What Does a Leader Value?

 Lead from a Principled Heart

The best leadership comes from a principled heart.  Principles are our moral beliefs about right and wrong.  A good leader must base his actions on something bigger than himself.  To do that he or she must take time to determine their values. 
 
Values are simply the things you value ...  those things and attributes that “must be.”  Here are some examples:

• Dependability 
• Reliability 
• Loyalty 
• Commitment 
• Open-mindedness 
• Consistency 
• Honesty 
• Efficiency 
• Innovation 
• Creativity 
• Good humor 
• Compassion 
• Spirit of adventure 
• Motivation 
• Positivity 
• Optimism 
• Passion 
• Respect 
• Fitness 
• Courage 
• Education 
• Perseverance 
• Patriotism 
• Service to others 
• Environmentalism 

Values are a heart attitude that is the most fundamental definition of who we are and what we believe.  If you have not already done so make a list of your values, put that list in a prominent place and refer to it often. 
 

“Leadership is much more an art, a belief, a condition of the heart, than a set of things to do. The visible signs of artful leadership are expressed, ultimately, in its practice.” Max Depree

 

Leadership's Attitude

 Leadership is an Attitude Not a Position

We need to understand that leadership is more about attitude and perspective than position.  Stephen R. Covey writes, “Most people think of leadership as a position and therefore don't see themselves as leaders.”  Broadcast industry executive Donald H. McGannon, provides greater focus when he when he defines leadership as ”… action, not position.”

Some of the most compelling examples of leadership take place in many of war’s most brutal theaters.  A 2013 CBS News report describes the actions of Army Captain Will Swenson, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in Afghanistan.  This is what they reported from their interview with Sargent Kevin Duerst, crew chief of a medevac helicopter:

Sargent First Class Kenneth Westbrook had been hit in the throat and was bleeding to death. Swenson and a medic helped Westbrook into the helicopter. Then, amid the hell of combat, something beautiful happened.  "Sargent Westbrook kind of leaned down and Captain Swenson kind of leaned down and they had, they kind of looked at each other and it appeared that they were talking, but Captain Swenson kissed him on the forehead and then tapped the side of his head," Duerst said.

Later that day, as Duerst and his crew flew in for more wounded soldiers, they observed Swenson under enemy fire aiding wounded Afghan soldiers and searching for four missing Americans.  His final act that day was going forward under fire and recovering the bodies of the four missing Americans.  Swenson leadership was not because of his position but because of his attitude and his values.  It was the right thing and he had to do it.  

 

"Remarkable contributions are typically spawned by a passionate commitment to transcendent values such as beauty, truth, wisdom, justice, charity, fidelity, joy, courage and honor."

Gary Hamel

 

Great Communication

 Eight Steps to Great Communication. (A review)

No matter if your audience of one or thousands, or whether your communication is spoken or written, use these principles so that your message is received and remembered. 

1. Know your audience.
2. Balance what you want to say with what they want to hear.
3. Use simple language.
4. Strategically decide whether to write or speak your message.
5. Share personal anecdotes and illustrations.
6. Start strong and end with emotion.
7. Preview, present and recap your message.
8. Use word pictures or other visuals to make it memorable.

Doing so will help achieve your desired result: message received and understood. 

 

"The greatest problem with communication is we don’t listen to understand. We listen to reply."  Roy T. Bennett

Will They Remember

Make it Memorable.  

One of the best ways to help people remember your message is through using a word picture.  Winston Churchill did this when he described a communist world that lay behind an “iron curtain.” Hillary Clinton speculated about a “vast, right-wing conspiracy.”  President George W. Bush spoke of an “axis of evil.”   Word pictures are effective because they grab and direct attention and lock thoughts into our memory.  A call to action can be greatly enhanced by the creative use of a word picture. 
 
Other visual devices are also effective in helping us communicate.  An often repeated statistic states that: people remember 40% of what they hear and see, 30% of what they see, 20% of what they hear, and only 10% of what they read. Always reinforce your spoken or written message with something that evokes a mental memory, either through a word picture or a visual image.

 

"Take advantage of every opportunity to practice your communication skills so that when important occasions arise, you will have the gift, the style, the sharpness, the clarity, and the emotions to affect other people." Jim Rohn

  

Three Times is a Charm

 Tell them, Tell them, Tell them.

A savvy public speaker once shared his formula for effective communication with me.  He said, “Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them you told them.”  In other words: 

• Preview the message: 

Summarize what you have to say and why it is important.

• Present the message: 

Give the body or details of your message.

• Recap the message: 

Briefly repeat your message and restate its importance.

Repetition is critical to effective communication because, even though we have two ears, we still miss a lot.

 

"The art of communication is the language of leadership."  James Humes