- My job as a leader is not to make all the decisions. My job as a leader is to ensure all the right decisions are made. This means I must surround myself with talented people and then trust them to do their jobs. Also, my focus is on accomplishment. Empowerment means allowing my team to go about their assignments completely differently than perhaps I would. However, as long as the task is completed, as long as the job gets done, we can celebrate our uniqueness and the accomplishment of our assignment. This requires a secure leader.
- “The majority of deaths on big peaks occur after people have reached the summit, because they have used every ounce of energy they have to get to the top and have nothing left to get themselves back down.” – Explorer-extraordinaire, author and motivational speaker Alison Levine. For leaders, success means finishing well.
- “When faced with a challenge, get smarter…I’ve made a policy of trying to trying to hire people who are smarter than I am. The obvious payoff of exceptional people are that they innovate, excel, and generally make your company – and, by extension you – look good.” – Ed Catmull from his incredible book. The answer to any problem is a person. Add smart people to address the issues you face as a leader
Sports Illustrated – April 28th
- In 2013, MLB batters hit .255 with a .387 OBP with a 2-1 count. They hit .179 with a .228 OBP with a 1-2 count. Leaders never have to recover from a good start.
- “For any receiver, the best chance to create separation from a defender comes at the moment he plants a cleat and changes course.” – Andy Staples. A new direction generates momentum. Many leaders reading this post who need an injection of momentum should consider a change of course.
- “That step might buy six inches of daylight, and that might be the difference between a four-yard gain and an 40-yard touchdown. And over the course of a decade that step, executed with precision every time, could be the difference between an average career and a Hall of Fame jacket.” – Staples. Good leadership decisions and behavior, compounded over an extended period of time, yield dramatic results.
Sports Illustrated – April 21st
- “It’s not golf. It’s different than that. It’s like a symphony, a painting, sculpture. It’s artistic expression. (two-time Masters champion) Bubba (Watson) sees the course in a big parabolas and arcs, not in straight lines. The power is one thing, but what makes him so unique is the creativity.” – Ben Crenshaw. Creative leaders continually discipline themselves to view the world, people and the issues they face in a new and different light.
Sports Illustrated – April 14th
- “Never give away the rights to something with an unknown future value.” – Scott Rosner, professor of Sports Business at Wharton. Successful leaders gather information before making decisions. Successful leaders also view people, assets and opportunities as investments rather than an expense.
Others
- “He’s on the ground too much.” – NFL analyst Greg Cosell describing Notre Dame DT Louis Nix III prior to the draft. If you are on the ground as a defensive player you are unavailable to make a tackle. The most important ability a leader needs to have is availability. To read more on the importance of being an Available Leader, click here.
- “Any open space is a runway.” – Cherith McCrum. I attended Cherith’s funeral today. I can’t think of a more wonderful way to look at life’s possibilities than how this wonderful, Godly lady did.
What leadership lessons are you currently learning?
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