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February 25 - March 3, 2025
communicators “make the complex simple.”
Every book is a conversation between the author and the individual reading it.
The thing I love about writing books is that it allows me to “talk” to many people I will never personally meet.
we met weekly or monthly to talk about leadership, every time we got together I’d share with you something new I’d learned. As a person, I continue to grow. I’m constantly reading. I’m analyzing my mistakes. I’m talking to excellent leaders to learn from them. Each time you and I were to sit down, I’d say, “You won’t believe what I just learned.”
The greater the impact you want to make, the greater your influence needs to be. Whatever you will accomplish is restricted by your ability to lead others.
Don said that whenever his people went into an organization to take it over, they always started by doing two things. First, they trained all the staff to improve their level of service to the customers, and second, they fired the leader.
She was a real leader, and when the real leader speaks, people listen. Leadership is influence—nothing more, nothing less.
True leadership cannot be awarded, appointed, or assigned. It comes only from influence, and that cannot be mandated. It must be earned. The only thing a title can buy is a little time—either to increase your level of influence with others or to undermine it.
The main difference between the two is that leadership is about influencing people to follow, while management focuses on maintaining systems and processes.
The best way to test whether a person can lead rather than just manage is to ask him to create positive change. Managers can maintain direction, but often they can’t change it. Systems and processes can do only so much. To move people in a new direction, you need influence.
To be a leader, a person has to not only be out front, but also have people intentionally coming behind him, following his lead, and acting on his vision. Being a trendsetter is not the same as being a leader.
“It’s not the position that makes the leader; it’s the leader that makes the position.”
Don’t listen to the claims of the person professing to be the leader. Don’t examine his credentials. Don’t check his title. Check his influence. The proof of leadership is found in the followers.
Margaret Thatcher, the former British prime minister, observed, “Being in power is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.”
People can sense the depth of his character.
Leaders seek to recognize and influence intangibles such as energy, morale, timing, and momentum.
Most followers are pretty cooperative when their livelihood is at stake.
“The very essence of all power to influence lies in getting the other person to participate.”
says, “He who thinks he leads, but has no followers, is only taking a walk.”
If you can’t influence people, then they will not follow you. And if people won’t follow, you are not a leader.
The secret to Scheiber’s success was that she spent most of her life building her worth.
There are no successful “day traders” in leadership development. What matters most is what you do day by day over the long haul. My
“It is the capacity to develop and improve their skills that distinguishes leaders from their followers.” Successful leaders are learners.
Being put in charge is not the same as being a leader.
“The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his time when it comes.”
But when the action starts, you’re down to your reflexes.
“Death had to take him sleeping, for if Roosevelt had been awake, there would have been a fight.”
“A leader is one who sees more than others see, who sees farther than others see, and who sees before others do.”
Reflective thinking gives you true perspective, gives emotional integrity to your thought life, increases your confidence in decision making, clarifies the big picture, and takes a good experience and makes it a valuable experience.2
“No manager and no staff in any business feels very good if the boss is not interested enough to come and see them,”
“The employees know that I want to say hello to them, because I like them.”2
I believe the bottom line in leadership isn’t how far we advance ourselves but how far we advance others.
The interaction between every leader and follower is a relationship, and all relationships either add to or subtract from a person’s life. If
There is one critical question: Are you making things better for the people who follow you?
They didn’t set out to receive the Nobel Prize; they desired to engage in noble service to their fellow human beings.
You must give some time to your fellow man. For remember, you don’t live in a world all your own. Your brothers are here too.”
The best place for a leader isn’t always the top position. It isn’t the most prominent or powerful place. It’s the place where he or she can serve the best and add the most value to other people.
“Dan,” I asked after greeting him, “how could you walk right past everybody like that?” “I’ve got a lot of work to do today,” Dan answered, “and really want to get started.” “Dan,” I said, “you just walked past your work. Never forget that leadership is about people.”
Leaders who add value by serving believe in their people before their people believe in them and serve others before they are served.
If you possess wisdom, you gained it by intentionally evaluating the experiences you’ve had.
As leaders, how do we know and relate to what our people value? We listen.
mature leaders listen, learn, and then lead. They listen to their people’s stories. They find out about their hopes and dreams. They become acquainted with their aspirations. And they pay attention to their emotions. From those things, they learn about their people. They discover what is valuable to them. And then they lead based upon what they’ve learned.
For example, Dan was preparing that day to camp out with customers for the nineteenth time on the eve of a new restaurant opening. He said that he has gotten to know customers and their desires in a way he never could before he started that practice.
Ben Franklin as saying, “The handshake of the host affects the taste of the roast.”
when it comes to leadership, you just can’t take shortcuts, no matter how long you’ve been leading your people.
Trust is the foundation of leadership. How does a leader build trust? By consistently exemplifying competence, connection, and character. People
“People will tolerate honest mistakes, but if you violate their trust you will find it very difficult to ever regain their confidence.
“Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without strategy.”
The role of character always has been the key factor in the rise and fall of nations. And one can be sure that America is no exception to this rule of history.
Whenever you lead people, it’s as if they consent to take a journey with you. The way that trip is going to turn out is predicted by your character. With good character, the longer the trip is, the better it seems.
