Leadership is not a basket of tricks or strategies or skills that you pull out. Leadership begins with the quality of the person.
Interpretation
True leadership is rooted in personal character, not just techniques or skills.
Frances Hesselbein's quote emphasizes that effective leadership stems from an individual's inherent qualities and character rather than relying solely on learned tricks or strategies. A leader's integrity, values, and genuine nature are what truly inspire and guide others, underpinning their authority and influence.
In practice
In a corporate retreat, a speaker might open with this quote to set the tone for discussions on authentic leadership.
When people are speaking, they require our undivided attention. We focus on them; we listen very carefully. We listen to the spoken words and the unspoken messages. This means looking directly at the person, eyes connected; we forget we have a watch, just focusing for that moment on that person.
It takes courage for a leader to identify and confront self-imposed barriers, to put in place the personal strategies required to unleash the energy, innovation, and commitment to self-development.
Women are working for part or all of their adult lives now. The possibilities are limitless, but you need to prepare.
The real leader redefines or defines the mission in a very powerful way so that people understand it; it permeates the organization.
Social-sector organizations have to be better managed than for-profit organizations... because they have no margin of error.
In my life, I don't have roadblocks and obstacles. I might have something you would call a 'challenge.' I throw that out the window, and I call that a wonderful opportunity.
An army is a collection of armed men obliged to obey one man. Every enactment, every change of rule which impairs this principle weakens the army, impairs its value, and defeats the very object of its existence.
Iβd like them to say that Shirley Chisholm had guts. Thatβs how Iβd like to be remembered.
Whether somebody is really competent - whether he has a good hockey mind, whether he's a good person to lead a hockey club - is something determined over a long period of time, not one tournament.
As a former prosecutor, I understand the importance of holding powerful people accountable.
I had worked hard my entire career to establish myself as a leader. But I wasn't a leader until I was perceived as one.
I follow three rules: Do the right thing, do the best you can, and always show people you care.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.