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SERENITY FOR LEADERS
30 DAYS TO HONING TRUE LEADERSHIP
By E.D. Johnson
AuthorHouse
Copyright © 2011 E.D. Johnson
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4490-8859-0
Chapter One
DAY 1 ASSERTIVENESS
The mind can assert anything and pretend it has proved it. My beliefs I test on my body, on my intuitional consciousness, and when I get a response there, then I accept. ~ David Herbert Lawrence
* * *
WHAT IS ASSERTIVENESS? Regardless of what the mind asserts, Lawrence's quote reaffirms the validity of listening to the heart, for therein lies the voice of conscience and intuition. Leaders anchored in Serenity assert themselves in constructive ways.
How? By being bold enough to tactfully and firmly address issues that need to be discussed. That's not to say they don't have their own fears and insecurities to work through; they do. However, they don't play defense. They face issues as they occur instead of sweeping them under the carpet or wink away problems.
ASSERTING YOURSELF AS A LEADER
How would you react if a subordinate left pallets of perishables unattended and they spoiled, that also zeroed out the week's profits?
Would you:
1. Confront this person one-on-one
2. Finger-point while telling the team about the situation
3. Talked one-on-one with this person, and then announced to everyone new prevention procedures without finger-pointing at this individual?
In asserting your leadership position, are you ready to risk taking flak for being: aggressive, bossy and abrasive while confronting problems plus protecting your rights and those of others?
Do you seek win-win solutions comfortable to all sides while mending fences?
DAY 2 BOUNDARIES
Identify what the issues are and decide whether you can salvage the relationship. If the answer is no, be assertive and tell it like it is. If you need to break that relationship, subtlety doesn't work. You don't have to be unkind; just explain that it isn't working for you ~ Gladeana McMahon
* * *
WHAT ARE PERSONAL BOUNDARIES?
Setting personal boundaries is similar to asserting oneself. Boundaries vary with individuals, so a leader needs to assess what works, and when. True, a leader needs to motivate others to keep things moving, but it should also be done while respecting boundaries. A leader's ability to manage stress in such situations is key for ongoing momentum and bringing a satisfying conclusion to the project.
Leaders, too, need to recognize their own boundaries and limitations. They need to push themselves as best they can. However, I've also learned that I can unknowingly push myself to exhaustion to the unhealthy point of reducing productivity and compromising team efficacy.
WHAT ARE MY BOUNDARIES AND LIMITATIONS?
Please List Personal Boundaries You'd Like to Acknowledge & Honor
1.
2.
3.
DAY 3 COMPOSURE & BEARING
The beauty of the soul shines out when a man bears with composure one heavy mischance after another, not because he does not feel them, but because he is a man of high and heroic temper. ~ Aristotle
* * *
WHAT IS COMPOSURE OR BEARING?
Aristotle likens bearing or composure to high heroism. A leader needs at all times to present a serene manner—regardless of calamities and misfortunes. That's when the beautiful light of the soul shines forth; and a practical example of prevailing upon Serenity to stay cool and calm above swirling waters.
Radiating Serenity silently, consciously and magnanimously is a leadership quality of utmost practical value. That's grace under fire. That's how team members feel an understated current of reassurance and confidence—which reflects onto a sense of security and trust in being under your direction and tutelage at all times.
HOW DO LEADERS INVITE COMPOSURE TO TEAM ACTIVITIES?
Integrate moments of silence before an activity. All it requires is for everyone to:
1. Sit down and close their eyes
2. Breathe in slowly and deeply
3. Calmly focus on breathing by inhaling new energy and exhaling stale energy
4. Repeating a few times. It's amazing how this simple exercise renews enthusiasm and dynamic interaction.
As a leader, it's worthwhile to invest in your inner wealth by learning to meditate, and doing it daily as a regular practice. Even meditating 5-10 minutes early in the morning allows you to draw on your meditation bank for peaceful withdrawals when the going gets crazy. Replenish again before lunch with another 5-minute meditation, after work, before turning in or whenever you need to pull out poise and composure to ground your outer dealings.
When it's impractical to meditate, just being grounded in Serenity allows others to sense your peaceful bearing—and intuitively connects them with you for guidance.
DAY 4 COURAGE
Without courage, all other virtues lose their meaning. ~ Winston Churchill
* * *
WHAT IS COURAGE?
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's valor was a major force for Allied victory during World War II. Courage was paramount for victory. Churchill also coined these two sayings: "Courage is the first of the human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all the others." "Success is never found. Failure is never fatal. Courage is the only thing."
Being a leader can be very taxing. It challenges your confidence in yourself and others. This is where Serenity grounds a leader with the firm conviction of doing what needs to be done—by focusing on the task at hand, working through process diligently and providing a brave front and disciplined direction at all times.
HOW DO LEADERS DEVELOP COURAGE?
Mark Twain observed, "Courage is not absence of fear; it is control of fear, mastery of fear." A leader recognizes their fear, accepts it and works to master fear by challenging it and conquering it. With this personal victory under their belt, it becomes easier to motivate the team to go forward, and on to victory and success.
Courage is the badge of valor that inspires others. How to overcome fear? By doing something that provokes fear in you, over and over and over again until you find it a fearless activity. It's called "systemic desensitization," where practice makes perfect as you gain mastery over the fear of giving orders or making speeches.
As a leader, you've got to overcome and desensitize your fears. Most are irrational, such as speechmaking. Once you get over your fear, you'll actually enjoy public speaking because you inspire others with your enthusiasm and examples.
DAY 5 DECISIVENESS
Be willing to make decisions. That's the most important quality in a good leader. Don't fall victim to what I call the Ready—Aim-Aim-Aim Syndrome. You must be willing to fire. ~ T. Boone Pickens
* * *
WHAT IS DECISIVENESS?
As successful businessman T. Boone Pickens knows, a leader must be willing to make decisions. No waffling. No vacillating. Just decide what to do and do it! Unless a leader is grounded in Serenity, razor-sharp decisions to take action can traumatize a leader and compromise project outcomes. Why? Because procrastination is a common friend of non-activity, and non-activity produces no results.
A leader needs to be proactive. Just as a leader is given the opportunity to strategize and plan activities, he or she must take action to implement through plans. That's where the double-edged sword of leadership can be a tough balance of thoughtful processing versus implementation. Staying in Serenity can sharpen a leader's vision to act responsibly with thoughtful planning and careful follow-through.
HOW DO LEADERS CULTIVATE DECISIVENESS?
British statesman George Canning observed,
"Indecision and delays are the parents of failure."
Please list three reasons that contribute to indecisiveness for you:
1. __________________________________________
2. __________________________________________
3. __________________________________________
Next, list three creative ways to overcome them:
1. __________________________________________
2. __________________________________________
3. __________________________________________
DAY 6 EMPATHY
Giving is the secret of a healthy life. Not necessarily money, but whatever a person has of encouragement, sympathy and understanding. ~ John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
* * *
WHAT IS EMPATHY?
Empathy is what makes a leader an outstanding leader. This person leads from the heart by showing kindness, the willingness to listen and a genuine concern for everyone. But, of course, not to the point of caving in to unreasonable demands just to show empathy in garnering support.
Remember, leading with the heart is making emotional connections in harmony and serenity with others. When you feel for them, regardless of differences of opinion, by listening and understanding where they're coming from, empathy is a powerful ally in gaining trust, acceptance and respect.
HOW CAN LEADERS SHOW EMPATHY?
By making time to listen to what others have to say—by way of feedback, innovations on existing procedures for more efficient results and the quest for accurate and unbiased information in making informed decisions.
By making the effort to understand what the other side is trying to communicate, because this shows a leader is breaking through emotional barriers to want to learn about other points of view.
By showing you're trying to learn and be open to new ways of doing things.
By taking the initiative to promote goodwill and harmony, leaders show they understand that things get done based on how people feel, and not what directives and orders dictate ought to be done in rigid, codified ways.
DAY 7 ENTHUSIASM
Each enthusiasm-song has tremendous capacity to energize my life. ~ Sri Chinmoy
* * *
WHAT IS ENTHUSIASM?
Enthusiasm is a dynamic quality that lights up our lives. Ralph Waldo Emerson observed, "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." As a leader, your infectious energy and determination to embark on projects and accomplish them with zeal is key to successful processes and outcomes for everyone.
How to develop enthusiasm? Take time out to reenergize. It's as simple as taking exercise daily to transform lethargy into fresh and vibrant energy. You know how exhilarating it feels after a workout. Fuel your enthusiasm with dynamic energy—so that, where once you saw dull, monochromatic hues, you're able to see a metaphoric silver lining brimming with bright opportunities.
HOW CAN LEADERS INVOKE ENTHUSIASM?
When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping—for:
Fresh new takes on the "same-old" by invoking Serenity for creative clarity.
Different ways to re-engage the group in doing collective things—such as singing together, cooking and serving gourmet meals, picnics and watching movies.
Organize competitive group activities to generate team enthusiasm.
List at least five ideas:
1. __________________________________________
2. __________________________________________
3. __________________________________________
4. __________________________________________
5. __________________________________________
DAY 8 GRATITUDE
To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven. ~ Johannes A. Geartner
* * *
WHAT DOES GRATITUDE MEAN FOR LEADERS?
A heart of Gratitude lives a life of perpetual Serenity. A person is always appreciative of random acts of kindness, of good judgment that saves the day, or just simply receiving a heartfelt, "thank you!"
For leaders who lead persuasively, offering and receiving gratitude is the linchpin of goodwill in making emotional connections with team members. Amazingly, the more appreciative a person is, the more of the same rewards grace their lives, too.
HOW DOES GRATITUDE AFFECT TEAM PRODUCTIVITY?
The power of appreciation attracts more of the same. Use Gratitude as a conscious tactic to build team harmony. A sincere "thank you" is always gratefully received.
Sometimes, not having to say "thank you" out loud works as well. Use your eyes and heart to express appreciation in unspoken ways—ending a project earlier, sending a heartfelt note, sharing surprise treats and handing out gift cards.
A person's self-worth is enhanced when approbation is expressed. A leader can never ever express enough approval and praise when it's earned and well deserved.
As author Ralph H. Blum notes, "There is a calmness to a life lived in Gratitude, a quiet joy." Quiet joy nurtures the workplace beyond compare.
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity," author Melody Beattie muses.
DAY 9 HONESTY
Honesty is the cornerstone of all success, without which confidence and ability to perform shall cease to exist. ~ Mary Kay Ash; Founder, Mary Kay Cosmetics
* * *
WHY IS HONESTY VITAL FOR LEADERS?
Leaders are held at a higher level of accountability. The trustworthy examples they exemplify set the tone for responsible actions all round. Without this cornerstone of virtue, no business can enjoy lasting progress and success.
Honesty is an unspoken trait that radiates from the heart of Serenity and Sincerity. Together, these three friends provide a reliable foundation for a leader to build on, one that team members intuitively sense. With this sense of implicit faith as a badge of honor, a leader can always count on others to support him or her in their mission. Especially when the going get tough, and all hands on board are needed to keep going to the end.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from SERENITY FOR LEADERS by E.D. Johnson Copyright © 2011 by E.D. Johnson. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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