Leadership Prep -

Home
>
Leadership
>
Leadership Prep

Leadership Prep

So you want to be a leader? Or you want to be a better leader? It can be done, you know. No matter where you are in your leadership journey, you CAN move forward. You CAN lead better. You CAN lead more people. You CAN lead your organization to higher ground.

Yes, you CAN!

But let me tell you this: You won't do it via osmosis! It won't just "happen." Growing in your leadership is not something that comes from the fairy godmother of leadership. You can't touch the hem of Jack Welch's garment and become "Super-Leader!" Oh, that it were that easy!

So what does it take?

Time.

Experience.

Training.

Hard Knocks.

A Mentor.

Discipline.

And a few others.

But let's start at the very beginning. You want to be a leader. That's good. You want to be a better leader. That's good too. But what comes first? Preparation. Leadership Prep. What is it? What needs to happen in order to get yourself ready to become a leader? As you get ready for 2002 and you want to take the next step in your leadership, take these last days of November and go through a little reflection on Leadership Prep.

Before you become the leader you want to be:

Count the cost. Leadership is hard. There will be times that you say, "Leadership isn't worth it. These people are crazy and I don't deserve this." It is true. You don't deserve it. But you choose it. You choose it because you want to lead people. You want to improve their lives. You see the higher ground that they cannot see and you desire to take them there. It will take time. It will take money. It will sap your strength and energy. Count the cost, my friend. Leadership is not for the weak and timid. Yes, the rewards are great, but so are the sacrifices. Prep yourself for the cost of leadership.

Assess your strengths and weaknesses. Too many people dive into trying to lead and end up dying out because they were not honest with themselves about their strengths and weaknesses. They get going and realize that they should have strengthened themselves in certain areas because now it is killing their ability to lead. If you know your strengths, then you can focus yourself on them and allow yourself to be successful through them. If you are aware of your weaknesses you will be able to stay away from them, or hire to cover them, and thus allow yourself to become even more successful as a leader. So prep yourself by becoming exceedingly clear on your strengths and weaknesses.

Settle in for the marathon, not the sprint. Very few - I mean VERY few - people get big leadership assignments at early ages. And when they do, even fewer of the few see things happen fast in their leadership. No, usually things happen slowly. Why do we think they will happen fast then? Because those are the only stories we hear on TV and read about in magazines. "Twenty-five year old starts business that grows to $20 million a year in sales in JUST TWO YEARS," Sells a lot better than "Forty-five year old works hard for twenty years and builds lasting business that makes a difference in her community." Right? Right. So, unless you are one of the chosen few, you will need to prep for a marathon, not a sprint. This is both a mental and emotional adjustment that needs to be made. Prep for the long haul!

Develop a learning attitude. You have perhaps heard it said, "Leaders are readers." It is true. Even more so, leaders are learners. I don't know any leader who has attained any level of leadership who doesn't keep him or herself on the edge of learning. One of my mentors runs a company that you would all know by name - in fact, you probably used one of their products today, no matter where you live in the world - that does billions of dollars a year in revenue (Yes, with a "b") and he still takes time each year to go to a school of leadership! He is already a tremendously successful leader yet he is still working on it! THAT is a learning attitude! If you want to lead, prep yourself for it by developing a learning attitude.

Acquire a love for people. In reality, we do not lead organizations or businesses. No, we lead people. We are successful if we know how to lead people. People are the name of the game. And the best way to become a leader of people is to love people. Others can tell instinctually whether or not we love them and have their best interests at heart. If they do not know that we care for them they will not follow. Leadership is the art of directing people who we care for and desire to help. In other words, we love people. If you have an issue with people, chances are you are not ready to lead them. To prep yourself for leadership, acquire a love for people. If the other things are in place, then they will want to.. missing rest of article...

About The Author:

Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of Made for Success, a company helping individuals and organizations turn their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives and achieve their dreams.

To see Chris "live" at the upcoming Jim Rohn Weekend Event as he speaks on the subject of Secrets of Influence go to http://Chris-Widener.InspiresYOU.com/ or call 800-929-0434.

In The News:

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi%3Ff%3D/n/a/2008/10/11/state/n165346D28.DTL%26tsp%3D1cid=1256841186ei=QsLySKK6BqiY6APsw7STDAusg=AFQjCNEhd6zrjGgzvQV39NN8iVI6W6-frwGay support group criticizes Mormon bleadership/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fSan Francisco Chronicle,nbsp; USAnbsp;-/font nobrOct 11, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Leaders of a support group for gay and lesbian Mormons on Saturday criticized their church for its efforts to ban gay marriage in California. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7660730.stmcid=1255308231ei=QsLySKK6BqiY6APsw7STDAusg=AFQjCNH0RAH-vrjLfMDNWmfVNPKFcU6kggimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=45ZeSktb5gEJimgurl=newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45088000/jpg/_45088464_afplekota226b.jpg width=80 height=60 alt= border=1brfont size=-2BBC News/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx%3Ftheartic%3DArt2008101312565350cid=1255308231ei=QsLySKK6BqiY6APsw7STDAusg=AFQjCNFruaeYIy1wWlmH85r4c9wuiPcSJgSouth Africa’s bleadership/b succession/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fThe Punch,nbsp;Nigerianbsp;-/font nobr3 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By Editorial Board For a continent that has become notorious for violent power struggles, the recent peaceful bleadership/b succession in South Africa is b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.thetimes.co.za/PrintEdition/Insight/Article.aspx%3Fid%3D861026cid=1255308231ei=QsLySKK6BqiY6APsw7STDAusg=AFQjCNGokxx240cwazRafuUgY5w4k8gMvQLekota is a lost, useless comrade/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrThe Times/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.iol.co.za/index.php%3Fset_id%3D1%26click_id%3D6%26art_id%3Dvn20081010055921439C253292cid=1255308231ei=QsLySKK6BqiY6APsw7STDAusg=AFQjCNHlpD6edrCWgrD_8z1041iIyxictABattle for soul of ANC has just started/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrIndependent Online/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.dispatch.co.za/article.aspx%3Fid%3D257956cid=1255308231ei=QsLySKK6BqiY6APsw7STDAusg=AFQjCNHfhc8WfY478CkvOamBdmqtBMKHtgGood for SA? Or is it a slippery slope into a long black night?/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrDispatch Online/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://dailynews.habarileo.co.tz/columnist%3Fid%3D7772cid=1255308231ei=QsLySKK6BqiY6APsw7STDAusg=AFQjCNHNkMq8Ft105Pzpg1jopiTKY_8lCwnobrDailyNewsOnline/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx%3Fid%3D857516cid=1255308231ei=QsLySKK6BqiY6APsw7STDAusg=AFQjCNEXodwm04-0SHfAs5hFiTNWnrS4kwnobrThe Times/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1255308231hl=ennobrall 859 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/1013/1223680464831.htmlcid=0ei=QsLySKK6BqiY6APsw7STDAusg=AFQjCNF_a6FJI0a7TvxkA_-gedTdpQ4SCwArmy officers to study peace bleadership/b programme/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fIrish Times,nbsp;Irelandnbsp;-/font nobr3 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1NUI Maynooth is running the doctoral-level strategic bleadership/b course which was specifically designed for senior officers such as colonels and lieutenant b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jQU-13S7JKGRifusdGwk9xPLeUrQcid=1256859248ei=QsLySKK6BqiY6APsw7STDAusg=AFQjCNFhJnmsdpXnZZ2lsOU3MAZOpHoTaAEconomy, bleadership/b in BC voters#39; minds in Tuesday#39;s federal election/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fThe Canadian Press,nbsp;VANCOUVERnbsp;-/font nobr2 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Strategists for the main parties#39; BC campaigns agree bleadership/b will be on the ballot, sharpened here by the need to fix damage done well before the b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/oct/13/creditcrunch-globaleconomycid=1256131333ei=QsLySKK6BqiY6APsw7STDAusg=AFQjCNEbbV1OVZIN130WOHlpA9AYggD7ygAn absence of bleadership/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fguardian.co.uk,nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobr4 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1While governments talk of providing bleadership/b, there has been a signal absence. Governments need to counteract the effects of the credit crunch using b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20081012/NEWS09/810120336%26theme%3DCAMPAIGN_2008cid=1256562960ei=QsLySKK6BqiY6APsw7STDAusg=AFQjCNFVQIZBABYCMbk764g7SJS4-KiPDgMcCain: Voters are angry at #39;failure of bleadership/b#39;/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fDesMoinesRegister.com,nbsp;IAnbsp;-/font nobr18 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1They#39;re angry at the failure of bleadership/b at this hour of national crisis.quot; McCain promoted his plans for the federal government to buy the delinquent b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b33027_ratings_surge_mccain-obama_ii.htmlcid=1256755934ei=QsLySKK6BqiY6APsw7STDAusg=AFQjCNEZujDRH7AllZlHgRpNMLG88KmEmgimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=FKZ2T-Lb8lcJimgurl=images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/20081008/425.obama.mccain.100808.jpg width=80 height=59 alt= border=1brfont size=-2E! Online/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.islandpacket.com/opinion/letters/story/635351.htmlcid=1256755934ei=QsLySKK6BqiY6APsw7STDAusg=AFQjCNHjzT91naB7NwnVwrdluS6hIn7JVAObama fails to show bleadership/b when needed/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fHilton Head Island Packet,nbsp;SCnbsp;-/font nobr23 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1In the game of politics, one-up-manship is everything. Sen. John McCain just upped Sen. Barack Obama but good. Obama#39;s first gaffe, of course, b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20081010/ARTICLES/810101026%3FTitle%3DNew_leadership_for_a_large_congregationcid=1256755934ei=QsLySKK6BqiY6APsw7STDAusg=AFQjCNF0zzQJNJJpPVMMPARUnQf4kigWsANew bleadership/b for a large congregation/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrBlueRidgeNow.com/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.cfr.org/publication/17449/cid=1256755934ei=QsLySKK6BqiY6APsw7STDAusg=AFQjCNF-QJeppx5_RZ0zeLGh_rS3QIvkPgEurope#39;s Financial Crisis, McCain#39;s Campaign Challenges, and the b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrCouncil on Foreign Relations/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm%3Fmethod%3Dhome.con%26contentid%3D2008101319050cid=1256755934ei=QsLySKK6BqiY6APsw7STDAusg=AFQjCNGmVomvi5knCJ3vHPzGrdcAqiN46gPresident Obama/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrSaudi Gazette/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1256755934hl=ennobrall 1,581 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/de01af0e-9877-11dd-ace3-000077b07658.htmlcid=1256976181ei=QsLySKK6BqiY6APsw7STDAusg=AFQjCNEht12C2skVgRZZaSrLMNVgimqRpwBrown offers Europe a lesson in bleadership/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fFinancial Times,nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobr9 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By Wolfgang Münchau I had a bad feeling on Friday night when I heard that finance ministers from the Group of Seven countries had prepared a draft b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.semissourian.com/article/20081012/SPORTS03/710129878/1002/sportscid=1256774266ei=QsLySKK6BqiY6APsw7STDAusg=AFQjCNFwLyxWc31IxydKz6WNFaL88xsnlgJackson sophomore offers quiet bleadership/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fSoutheast Missourian,nbsp;MOnbsp;-/font nobr20 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By Christopher Smith Jackson#39;s Ryan Gibson receives a second-place medal in the 100-yard butterfly at the Cape Rock Invitational on Saturday. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

leadership - Google News