Lee Ellis's Blog, page 317
January 18, 2015
On This Day in Leadership History, January 18, 2015
On this day in 1896 in leadership history, the x-ray machine was exhibited for the first time. Imagine the marvel of being able to view the inside of the body to diagnose and treat people? It was the catalyst for much of the medical imaging technology that we use today.
Don���t ignore or suppress new ways of thinking or improving your personal or professional outlook. What areas can be improved? What areas can be eliminated? What areas can be re-imagined? You can do it!
January 17, 2015
Pressured to Get Results? Here’s the Foundational Key in Leadership
When was the last time that you were pressured to get results in your work? Yesterday right??
Great leaders know that one of the foundational principles of getting better results is knowing yourself and courageously facing the leadership challenges in your personal growth.
Compare your leadership growth with Lee Ellis��� free ���Leadership Freedom Checklist��� and see where you stand.
Download a copy, and please share your thoughts.
January 16, 2015
Leading with Honor Wisdom for Today, January 16, 2015
���The real things haven���t changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong.��� ��� Laura Ingalls Wilder
January 15, 2015
January Off to a Fast Start? A Quick Reminder About Over-Communication
So has January already started off at a fast pace for you? We understand! Over-communicating is even more important during these times for team clarity and unity. Lee briefly shares his thoughts on the why���s of over-communicating���be informed and encouraged.
January 11, 2015
On This Day in Leadership History, January 11, 2015
On this day in leadership history in 1913, the first sedan-type car was unveiled at the National Automobile Show in New York City. The car was manufactured by the Hudson Motor Company.
Even though the Hudson Motor Company is not producing automobiles anymore, they influenced an entire industry that now encompasses the most popular car type in the entire world, four-door sedans. They were the forerunners in this type of transportation, and they inspired others to create innovative solutions to help people. May we all do the same thing in our various types of work���be innovative and seek to invest in helping others achieve their goals!
January 9, 2015
Leading with Honor Wisdom for Today, January 9, 2015
���I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.��� ��� Mother Teresa
January 7, 2015
The 2015 Recommended Leadership Reading List from Lee Ellis and Leading with Honor
Lee is frequently asked what leadership titles are on his bookshelf. Where does he get his inspiration and source for continued learning on the topic?
Below are the 15 titles in Lee���s Recommended Reading List for 2015 (in alphabetical order). Each book in this list will equip you to become a better, more well-rounded leader in every area of life. If you���ve read some of these books, please share your comments in this forum ���
The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni
The Adversity Paradox: An Unconventional Guide to Achieving Uncommon Business Success by J. Barry Griswell and Bob Jennings
Character: The Ultimate Success Factor by Dr. J. Phillip (Jack) London
Courage: The Backbone of Leadership by Gus Lee
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler
Exceeding Expectations: Reflections on Leadership by William R. Looney
Executive Toughness by Dr. Jason Selk
How the Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In by Jim Collins
The Last Lion 2: Winston Spencer Churchill Alone (1932-1940) by William R. Manchester
Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box by The Arbinger Institute
Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton: Six Characteristics of High-Performance Teams by Peter Fretwell, Taylor Baldwin Kiland, James B. Stockdale (Contributor), J.P. London
Man���s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl, Harold S. Kushner (Foreword), Ilse Lasch (Translator)
The Road Less Travelled by M. Scott Peck, MD
The Six Foundations of Success by Stuart R. Levine
True North by Bill George, Peter Sims, and David Gergen (Foreword by)
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How did American military leaders in the brutal POW camps of North Vietnam inspire their followers for six, seven, and even eight years to remain committed to the mission, resist a cruel enemy, and return home with honor? What leadership principles engendered such extreme devotion, perseverance, and teamwork?
In this powerful and practical book, Lee Ellis, a former Air Force pilot, candidly talks about his five and a half years of captivity and the fourteen key leadership principles behind this amazing story. As a successful executive coach and corporate consultant, he helps leaders of Fortune 500 companies, healthcare executives, small business owners, and entrepreneurs utilize these same pressure-tested principles to increase their personal and organizational success.
In Leading with Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton, you will learn:
- Courageous lessons from POW leaders facing torture in the crucible of captivity.
- How successful teams are applying these same lessons and principles.
- How to implement these lessons using the Coaching sessions provided in each chapter.
Learn more about Leading with Honor: Leadership Lesson from the Hanoi Hilton
January 5, 2015
The Top 3 Leadership Barriers to Break in 2015: Lessons from Unbroken
By Lee Ellis
The long awaited movie, Unbroken, came out during the holidays. And while I read the book and enjoyed it very much, I looked forward to the movie with mixed emotions for a couple of reasons. I knew that the film would be good, but I wasn���t sure that I wanted to experience the pain of viewing so realistically what Louis and his mates would endure. When I saw it, it was painful but there were many good lessons we can draw from it. It also brought back some of my personal memories as a former Vietnam POW and the life and leadership lessons that I learned through that experience.
As we embark on the year 2015, let���s look at three powerful insights to live and lead with honor regardless of the era.
1. Believe in Yourself
Pete, Louis��� older brother, inspired him to greatness as a runner by telling him he believed in Louis and that Louis must believe in himself. In a similar vein, Mack, the third crewman in the raft, though strong and healthy, died because he believed they wouldn���t make it. Both these examples underscore the general truth that automaker/industrialist/pioneer Henry Ford espoused when he said, ���Whether you think you can or you can���t, you are usually right.���
“Believing in oneself is crucial to success. The solution is to identify the lies that you believe about yourself and shut them down.”
One of the best ways to believing in yourself is by listening to a ���Pete,��� someone in your life who cares about you enough to tell you the truth and remind you of the potential that they see in you.
2. Eliminate Bitterness and Envy
This idea was briefly shown at the end of the movie, but if you read the book you know that Louis came home a mess. Today we call it Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and it was ruining his life through anger and alcohol. After surviving all the beatings and torture, Louis came home to freedom only to live in emotional shackles until he got holistic freedom in body, soul, and mind. For Louis, two critical steps were listening to the wisdom of his wife and attending the famous Billy Graham crusade in Hollywood, California. There he reconnected with God and experienced the power of forgiveness, which enabled him to forgive his captors. At that point, he found freedom, the nightmares stopped, the anger died, and the bitterness went away.
In a similar vein, my POW comrades and I had time to deal with bitterness before our release. Thanks to the great work by the National League of POW/MIA Families and the American people who put the heat on our captors to improve our treatment, most of us turned loose of bitterness and left those shackles behind while in the prison camps. Like Louis, some of our senior leaders who were extensively tortured and abused emerged from captivity to live wonderful lives of true freedom until they were well past eighty years of age.
“The shackle of bitterness (and its stealthy cousin envy) never hurts the folks who cause us harm or have what we want because they usually have no idea of the pain they���ve caused.”
Unfortunately though, it ties us up and limits our effectiveness with others. It���s the worst kind of prison, so find a way to forgive and let it go.
3. Be Willing to Pay the Price for Success
As Louis was headed to the Olympics in 1936, Pete looked him in the eye and said, ���Louis, a moment of pain is worth a lifetime of glory.��� A similar line inspired me when I was young. During high school football practice our coach often said, ���We suffer in practice so we can celebrate on Friday night.���
Six years later, I was locked in a POW camp with my cellmates choosing to believe that suffering coupled with an attitude of resilience was the only way we could return with honor.
Embracing an Honor Code
Recently, my team and I released an Honor Code based on the lessons in Leading with Honor������seven short statements that seem so simple yet are so difficult to live by. As one who is engaged in this battle of trying to live with honor, I can tell you it only comes through suffering. For me nowadays, suffering usually comes in situations that require patience, listening, giving up control, and being kind when someone is blocking my way or cutting me off.
Those who are successful in life and leadership are usually the ones who are willing to do what others are not. They go the extra mile. They hold themselves accountable to higher standards and in the short run, they suffer for the glory that lies ahead.
The Cost of Honorable Sacrifice
“Realistically, only one in a million has the courage and grit of a Louis Zamperini, but few are called to that role.”
For most of us, the challenges are simpler and the suffering is more with our ego and our energy. As you look to the next twelve months, what are your goals and are you willing to sacrifice to achieve them? More importantly, what will be the cost if you don���t make that sacrifice?
Please share your thoughts about these three lessons or others you saw in the Unbroken movie or book about Louis. Also, if you want to join me in a battle to live with honor, please download The Honor Code at http://www.LeadingWithHonor.com.
LE
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As president of Leadership Freedom�� LLC, a leadership and team development consulting company, Lee Ellis speaks and consults with Fortune 500 senior executives in the areas of hiring, teambuilding, leadership and human performance development, and succession planning.��A retired Air Force Colonel, his latest book about his Vietnam POW experience is entitled Leading with Honor: Leadership Lessons from the��Hanoi Hilton. Learn more at��www.leadingwithhonor.com.
January 4, 2015
On This Day in Leadership History, January 4, 2015
On this day in leadership history in 1984, Wayne ‘The Great One’ Gretzky scored eight points (four goals and four assists) for the second time in his National Hockey League (NHL) career. Edmonton’s Oilers defeated the Minnesota North Stars, 12-8. The game was the highest-scoring NHL game to date.
Practice, practice, practice your craft, and don’t forget the team around you that helps you achieve your goals and aspirations.
Wayne Gretsky – Wikipedia Link
January 3, 2015
Special January Offer for Lee Ellis Fans and Followers
As a special New Year’s gift to Lee Ellis’ fans and followers like you, we’re offering Leading with Honor™ Kindle e-book edition for only 99 cents during the month of January!
Maybe you have the print edition and want a copy for your tablet, or maybe you want to share Leading with Honor with a young, next generation leader.
Click here to learn more and order.
We’re so grateful for honorable leaders, and this is just one way that we want to you say THANK YOU!
