Daily Inspiration 1-3-13

"By focusing attention on a vision,

the leader operates on the

emotional and spiritual resources

of the organization."

 

-- Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus

from Leaders

I pulled only one sentence out of a marvelous paragraph from the book, Leaders, Strategies for Taking Charge by Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus, 2nd revised edition, 1997. But, you have to read the whole paragraph to enjoy its special beauty. Here it is:

"We have here one of the clearest distinctions between a leader and the manager. By focusing attention on a vision, the leader operates on the emotional and spiritual resources of the organization, on its values, commitment and aspirations. The manager, by contrast, operates on the physical resources of the organization, on its capital, human skills, raw materials and technology. Any competent manager can make it possible for people in the organization to earn a living. An excellent manager can see to it that work is done productively and efficiently, on schedule, and with a high level of quality. It remains for the effective leader, however, to help people in the organization know pride and satisfaction in their work. Great leaders often inspire their followers to high levels of achievement by showing them how their work contributes to worthwhile ends. It is an emotional appeal to some of the most fundamental of human needs--the need to be important, to make a difference, to feel useful, to be a part of a successful and worthwhile enterprise."

I've studied much on the subject of leadership and management, and I don't recall ever seeing such a fine and, in my mind, correct and thoughtful distinction. I especially keyed in on the phrase, "a leader operates on the emotional and spiritual resources of the organization." What a powerful place to operate and it so finely defines more about leadership.

Some think it is a lot about personality, charisma, education, and so on, but those could only be side benefits, if they are benefits at all. This only goes to show clearly that all can become a leader as they learn to understand this paragraph, take it to heart, and live it daily.


This Has Always Been My Own Passion And Desire.

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