Blurb 1

So You Want To Be A Leader!

You have worked all your life to gain knowledge, prestige, resources, and you feel you are ready to lead. Leaders have it made, or so you think. They generally have higher salaries, bonuses, company cars, power and prestige. What could be better?

But, what you don't know which you will quickly find out, is that a leader assumes "accountability!" The cliché " The buck stops here" is something you will think about often!  When things are going well, it is the greatest job in the world, but when there are challenges, that is when the "true leaders" rise to the top, and the wannabe leaders are exposed for all to see. (The Emperor has no clothes)

We will, at a later time go into the myriad factors and psychological requirements to be an effective leader, but until then, just be aware there is more to being a leader in an organization than you can possibly imagine! Organizational and critical thinking, control of one's emotions, and the courage to do what is right, even if it conflicts with organizational needs, are capabilities we all "think" we have, but situations often come up which will show the individuals who really have these abilities.

Welcome to your first Leadership position. We wish you success...

Blurb 2

Hire to Your Weaknesses

Despite some people’s impression, being an effective leader is not an ego trip on steroids! Others have made the very

important decision to trust your decision making process to meet organizational goals. Whether it is a profit goal, innovative goal, educational goal, or expansion goal, you are the one they have chosen! YOU are the one they expect to act in the dignified, ethical effective way that their organization prides itself on.

Above all, they don’t expect you to be a “know it all” or be perfect, but be an individual who is acutely aware of their own strengths and weaknesses. Every one of us has certain areas in which they excel. But no one succeeds in everything, most of us have some areas that they are less educated in, or just don’t like pursuing. If someone tells you they are excellent at everything, my instinct would be to run away; very quickly! This individual spells potential disaster for your establishment.

When you take the reins of your new position, you know you are going to need competent assistants to help you perform your tasks. This is the time to evaluate your strengths, your weaknesses, and preference in a very honest manner, leaving out pride and ego. Remember, it is your job to get the overall job done, and to do this you need knowledgeable people working for you. It is truly a team effort!

For example, as a leader, more than likely you are going to have to prepare a budget. While you may be up to date on current accounting methods and be very astute in proper budget preparation, you just do not like to do it! ( In fact it is one of your most unfavorable tasks.) So, the wise move, knowing this is a potential weakness on your part is to hire the best accountant you can get who has a passion for their job. This move alone then creates a situation where a weakness has been turned into an overall strength!

There is much more to this that we will cover later, but the key thing to remember is the reason you have been

put in charge. It is to achieve the goals that initiated your employment in the first place.

So, next time you get “too impressed with yourself” think; am I doing the job in the best way?

Blurb 3
The Value of Team Input

The individuals who populate your organization are absolutely essential to the smooth running and success of the establishment. They provide insight into the everyday activity and many times are sources of invaluable suggestions on how to improve the overall operation.

Therefore, leadership should encourage individuals to submit suggestions, views, and even concerns, as they are the lifeblood of the organization. A "welcoming attitude" from leadership toward their team will encourage communication and a feeling of confidence that they are an integral and valued part of the organization.

Remember, it only takes one great idea to change your organization! Overinflated egos have no place in leadership1