GainingTheEdgeNewsletterSpecialIssue

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GAINING THE EDGE NEWSLETTER – Special Issue
Word count this issue: 517
Approximate reading time: 2 – 3 Minutes
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THREE STEPS TO INSPIRATIONAL LEADERSHIP
"Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality." So said Warren Bennis,
world renown authority on leadership. Leaders must be inspired. If a leader is not then his
followers won't be either. Here are three steps toward being a more inspirational leader.
This is vital in translating your vision into reality:
    1. Paint a picture
        People love stories. Keep your people inspired and motivated by telling short stories
        that relate to the work and challenges at hand. Give examples in descriptive word
        pictures rather than data, philosophy and long drawn out dissertations. Abraham
        Lincoln was a master at that. He explained why he was adamant about preserving the
        Union during the civil war by saying, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." These
        words have lived on through the years as among his most wise and profound statements.

        Another more recent example was former Fed Chairman Allen Greenspan when
        testifying before Congress several years ago. He said the US had a "…Goldilocks
        economy, not too hot, not too cold, just right." That picture was far more descriptive
        and memorable than 10 reams of financial data.

    2. Recognize and celebrate the successes of others, no matter how small
        The Ritz-Carlton Hotel chain has about 35,000 employees. They have a regular ritual of
        recognition to give local fame to their employees. In every Ritz-Carlton, everyday and
        in every department they have a 15 minute meeting in which any one has a chance to tell
        a WOW story. A WOW story is how they went above and beyond normal 5 star service.
        Recognition for that gives them local fame among their peers (not to mention maintaining
        the hotel chain's world-wide reputation). It's a wonderful form of recognition that motivates
        others to look for opportunities to share WOW stories.

    3. Articulate a clear, concise and specific one sentence vision and then support
        everything it takes to make it happen
        That's different than a mission statement which is usually long, convoluted and developed
        by a committee (and that everyone has to pull out a card to read). A vision statement is a
        picture of a better future. An example of one of the most famous is JFK's moon landing vision
        statement. On May 25, 1961 he appeared before a joint session of Congress and challenged
        them with this clear, concise and specific vision: "I believe that this nation should commit itself
        to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning
        him safely to earth." He had many skeptics. However, they became true believers when on
        July 20, 1969 Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong stepped onto the surface of the moon
        and then returned safely to earth.

In summary:

Tell short stories that relate to the challenges at hand
Celebrate the successes of people no matter how small
Create and share your vision being clear, concise and specific
Visualize the end result, then workback from there
Determine the resources and support it takes to make it a reality
Now go forth and inspire

All the best,

John Nicholas
http://www.GainingTheEdge.com

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