Posts Tagged ‘preparation’
The Future Is Now – Are You Ready?
One of the attributes of a leader is the ability to see more and before others see. If it sounds like a leader should be able to see the future, that’s exactly the point. Leaders need to be attuned to the world around them—everything from the market to the culture at large. In 2018, I…
Read MoreMark Cole: Leadership Seasons
“How do I find balance in my life?” seems to be a very popular question for this generation of leaders. While much has been written and taught on this subject, I think we all desire a sense of balance at home and at work. But the idea of balance is difficult for me to teach…
Read MoreMark Cole: Preparation Positions Your Talent
What happens when you don’t prepare? Take a minute to think about it—and be honest with yourself. In my leadership, the results of being unprepared are predictable. Things I hoped wouldn’t happen do happen—and occur with greater frequency than the things I hoped would happen. The reason is simple: being unprepared puts me out of…
Read MoreProcrastinating, or practicing good timing?
You have a decision to make. But you just aren’t sure about it. So you put it off. Sometimes that’s a wise move, because the timing isn’t right. In my book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, I teach the Law of Timing, which says, “When to lead is as important as what to do…
Read MoreTransition: Managing the “Ins and Outs” of Leadership
I am often asked how to successfully manage leadership transition within an organization. How do you end well? Or conversely, how do you start off on the right foot? My friend, Bob Russell, has written an excellent book, Transition Plan, on the successful leadership changeover following his 40-year tenure at Southeast Community Church in Louisville,…
Read MoreCharacteristics of Successful Coaches
Successful coaches come with a variety of personalities. Mike Ditka and Bobby Knight exuded emotion whereas Phil Jackson had a stoical demeanor. Pat Summitt was the very picture of intensity, while John Madden was gregarious and affable. Geno Auriemma’s outspoken and animated style paints a stark contrast to Tom Landry’s poised and understated manner of…
Read MorePreparation Paves the Way for EQUIP World Relay
“Preparation positions people correctly, and it is often the separation between winning and losing. Talent-plus people who prepare well live by this motto: ‘All’s well that begins well.’”1 All leaders possess talent, but having the ability to recognize the power of preparation and “beginning well” is critical to getting the desired end result and the…
Read MoreWhen Plans Don’t Go According to the Script, Keep Planning
“In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower As Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe during World War II, Dwight D. Eisenhower planned, coordinated, and carried out the largest amphibious assault ever undertaken – the Invasion of Normandy. Historians regard him…
Read MoreThe Four Practices of a Visionary Leader
In February 1895, brothers Louis and Auguste Lumiere patented the cinematograph, an all-in-one film camera, projector, and printer. With the use of their invention, the two Frenchmen created the concept of a motion picture. Their public screening in March 1895 was history’s first. Later on that year the Lumieres reached another milestone, as a showing…
Read MoreLeadership Lessons from the Life of Saint Patrick
Lost in the midst of shamrocks, green-clad partygoers, and leprechauns there is a story of a tremendous leader – Saint Patrick. That we celebrate a holiday bearing his name 1,500 years after his death attests to the greatness of Ireland’s patron saint. Saint Patrick’s life teaches valuable lessons about the power of forgiveness. THE LIFE…
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