Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
This week as I have been talking with several successful leaders I have noticed a quality in each of them that was held in common, even though they did not know each other.
I puzzled to find the word that would capture what I observed.
What I felt when I was with them.
One of the characteristics of great leaders is passion. Not the kind that is directed to fulfillment of delf-centered pleasure. Rather, the kind of passion, often selfless, that enthusiastically pursues a worthy objective. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary includes the following definition:
…a strong liking or desire for, or devotion to, some activity, object, or concept
We have written a number of articles on the value of teamwork and of including team members in the process of decision-making. We have also affirmed the wisdom of delegating key aspects of a project to the team for input.
That said, there are two things that a leader cannot delegate: Goals and Values.
WILLIAM A. JONEZ 1924 - 2012
Bill Jonez, loving husband, father, and grandfather, went to be with the Lord on May 6, 2012 at the age of 87.
Bill was born on June 14, 1924 in Tacoma, Washington, the son of Dr. Hinton and Norma Jonez. He graduated from Stadium High School in 1942, where he excelled on the high school swim team.
Last week we received a ton of feedback on the topic, “Creating Our Own Weather System.”
As a result, copied below are two of the replies we received. It seemed best to simply share these insights verbatim (author's name follows each comment):
This past week I had conversations with three different friends that have evolved into a thought-provoking theme for me regarding our ability to influence others. And as we all know, influencing others is a core leadership capacity. So let me think out-loud for a few minutes...
Each of these observations came as we were brainstorming strategies about leading their people. Here are the comments:
Mike said, “Wherever he goes [name omitted] creates his own adverse weather system.”
