Previously I had introduced the book, As A Man Thinketh, by James Allen, as a principle of effective leadership. For this entry, I want to focus on Chapter 5 of this book, The Thought-Factor in Achievement.

Allen states, “A man can only rise, conquer, and achieve by lifting up his thoughts.” How true? A person dwelling in the negative is rarely if ever an effective leader. How could she/he be? Without seeking positive outcomes, a person focused on the negative will be self-guided in that direction. I liken this to sports psychologists who talk about envisioning the outcome. For example, a professional golfer will typically stand behind their upcoming shot and envision their swing, the flight of the ball and the outcome of the well executed shot.

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Previously I had introduced the book, As A Man Thinketh, by James Allen, as a book that provides some valuable concepts about effective leadership.  For this entry I would like to focus on Chapter 4, Thought and Purpose.

We would probably all agree that a great leader is one who can effectively convey their vision to others and evoke a purposeful outcome. Many of us often assume Presidents and CEOs of organizations are supposed to be the visionary, strategically minded individuals who direct the efforts of the organization.  In chapter four, Allen points out that, “until thought is linked with purpose, there is no intelligent accomplishment.” This is, indeed, what sets a leader apart from a dreamer, or one who may have wonderful ideas, but is without the capacity to turn thought into action. Leaders must not only see the big picture, but also be skilled in guiding actions necessary for those ideas to become reality.

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Managers and leaders have many tools available to solve problems, improve quality, increase performance, and change employee behavior. Back when TQM wasn’t a four-letter word, managers also had Cause and Effect Diagrams, Force Field Analysis, and Flow Charts to solve problems and resolve difficulties. Actually, we still use these tools today, but don’t attach their use to TQM. Instead, we quote philosophies like Six Sigma and Process Improvement, new names, but the same old process.

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Robert Thomas was kind enough to send us an advance copy of his new book, Crucible of Leadership: How to Learn from Experience to Become a Great Leader. We are always thankful and enjoy the opportunity to pre-read new works prior to hitting bookstores. I must admit, at first, I thought this was just another book on leadership. Do we really need more? However, I was pleasantly surprised with what I discovered. Instead of the typically “tell you what to do” style of book, Mr. Thomas instructs individuals to take experiences learned in life and build on them and put them to good use. He makes a very strong case for continuous learning as this often occurs while on the job. The overall concept of the book is that errors made can be advantageous especially when organizations are open to the learning process at work.

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In a previous post I introduced the book, As A Man Thinketh, by James Allen, as a book that could be interpreted as an introduction to effective leadership. For this entry I want to focus on Chapter 2, Effect of Thought on Circumstances.

I would venture to say that most good leaders are positive people. Their positive attitude and outlook on the future will have a “trickle down” effect on the people they lead. Of course, those who follow and support this type of leader don’t just buy into a positive attitude, but know from experience that a positive outlook is often sincere and not just self serving. A true leader must prove him/her self to be more than a cheerleader. A positive outlook and driven thought process will have a record of success.

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In a previous post I introduced the book, As A Man Thinketh, by James Allen, as a book that could be interpreted as an introduction to effective leadership. For this post I want to focus on Chapter 1, Thought and Character.

Think about the effective leaders you’ve known throughout your life. I’m not talking about the leader who just had the authority to boss people around pushing their own will. They might be in a position of leadership, but are they true leaders?

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As I was a young man, my mother introduced me to a little book titled As A Man Thinketh, by James Allen. It has become a favorite in my life and is the book that had helped my mother through some difficult times. I was going through some difficult times of my own when she gave me her copy. At that time, I thought of the book only as inspirational read.I recently took another look at the book. As I pondered thoughts on leadership, I came to realize that much of the book could also be seen as instruction on effective leadership. While Chapter 3, Effect of Thought on Health and Body, and Chapter 7, Serenity, might not fit the bill, the other 5 chapters could easily be sections of any program on Leadership.

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REACHING FOR GLORY
As the Summer Olympics Games recently came to a close. I reflected back on the games. I remember that during the opening ceremonies, contingents from each represented country walked into the stadium ready to take on the worlds best. Some countries had only a small number of competitors, while others a very large number. Do you remember the vast number of athletes there were inside the stadium after they had all filed in and found their place to join in the ceremony? To me, it was like a sea of happy faces - each with his/her own dream of Olympic glory. For some, merely attending the Olympic Games and representing their country was glory enough. For others, winning a medal was their only measure of success. According to the Olympic website, a total of 958 medals were awarded during the Summer Games. As there are only three medals awarded in each event, I wondered about the vast number of athletes, among the 10,500 competing, who returned home without winning a medal.

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Any really good manager should constantly be trying to improve their self. There are four basic tips that if you will incorporate into your leadership, will make you a more effective leader and also make you a key player in a future leadership training.

The first thing you should take note of is to “let go”. Trust your employees to do their jobs correctly and finish their tasks. Do not attempt to micro manage your employees, or you will end up working some very long hours and eventually burn yourself out in the process.

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Currently, I am reading Daniel Goleman’s book, Social Intelligence. He begins his book with a story from the early days of the second Gulf War. For me, this story is a remarkable example of strong team leader and a well developed team.

The story involves Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Hughes and a local mosque. His mission was to ask for help from the cleric in organizing the distribution of relief supplies.

However, fearing the soldiers were coming to arrest their spiritual leader or destroy their mosque, a holy shrine, a mob gathered. As hundreds of devout Muslims surrounded the soldiers, waving their hands and shouting, pressed in toward the heavily armed platoon. Hughes thought fast.

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