Lee Ellis's Blog, page 316
February 1, 2015
On This Day in Leadership History, February 1, 2015
On this day in 2003, NASA’s space shuttle Columbia exploded while re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere. All seven astronauts on board were killed.
While the level of risk varies, leaders who choose to be successful pioneers in their field are vulnerable. The key is knowing yourself, choosing a vocation based on your strengths and interest, and courageously committing to your goals and team around you. Keep leading with honor!
January 31, 2015
Penguins, Ants, & Crabs do it – Honorable leaders should do it too
As Lee Ellis mentions in his book, Leading with Honor, ���Even those with the strongest character are at risk when they are operating alone and controlled by fear.���
Whether you���re a penguin, an ant, or a crab, being a part of cohesive team is critical! These funny clips illustrate this point ���
January 30, 2015
Leading with Honor Wisdom for Today, January 30, 2015
���Don���t be pushed by your problems. Be led by your dreams.��� ��� Ralph Waldo Emerson
January 28, 2015
Self-Awareness: How to Obtain the Foundational Key to Successful Leadership
As a leader, can you be judgmental and critical? Or supportive and encouraging? Can you be too self-focused? Or intentionally focused on building deeper relationships?
Take the free ���Leading with Honor��� Discovery Report, and get an honest snapshot of your leadership strengths and struggles. And, please feel free to share this offer with other leaders!
January 27, 2015
The Disturbing Trend in Hiring Next Generation Leaders, and How to Fix It
Employers giving up on hiring 22 year olds right out of college? Unfortunately, that���s the growing trend because students are lacking hard skills in areas such as organization, leadership, personal finance, and basic street smarts.
Please read more about it in the article, and share your thoughts and experiences in this forum ���
January 25, 2015
On This Day in Leadership History, January 25, 2015
On this day in 1961, President John F. Kennedy presented the first live presidential news conference from Washington, DC. The event was carried on radio and television.
This is a great reminder of the importance of over-communicating as a leader (via multiple methods if necessary) as well as the courage to try new technologies to achieve your leadership goals and dreams. Unshackle your perceived limitations!
Please share your thoughts and comments in this forum -
January 23, 2015
Leading with Honor Wisdom for Today, January 23, 2015
���There will be many chapters in your life. Don���t get lost in the one you���re in right now.��� ��� Unknown
January 22, 2015
Leading with Honor Review and Comments – See Inside
We���re so grateful for these recent comments about Lee���s stories and lessons learned in Leading with Honor. People of all ages and walks of life are enjoying the wisdom that Lee shares -
���Lee Ellis recounts how the POWs in Vietnam held together, kept their sanity and grew emotionally and mentally by sharing knowledge, and motivated each other. Lots of lessons for corporate leaders in this country to lead with honor, and not fear and greed.��� ��� Linda M.
���Excellent mix of stories and application. Ellis the integrity of true leaders. Just because a person has a position of leadership does not mean they lead with honor.��� ��� B. Zagel
Please share your comments in this forum – thank you!
January 21, 2015
New Year���s Insight: How Do Natural Behaviors Affect Leadership Vision?
By Lee Ellis
Starting a new year can be a time of mixed emotions. I know because I greeted six consecutive New Years sitting in POW camps of North Vietnam. Fear was the foremost emotion in those first three years, and the others were somewhat daunting, too. Yet, we always kept hope that the New Year would bring an honorable end to the war. In spite of the difficult conditions, our leaders stayed positive and inspired us to bounce back as they did so often. They also taught us to deal with the tough issues at hand���to resist the enemy and survive so that someday we could return with honor.
One of the difficult challenges for leaders is paradox���the fine balance between being –
humble and strong
decisive and willing to listen to the ideas of others
confident and vulnerable
tough and compassionate
detached and sensitive
A Healthy Perspective
A healthy paradox to start the New Year is facing the future with both hope and realism. In his bestselling book, Good to Great, Jim Collins addressed the process that kept the Vietnam POWs going year after year, and he named it after his friend and one of our senior leaders, VADM James Bond Stockdale. Collins insightfully categorized the importance of this dynamic tension as the ���Stockdale Paradox��� –
���You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end���which you can never afford to lose���with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.���
Where Do You Stand?
So as we look forward to year 2015, what is your business challenge? Are you naturally optimistic and seeing the positive potential of what can happen this year? If so, then you may need to sit down with some friends and teammates who are more realistic to help you confront the brutal realities of your situations. Do you have a strategy and plan in place to address the tough days ahead? If not, it���s time to face the facts and get your plan in place.
On the other hand if all you can see is barb wire and hard times ahead, then you probably need to begin the New Year with a time of thanksgiving to count your blessings and recalibrate your attitude. Determine where you can get a foothold of hope and optimism to inspire yourself and others. Optimism generates positive emotions related to faith, belief, conviction, and confidence, and it���s from these emotions that we gain the inspiration to persist when things look bleak and hold on until we can ultimately prevail.
An Awareness of Natural Behaviors
It���s also important to understand how people in your team and organization react and respond to challenges based on their natural behaviors. Some will see them with enthusiastic tenacity, while others face (or avoid) them with dread. We���ve also found after assessing thousands of people with the Leadership Behavior DNA discovery process that these behaviors also affect their communication style and results vs. relationships balance.
Deal with the brutal realities of your situation, and choose a positive belief of great hope and expectations that you will prevail. When the hard times come, it���s the leader���s attitude that lifts others to victory. The POW leaders shined the light through dark times, and that���s a lesson for all times.
LE
P.S. If you need help assessing the natural behavioral styles of your team or organization, Leadership Behavior DNA���s fully validated and accurate development services can help. Contact us for details.
January 20, 2015
Fill in the Blank ��� ���Hope and faith are important in Business������
Fill in the Blank ��� ���Hope and faith are important in business and leadership because ______________________________.���
Please share your answers on this blog ��� thank you!
