SHARED
FROM THE BOOK:
BECOMING
YOUR BEST
(THE 12
PRINCIPLES OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL LEADERS)
STEVEN
R. SHALLENBERGER
McGraw
Hill Education
260
pages
PRINCIPLE 1: BE TRUE TO
CHARACTER
The
greatest asset a person or an organization can have is the strength of
character. However, a strong character
is nor easily acquired. These bedrock
principles includes:
Integrity
Honesty
Trustworthy
Perseverance
Humility
Compassion
Respect for
others
Having
a strong character creates a moral authority within us that gives the great
power and credibility in our relationship, work and the world. When we are true to our highest character,
our actions reflects our beliefs and guide us through life, thus helping us to
be our best.
3
WAYS TO STRENGTHEN CHARACTER
Be strong in the
moment of choice
Strength
of character is demonstrated especially when things get though.
Stand up and
speak out
Have
the courage to be true to character.
Guard your
character
Polonius
(in Shakespeare’s Hamlet) advises his son:
Keep
your thought to yourself
Think
before acting
Cherish
your friends
Listen
more than talking
Seek
to understand, not judge
Neither
borrow nor lend money
Be
true to yourself
Be
more concerned with your character than your reputation,
because
your character is what you really are,
while
your reputation is merely what others think you are.
- John
Wooden, legendary UCLA Basketball Coach
PRINCIPLE 2: LEAD WITH A
VISION
Visions
propelled us to where we are today, and will determine our direction into the
future. A vision aims for a high level
of achievement. Goals or objectives are
created after the vision is formed.
3 POWERFUL
ASPECTS OF INSPIRING A GUIDING VISION
Attributes of a
transformational vision
Sets
a positive and meaningful direction with a purpose and a cause.
Carries
a sense of urgency and mission.
Inspiring.
Clear,
simple, and easy to remember.
Provides
the desired direction, purpose, and inspiration in the absence of supervision.
Encourages
the alignment of people and effort around the vision.
Makes
team members feel encouraged and empowered.
Represent
the heart and soul of an individual or group.
Embodies
the values and personal needs for contributing to something bigger.
Generates
passion and energy.
Developed
through individual and shares leadership.
Long
term and should be modified with care.
Unifies
individual by giving them a common purpose.
Clearly
communicated to all members through centers of influence.
Is
lived, modeled, and taught over and over again by stakeholders and to one
another.
Anchored
in the individual or organization culture.
Create and
evaluate personal and organizational vision
Transformational
results
Clear
united vision can break through barriers.
PRINCIPLE 3: MANAGE WITH A
PLAN
The
secrets of getting things done is to create a vision, than develop goals as
part of a long range plan. Plans allow
us to manage our work and life. Plans prepares
us to:
Take control of
life
Handle challenges
Reach full
potential
Create order
amid chaos
3 POWERFUL
GAME CHANGERS IN LIFE
Set annual goals
and develop plans to achieve them
The
key is to take action.
The
art is in the start.
Plan for the
unexpected
Make
contingency plans
Manage for
results
PRINCIPLE 4: PRIORITIZE
YOUR TIME
It’s
about using time to do what matters most instead of doing whatever is at the
top of your to-do-list. The fact is that
time and life can pass by all too quickly.
3 POWERFUL
ACTIONS THAT HELP TO STAY FOCUS
Get priorities
straight
Think
high quality and high quantity.
Take control of
life
Pre-week
planning.
Protect and
conserve time
Handle
it ASAP.
Mange
electronic communication.
Eliminate/minimize
ineffective meetings:
Invite only
those who need to be there
Have an
objective and meaningful purpose
Start-on-time,
be-on-time
Have clear
agenda
Provide reports
ahead of time
Make a record of
issues and decisions
Invite participation
Create ‘parking
lot’ for items that surface but are not appropriate for the current meeting
Prevent any
single discussion from taking too much time
Close with
review of any action items
End-on-time or
early
Make a habit of
taking weekly planner with you
Avoid negative,
draining interactions
The
most valuable assets are our time and talents.
Highly successful people:
Create a vision
Develop goals
Plan to accomplish
goals
Focus on what
matters most
….to be
continued….
