Practice self-awareness, self-evaluation, and self-improvement. If we are aware that our manners - language, behavior, and actions - are measured against our values and principles, we are able to more easily embody the philosophy, leadership is a matter of how to be, not how to do.
Interpretation
Self-awareness and evaluation help us align our actions with our values, which is essential for effective leadership.
This quote emphasizes that true leadership is not just about actions or tasks but fundamentally about being a person of good character, guided by self-awareness and the principles one values. Frances Hesselbein suggests that by evaluating our manners and behavior against our personal values, we can improve ourselves and better embody the essence of effective leadership.
In practice
During a leadership training workshop, this quote can inspire participants to focus on self-awareness in their leadership roles.
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.
Leadership is not a basket of tricks or strategies or skills that you pull out. Leadership begins with the quality of the person.
Social-sector organizations have to be better managed than for-profit organizations... because they have no margin of error.
Active questions are the alternative to passive questions. There is a huge difference between, 'Do you have clear goals?' and 'Did you do your best to set clear goals for yourself?' The former is trying to determine the employee's state of mind; the latter challenges the employee to describe or defend a course of action.
You need collaboration of its people; it's the only way to improve a company - can you ignore that? You need a win-win for every sub-group, which will ensure exponential growth for a company.
What we won when all of our people united just must not now be lost in suspicion, distrust, selfishness, and politics among any of our people. Accordingly, I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President.
Unjust attacks on public men do them more good than unmerited praise.
A leader sees greatness in other people. He nor she can be much of a leader if all she sees is herself.
Every company, every boardroom in which I sit, has a plan, and they have objectives, goals, and a process. And to make it work, the pressure and incentive have to come from the top.
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