Leadership is not a basket of tricks or strategies or skills that you pull out. Leadership begins with the quality of the person.
Interpretation
True leadership is rooted in personal character, not just techniques or skills.
Frances Hesselbein's quote emphasizes that effective leadership stems from an individual's inherent qualities and character rather than relying solely on learned tricks or strategies. A leader's integrity, values, and genuine nature are what truly inspire and guide others, underpinning their authority and influence.
In practice
In a corporate retreat, a speaker might open with this quote to set the tone for discussions on authentic leadership.
When people are speaking, they require our undivided attention. We focus on them; we listen very carefully. We listen to the spoken words and the unspoken messages. This means looking directly at the person, eyes connected; we forget we have a watch, just focusing for that moment on that person.
It takes courage for a leader to identify and confront self-imposed barriers, to put in place the personal strategies required to unleash the energy, innovation, and commitment to self-development.
Women are working for part or all of their adult lives now. The possibilities are limitless, but you need to prepare.
The real leader redefines or defines the mission in a very powerful way so that people understand it; it permeates the organization.
Social-sector organizations have to be better managed than for-profit organizations... because they have no margin of error.
In my life, I don't have roadblocks and obstacles. I might have something you would call a 'challenge.' I throw that out the window, and I call that a wonderful opportunity.
Every company, every boardroom in which I sit, has a plan, and they have objectives, goals, and a process. And to make it work, the pressure and incentive have to come from the top.
You want people who choose to follow because they genuinely believe in ideas, not because they're afraid to be punished if they don't. For startups, there's so much pivoting that's required that if you have a bunch of sheep, you're in bad shape.
Trust is maintained when values and beliefs are actively managed. If companies do not actively work to keep clarity, discipline and consistency in balance, then trust starts to break down.
I'm especially thankful for being able to coach so many talented young men over my 18 years here. It has been so rewarding to see these players come to OU and mature over a four- or five-year career, and not just on the field. To play a small part in their growth is what I will always cherish the most.
There must be, not a balance of power, but a community of power; not organized rivalries, but an organized peace.
The most significant barrier to female leadership is the actual lack of females in leadership. The best advice I can give to women is to go out and start something, ideally their own businesses. If you can't see a path for leadership within your own company, go blaze a trail of your own.
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