| |
| |
|
Leadership Information |
|
|
|
Career Advice for Business Leaders: Empowering Others
Many potential leaders in business sabotage themselves and their organizations out of fear of empowering others. In 21st Century Leadership: Dialogues with 100 Top Leaders, Lynne McFarland, Larry Senn and John Childress assert, "the empowerment leadership model shifts away from 'position power' where all people are given leadership roles so thy can contribute to their fullest capacity." John Maxwell confirms this in his work on leadership, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. He states, "only empowered people can reach their potential," and that barriers within the organization are created when empowerment is not present. Maxwell observed that the most common barriers to a leader's empowerment of others are: 1. Desire for Job Security This is perhaps the leading enemy of empowerment. A person with this issue asks, "why should I help others beneath me when they'll just rise to take my place and ultimately displace me?" In fact, when one has the ability to lead others, and to make oneself "dispensable," then one truly becomes "indispensable" in the organization. Maxwell calls this the "Paradox of Empowerment." 2. Resistance to Change In these times, the hallmark of business and life is change. According to Maxwell, empowerment mandates that others grow and change. This is essential, and must be sought out and embraced instead of shunned and avoided. 3. Lack of Self-Worth Some people derive self-worth, esteem and viability from work or position. When either of these is threatened, then the worth or esteem is also subject to question. In reality, true leaders recognize the value of change and realize that inherent worth is not related to title or work. Maxwell further notes that two main attributes follow all great and true leaders. The first of these is the ability to lead by lifting up others. To do this effectively, one must not be overly concerned with who gets credit for accomplishments. The other attribute is the ability to gain authority by giving it away. This is another paradox of leadership by empowerment. Giving away leadership and authority necessitates choosing qualified people. This is a cultivated skill. Ask: where is empowerment missing? Look for opportunities to select quality individuals who can handle the gifts of authority and leadership. For any project, this is a path to success. Eric Johnson is a regular contributor to the Investor's Value View newsletter. To learn how to reach Mr. Johnson or to subscribe to Investor's Value View, visit http://www.valueview.net
MORE RESOURCES:
Leadership - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Exceptional Leadership Inspires the Best Effort in Others There is a steady stream being written and taught about leadership these days. There are tips about leadership, courses about leadership, books, retreats, and continuing education - all focused on leadership. 7 Excellent Ways To Improve Your Leadership Skills! Did you know that there are 7 really effective yet powerful ways to improve your leadership learning opportunities?If you have ever looked at using a leadership skills training program, you probably have run smack into one or more of the following problems:- leadership training will usually cost you some serious money - in fact, some programs are outrageously expensive- leadership training programs last for a very short time - quite a few of them run for only one or two days- many leadership training programs fail to give you some way to support or help you meet your daily challenges- less than 1% of all leadership training programs couple coaching and mentoring follow-ups with classroom sessions- most leadership training programs like to do 'raw data dumps'- the vast majority of them do NOT give you chances to 'blend' your learning experiences with supervised practiceThis article will help you to find, use and take advantage of every leadership skills learning opportunity you encounter - you will be able to employ your leadership skills in highly effective, more creative and powerful ways.Power Strategy - 1 -- Make sure you get clearly defined and significant returns on your training investment!When you spend your money on training are you looking for entertainment, engagement or education?I don't know about your priorities but I know that I demand a ton of convincing to invest in training of any sort. Communication Skills & Leadership - Organizational Communications Processes in Leadership Activity "Sooth 't were a pleasant life to lead, With nothing in the world to do But just to blow a shepherd's reed, The silent season thro' And just to drive a flock to feed,- Sheep - quiet, fond and few!" - Laman BlanchardCommunication skills give leaders ways to connect with, understand and influence the needs of people. It would be so very pleasant to live the life depicted in Blanchard's musings. Lead People...Manage Things Master The Five Key Facets of High Performance LeadershipMany people in leadership positions struggle with understanding what makes a great leader. While billions of dollars are spent annually on leadership development, quality leadership is still in short supply. The Challenge to Lead The topic of leadership has been and continues to be one of the most vital topics in human history. From ancient civilizations to modern day multi-national corporations, men and women of passion, fervor and zeal have sought to discover the secrets of moving others beyond the gray of their mundane reality to the rich array of colors that embody the palate of the extraordinary life. Building Future Leaders As a whole we spend a lot of time filling our minds with various forms of self-improvement.Believe me this is good for us!However, I think what's equally important is the amount of positives that we send to our younger generation. The Essence of Leadership What is more important, leadership or teamwork? Leadership or consensus management? Today we hear frequently about teams, team-building, and teamwork on the one hand and management by consensus on the other. Although both teamwork and consensus building are critical skills in a leader, neither are substitutes for capable leadership itself. Take the Road Less Traveled "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." - Robert FrostI watched Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will, a very controversial film on Hitler's 1934 Nuremberg Rally put on by equally controversial Toronto film connoisseur, Reg Hartt, at the Cineforum (a make-shift theatre in his home). Evil, Hostile Grumpy Listeners? Think Again I hated Kyle Sisk*. A notorious bully, Kyle punctuated my grade school years with misery. On Being A Born Leader "Leaders are born, not made." Right? Let me ask you a question: do you believe that?I'll give you mine: I *don't* believe it. Two Vital Abilities Any Leader Must Have As a business owner, you are a leader whether you like it or not. Whether you like it or not you have to guide your group in order to expand your organization. From Failure To Victory; The Cats Out Of The Bag! Did you ever think that all of the great heroes we read about may not have been particularly great men in and of themselves? They may not have been born with any great skills, talents or abilities. But, each of them did have one special quality that we would all do well to cultivate. Dissolving Conflict Through Reframing Reframing is looking at the situation with a new set of eyes. Its asking your self if you have a clear picture of the situation and of what is happening around you. Leadership and Change in a Holographic Universe Have you ever noticed that since the early part of the 20th century, nearly every new scientific theory manages to sound more and more like the same sort of metaphysical philosophies science once dismissed? Well, it's happening again and this time our views on the structure of the universe, the power of human consciousness and even the nature of reality itself are being challenged by a startling new finding: that many hard to explain events and scientific puzzles become suddenly clear and easily understood if we consider that everything we see and experience around us is not in fact a physical reality, but rather our own interpretation of an infinitely large, dynamic and multidimensional hologram, constructed by and interpreted through our own consciousness.Most people are familiar with the concept of a graphic hologram - an image imprinted on a special film that, when illuminated with a certain type of laser, projects a 3-dimensional picture that you can view from any angle. 7 AAA Ways To Succeed! [Abounding Abundant Ample Ways To Boost Your Growth!] This may come as a surprise but there are reliable,effective and powerful ways to improve your ability to learnnew things. If you will allow me to use leadership skills training asour example, you will see how poor learning forces us tosuffer through any one or more of the following problems: - leadership training programs usually cost serious money -in fact, some programs are outrageously expensive - leadership training programs last for a very short time -quite a few of them run for only one or two days - many leadership training programs fail to give studentsways to confidently resolve problem situations or meet andovercome their daily challenges - less than 1% of all leadership training programs combinecoaching and mentoring follow-ups with classroom lessons - most leadership training programs like to do 'raw datadumps'- the vast majority of them do NOT give you chances to'blend' your learning experiences with supervised support orpractical feedback In this article you will discover how to find, use and takeadvantage of every kind of performance improvement learningopportunity you encounter. Character -- Why It Matters In Leaders "Character is much easier kept than recovered." -Thomas Paine"The best index to a person's character is (a) how he treats people who can't do him any good, and (b) how he treats people who can't fight back. Business Leadership: How Much is in Your Credibility Bank Account? Business leaders have more than a title on their doors. They also have the trust and confidence of those who work for them; who work with them; and who buy from them. What is Leadership? Leadership is what every organization needs and so few have in adequate supply. Part of leadership is what the first President Bush called "the vision thing". The Code of the Conference Leader Are your meetings generally a waste of time? Do you have trouble getting commitment on the decisions made? The following information is based on "Conference Leadership", an atypical Marine Corps publication that is no longer available to the public (as it has been incorporated into a sensitive and restricted document.)The publication details a method of achieving results from groups and meetings that was far ahead of its time, originally published in 1947. Seven Personal Characteristics Of A Good Leader How often have you heard the comment, "He or she is a born leader?" There are certain characteristics found in some people that seem to naturally put them in a position where they're looked up to as a leader.Whether in fact a person is born a leader or develops skills and abilities to become a leader is open for debate.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
