Posts Tagged "leadership choice"
Leaders Are Not Born or Made – They Make a Choice
I have been asked many times, “are leaders born or made?” The question reveals two important misnomers about leadership. First, is the fear that there’s some elusive leadership quality that they were not born with like Michael Jordan’s athleticism or Albert Einstein’s intelligence. Second, is the hope that they can learn what it takes to be an effective leader to compensate for any genetic deficiencies. Fortunately, the answer allows everyone to breathe easier as anyone who wants to be a leader can make that choice. Make the Leadership Choice. And Live It. Everyone has talents, strengths, and abilities that combined with their passion makes...
Read MoreNeed a Job? Three Steps to Take Now
The fact that millions of Americans are unemployed or underemployed is not news. Although we seem to be engaged in Einstein’s infamous trap of ‘doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.’ Policy makers are debating how to entice businesses into hiring more people and the unemployed are angry and frustrated over the lack of available positions. Nearing record-breaking unemployment rates, perhaps it is time to consider a different route to finding meaningful, satisfying, and rewarding work in people’s lives. As we’ve discussed here before, creating jobs won’t help our economy. If you are looking for a job, or know someone who...
Read MoreAre You a 21st Century Leader?
The Occupy movement is raising questions about leaders in business and politics. Motivated by corporate excess and government blundering of our nation’s economic system “occupiers” are expressing frustration and anger by taking to the streets. With a fuzzy message fueled by personal economic challenges and years of feeling powerless against “the big guys,” the unfortunate reality is that what these protestors are for or against is impossible to achieve. There’s only one way things will change. And looking to “leaders” to fix the problem is not the answer. The challenge in the numerous crises facing our country today is that most people can...
Read MoreThe Era of Compromise is Over
by: Kathleen Schafer, Founder of Leadership Connection With the midterm elections safely behind them, elected officials now come to the most difficult part of their adventure—leading and making good on all of those campaign promises. An election is never an easy endeavor and the dirty little secret is that the real work begins after victory is declared. The challenge before the next Congress is no different from the challenges previous Congresses faced; the test will whether or not they are truly capable ofleading in a different way. If they don’t, they too might be facing unemployment in 2012. With a chagrinned Obama and an emboldened Republican Party, the talk of...
Read MoreWhat’s Wrong with Obama?
Share By: Kathleen Schafer, Founding Principal-Leadership Connection What happened to the charismatic, inspirational and visionary “leader” who rode into Washington nearly two years ago on the river of hope and an intense public desire for things to be “different?” Has this man changed from a believer in the power of individuals to make things better into a cynic, corrupted by the world’s greatest power game? Perhaps what we see in Obama now, is the stark reality of what happens when well-intentioned leaders get elected to office and start listening more to their handlers than to their authentic selves. Yes, I’ve repeatedly heard...
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