Thursday, September 27, 2012

Daily Inspiration 9-27-12


"Effective leadership is not about
making speeches or being liked;
leadership is defined by results not attributes."

-- Peter F Drucker



This quote is funny when I read it among a hundred quotes about leadership from a variety of authors. It's funny because it jumps out at me and demands my attention.
 
There are so many quotes on leadership and the vast majority of them are focused on the attributes, whereas, Mr Drucker says it the way it really is: there has to be measurable performance.
 
As a sales manager for so long, I've hired a lot of salespeople who were really nice. They could strike up a conversation and keep the prospects interest and they would get along like the best of friends, but there was one problem that was too hard to ignore. It was that they could seem to learn how to close the sale. They would talk up a storm, but the prospect would run out of time and be on their way without the product or service.
 
Managers can be that way too. I've seen managers in my travels who just can't seem to get the job done. They might be able to perform on their own, but management is all about getting things done through others. I am always mindful to remind myself of that basic fact so that I don't forget what the real job is.
 
Leadership can be a complicated affair, but I agree that effective leadership is getting results.


Ready, Aim, Lead!

 
Spread Some Joy Today--Enjoy the weather today--regardless of what it is. Really enjoy it.

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