I have been very lucky to have worked with and for some people that were excellent leaders. I have also been fortunate to have people work for me that made me look like a good leader. And from those experiences, there are some things I learned...
- From Nick, I learned that no job is below the boss...
Twice each year, we cleaned the toilets... no, not the regular cleaning, that happened twice a day... I mean pulled them off of the floor, took them out back and scrubbed EVERY part of them. They were as new. The owner of the skating rink asked for volunteers... and he was out there with us. There was NO job in that rink he hadn't done, could still do, and wouldn't do in order to keep it running smooth. He didn't lead from the rear, he led from the front. And he never expected something from his employees that he didn't expect from himself...
- From Chipp, I learned that quality doesn't fear competition...
I was his photo assistant. Other photographers I worked with weren't likely to talk up their assistants as photographers. Chipp had no problem talking about my skills in a VERY complimentary way... to art directors that could hire me. I asked him about it one day... "If they can get you to shoot the job, maybe they really don't need me. They already know I am good..." It wasn't boasting... and I learned a LOT from Chipp... but the biggest thing I learned is that I wouldn't look better by tearing down my staff.
- From Vickie, I learned that if it is wrong, it is MY fault, if it is right, it is my staff...
Spread the good, contain the bad. She always gave credit to those that worked for her when everything went well. When there were issues, she took the brunt. Her staff was loyal... VERY loyal. And the higher-ups always saw that she seemed stronger because all of her stores supported her... no hidden agendas. But again, she led from the front, and she built up those around her.
- From my store staffs, I learned that holding people accountable makes them accountable...
When I gave people tasks, gave them timetables and held them accountable for the results, seldom was i disappointed with the results. I DID have to learn how to let go of micromanagement (let my staff do things the way they wanted as long as the results were correct) and how to delegate. Knowing how to do it all, and leading from the front doesn't mean doing it all...
- From my store staffs, I learned compassion has a place... and it isn't always at the top...
It is tough to have a group of people responsible TO you... and when they are responsible to you, you are also responsible to them. Sometimes that means making hard decisions. It might mean firing someone that you don't want to fire... or helping someone that you don't want to help. But it requires consistency. You can't fire one person for an infraction that doesn't blip someone else.
But there are a few things I also learned...
- Leadership is not doing what is popular all of the time...
Leaders have to make tough decisions and do what is right, not what is popular. It can be popular to do what is right, but often the right path is not readily apparent.
- Leadership requires an internal compass...
It comes down to vision. Leaders need vision. And that needs to go beyond talking about something to actually doing something about it. It is fine to "stay on message" but the message needs to be consistent over time. As the popular saying goes, Those that don't stand for something will fall for anything.
- A leader doesn't need a focus group...
Focus groups are great manage public perception... but that isn't what a true leader should be trying to do. Tweaking policy or altering the vision to play better with the public is a sign of weakness, not strength. Sure, it can make one more popular... but it shows that popularity is more important that direction and vision.
As I look at the political landscape...
I see a bunch of politicians that think leadership is doing what the most people want. I see focus groups being more important than solutions to issues... "If it sounds good, it must be a better solution" is NOT what a leader says... Leaders expect to be contreversial... They are in the lead, not following the general public.
Unless otherwise noted, all content of this blog is the property of Lane Bailey, ©2012 Lane Bailey.
I'd love to hear from you...
We desperately need leadership on a national level but with so much pressure from the groups it must be difficult to get reliable information that isn't biased.
Lane,
A leader definitely needs to stand up and make some not so popular decisions and take the hit. Leaders cannot lead by committee or focus groups.
Terry - It is... read a LOT, and from different sources. I find that watching CNN that they skip so many stories... Fox is reasonably balanced... and then there are some decidedly conservative outlets like World Net Daily.
Don - I remember one of the company owners I worked for at a meeting when the company was facing tough times... "This is NOT a Democracy. I run it. If you don't like it, you are welcome to leave... here is what we are going to do..." A third of the employees left. The rest of us made out great. The path the company went down was not popular even with the ones of us that stayed, but it was the right path.
Lane,
Thank you for the Leadership Role that you fill with in our growing organization. I always look forward to your words of wisdom.
Dave
Lane I agree with you that leaders should lead, sometimes be controversial and not always say what everyone else wants them to say!
Dave - Matt = Leader. Lane = Follower. Matt says I have a leadership role (when he feels generous) but mostly I would say that I am a mouthpiece.
Stephen - Yep. Focus groups are for those that don't have a spine.
Lane which focus group are you in?
Stephen - Sniping doesn't become you... And I don't use focus groups to form MY policy. Can you say the same for politicians you support?
Lane I never said anything about focus groups? you brought it up! I thought you were insulting me?
Stephen - your guy in the elections has been tuning his "policies" for focus groups since the beginning. He is weak on actually leading... he doesn't make up his mind, polls make up his mind. He is spineless... So, I was calling him that. You said that you thought leaders needed to take principled stands and do things that are unpopular.
Why did you ask which focus groups I was in? Do I appear unwilling to take a stand? Really?
Now, make no mistake, I think you are wrong in backing Obama. I think that he will do a tremendous amount of damage to this country. But... that doesn't mean I couldn't sit down and have a Coke with you (I would have said beer or coffee... but I don't drink either). I'm sure you are a nice guy. Of course, if I was going to pick an ex-President to hit a bar with it would be Clinton (especially a strip club... I think he would be a riot). Bush doesn't drink anymore... maybe he could be the designated driver.
BTW, the preceding does not mean that I hang out in strip clubs with or without ex-Presidents...
Finally, I won't let anyone be directly attacked on my blog... Policies and positions are fair game. politicians are fair game. Commentors are NOT. I would delete the comments of someone directly attcking another commentor, regardless of their position. I have deleted people that agreed with me... possibly even more often than those that didn't.
Lane thank you for your clarification. I disagree with you about Obama not having a spine but you can vote for whomever you want, so cant I. Polls dont make up my mind but maybe they sway voters who cant make up their mind (or dont have a spine?). I wouldnt mind drinking with your or Bill Clinton in a strip bar either.
The AR commenter that I think you are referring to- Nicholas has pissed a lot of people (female agents) off on AR with his obnoxious, hurtful attitudes and thoughtless comments. Sorry if it had to be on this/ your posted blog but I thought he was fair game. It your post and you can delete whomever you like!
Im on AR for networking with other agents, online marketing, and for readers to read my posts/comments and to do real estate business with me. I dont think AR is the right place for political posts for me but thats up to you. I like to express myself as much anyone else here on AR. I think the majority of buyers or sellers after reading them would be turned off Lane. I know that they wouldnt hire Nicholas after some of the obnoxius comments he's made on AR!
Stephen - I won't delete someone's comment here for something they said elsewhere. You wouldn't want to be deleted elsewhere because you are trashing Nicholas here, right?
Oddly, I have had calls from people that liked what I said... and in one case, disagreed... but like that I was willing to take a position.
As for Obama, it isn't showing leadership to alter your "internal compass" based on the results of a focus group. Think about it... he has changed his "philosophy" over the course of the primaries and election in order to appeal to more voters. That doesn't show leadership. McCain has done it as well, but not nearly to the same level... and every time he adjusts, the press comes down on him in a BIG way. Just a few months ago, Obama was totally against more drilling in the US... now he sees that it is popular, so he is for it. Same with Nukes. He has never voted against a tax increase... for ANYONE... and now he wants to lower taxes for people he previously voted to RAISE taxes on. And also keep in mind that before he voted to end the Bush tax cuts, he ran on a platform of middle class tax cuts (in his Senatorial campaign). He says what he thinks sells...
Lane the truth of the matter is that both politicians say what they think will sell best for them! Yes I agree that positions change hopefully for the better and that is all part of the political democratic process.
Stephen - I agree to an extent. I'll give a few bonus points to McCain because he hasn't shifted much during the campaign... but he DID change from two years ago. Obama changes every day. But, I disagree that the changes are for the better. I HATE when candidates refuse to hold the same position in front of different groups (I keep thinking on Hillary tossing out the southern drawl during a speech).
Be who you are.
Lane keep in mind that both camps are trying to persuade large numbers of voters to vote for them. Obama has a lot of the younger, progressives, white, hispanic, multi-racial anti-Bush voters and hopefully a lot of Hillary backers. Obama with the Powell endorsement is going to get more Republicans to vote for him which is what McCain should have been doing for him to win. McCain & Palin are going after Joe Six Pack and Joe the Plumber for their votes? Which do you think is going to be more powerful and put up more numbers?
McCain has jumped of the "We need Change" bandwagon after Obama has been saying that for the last year. I still think Bush's endorsement is going to hurt McCain as well! Did any of the other Republican candidates come out for McCain- Romney? Huckabee maybe? I cant remember? they seem long gone?! I dont think its enough to just be yourself or just to be who you are to win!
Obama's camp has a large network of online campaign comtributions and people working for him that has been very well organized from the start. McCain's campaign has fallen apart a couple of times and may not be enough to last til the 4th of November?
Stephen - Do you REALLY want to talk about endorsements? Obama has some doozies...
McCain has been ruinning and and affecting change in Washington for DECADES. The entire reason that he was the media's favorite Republican (until he became evil by running against the chosen one) was because he fought with the GOP as much as the Democrats. He also teamed up with Democrats as much as he did Republicans. He tried to change DC when Obama was snorting coke at Harvard... read his book.
Obama has run an amazing campaign... but that doesn't mean his leadership will be good. I would rather be on a poorly run ship lurching in the right direction than an efficient ship on the way to hell.
So, let's talk about endorsements...
So, do you think these people are pulling for Obama because they think he will strengthen America? Do you think that have our countries best interests at heart? Or, do you think that they would prefer Obama because they think he will be easier to push around than McCain?
Your right Lane McCain been affecting change by pissing off his own party and the majority of senators in Congress for the last 25 years. He belongs in the Senate with Ted Kennedy not in the White House! Give Obama a chance! He couldnt screw it up half as bad as McCain would! Since when was McCain the media's favorite republican? or just the last one standing?
Oh by the way, Bill Maher sounds to me like he is the only real endorsement of Obama to date that you listed! the others are just media shams!
Stephen - And yet, Obama keeps making the charge that McCain isn't any different than the other Republicans... Obama needs to go back on the tree to ripen... of course, if he votes then people will know what he stands for rather than just being able to say different things to different people.
And EVERY one of those Endorsements is real... Bill Maher might be the only one of those Obama wants to claim, though. But, Maher is a complete idiot.
But, the bottom line is that no matter what happens, you are in the tank for Obama. I'm not happy with McCain, but I recognize the danger of Obama. What would it take for you to decide that Obama wasn't the best choice?
Lane the bottom line not just for me but for millions of americans who are in a recession, losing jobs and money to overseas, losing money in the stock market, going thru foreclosures and losing their homes is that they have all suffered enough thru the last 8 years of Republican/ Bush administration out of control spending, expensive Billions of dollars, lengthy wars and Bush failed economic policies. America wants their country back. Bush obviously doesnt serve our best interests. John McCain has been endorsed by Bush and has aligned himself as the next heir apparent Republican to him. McCain has failed to separate himself from Bush with his own plan, his negative ads and same old Republican politics is not what this country needs. Enough is enough! So I ask you Lane what would it take to realize that McCain isnt the best choice?
Stephen - Obama isn't going to fix ANY of it... except to lose the gains in Iraq. That is all...
Let's take a look at your arguments:
It would take Obama not promoting a socialist agenda. McCain is promoting a very light version of socialism... and I would vote for a candidate that was willing to actually let the free market wok, rather than screwing with the market and then saying it doesn't work.
Ok so Bush came into office with a much smaller deficit than he has now (Clinton did balance the budget during his term) and Bush made it much worse.
Obama's plan is to stop/ limit the growth of outsourcing of jobs to foreign countries and stop giving companies tax breaks when they outsource to motivate them to keep jobs in the USA by giving them tax incentives to do so. Everyone is for that obviously but the question is can that be done effectively because of so many jobs that have been lost in the past (look at Detroit Auto workers as one example) will they be able to turn the tide around?
If you compare the Clinton/ Democrat administration verus the Bush /Republican 8 years of office, there is no doubt in my mind that the economy was much better, deficits were smaller and spending was in check! Obvioulsy the Economy right now is THE MAJOR FACTOR of this election on people's minds with a GLOBAL RECESSION pending upon us right now!
As for Obama promoting what you call a "Socialist" agenda he has never called it that or promoted "Socialism". His words of "income redistribution" were ill chosen and interpreted as "Socialism" by the media I agree. Obama doesnt plan to "screw with the market and then say it doesnt work". That wouldnt make sense or make a difference. As President he would be responsible to Americans for his actions and improving our economy! He has made it clear that improving the Economy is on the top of his Agenda!
Stephen - Clinton DIDN'T balance the budget during his last year... tax revenue was on the decline. Bush inherited a declining revenue. And the ONLY reason that Clinton balanced the budget is because he couldn't get the bloat past the GOP controlled Congress. Obama won't have Congress holding him back.
The tax cuts that Obama is going to offer for "keeping jobs in the US" won't be enough to make it worthwhile. What kind of job is going to be created with a one time $3000 credit? It doesn't make sense... a company gets a tax increase on US operations, but they can get 5% of the cost of an employee back... or 7%... or they can move that money off-shore and save $20,000... hhmmm... Any wonder why it didn't work for Carter, either? And that was a time when it wasn't as easy to communicate and work across borders.
Again, spending was in check and the economy didn't start growing until the GOP took over Congress. And oddly, during the last eight years we weren't having much of a problem until the Democrats took over Congress... Seriously, take a look at the charts.
And boy, what a newsflash... Obama doesn't call income redistribution socialism. Shocker... He can call it Baseball if he wants, but taking money from people that earn it and giving it away to people that don't earn it is socialism... look it up. We aren't talking about actual tax cuts, we are talking about refundable tax credits, which are checks to people that don't pay taxes.
And if you don't think that the Democrats don't plan on screwing with the market, you need to wake up. They have screwed with the market constantly... as have the GOp... but not to the extent that the Democrats have.
BTW, here is my new prediction... Obama and the Congress will be looking to do a 10% "wealth tax" on ALL 401k and IRA accounts to help with the deficit... which will be going up with the additional trillion dollars Obama wants to spend.
Well Lane the fact that Congress will be overwhelming democratic will help Obama to work with him. McCain is warning voters not to let this happen but is that any reason to vote for him?
I agree with you, that as with the last Tax Rebate if you didnt pay any taxes, you should get a Tax Rebate and a Tax cut should only be for people who pay Taxes. They can call it a tax credit or whatever they want but it should work the same.
And of course IRA's and 401k accounts which have lost plenty already shouldnt be a place of raising taxes to help with the deficit.
Stephen - The last super majority in the Senate for the President's party was Carter... and he truly sucked. The last majority for the President's party was Bush... and he hasn't been great. And you are trying to tell me that it is a good thing?
And it is your guy that wants to give checks to people that don't pay taxes and call it a tax cut.
And look for the wealth tax in 2009...
Lane if the american voters vote out the majority of the Republicans out of office then they vote them out. The Republicans only have themselves to blame.
Stephen - Do you think people said that in Germany as Hitler was elected? How about Venezuela when Chavez was elected? In Cuba s Castro assumed power? North Korea?
And no, I'm not directly comparing Obama to those wonderful populists... but we DO have to be vigilant. Some people don't like freedom and capitalism.
You are certainly right that the GOP needs to place blame upon themselves... I think there might be some bonus blame for the media, allowing Obama to get a pass... as well as the general populace for wanting "somebody else" to assume the responsibilites that they should be assuming... but primarily, the GOP tried to "out-Democrat" the Democrats. They went on a spending spree that was completely counter to what conservatives wanted.
We are safe, but that could be fleeting.