LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"A vision without a strategy remains an illusion." Lee Bolman

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

We'll do a couple more quotes on the theme of VISION this month. Click Here to see past posts.

This quote from Lee Bolman reminded me of the importance of a plan, which is critical to move a vision to reality.

There's a e-letter I subscribe to that is called, "Today's 5 Ideas". It comes out once a week, and it's simply 5 random ideas with no action steps attached to it.

In a recent edition, one of the ideas was:

"Old-fashioned typewriters that connect to your computer or phone, so you can type on them and still make digital documents."

I thought back to my typing classes in high school, and I remember the sound of the mechanical typewriter I learned to type on. I love this idea. It's novel, it's different, it connects with a good memory I have from years past, but for me, it's a waste of time and energy.

I thought about this for about 10 seconds, then moved on.

There's no risk in having ideas, In fact there are days that I just write down random ideas that are triggered from conversations or from things I see and hear.

Sometimes, however, I do the same thing with vision. I'll treat it like an idea, and at times I'm focused on it, while at other times, I don't pay much attention to it all all.

The difference for me is simply a PLAN.

For an idea or a vision to become a reality, there needs to be a plan and a strategy to accomplish it.

Bolman was right.... without a strategy, it's just an illusion.

Where do you place yourself on the "IDEA METER": A "1" is you only think about real ideas, things that can become real and actualized. A "10" thinks outside the box and you're comfortable having a bunch of ideas swimming around in your head a the same time. Where do you land?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." Henry David Thoreau

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

This Month we're going to explore some quotes on the theme of VISION. Click Here to see past posts.

This simple quote from Thoreau is really about PERSPECTIVE.

2 weeks ago, my wife and I were on a small game drive outside of Johannesburg, South Africa. We traveled to spend time with good friends and ministry partners, Jabulani Africa, then we took a couple of days at a small lodge on our way back to the airport.

We did a small game drive where we enjoyed seeing elephants, giraffes, rhino's, warthogs, and many other animals. It's always amazing to see these animals in person.

As we were leaving, our guide spotted a leopard. We stopped. We spent about 30 minutes looking in the brush from our vehicle. The guide saw the tail. I just saw the brush.

We drove down the road, then circled back again.

We looked again, and just waited.

Then we saw it move. It was incredible. In a way, it just appeared in the brush, and then we saw it move away.

The guide shared that this was only his 2nd leopard siting on that farm in 7 years. We were all pretty excited to see it.

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don't have to be pushed. The vision pulls you." Steve Jobs

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

This Month we're going to explore some quotes on the theme of VISION. Click Here to see past posts.

We shared a few Steve Jobs quotes earlier in the year, but I've been holding onto this one. The power of this quote is so simple:

A Compelling Vision Will Drive You!

A vision that isn't clear, that you're not excited about wilI wear you down!

I'm sure that Steve Jobs probably took this to the extreme, but as I've read about his tenure at Apple, he was clearly driven by the vision he had for their company and for technology. He saw something that others couldn't even imagine, and it drove him to strive for perfection.

I don't always have that level of drive, but there have been times in my life when I got a glimpse of the future, and it was all I could think about: I didn't sleep much, I wrote ideas on little notes of paper, I talked to people, I worked the idea.

Eventually, either the idea died away, or it transitioned to reality and it became something that made it's way into my goals and plans.

When was the last time you experienced something like this?

Have you ever had an idea that PULLED YOU FORWARD? You couldn't ignore it and let it go... how did that feel?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision." Helen Keller

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

This Month we're going to explore some quotes on the theme of VISION. Click Here to see past posts.

I don't know why I started thinking about VISION today. It's October, we're in the last quarter of the year, and like it or not, I'm beginning to think about 2025 and it will be here before we know it!

Let's just identify some great quotes around vision. Some of these I've shared before, and some will be new, but I had to start with these words from Helen Keller. Just spend a few minutes reading about her life on Wikipedia, and then dig deeper. She was extraordinary, and these words are for us all.

Keller is simply reminding us that there IS something worse then being blind, and that's not being willing to think, dream, envision the future. This can affect all of us!

When I say the word VISION, what does that evoke in you?

• Does it create PANIC? You immediately think about what's coming and you avoid it as long as you can because you're overwhelmed with what's happening today!

• Does it create EXCITEMENT? You're looking forward to what's coming and you can't wait to get started. You've been dreaming, thinking, praying and planning and now it's time to take a step forward!

•Does it create COMPLACENCY? You aren't afraid of it and you're not into it, so it's just Ho-Hum.

Maybe there's something else going on inside of you...

We're reminded that vision is essential to our leadership

What does Keller's quote challenge you with?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"The first and toughest person to influence is yourself." Chris Richardson

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

This Month we're going to explore some quotes on the theme of INFLUENCE. Click Here to see last weeks post.

This quote from Chris Richardson just caused me to reflect on the idea that I have to influence myself, FIRST. This is called Self-Leadership, and it's really important.

Years ago, I learned from a huge influence in my life, Jim Burns, that I had to manage myself so that I could impact others.

As a 21 year old, this was a foreign concept. I was used to running hard, not having many margins in my life, and I didn't understand what rest and replenishment was for. Of course I was 21 years old! Do you remember those days?

I think the biggest deficit I had was my spiritual life. I was a young youth pastor, and I was responsible to "influence" all of these students, but I was spiritually empty, simply because I didn't realize that I needed to prioritize this area of my life.

I justified that I was in the Word regularly, that I was serving God and that I was doing spiritual things all the time, but this was all part of my job, it wasn't fruit from my life.

Jim taught me the importance of self-leadership, and it started in my spiritual life and then spread to every area of my life.

Do you agree with Richardson's quote above? Why or why not?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Leaders don't create followers, they create more leaders." Tom Peters

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

This Month we're going to explore some quotes on the theme of INFLUENCE. Click Here to see last weeks post.

This quote from Tom Peters is a good one. Peters wrote some great books but the one that stands out to me is his book "In Search of Excellence" written in 1982.

I found a great article from the Learn Loft that talks about 5 Things You Must Have To Create More Leaders. I'll summarize and you can read the full article with the link below.

John Geades shares:

Here are 5 non-negotiables if you're going to do this well:

#1) A Small Ego: It's impossible to build up others if you're focused on building up yourself.

#2) An Open Mind: "If you have an organization that can't change, it will become extinct." David Ossip

#3) A Humble Heart: "Talent is God-given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Conceit is self-given. Be careful." John Wooden

#4) A Purpose Greater Than Yourself: Having a strong purpose for existing is one of the clearest and simplest ways to create more leaders in your organization.

#5) A Belief More Talent Is Around the Corner: If you get a reputation for developing talent and helping them move on, you will never have to worry about talent because more talented people will want to come join you.

Which one of these 5 do you need to start with? Remember, they're all non-negotiable!

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"The key to successful leadership in influence, not authority." Ken H. Blanchard

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

The summer is over and I want to dive back into some quotes that follow a theme. This month, the theme is INFLUENCE.

I'll start with this great quote from Ken Blanchard on influence, and while I've shared it before, it's a great reminder of the posture each of us in leadership needs to take.

This quote is really the foundation of Blanchards perspective on leadership. He believes that leaders must use influence instead of their position and authority to "effectively" lead others. Notice the word: EFFECTIVE.

You can lead from a position of authority, but it doesn't build trust and team the way leading from a position of influence does.

There's an article from Indeed.com that shares "7 Characteristics of Effective Leadership Influence". In summary...

Here are seven characteristics of effective leadership influence you can use in your management:

1) ATTITUDE: Your attitude has the potential to affect how others around you feel about someone or something.

2) VALUE: It's helpful to incorporate your values into your words and actions.

3) LISTENING: When you listen to others, it can allow you to hear what people desire and value.

4) PASSION: A passion in life may motivate people to work towards their personal and work goals.

5) OPENNESS: It's important for you to show and encourage openness because it allows others to share their ideas with you.

6) TIME MANAGEMENT: A leader desiring to influence their teams can encourage members to focus on the things they can complete today.

7) KNOWLEDGE: Share your knowledge as a leader and commit to continuing their education.

Which one of these characteristics stands out to you? Which one do you need to work on with your leadership?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"I'd rather regret the risks that didn't work out than the chances I didn't take at all." Simone Biles, Olympic Gold, Silver & Bronze Medalist

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

This is the last quote I'll share from one of our Olympic Athletes. Simone Biles needs no introduction. She is considered one of the greatest gymnasts and Olympians of all time, and this year in Paris she shined.

The quote from her above is a little obvious.

As a gymnast, she chose to take risks every time she approached a competition, and there were times that the risk paid off, and there were times I'm sure that taking those risks cost her a victory.

Imagine the training, the discipline, the failure, the pain, the pressure.

Biles has also become an advocate for mental health, and she made some really tough decisions to pay attention to her state of anxiety and choose health over competition. This was also a risk that she took.

I think there are 2 basic approaches to risk: either we EMBRACE IT or we AVOID IT. With both of these approaches, we need to manage the risk.

Biles approach is to EMBRACE IT, and the result of that for her has been medals, recognition and great success. As she shares in her quote, she wants to live with no regrets when it comes to risk.

How do you manage risk in your life or leadership?