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3 Keys to a Productive 2011

(c) Kevin Spencer

You may have made some New Year’s resolutions for 2011 which you are keen to achieve. I have some listed in my notebook as well. In the past, I have written up New Year’s resolutions only to discover by the end of January that I am struggling to keep them. I am pretty sure that a number of you have faced similar challenges in the past. Is it a question of a lack of will power or simply a lack of motivation that hinders us from successfully sticking to our New Year’s resolutions?

I believe these 3 keys will help you have a productive 2011.

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Top 10 Posts for 2010

At the end of the year, there is usually a review of the highlights of that year. I started this blog in February with the intention of posting at least one leadership article per week. It has been both an interesting and challenging task, but I am very proud that I have been able to accomplish this target. The feedback from readers has been great and encouraging and I must admit that this helped sustain me during periods when I struggled to come up with something worthy of posting.

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The Power of Leadership Courage

Courage is a quality that leaders are expected to possess. There is the common but wrong assumption that courageous leaders are simply fearless individuals. The Oxford Dictionary defines courage as the ability to do something that frightens you. I agree with this and believe that courage is not the absence of fear but the ability to take positive action in spite of it.

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Know Thyself

Leaders come in different sizes, shapes, types, personalities, races and temperaments. Leadership is not about mindlessly copying the tactics, mannerisms, behaviours and actions of other good leaders but learning from them and incorporating these in a way that works for you. There is an ancient mantra which states ‘know thyself’. Knowing thyself helps clarify your priorities and decisions. People rarely make key decisions that don’t line up with who they believe they are. Everything we are meant to be and do is contained in the DNA of who we are.

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Moses’ Team

 

Moses is regarded as one of the greatest leaders in Jewish history. I did a post on him a few months ago titled Reframing Responsibility. It proved to be quite popular and I’d recommend you read it. The Bible documents three individuals who helped shape and define Moses’ leadership legacy. I believe you need these three types of generational influences in your life to be a successful leader as well.

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Strategy and Tactics

Image (C) USAG-Humphreys

The terms strategy and tactics are synonymous with military leadership and warfare. But they are also terms adopted in the business world and are linked to vision casting and planning. All leaders use strategies and tactics even if they don’t refer to them by name. The vision dictates both the strategy and the tactics.  It is common for a lot of people to use both terms interchangeably because they are quite similar, however, they are very different.

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The Goal of Vision Casting

Image Source: RageZ

I discussed in a previous post about the need for leaders to make their vision sticky by keeping it simple. This is crucial when sharing the vision with large audiences. Leaders should not tire of sharing their vision. It is not a one off activity or simply reserved for special occasions. People need to be reminded where they are going. The vision is a future event. It is the metaphorical ‘there’. It is very easy to take your eye off the vision and get comfortable with the success of the ‘now’. It is the leader’s responsibility to keep his team’s focus on getting ‘there’.

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Four Components of a Clear Vision

 Image source: Cappellmeister

In my last post, I said that a vision needs to be clear and compelling if a leader wants it to be sticky. The responsibility of establishing vision and direction falls on the leader and it can’t be delegated. Leadership really begins with a clear vision.  This week I will focus on the four components of a clear vision as described by Ken Blanchard, Bill Hybels and Phil Hodges in their fantastic book – Leadership by the Book. They defined vision as a picture of the future that produces passion in hearts of everyone involved. A clear vision shapes, defines and guides the decisions and actions of the leader and his team.

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Sticky Vision

Horeb International, vision, mission

Vision can be defined as a preferred future. Phil Jackson, the current coach of the LA Lakers basketball team, once said that “vision is the source of leadership”. I agree because leadership without vision is simply a recipe for confusion. An appropriate metaphor for a vision is a map. Without one, the leader and his followers will be lost. A vision helps the leader navigate the journey ahead.

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Setting the Pace

Roger bannister, four minute mile, mindset, leadership

On the 6th of May 1954, three thousand spectators watched a 25 year old British medical student run the mile in 3 minutes and 59.4 seconds.  Roger Bannister became the first man ever to run the mile under 4 minutes. The miracle four-minute-mile was considered by experts to be an impenetrable barrier until that historic day in May when Bannister proved the experts wrong and put himself in the record books.