Integrity is talked about a lot these days. Everywhere people are looking for leaders, for employees, for colleagues and friends, even spouses -with integrity. It is listed as one of the requirements of lasting success. -And yet it seems to be an increasingly rare commodity.
People have become increasingly more sceptical and suspicious about leaders and their motives.
How will you define integrity and how would you know that some one is a person of integrity??
Is this some abstract quality that people keep on saying they have, because they think that in doing so, other people will allow them to occupy positions of authority, because they are seen as "good" and trustworthy?
Is integrity something that you need to tell others you have, or is it a quality that friends and colleagues observe in your life?
I subscribe to this definition: "Integrity is being your word."
To me that means that you will do what you said you would, by when you said you would do it.
It means that you keep your word, even to yourself...
I like the word "being" in this definition: It implies that integrity is not just about what or who you say you are, it is not about perception, but about what you actually and consciously live out in practice. -It means that you ARE your word!
Too many leaders say one thing and live the (complete) opposite...... That is why so many people have lost trust in all levels and sorts of leaders. They may give leaders a degree of respect, because of some perceived position that they have, but they don't trust them at all!
Integrity -being your word, allows others to trust you. Trust is a vital ingredient in lasting personal and professional relationships. Without trust you have nothing! It is also key in becoming a person of influence.
Being your word starts and builds on small things.
BE your word today!
Tuesday 28 February 2012
Wednesday 22 February 2012
Destination(s)
We have different destinations as leaders.
All leaders are not on the way to the same place -are we?
-If you say "Yes, we are" -What/ where would that destination be?
Each one of us has a individual purpose, or reason for being.
We all have our own unique impact on life, the difference that each one of us should make
in our part of the ocean. -The change that you have to bring about in your sphere of influence.
If we do have our own unique purpose and destination as leaders, -then our journeys would differ somewhat.
If our journeys differ, we would certainly not be at the same station or port of life at the exact same time...
-So why do we keep on comparing ourselves to others?
One of the young leaders following this blog, e-mailed a interesting response to me. Amongst other things she said: "Leaders should not be on route to their specific destination, following the directions of another." -Just think about that for a moment........
Is that not exactly what we sometimes do?
We compare. We take the journeys, CV's, accomplishments, routes or models of others and try to copy or follow that precisely. Believing that their "recipe" or journey plan will bring us to a destination of "success".
Maybe it will. -But what if that is not the destination that you as a leader were suppose to reach?
All leaders are not on the way to the same place -are we?
-If you say "Yes, we are" -What/ where would that destination be?
Each one of us has a individual purpose, or reason for being.
We all have our own unique impact on life, the difference that each one of us should make
in our part of the ocean. -The change that you have to bring about in your sphere of influence.
If we do have our own unique purpose and destination as leaders, -then our journeys would differ somewhat.
If our journeys differ, we would certainly not be at the same station or port of life at the exact same time...
-So why do we keep on comparing ourselves to others?
One of the young leaders following this blog, e-mailed a interesting response to me. Amongst other things she said: "Leaders should not be on route to their specific destination, following the directions of another." -Just think about that for a moment........
Is that not exactly what we sometimes do?
We compare. We take the journeys, CV's, accomplishments, routes or models of others and try to copy or follow that precisely. Believing that their "recipe" or journey plan will bring us to a destination of "success".
Maybe it will. -But what if that is not the destination that you as a leader were suppose to reach?
Tuesday 14 February 2012
Sustainability
I said last week that success is not about being the biggest or the best, but about endurance and sustainability. May be we should add to that -with integrity. (More about that on another day.)
Sustainability in this context could mean to keep going till the end of your journey, without falling or sinking. -Without burning out. Some say that is impossible. They argue that at some point all leaders experience burnout. -Is it impossible to keep going without stumbling in some way?
Is burnout inevitable? Do all athletes burn out? -Why is that so?
Does it have something to do with how leaders take care of their own physical-, emotional- and spiritual well being? How often do we forget that our body, mind and spirit are some of the precious and irreplaceable tools of our trade? We can't simply exchange, upgrade or buy new ones!
Does sustainability, or the lack there of, have something to do with what we are striving to achieve? With who or what we're competing against, or who we are trying to impress?
-and hów we are trying to do that?
It seems to me that to be sustainable as a leader you need to have some sense of direction.
We need to have some idea of where we are going. Another thought on this is that you would not be able to find any destination, if you do not know where you are right now.........
If you have some sense of direction and you are navigating or running in that direction, you need to have regular times of rest and refreshment. Not even machines can keep going non stop! Rest and refreshment look different for all of us. What do yóú need to do, to really rest? What will it take for you to schedule that regularly?
Over and above direction and rest, sustainability is not possible without sustenance.
We need to nourish our spirit, mind and body with good food.
When you stand before your maker at the end of your journey: May you have finished well, with your family and friends next to you, with your health and your sanity intact!
-That will not happen by accident though.
Sustainability in this context could mean to keep going till the end of your journey, without falling or sinking. -Without burning out. Some say that is impossible. They argue that at some point all leaders experience burnout. -Is it impossible to keep going without stumbling in some way?
Is burnout inevitable? Do all athletes burn out? -Why is that so?
Does it have something to do with how leaders take care of their own physical-, emotional- and spiritual well being? How often do we forget that our body, mind and spirit are some of the precious and irreplaceable tools of our trade? We can't simply exchange, upgrade or buy new ones!
Does sustainability, or the lack there of, have something to do with what we are striving to achieve? With who or what we're competing against, or who we are trying to impress?
-and hów we are trying to do that?
It seems to me that to be sustainable as a leader you need to have some sense of direction.
We need to have some idea of where we are going. Another thought on this is that you would not be able to find any destination, if you do not know where you are right now.........
If you have some sense of direction and you are navigating or running in that direction, you need to have regular times of rest and refreshment. Not even machines can keep going non stop! Rest and refreshment look different for all of us. What do yóú need to do, to really rest? What will it take for you to schedule that regularly?
Over and above direction and rest, sustainability is not possible without sustenance.
We need to nourish our spirit, mind and body with good food.
When you stand before your maker at the end of your journey: May you have finished well, with your family and friends next to you, with your health and your sanity intact!
-That will not happen by accident though.
Tuesday 7 February 2012
Success ?!
It is disturbing to see and hear about leaders who are just giving up! Most of them have been in leadership for some time, and seemingly all of a sudden, they just want out. No energy and little passion left.....
Some are prepared to just walk away from what they have spent years and years of their lives building.
They would leave their legacies in jeopardy, just to "get away" from it all... Why?
Is it that too many leaders start out with the idea that to be successful you have to be the biggest or the best?
It seems to me that when you play the numbers game, you will always end up falling short somewhere.
Someone else will always be "bigger" and "better" than you. -At least for a while.
May be it has something to do with the fact that one may feel that after a certain number of years you should have achieved more: Whatever you have been building should have been bigger or better and now that it pales in comparison to what others have done, you want to stop playing this game and go home. Tired of the race.
It is great to partake in a race! (I have done running and cycling.) You learn a lot about yourself.
One important thing to remember is that although 35 000 plus people takes part in the Cape Argus cycle tour, only one can win! Does that mean that I should not participate? Should I ride as hard and fast as I possibly can, to try and stay with the winning group at all cost? What do I have to do to say that I had a successful cycle race?
What do you have to do to have the feeling that you have achieved success in leadership and in life?
Success is not about being the biggest or the best, but about endurance and sustainability.
Some are prepared to just walk away from what they have spent years and years of their lives building.
They would leave their legacies in jeopardy, just to "get away" from it all... Why?
Is it that too many leaders start out with the idea that to be successful you have to be the biggest or the best?
It seems to me that when you play the numbers game, you will always end up falling short somewhere.
Someone else will always be "bigger" and "better" than you. -At least for a while.
May be it has something to do with the fact that one may feel that after a certain number of years you should have achieved more: Whatever you have been building should have been bigger or better and now that it pales in comparison to what others have done, you want to stop playing this game and go home. Tired of the race.
It is great to partake in a race! (I have done running and cycling.) You learn a lot about yourself.
One important thing to remember is that although 35 000 plus people takes part in the Cape Argus cycle tour, only one can win! Does that mean that I should not participate? Should I ride as hard and fast as I possibly can, to try and stay with the winning group at all cost? What do I have to do to say that I had a successful cycle race?
What do you have to do to have the feeling that you have achieved success in leadership and in life?
Success is not about being the biggest or the best, but about endurance and sustainability.
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