Called to Lead

No matter how good we are there is always someone who is better. So everywhere I’ve worked, I have always kept my eyes open for that person in hopes of finding a mentor. As I have gotten older and wiser I realize while it is important to have a mentor, it is better to have many mentors.

For some time now I have observed the different management and leadership styles in efforts to decide how to lead…tough decision until recently.

In addition to observing people, I also read a lot of motivational books. So as I was passing through the administration department, one of the books on the shelf caught my eye. The title was “Monday Morning Leadership” so I asked to borrow it. During my lunch break that day I started reading the book. I was captivated in the first paragraph! Below are some of the concepts I gleaned from “Monday Morning Leadership”.

“When it comes to leading people, there is no problem unique to you.”
“Even though your responsibilities increase when you become a manager, you lose some of the rights or freedoms you may have enjoyed in the past.”
“A real leader spends his or her time fixing the problem instead of finding who to blame.”
“When you write things down, you commit to doing them. If you simply tell me what you want to do, there is really no commitment to getting it done.”
“When you depend on another’s perceptions to match your expectations, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.”
“People quit people before they quit companies.”
“Take the time to manage your boss the same way you manage your subordinates.”
“One of the ‘main things’ for a leader is to eliminate confusion.”
“You have to escape from management land and get in touch with your people.”
“Your job is not to lower the bottom by adjusting for and accommodating the lowest performing employees. You should be raising the top by recognizing and rewarding superstar behaviors!”
“Doing the right thing isn’t always easy for you in fact sometimes it’s real hard, but just remember that doing the right thing is always right.”
“Everything you do matters because your team is watching and depending on you to do the right thing.”
“Guard your integrity as if it’s your most precious leadership possession, because that is what it is.”
“The most important thing you do as a leader is hire the right people.”
“Never lower your standards just to fill a position. You will pay for it later.”
“One of the major sources of stress, anxiety and unhappiness comes from feeling like your life is out of control.”
“If you want to make better use of your time, you need to be looking for the small increments of time; a minute here, five minutes there, etc.”
“You are the Chief Bucket-Filler and the best way to fill buckets is with excellent communication.”
“For you to be the very best, you cannot allow yourself to become complacent in your comfort zone. You need to be reaching for improvement.”
“So much of life is about attitude and how we handle what life throws our way. Life is good even when a situation appears to be the worst.