“The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping old ones.” ~John Maynard Keynes
Being a leader today is not real easy unless you are willing to let go of old ways of doing things.
Leadership is about influence and motivation and getting people to do something better than they ever thought imaginable. What leaders must realize is the art of influence (i.e. leadership) is just that…an art…it is not a science. Effective leadership, although based upon a strong foundation of virtues like honesty, integrity, courage, focus and respect, is everchanging and evolving and is somewhat generational-dependent.
Remember, you lead people and you manage processes. Sometimes management processes stay in place for years but the way a leader leads must be always open to change as people and their motivating factors change.
Leaders I work with today who struggle with influencing and motivating their teams are simply out of touch with what it takes to motivate their people. They are stuck in old ways of behaving. They manage their people instead of lead them.
Whether you are leading a huge corporation, a small business, a non-profit organization, your family or just yourself; effective leadership requires the willingness to change old beliefs and ideas if they are no longer serving as catalysts for influence and motivation.
The best way to find out what motivates the people you are leading (including yourself) is to spend time talking with them and reflecting…it is not rocket science.
P.E.A.C.E.
