you can do for your country. 

You lost me at ^*% #%^$

Do you know when you’re winning an argument? When the other person is starting to lose it? It’s when the other person starts to raise their voice followed by yelling with possibly some swear words thrown in for good affect. If it escalates even further you have some type of violence towards person or property. It’s not a pretty sight. Basically, what has happened is the person who starts to raise their voice has let their emotions take over instead of allowing reason and logic to win their case.

Think about this for moment. Isn’t that exactly what happens in a bar fight, disagreement at work or social function? Why is it so hard to accept that another person’ viewpoint may differ from yours? It doesn’t make it wrong, just different. We all have our own worldview and everything is run through these filters first.

You will not be able to understand where someone is coming from unless you find out what made the person reach their conclusion. And how do you do that? You ask lot of questions and then listen for the response. Try to understand their answer from their point of view.

However, when you’re having a conversation and one or both person(s) becomes emotionally unhinged, the possibility of having meaningful dialogue has just been killed and the hope of reason returning will only occur when cooler heads prevail.

I bring this up in regards to the continuing protests. There’s nothing wrong with protesting but once it turns to violence the message has been lost. The focus then is on the violent action and not the protester’s message. Is that what the protesters really want?

Do You Vote for WIIFM?

Sure, you do.  We all do from time to time.  What is it? It’s taking a position on an issue that has been first filtered through your own social, economic, race, religion, gender etc. and then basing your vote on what’s in it for me (WIIFM).

Let’s face it.  It’s very difficult to base a decision entirely on an objective point of view when the decision directly or indirectly affects you.  The emotions can be too strong to make an objective decision.  You would need to take yourself out of the picture and view the issue on a higher level with no regard to the outcome.  It means being objective and doing what’s best for the whole of society not just what’s good for you.  It’s looking at the issue from a broader perspective. 

However, I’d like to note that sometimes helping a few (companies, agencies etc.) ends up helping more of the masses in the long run than vice versa.  To understand which would be the better decision you would need to be well educated and informed in that area.  All too often it’s the loudest voice that is heard which doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the viewpoint to base your decision on. You need to do your research and listen to all viewpoints.  More important, you need to discern between the rhetoric, emotional positions, and the facts to find the truth. It’s taking the emotion out of it and deciding from an objective point of view no matter what affect it will personally have on you.

If you want our country and world to be a better place the love of it must be greater than what is in it for me.  What is the greater good? It comes down to what are you making more important?

Most people want what’s best for their country but the conflict arises on what it’s to look like and even more on how to go about making that vision a reality. Currently there is no clear vision that the masses have bought into.  There is a great divide and therefore the country will have a difficult time moving forward until a vision is laid out that the masses can really rally behind.  Only then will the Law of Attraction take hold. 

Want a President Needs to Lead

Want a President Needs to Lead

What are you looking for in a President? First you need to decide what makes a good leader because that is what the President does, lead.  Some people are natural leaders. You see them at work, fund raisers or your family reunion.  They step up to the plate to take on a project. However you’ll notice something else too.  Some are natural leaders while others are doing it for the recognition or power.  What’s the difference?  The natural leader is the person people will follow even if they don’t have the title or have been given the responsibility.  They naturally know what to do.  They exude confidence, clarity and conviction. Oh and another thing, they make decisions that aren’t always popular but are followed because the people respect the person’s decision.

A good leader is a person who has the strength and courage to undertake large projects.  It’s the ability to weave universal principles with everyday life.  This person has the gift of power.  Yes the gift.  As much as power has a negative connotation it also has just as much a positive connotation.

The world needs the CEO, general, and the person of authority.  A leader claims and utilizes his gift of power for the overall goal of the enterprise he’s tasked with directing.  A true leader uses this personal power without dominance or intimidation.  He doesn’t necessarily make popular decisions because he’s making them with a higher purpose in mind. He leads because that’s his natural strength and people follow because they recognize and understand the clear direction they are to take to reach the desired outcome. He gets results.  For him not to lead would be like asking you or me not to breathe.  It’s what he does.

Along with the gift of being a natural leader there are also challenges to it which make the person go from being in the gift of it to being in the challenge of it.  When a person is consumed by the acquisition of wealth, order others around, is intimidating or dominating people then he is in the challenge of it and needs to get back into the gift of it.

So what does a leader look like?  Some of the most recent leaders that have exhibited both the gift and challenge of being in the gift of leadership are General George Patton, Donald Trump, Lee Iacocca and Margaret Thatcher.  If you study the history of how they became leaders and how they conducted themselves you’ll see the gift and challenge of being a great leader.   Each of them gained the experience with each new leadership role they encountered.  Each will go down in history as making a difference in their field.  And one other interesting note, they haven’t always been the most liked or popular at times but were/are respected.

You also have the gift of leadership and when you need it remember to claim it from a place of personal power and not through dominance or intimidation. 

(originally written in 2012)

Celebrate What Unites Us Not What Divides Us

Celebrate What Unites Us Not What Divides Us

“As world events reflect, we remain far from mastering the art of human relations.  We have invented no technology that will guide us to the destinations that matter most.

After two world wars, the Holocaust, multiple genocides, and countless conflicts, we must ask how long it will be before we are able to rise above the national, racial, and gender distinctions that divide us, and embrace the common humanity that binds us.

The answer depends not on the starts or some mysterious forces of history; it depends on the choices that you and I and all of us make.” ~ Madeleine Albright

 

Nothing tears people more apart than pointing out what separates them from one another rather than what binds them.  Take any natural disaster and suddenly nationality, race, gender or political affiliation doesn’t matter anymore.  People unite for the common good of solving the problem at hand.

As the saying goes, “Where attention goes energy flows”.  When you focus on what divides us, even more things that divide us will come to mind. Things that you didn’t even give much thought to now rise to the surface and become important simply because you put your attention on it.  However when you focus on what binds us you can actually feel yourself becoming more calm and relaxed. Try it.

I’ve traveled to many places around the world and for the most part everybody is the same. They want the same things out of life like raising a happy and healthy family, finding fulfillment in their work and being able to worship in their own way.  There are things that are understood in any culture like laughter and compassion. These are the things that we should be focusing on instead of our differences.

The real kicker is you and I have the power to bind us rather than divide us by the choices we make every day.  It could show up in what we do or say.

Make the call.

Paying Taxes? Good! You’re Making Money

Paying Taxes? Good! You’re Making Money

The first time I heard that phrase I was a little taken aback. Who wants to pay more taxes? If anything, people want to pay less. In fact, most people look for ways to get out of paying as much taxes as they can.  They look forward to receiving a refund and plan on how they’ll spend it.  I use to be one of them.

But then I realized the statement was true.  If you’re paying taxes you’re making money and the more taxes you’re paying the more money you’re making. They go together like milk and cookies. Therefore, if you want to be rich you have to get into the mindset of paying a lot in taxes.

To expect to be rich and get a refund does not compute. To believe that you can be rich and still receive a refund goes against the law of the universe, give and receive.  In order to get something you have to give something in equal or greater value. It’s like playing the stock market, the greater the risk the greater the reward. It’s also like the executive who gets paid a lot of money, she has the greater risk and responsibility therefore she gets the larger paycheck. If she doesn’t do her job then the whole company could go under which affects all the other employees.

Ever notice that the people who pay the least amount in taxes also are the poorest? Of course you have. If you’re poor and you’re not paying hardly anything in taxes, then it would stand to reason that you would be able to dig yourself out of that state of affairs. However, that’s not how it plays out.

According to the Universe they remain poor because they unknowingly choose it. They don’t know they have the power to change their situation. They’re looking for what they can get and not looking at what they can give. It’s the old saying, what goes around comes around. In the Bible it’s referred to “You reap what you sow”. And just for the record all the main religions of the world have some form of that same saying.

Now the Universe isn’t particular on the giving part.  The giving could be something of value or your expertise or helping others in their pursuit. What it does want is for you to be very clear on what you want, believe it will happen, start taking the steps to make it happen and when bits of it start to arrive, accept in with gratitude.

If you have the mindset that you’ll always be poor then guess what, you will be. You’ve already decided that’s how it’ll be. The people who have risen from poverty BELIEVED that they would.  If you’re always looking for a program or society to bail you out then you’re not willing to do the giving part. Some people have even adopted an entitlement mentality, as if to say, the government (you and I) have to take care of them.

They don’t realize they have the power to change their reality.  Some people even afraid to work more hours or take a promotion because it’ll mean they’ll pay more taxes.  They’re not looking at it for a broader perspective.  You may just have to do that for awhile in order to get to the next level.

As for me, I want to pay lots and lots of taxes.

The Government Doesn’t Owe You a Thing

The Government Doesn’t Owe You a Thing

“My boss owes me. Work owes me. The government owes me. You own me.” Where does this entitlement mentality come from?

It’s looking for others to fill a void, to make the person feel good about himself.  For some reason he feels he has been wronged and wants others to give him, in his own mind, his just reward, payback, to make life fair again, to even the score. 

The problem is there is not enough money, time, possessions, education, or love to satisfy this person because he’ll NEVER be satisfied. As soon as one thing is catered to he’ll either complain that it’s not quite up to par or too late in coming. He’ll then focus on other things that he still hasn’t been compensated for.  It’s a never-ending cycle of unfilled expectations.  The entitlement mentality continues and the only way to remedy it is to go to the source. The answer, the fulfillment, lies within.

No one else can make him happy about his current situation but himself.  He created his life and he has the freedom to make the choices to change it. He can’t change the past because it’s over and done with.  He needs to accept whatever happened in the past because it has made him who he is today. Does he want to change that?  If so, then change it.  It doesn’t happen overnight but takes a conscious effort to make choices that will eventually lead to his desired outcome.

The entitlement attitude comes from not wanting to take responsibility for what has happened in his life.  It’s so much easier to blame someone or something else for his obstacles.  The focus then is not on him but on anything else.  He then gets to feel good about himself because in his mind it’s someone else’s fault.  However, the longer he continues to believe that the cause of his shortcomings are someone else’s responsibility, the longer it will take for him to make the choices that will eventually bring him the happiness and love he so desperately is seeking.  

You see, the “feel good” feeling he craves isn’t given to him by someone else but is something he gives himself.  When he can empower himself to take charge and create his life as he wishes instead of allowing himself to be a victim, the happier he will be.

What is the Perfect Form of Government?

There are many types of government to choose from and lately there are some who believe the US should shift from a Republic to more of a Democracy or Socialism.  What is the best?

According to those who channel the spirits; Abraham-Hicks and The Light Collective, we are spirits having a human experience.  We are here to learn. It could be that you’ve come here to learn how to speak up for yourself, learn how to listen, love yourself.  In fact, you could have several themes that you are trying to learn from. The one thing that both sources say that is behind it all is that you have free will. That means you are free to choose whether or not you want to go along with whatever is happening in your life. For example:  Are you learning to speak up for yourself or choosing not to? Have you learned to love your handicap and how overweight you are or are you choosing to be angry at the world? There are hundreds of examples that I could list but you’re probably wondering what that has to do with government.

If free will is at the core of learning from our experiences then it’s only logical that freedom should be part of our government.  So what is the perfect form of government according to Abraham?

“It would be a government that allows you freedom to be or have as you want.” However, that will come only when there is an understanding of how you are getting what you are getting.  Government, for the most part, has become one of rules and regulations primarily established to protect one of you from the other of you. “When you come to understand that you invite through thought, then you will not feel so much need for all of that restriction, and then your government can be established as it was begun –more to offer services rather than restriction or control.”

What is Abraham referring to here? They are referring to the Law of Attraction. Our thoughts bring about our outcome.  If you are focused on debt and unemployment, then that is what you’ll get more of.  If you find someone irritating, you then will go about observing and collecting evidence to support your view without taking into account the other 90% of the time the person is quite nice. It’s all a matter of perspective.  The opposite is also true. When you are focused on how grateful and happy you are, you begin to find even more things to be joyous about. Your view of the world becomes positive and therefore that’s what you see.

You can learn more about the Law of Attraction from Esther and Jerry Hicks.  The movie, The Secret, was taken from their channel work.

Oh and by the way, no one makes you angry or irritates you.  You make yourself angry and irritable. The other person is just being who they are. You can decide to join in their negativity or not.

What Does it Mean to be Tolerant?

Being tolerant means; showing willingness to allow the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with.

Frankly I’m not seeing a whole lot of tolerance by the media, government officials and celebrities whether it’s about race, political views, environment or abortion. It’s become anything BUT tolerant with name calling when someone disagrees with their viewpoint. It’s downright disrespectful and it sets a bad example for the youner generation. Grow up. This isn’t junior high. What people seem to forget is when someone bad mouths another it says more about the kind of person they are than the person it’s directed at.

What comes around goes around and if you want someone to take your viewpoint seriously you MUST also be open and give them the common courtesy of expressing their viewpoint. It’s the civil thing to do. You may not agree and hold your current views but now you have new information and understanding of another’s viewpoint. However, if all you want to do is bad mouth and dismiss another’s viewpoint than don’t be surprised if you get the same treatment.

It has to end sometime. Be the bigger “tolerant” person.

Bring Back the UNITED in United States

Which would you rather be united or separate? There’s a reason the United States are called the United States. Separate territories united under a common philosophy of how they wanted their new country governed.

Image if that had not happened. What if the original 13 colonies had become individual countries each with its own government and infrastructure? What would the continent look like then? What if the U.S. never purchased the Louisiana Territory? The U.S. would be more like Canada but with a much larger portion of its citizens speaking French. I could go on about the Indians and Mexican territories but I think you get the picture. Our whole country would be different. The U. S. would instead be more like Europe with whole countries the size of one of our states possibly speaking another language.

Instead our forefathers had the foresight to realize the beauty and power of having all the territories come together as a whole. They knew this country would be stronger if it were united instead of separate, which brings me to my next point. There seems to be a tearing apart, to make separate, or highlight differences more in the media and from people of influence than there is to bring people together. This, in my opinion, is a disservice to the country.

What brings people together is their commonalities like the philosophy set forth in the Declaration of Independence or the safety of our children. There will always be differences between people, to be sure, but they can be overcome when people find common ground. It’s the core fabric of our nation. When the World Trade Center towers were destroyed many people came together to support and help out however they could. Everyone now has a common experience to share with others that will bring them together. Just like people remember where they were and what they were doing when Kennedy was shot, people will remember 911 the same. “Where were you when the towers went down”?

Early immigrants came here for various reasons; freedom of religion, the opportunity to own land and thus create a better life, to escape tyranny, to keep the money they earned.  They left their family and friends and risked everything for a chance at a better life. They knew it wasn’t going to be easy but knew it was going to be worth it. They came from many different parts of the world, each with their own cultures and language. But you know what? They all adapted to their new surroundings. Over the years they eventually learned to get along and speak the same language, they had to if they wanted to succeed.

It’s the commonalities that unite us. It doesn’t matter if your black, Asian, Spanish, gay, Republican, Democrat, Tea Party, Pro-life,  Abortion Supporter, women’s rights or environmentalist, in order to be a strong nation we have to stay united. We MUST! Our forefathers understood that. Let’s not blow it.