"Leaders don't create followers. They create more leaders." – Tom Peters
Anything about leadership inspires and excites all. Everybody wants to be a leader. But everybody cannot become a leader. What makes the leaders to stand out of the pack? Let us find out.
People mistake leadership is like standing in front of crowd and calling for action. In fact, it is not so what people imagine and think about leadership. Every one is a leader if she or he influences and inspires others by setting personal example. Mother and father at home are also leaders if they play their role properly in shaping and grooming their children.
Identify Leader Within You:
“A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be.” - Rosalynn Carter
Do you have what it takes to be a successful leader? Are you willing to go extra mile. Do you live for yourself or for others? If you want to live for others by serving then leadership is the next best option. Do you like to share success with others or do you like to pass on the success to others? If you want to pass on the credit of success then again leadership is the right option for you. Can you handle conflicts effectively and efficiently? Can you manage human emotions and egos properly? Can you work hard and work smart? Can you motivate and inspire others in getting the work done? Can you work in teams effectively? Can you assess the strengths and weaknesses of your subordinates and can allocate the roles and responsibilities accordingly? If the answer to all the questions is yes then you have all ingredients to become a successful leader.
Leadership qualities:
Some of the qualities of leaders are: listening, communicating, team building, visioning, troubleshooting, negotiating, out of the box thinking, creating rather than copying, killer instinct etc.,
Leaders strongly believe in themselves. They focus more on the hard work unmindful of the results. But they are optimistic about the results. They also don’t mind who gets credit for their efforts and energies. They are passionate in leading whatever the task they undertake. For them, success is only a by product not an end result. This attitude helps them to persevere and pursue their goals and objectives with persistence. In the process of leading even if they fall and fail it will not disturb them as they are mentally prepared for all these eventualities. Of course, finally they attain success. What makes them different from the followers is the tenacity and the never say die approach in achieving their goals.
Leaders have clarity of mind. They know where they are going as they are visionaries. They set their eyes beyond the reach of the common man. They may not be able to explain everything in detail to their followers. But they are basically sure of where they are going. At times, followers may be confused with the attitude and aptitude of the leaders which looks very tricky. Leaders align their followers towards the cherished goals and objectives. Whenever leaders find that the followers are off the track, they put in their efforts to get their followers on the right track and on the fast track. It is in this context, they need to inspire and motivate their followers with their effective and efficient communication skills.
Success does not go in the heads of leaders. They are emotionally balanced and have emotional intelligence. They know that overconfidence is the worst enemy. They have self-control and check themselves constantly. Whenever they make mistakes they immediately realize and correct the same through remedial action. As leaders are continuous learners, they learn a lot from their failures. For leaders, failure is only a comma not a full stop.
Leaders are good listeners. They listen from all sources before taking a call. They are impartial and unbiased. They see multiple perspectives and dimensions to a specific problem. Only after weighing all the options, they take the right decision. They never ignore even minor things. When followers are engrossed with problems it is the leaders who look only at the solutions and come out with a viable and feasible solution based on their imagination and intuition.
Leadership is not a solo act. It is a process that requires interaction with others. It requires team building skills. For achieving the desired objectives, leaders have to analyze and assess the strengths and weaknesses of the members and then leverage their strengths for achieving objectives. It requires a degree of flexibility and also rigidity to form a powerful team. Mostly team building requires a lot of flexibility and in extreme cases rigidity is essential to get the team going with energy and enthusiasm.
Humility is the hallmark of leaders. They remain humble and simple however big they make. They know pretty well that success is not constant. Life is full of fluctuations with peaks and valleys. They remain cool and composed and maintain stoic silence at the time of defeat as well. Leaders know how to balance themselves well.
A leader is the one who stands by ethics. Leaders must be men of integrity and honesty. Or else they lose their credibility among their followers. Any gap between preaching and practice dents their image. Leaders need to demonstrate and stick to ethical values all the times. A person’s true character is demonstrated at the time of defeat. When everything goes well anyone can be ethical and dignified. The same has to be reflected even at the time of defeat. For instance, Abraham Lincoln demonstrated his ethics and integrity when he was defeated. People are the best judges. We cannot take people for granted. Leaders are so careful about their public image, they take every care and pain when they speak something in public. It is because of Abraham Lincoln’s ethical stand, people of America gave him an opportunity to become the President. Ultimately it helped America to evolve as a much more meaningful and progressive country as he tried wholeheartedly for the abolition of slavery.
Leadership Training:
“Leaders aren't born they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.” - Vince Lombardi
Self-analysis is the key to unlock your hidden potential. First of all, find out what is your leadership style. There are several online tests, which, if executed will reveal what category of leader you are. These will also reveal your strengths and weakness so that you can overcome your weaknesses through right kind of leadership training. There are several institutes that provide training through which leadership skills can be learnt. Lot of practice is essential. No one can become a leader just by reading books alone. Books will provide adequate inputs that will only provide as guidelines. The real leadership starts only when you practice. You cannot become a crack shot unless you lose some ammunition. Only by trail and error and by practical experience people can develop leadership qualities.
Leadership is more of a skill rather than a talent. Many people believe that leaders are born. But in fact, it is not so. Leaders are made through compulsive situations. It is only the test of fire that brings out the fine steel. A smooth sea never makes you as a skillful mariner. Lot of churning should take place to get the best out of individuals. It is possible only by continuous practice. If the road to leadership is so easy then everyone becomes a successful leader. It requires lot of struggles and sacrifices to gain acceptance as a successful leader. When we look at leaders like Abraham Lincoln, we come to know that how difficult the path to leadership was and how many trials and tribulations he underwent.
Conclusion:
“People underestimate their capacity for change. There is never a right time to do a difficult thing. A leader's job is to help people have vision of their potential.” - John Porter
We are blessed with vast human potential. But very few people realize and utilize this potential. Success people are smart at realizing the same judiciously and appropriately thus reaching their goals. Leadership is more of a skill rather than a talent. If hidden talents are tapped and also the requisite skills are cultivated and inculcated anything and everything is possible in this world. Sky is the limit.
Top sum up, find out the qualities required to become a successful leader. Find out your innate qualities that you possess and also the skills that you cultivated. Compare and contrast the both. Look for commonalities and align the same for achieving success. Find out what you lack and develop the same by reading, training, practice and by experience. Then you will evolve yourself as a successful leader.
The End
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
How to Unleash Your Hidden Potential?
“Humanity has only scratched the surface of its real potential.” -Peace Pilgrim
We are aware that all of us are blessed with certain talents and we have huge hidden potential. But very few people realize the same. What are the stumbling blocks for realizing hidden human potential? Is it because a few people think they do not possess? Or is it because even if people realize they don’t persevere up to the hilt? Let us find out the same.
Self-Belief and Passion:
First of all, you have to believe in yourself strongly that you have the hidden powers so that you can explore and exploit the same towards success. Having firm belief in this and being passionate will remove any obstacles that arise on the way towards success. Firm belief will tap your inner hidden energies and passion will give you kicks constantly unmindful of the results. Passion will not allow you to look at success frequently. Rather, it will drive and stay you focused on the amount of inputs. At times, being results-focused may take the people out of gear especially when people do not get results. But being passionate keep you on track thus taking you ultimately towards success.
Story of a Jailed Soldier:
Once upon a time, a soldier who was caught in war was chained and arrested. He was taken to a far away island and kept in a cave with doors closed and locked. Initially, he tried to break the lock to escape. Since it was locked he could not escape. He was provided with water and limited food to survive. He tried to break the lock for a few days. But he gradually gave up his endeavors. After few days, he heard noises from outside. When he came to the door and checked it was kept unlocked. In between, the lock was removed by the people who left the island. But the jailed soldier’s mind was conditioned to think that the he was locked. Similarly, in our daily life, we have preconceived notions and thoughts which are difficult to be broken. Once these are broken then we can unleash the power of human mind.
Story of Closed Compartment:
“Ineffective people live day after day with unused potential. They experience synergy only in small, peripheral ways in their lives. But creative experiences can be produced regularly, consistently, almost daily in people's lives. It requires enormous personal security and openness and a spirit of adventure.” -Stephen Covey
There is another story where Joe joined in an educational institution. He was given a cupboard which contained three separate compartments. For two compartments, keys were given to him and he opened and operated. He asked the administrative officer to provide the keys for the third compartment so that he could open and operate. He asked the administrative officer several times but the latter said that the key was with some other person who previously used the cupboard. Joe gave up asking as it was futile to ask. He somehow worked in the educational institution for a year. When he was about to leave the institution, he vacated two compartments of the cupboard and pulled the third compartment. And to his surprise it was kept unlocked. He enquired the office boy since how long it was kept unlocked. Office boy said that one day he opened the third compartment during the absence of Joe. But he forgot to inform the same to Joe and also forgot to him key.
Similarly, we keep our mind closed like that of the third compartment of the cupboard. By default, we develop regimented thoughts and ideas about others and behave accordingly. Only when we break the chains of conditioned thoughts and ideas, will we able to unlock our hidden potential.
Come out of Conditioned Thinking:
“Everyone has inside himself a piece of good news! The good news is that you really don't know how great you can be, how much you can love, what you can accomplish, and what your potential is!” - Anne Frank
Great people started from scratch. It all started with an imaginative mind. These people are not conditioned the way the majority of the people are conditioned. We have skyscrapers and great constructions. All these were achieved as they imagined and unleashed their human potential. During the course of discoveries or inventions they were treated as crazy people. Once they achieved big, people began realizing and respecting them. For instance, radio was invented by Marconi who was treated as mad by his friends as people did not understand what he was doing. Subsequently people realized what he had in his mind and respected. Opening up minds will help in unleashing the hidden potential. The problem with the majority of the people is that they don’t open up and, as a result, they lie in a conditioned state of thinking.
Live in Present:
“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land, there is no other life but this.” - Henry David Thoreau
Research reveals that people waste 30 per cent of their precious time by thinking about the past that cannot be altered. The past worries or concerns or regrets stifles our energies and kills enthusiasm. Future is uncertain and cannot be predicted. There is no meaning in thinking about the future which is not in our hands. What we have now is only present. Therefore, always learn to live in present. Think what you would do if you were to die today. Follow the deathbed approach. When this attitude is developed then the maximum energies can be harnessed for achieving all-round success as people don’t waste their precious time and energies.
You are Unique:
“Don't let anyone tell you that you have to be a certain way. Be unique. Be what you feel.” - Melissa Etheridge
Life is a gift from the god. Everyone has a role to cut out and you were born to achieve something big in this world. Whatever you can do, you have to do in this life only. There is nothing like postponing the things to the next life or birth. It is an excuse to think so. No two people are alike. Even twins are not alike. Therefore, you are unique with special talents and skills. You should learn to explore your hidden talents and exploit the skills to achieve success in your life.
Conclusion:
The Bible clearly says “as a man thinketh so is he.”
Self-improvement is the key to unlock your hidden potential. Continuous learning and growing updates your knowledge, skills and abilities. From continuous learning, we begin by changing our mind, our ideas, insights and thoughts resulting into right attitude and aptitude. Therefore, you need to be a lifelong learner to unleash your hidden potential. Besides, you need to be creative and follow the road less traveled while unleashing your hidden potential so as to achieve success in your life.
The End
We are aware that all of us are blessed with certain talents and we have huge hidden potential. But very few people realize the same. What are the stumbling blocks for realizing hidden human potential? Is it because a few people think they do not possess? Or is it because even if people realize they don’t persevere up to the hilt? Let us find out the same.
Self-Belief and Passion:
First of all, you have to believe in yourself strongly that you have the hidden powers so that you can explore and exploit the same towards success. Having firm belief in this and being passionate will remove any obstacles that arise on the way towards success. Firm belief will tap your inner hidden energies and passion will give you kicks constantly unmindful of the results. Passion will not allow you to look at success frequently. Rather, it will drive and stay you focused on the amount of inputs. At times, being results-focused may take the people out of gear especially when people do not get results. But being passionate keep you on track thus taking you ultimately towards success.
Story of a Jailed Soldier:
Once upon a time, a soldier who was caught in war was chained and arrested. He was taken to a far away island and kept in a cave with doors closed and locked. Initially, he tried to break the lock to escape. Since it was locked he could not escape. He was provided with water and limited food to survive. He tried to break the lock for a few days. But he gradually gave up his endeavors. After few days, he heard noises from outside. When he came to the door and checked it was kept unlocked. In between, the lock was removed by the people who left the island. But the jailed soldier’s mind was conditioned to think that the he was locked. Similarly, in our daily life, we have preconceived notions and thoughts which are difficult to be broken. Once these are broken then we can unleash the power of human mind.
Story of Closed Compartment:
“Ineffective people live day after day with unused potential. They experience synergy only in small, peripheral ways in their lives. But creative experiences can be produced regularly, consistently, almost daily in people's lives. It requires enormous personal security and openness and a spirit of adventure.” -Stephen Covey
There is another story where Joe joined in an educational institution. He was given a cupboard which contained three separate compartments. For two compartments, keys were given to him and he opened and operated. He asked the administrative officer to provide the keys for the third compartment so that he could open and operate. He asked the administrative officer several times but the latter said that the key was with some other person who previously used the cupboard. Joe gave up asking as it was futile to ask. He somehow worked in the educational institution for a year. When he was about to leave the institution, he vacated two compartments of the cupboard and pulled the third compartment. And to his surprise it was kept unlocked. He enquired the office boy since how long it was kept unlocked. Office boy said that one day he opened the third compartment during the absence of Joe. But he forgot to inform the same to Joe and also forgot to him key.
Similarly, we keep our mind closed like that of the third compartment of the cupboard. By default, we develop regimented thoughts and ideas about others and behave accordingly. Only when we break the chains of conditioned thoughts and ideas, will we able to unlock our hidden potential.
Come out of Conditioned Thinking:
“Everyone has inside himself a piece of good news! The good news is that you really don't know how great you can be, how much you can love, what you can accomplish, and what your potential is!” - Anne Frank
Great people started from scratch. It all started with an imaginative mind. These people are not conditioned the way the majority of the people are conditioned. We have skyscrapers and great constructions. All these were achieved as they imagined and unleashed their human potential. During the course of discoveries or inventions they were treated as crazy people. Once they achieved big, people began realizing and respecting them. For instance, radio was invented by Marconi who was treated as mad by his friends as people did not understand what he was doing. Subsequently people realized what he had in his mind and respected. Opening up minds will help in unleashing the hidden potential. The problem with the majority of the people is that they don’t open up and, as a result, they lie in a conditioned state of thinking.
Live in Present:
“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land, there is no other life but this.” - Henry David Thoreau
Research reveals that people waste 30 per cent of their precious time by thinking about the past that cannot be altered. The past worries or concerns or regrets stifles our energies and kills enthusiasm. Future is uncertain and cannot be predicted. There is no meaning in thinking about the future which is not in our hands. What we have now is only present. Therefore, always learn to live in present. Think what you would do if you were to die today. Follow the deathbed approach. When this attitude is developed then the maximum energies can be harnessed for achieving all-round success as people don’t waste their precious time and energies.
You are Unique:
“Don't let anyone tell you that you have to be a certain way. Be unique. Be what you feel.” - Melissa Etheridge
Life is a gift from the god. Everyone has a role to cut out and you were born to achieve something big in this world. Whatever you can do, you have to do in this life only. There is nothing like postponing the things to the next life or birth. It is an excuse to think so. No two people are alike. Even twins are not alike. Therefore, you are unique with special talents and skills. You should learn to explore your hidden talents and exploit the skills to achieve success in your life.
Conclusion:
The Bible clearly says “as a man thinketh so is he.”
Self-improvement is the key to unlock your hidden potential. Continuous learning and growing updates your knowledge, skills and abilities. From continuous learning, we begin by changing our mind, our ideas, insights and thoughts resulting into right attitude and aptitude. Therefore, you need to be a lifelong learner to unleash your hidden potential. Besides, you need to be creative and follow the road less traveled while unleashing your hidden potential so as to achieve success in your life.
The End
Saturday, May 16, 2009
MBTI for Success
“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” - Leo Tolstoy
The origin of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment goes to Carl Gustav Jung who laid foundation for this and the same was further developed by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers during the World War II. It was developed for the women entering the industrial workforce. The intention was to ensure that the women felt comfortable to work during war time jobs.
What is MBTI?
The MBTI is a psychometric instrument helps in finding out how people perceive the world and others in taking decisions. This psychometric instrument lists out the psychological differences into four dichotomies (Extraversion Introversion, Sensing iNtuition, Thinking Feeling, Judging Perceiving) which results into 16 possible psychological types. For instance, all these 16 types are listed out like ISTJ, ISFJ, INFJ, INTJ, ISTP, ISFP, INFP, INTP, ESTP, ESFP, ENFP, ENTP, ESTJ, ESFJ, ENFJ and ENTJ. It reveals from these tests that there is nothing right or wrong with the people’s preferences.
It is believed that the people who are sensing look within five senses. In contrast, the people who are intuitive look beyond five senses for patterns and meaning. In a nutshell, sensors are present focused while the intuitors are future focused by nature.
Leadership Material:
“We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done.” - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The research reveals that people with Thinking and Judging –TJ possess leadership material. It is because leaders need to possess the qualities of deep thinking and judging the people to carry them forward. Therefore, the people who possess TJ in their categories are sure to succeed as leaders. There are several advantages of taking MBTI test which are stated below.
Merits of MBTI:
“It is the greatest good for an individual to discuss virtue (aka areté) every day...for the unexamined life is not worth living.” - Socrates
• MBTI is widely used in corporate training for leadership development, team building skills, coaching, mentoring and marketing.
• It is very much useful for youth especially in the area of career counseling so that they can choose the right career and succeed professionally.
• It enhances the chances for students to succeed in interviews as well.
• It helps working professionals to face the challenges as they get to know about themselves thoroughly.
• It helps in getting into the right education based on aptitude thus enhancing the learning curve.
• It helps in SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis and for problem solving.
Conclusion:
“Only by much searching and mining are gold and diamonds obtained, and man can find every truth connected with his being if he will dig deep into the mine of his soul.” - James Allen
MBTI is useful to all be it for students, teachers, entrepreneurs, professionals etc., It helps in categorizing and classifying what group individuals belong. Therefore, they can make use of this test for their personal and professional growth. There are several online tests. Therefore, it is advisable to take the test and rate themselves. Besides, there is extra information about the global celebrities and personalities who belong to each category. MBTI helps in taking inspiration from such successful personalities.
The End
The origin of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment goes to Carl Gustav Jung who laid foundation for this and the same was further developed by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers during the World War II. It was developed for the women entering the industrial workforce. The intention was to ensure that the women felt comfortable to work during war time jobs.
What is MBTI?
The MBTI is a psychometric instrument helps in finding out how people perceive the world and others in taking decisions. This psychometric instrument lists out the psychological differences into four dichotomies (Extraversion Introversion, Sensing iNtuition, Thinking Feeling, Judging Perceiving) which results into 16 possible psychological types. For instance, all these 16 types are listed out like ISTJ, ISFJ, INFJ, INTJ, ISTP, ISFP, INFP, INTP, ESTP, ESFP, ENFP, ENTP, ESTJ, ESFJ, ENFJ and ENTJ. It reveals from these tests that there is nothing right or wrong with the people’s preferences.
It is believed that the people who are sensing look within five senses. In contrast, the people who are intuitive look beyond five senses for patterns and meaning. In a nutshell, sensors are present focused while the intuitors are future focused by nature.
Leadership Material:
“We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done.” - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The research reveals that people with Thinking and Judging –TJ possess leadership material. It is because leaders need to possess the qualities of deep thinking and judging the people to carry them forward. Therefore, the people who possess TJ in their categories are sure to succeed as leaders. There are several advantages of taking MBTI test which are stated below.
Merits of MBTI:
“It is the greatest good for an individual to discuss virtue (aka areté) every day...for the unexamined life is not worth living.” - Socrates
• MBTI is widely used in corporate training for leadership development, team building skills, coaching, mentoring and marketing.
• It is very much useful for youth especially in the area of career counseling so that they can choose the right career and succeed professionally.
• It enhances the chances for students to succeed in interviews as well.
• It helps working professionals to face the challenges as they get to know about themselves thoroughly.
• It helps in getting into the right education based on aptitude thus enhancing the learning curve.
• It helps in SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis and for problem solving.
Conclusion:
“Only by much searching and mining are gold and diamonds obtained, and man can find every truth connected with his being if he will dig deep into the mine of his soul.” - James Allen
MBTI is useful to all be it for students, teachers, entrepreneurs, professionals etc., It helps in categorizing and classifying what group individuals belong. Therefore, they can make use of this test for their personal and professional growth. There are several online tests. Therefore, it is advisable to take the test and rate themselves. Besides, there is extra information about the global celebrities and personalities who belong to each category. MBTI helps in taking inspiration from such successful personalities.
The End
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