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Lessons in Leadership

As one who’s been involved for years in association leadership (from committee chairs to president at a state level) I’ve learned some lasting lessons. My six years on the board of the National Speakers Association taught me about influence, image and leverage. Upon receiving the “Charles Leadership Award” in 1996, I realized that we become leaders to change things, but it is we who change, more than anything or anyone else.

If you want to be a better leader, evaluate your intent. Identify your values, goals, and beliefs and how they affect your behavior. Clarify your agenda (we all have one) and how you can represent it effectively and fairly. Identify your strengths and weaknesses and review your successes and mistakes. What lessons can they teach you? Leaders learn from every experience, especially the painful ones, for they yield the richest, most long lasting lessons of all.

Leadership begins with a vision. If you can communicate your vision without dampening that of others, your example will stand out from the rest. True leadership comes from the heart: leaders communicate in a way that moves others to get in on the action.

While leaders inspire a sense of cohesion, they are independent thinkers, willing to challenge the system or seek a better way. They are used to expressing their opinions and making things happen and this can sometimes cause problems. But what separates the learned leaders from the learning leaders is their ability to listen and adapt their strategy.

Here’s what I mean. Effective leaders approach issues “from the side.” They don’t directly confront or argue with others, or make them wrong. They avoid embarrassing or compromising others. They listen before they decide. They don’t criticize others. They ask questions rather than make statements: they sidestep resistance by accepting it rather than pushing back.

They simply lay out their case, ask relevant questions, and reframe issues. Does this work? Powerfully. Simply put, effective leaders know the difference between trying to teach a lesson and learning a lesson.

“Learned” leaders lead best when they serve. They speak not only to the mind, but the heart. They give their time, attention, and support. They live, breathe, walk, talk, and offer an unwavering model of what they stand for. I’ve learned that truly great leaders “stand in themselves” for all to see. This is the secret of effective leaders: they are their message.

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© 2003. Leslie Charles, speaker, trainer, and author of "Why Is Everyone So Cranky?" TRAININGWORKS, PO Box 956, East Lansing, MI 48826 517.675.7535 www.lesliecharles.com

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