I remember reading about Frank Blake when he was Home Depot's CEO. He routinely visited Home Depot stores around the country. I liked how he dealt with and addressed the problems he would encounter during his visits. His style and methods were a reminder of something that I still believe is a key to good leadership. Frank Blake is obviously a "systems thinker" and he led like a systems thinker. It's one … [Read more...]
Be Very Accessible
The 7th Leadership Fundamental
I believe leadership is more about "being a servant" than it is about "being served." I've been around many people in leadership positions that don't get this. Amazing isn't it? Let me illustrate my point. As a leader what I most often do is delegate, direct, answer questions, solve problems, etc. In other words, I don't actually "do" anything. So why am I here? I'm here to enable others to be effective ... to … [Read more...]
Be A Contagious Optimist
The 2nd Fundamental Of Leadership
I've been accused of being "the most consistently optimistic person I've ever known" by more than a few individuals. I've also been given feedback during performance reviews over the years that my optimism is "contagious." Why has this been true of me? Have I always had it great? No. I’ve been through my share of difficulties in life. I’ve had my share of troubles. But, I’ve always been very serious about my work, … [Read more...]
Don’t Play The “Blame Game”
The 1st Fundamental Of Leadership
When was the last time you read a leadership book or attended a leadership conference where it was taught that blaming your people for the performance (or lack thereof) of your church was the right thing to do? I have never heard this from anyone that truly understood leadership. In fact, I've always read, heard, and experienced the opposite. In their book Spiritual Leadership, Henry and Richard Blackaby write … [Read more...]