Leadership501 – Examining Leadership with Mark Shead

Leadership Quotes

This collection of leadership quotes is a great source of inspiration. If there is a great quote we missed, please add it in the comments below.

Quotations can be a powerful part of your personal leadership development plan. Taking a few quotes from people you admire and spending some time, deeply thinking about them, can help you better understand the mindset behind the leader. Over the course of a year, you can cover a number of leadership quotes and develop a much better understanding of the person who said it how their perspective applies to your leadership style.

When nothing is sure, everything is possible.
~Margaret Drabble

This quote speaks to the possibilities that exist when you and your team don’t have a bunch of preconceived ideas. Everyone is limited by what they are sure is possible. Without those barriers, the glass ceiling goes away.

In matters of style, swim with the current;
In matters of principle, stand like a rock.
~T. Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson’s gives a strong reminder about when to be flexible and when to stand strong. To often people are rigid on their style and flexible on their principles–the exact opposite of what he recommends.

And when we think we lead, we are most led.
~Lord Byron

Leadership is a give and take process.

The only real training for leadership is leadership.
~Antony Jay

If you want to lead you have to practice leading. Classroom experience isn’t nearly as valuable as actually leading people and learning from your mistakes.

The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been.
~Henry Kissinger

Kissinger knew that it was no great feat to get people to do something they had done before. Real leadership skill is getting them to do something they haven’t ever done or aren’t even sure is possible.

People are more easily led than driven.
~David Harold Fink

This leadership quote is an excellent reminder that leading is different than forcing people to do what you say.

Leadership should be born out of the understanding of the needs of those who would be affected by it.
~Marian Anderson

This is a reminder to see things from the perspective of the people whose lives we impact–a very important lesson for leaders in any position.

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Leadership Styles

By Mark Shead 1 Comment

1 Introduction

Leadership traits tell who a leader is as leader. Leadership styles tell what a leader does in the process of leading. In this article we are going to explore the leadership styles found in the research of three different researches:

Kurt Lewin
Renis Likert
Daniel Goleman

Each of these individuals discovered a different set of leadership styles. While there is a great deal of overlap, they all allow you to view leadership from a different vantage point. In addition to these three, there are many other researchers who have developed many other systems for categorizing leadership styles. Each has a slightly different emphasis and perspective on how to view the way people lead.

There is no “correct” point of view in examining leadership styles. Each view is valuable and emphasizes different aspects of leadership in different environments. As a leader, a study of different leadership styles can help give you better perspective and make you more conscious about what methods you utilize to lead others.

In matters of style, swim with the current;
In matters of principle, stand like a rock.
~T. Jefferson (leadership quotes)

A good leader is not going to be stuck using a single leadership style. Leaders will consciously or unconsciously shift between and blend leadership styles in order to best achieve their goal. The most valuable thing you can get out of this article is a better understanding of what your default style is, its weaknesses and strengths, and the ability to deliberately choose an appropriate leadership style when faced with a new situation.

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Hiring a Good Leader

By Mark Shead Leave a Comment

For this post, I asked a number or prominent leadership experts the following question:

If you were hiring someone you hoped to groom for a leadership position, what key things would you look for?

Below you will find their insightful answers along with some comments of my own.

I would look for someone willing to take risks. Fail often, fail fast, fail cheap. I would look for someone who wants to learn and who is coachable. I would look for someone who is willing to serve those they lead. I would look for someone who is willing to take a stand. Someone with vision. Someone who can simplify and clarify thoughts.

Jim Estill from Time Leadership – CEO Blog

Risk taking isn’t always the first thing people think of looking for in a new leader, but Jim makes a good point that you want someone who knows how to take and learn from small risks so they can grow quickly with minimal negative consequences from mistakes.

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