Posts Tagged ‘Influence’
NELSON MANDELA: LESSONS ON A LEADER’S LEGACY
Nelson Mandela won South Africa’s presidential election in 1994 after more than four decades of opposing racial segregation in his homeland. Mandela had spent 27 of those years in jail on account of his activism. After becoming President, Mandela had a prime opportunity to exact revenge on the political party that had formerly imprisoned him.…
Read MoreROLE MODELS ON THE RUN
Disappointed. Confused. Hurt. That’s how we feel when a role model turns out to be unreliable. When someone we admire fails us, the painful emotions trigger questions. Should we stop looking up to the leaders around us? After all, they routinely seem to let us down. Also, should we run away from being role models…
Read MoreQUALITIES OF A GOOD GUIDE
In 1804, Lewis and Clark faced the daunting task of finding their way across the vast wilderness of the American continent to reach its Pacific Coast. Their 33-member expedition included some of the most experienced navigators, scouts, woodsmen, and hunters in the United States. Yet despite their collective talents, the explorers would have died of…
Read MoreLEADERSHIP JUDGMENT
The outcome of a sporting event sometimes is heavily influenced by the judgment of an official or umpire. For instance, with game two of the playoff series between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat tied 103-103, Celtics guard Rajon Rondo drove toward the hoop for a layup. Dwyane Wade of the Heat appeared to whack…
Read MoreEMPOWERMENT: PUTTING THE ODDS IN YOUR FAVOR
In America’s 50 largest cities, the high school graduation rate is 53%. Nearly ½ of students do not earn a diploma within four years of starting the 9th grade. Not finishing high school adversely affects a person’s life in numerous ways. For example, dropouts are far more likely to be unemployed or imprisoned compared to…
Read MoreTRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP
How did you spend summertime as a child? Perhaps you have memories of vacationing with your family, playing baseball or softball, attending summer camps, or swimming at the pool or lake. Eight-year old Khadim spends his days at a brick kiln, working to pay off a small debt inherited from his deceased parents. However, he…
Read MoreTHINKING YOUR WAY TO THE TOP
No one wants to feel invisible as they pass through life, yet we often get the impression that others see us as little more than a statistic. Our resume ends up in a pile, our performance reviews goes into a file, and like everyone else we get a raise every once in a while. We’re…
Read MoreSIX SIMPLE RULES FOR LIFE
A five-year old slugger smacks the baseball out into the field and sprints toward third base. A tiny midfielder, playing her first soccer match, reaches down and scoops into her arms the ball rolling through the green grass toward her. A small child on the basketball court receives a pass from a teammate and excitedly…
Read MorePersuasive or Manipulative?
All leaders are salespersons. Though they may not be peddling a product, leaders are selling a picture of what the future could be and should be. They seek to persuade others to buy-in to a particular vision. Unfortunately, skepticism toward leadership abounds throughout society. Every year since 2004, Harvard’s Center for Public Leadership, in…
Read MoreDealing with Relational Difficulties
Following a 34-17 loss on October 2nd, Santonio Holmes, wide receiver and team captain for the New York Jets, suggested fault for the defeat lay with his team’s quarterback and offensive linemen. In venting his frustration, Holmes violated a team rule to keep criticism of fellow players internal to the organization. The wide receiver’s comments…
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