The only thing I don't think people don't understand about good leaders is that they're both good and lucky. A lot of it is timing.
Interpretation
Good leaders possess both skill and luck, with timing playing a crucial role in their success.
Marshall Goldsmith's quote emphasizes that effective leadership is not solely about having the right skills or attributes; it also involves being fortunate with timing and circumstances. Leaders often find themselves in positions to succeed due to factors beyond their control, which underscores the blend of preparation and luck in achieving success.
In practice
In a motivational speech to young professionals about the importance of adaptability in leadership.
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.
Treat every piece of advice as a gift or a compliment and simply say, βThank you.
Life is short. Do whatever you can to help people - not for status, but because the 95-year-old you will be proud if you did help people and disappointed if you didn't.
If we become aware of what's happening before we act, behaviour becomes a function of choice rather than a result of an impulse or trigger. You begin to control your world more as opposed to the outside world controlling you.
A leader who is self-aware enough to know that he or she is not adept at everything is one who has taken the first step toward being a great leader.
One of the most important actions, things a leader can do, is to lead by example. If you want everyone else to be passionate, committed, dedicated, and motivated, you go first!
Unjust attacks on public men do them more good than unmerited praise.
In her second career as a minister, my mother defied a legacy of chauvinism to become a leader of our community, overseeing a church that served as a hub, offering parenting classes, a food pantry, after-school programming, and - in the wake of Hurricane Katrina - a lifeline to those ravaged by loss.
And if you want partnerships that focus on hard problems and real solutions, then pick a Black woman. Because that's what we do every single day and in every single way.
Civility is not a tactic or a sentiment. It is the determined choice of trust over cynicism, of community over chaos.
If something can be done 80% as well by someone else, delegate!
An Army is a collection of armed men obliged to obey one man. Every change in the rules which impairs the principle weakens the army.
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