There is no greater need for leadership than at a point of crisis.
Haiti has just experienced a horrific tragedy. A devastating earthquake has killed hundreds of thousands. They need more than leadership, they need our prayers and our help.
You can get involved immediately by donating to these organizations that are poised to offer assistance immediately: Red Cross, World Vision, World Relief, and Samaritan's Purse.
Photo Source: AP/Radio Tele Ginen
In the latest issue of Leadership Wired, a monthly leadership newsletter from Dr. John Maxwell and Giant Impact, there is a sobering article about the vital connection between one's character and momentum.
Reflecting on the recent turmoil surrounding Tiger Woods, Dr. Maxwell writes with great accuracy about the impact one's character has on the ability to start, stop, or sustain momentum. He concludes the article by saying...
Tiger's story is a cautionary tale about character. All of the momentum you build through decades of hard work and dedication can be erased if you do not craft the character to support it. Character is forged daily through the decisions we make. It comes from within and cannot be purchased. Be diligent about working on your character so that you become a person worth following and someone worthy of harnessing the momentum of success.
Read the article: Character - The Key To Sustaining Momentum
My good friend, Timothy Johnson, is releasing his third book today. And it's really good.
SWAT - Seize The Accomplishment
If you are a fan of a compelling story, with twists and conflict, that teaches you something throughout - you will love this book. I read it in one sitting. But I've been thinking about it all day.
I was connected to the story immediately. A young and witty manager who has to overcome a Call Center crisis in the midst of unsupportive leadership. And his best resource is his observation and interaction with the local area S.W.A.T. team.
I have always enjoyed learning best practices through a well-told story that contains many teachable moments. That's why books by authors like Patrick Lencioni and Steve Farber have always been ones I pick up quickly. I would like to introduce you to another fantastic author that I will add to that list - Timothy Johnson.
Without giving it all away, here's some of what I learned (and will continue to learn about) through SWAT:
This is the first book that I've read by Timothy Johnson. He's actually written two others that I'm excited to dive into as well:
I'm wishing Tim all of the best on the release of his new book. If you are involved in any type of organization that has to critically look at the flow of information or if you want to develop better systems (or analyze how you look at your systems) I recommend this book to you. Click here to buy it!
One last thing. Throughout the book, each chapter begins with a quote. While many books include quotes at the start of chapters, I felt like these quotes were especially timely and fit well within the context of the story. My favorite quote from the book came at the start of Chapter 8:
"If the first button of one's coat is wrongly buttoned, all the rest will be crooked."
- Giordano Bruno
This book is going to help me and help you make sure that first button is right where it needs to be.
Lifehacker's Jason Fitzpatrick has created an excellent list of tools you may or may not be using with that laptop you own. He writes...
Despite the proliferation of laptops and netbooks, the vast majority of students still use their computers like $500 typewriters. Stop working so hard and be a better student by leveraging some clever computer tools to your advantage.
Every semester I get a new wave of college freshman into my classroom, most of them armed with laptops. For the last several semesters, I have been informally tracking how they use their computers. I always assumed that my students were using their computers to their full potential to help them with school, research, and such, but almost all of them were simply using their laptops as extremely expensive typewriters and instant-messaging terminals.
What good is all the computing power of the pre-1960s world sitting on your lap if you're not using it to make college life easier? The following is a guide for students everywhere that want to spend less time on the tedious stuff, and more time on the things like study and research that actually produce results.
Read the article in it's entirey: Use Better Tools To Be A Better Student In 2010.
I walked past one of my student leaders today. I asked him how things were going. He responded that he felt like he could use another week. (classes start in less than a week).
As I thought about his response, I understood how much a break can mean in the life of a student. A semester of studies can be demanding both mentally and physically. Those intense weeks of learning, reading, and studying - coupled with a student's other involvements and responsibilities - can be draining.
But this is the unique rhythm of an academic year. As many of us are starting to gear up for another semester of learning and growing, I wanted to offer some simple advice for those in student leadership (or most any student) to get the M.O.S.T. out of the opportunities each semester brings.
Get out your calendar and write everything down on it. Look at it every week to give yourself an idea of what lies ahead. Look at it every day to remind yourself of what's expected of you and to reflect on what you just experienced. Keep a calendar as your constant companion and make sure to make time for what's most important.
Managing what's most important is called prioritizing. Every commitment is not on equal footing. Keeping some sense of balance in your life requires constant correction. Spread yourself too thin and you'll find that you don't have the energy for excellence or the time to be terrific at anything.
Others-focused
That's right - getting the MOST out of your semester isn't all about you. In fact, the most rewarding experiences you have during your semester will involve doing things for others. As Zig Ziglar says, "If you help enough other people get what they want, then you'll discover you get what you want." Listen to others. Help others. Serve others.
It's so easy to get busy and start living from event to event, project to project. When you do that, the focus tends to be on yourself and everything you're experiencing. But if you widen your perspective and include others in your area of concern, you'll find you're less worried, less stressed, and more connected to the life of your campus.
Strong Leadership
Most of the students reading this are student leaders. So I invite you to do the thing that you've signed up for - I invite you to lead and to lead well.
If you can focus on being excellent in the first two areas above (manage your year and be others-focused) you will already have gone a long way in laying the foundation for your leadership. The second semester of a student leadership year can be the most difficult. You'll begin to see the end coming, you'll experience others seeking to fill your position when you're gone, and you'll find that people aren't as motivated as they were at the beginning of the year. That's why strong leadership is so necessary at this time.
You will probably only be able to accomplish one or two more big things as a student leader. But what you accomplish can go a long way in making sure that you finish as strong as you started. It will be easy to simply pull back and go through the motions. But is that how you want to be remembered? Your legacy you leave behind is determined by the leadership you live right now. The worst thing you could end your leadership year with is regret.
Teachability
The beauty of being a "student leader" is the student part of it. You're learning. That means you get to try some things and figure out your own unique style of leadership. You get to fail and discover that it won't kill you (in fact, I hope you learn the most from those mistakes).
But learning from your leadership opportunity doesn't happen unless you have that one special ingredient: teachability.
You don't get to choose all the experiences you have, but you do get to choose what to do with them. I challenge you to make everyday an opportunity to learn. To move outside of your comfort zones and transform your experiences into new lessons. This will make each day an opportunity for lifelong growth.
I wish you all the best as you embark on a new semester. If you still wish you had a little more time for your break, just remember: If you learn to love the process, you'll find you start to love the learning.
This is the most heavily downloaded resource off of the studentlinc site.
Tweaks for 2010
+ COLOR!+ Slight format to DATE section at the top to write in the WEEK OF.
+ Added descriptions to the SCHEDULE and ROLES sections.
+ Minor adjustments to the NOTES | IDEAS | WHITE SPACE section.
As always, this is a FREE PDF download.
NOTE: I am continually asked if I can provide this in a Word, Excel, or other type of software publishing format. At this point...I cannot. I don't have a way to make this document interactive or allow you to type on it from your computer. It is designed for those who still like the feel of pen and paper. I think there are some applications out there that will assist you in typing on a pdf document. If you know of a good one, please let us know in the comments below.
Some of my friends think I'm a bit of a cynic when the New Year rolls around.
I think it's because I tend to hold a negative view of resolutions, goals, and promises made on the first day of a new year. I just don't think they work. Don't get me wrong...I wholeheartedly believe that resolutions, goals, and promises work. In fact, they're vitally necessary if one is to grow and develop as a person.
I just don't think we're focusing on the right number.
I'm just not a fan of date-based changes. I don't believe the calendar gives us enough sustaining momentum to create reasonable and necessary change in our lives. In fact, I think if we focus too much on the year (or even the month) we lose sight of where change REALLY occurs - one day at a time.
This is why I think it's better to make a resolution, a new habit, or a promise today...and then work on it daily.
I can understand all of the excitement that comes with a new year. It's a great party. There's some space with the holidays to spend a little time in reflection. There is also a sense of hope that the upcoming year will be a little better than the last. It can bring about a sense of a new, clean slate.
But I woke up on January 1 the same person I was when I went to bed on December 31 (actually...I didn't go to bed on December 31 because I stayed up to breathe New Year air). I think the commitment to make a change on January 1 is just as effective as deciding to start a new habit on July 27 (or any random date) AS LONG AS a person commits to living out that change on a DAILY basis.
I guess I've seen too many people fizzle out by January 21 on date-based changes because their commitment lacked the proper motivation - the calendar couldn't keep them inspired because they were focused on the wrong number.
So I say "Welcome 2010! We're glad you're here!" But my focus is going to be on what I can accomplish with that number in the middle...I call that number: TODAY...the most important day of the year.
This is an 82 page eBook with more than 70 contributors. Each one of them have provided one word (along with a short 200 word essay on that word) that they think matters now. Download the PDF file (3 MB) by clicking on the button below.
Now is a great time to evaluate yourself. You are in a place where you've created enough experience to look back and you have enough time still to look ahead.
While you may have been placed in your student leadership position by election or selection - you will truly become a student leader through reflection.
If I were able to sit down with you for 30-60 minutes, these are the types of questions I would ask you:
1. What have you learned so far?
2. What do you know now that you wished you would have known coming into your position?
3. What has been your best moment up to this point as a student leader?
4. What have you done to make something easier for next person who will serve in your position?
5. Have you received or heard any negative comments about your leadership this year?
6. Where can you add the most value to your position and your team in the time you have left?
7. What is one thing that you hoped to accomplish this year but you won't be able to?
8. What will you need to do between now and the time you step down from your position in order for you to feel like you finished strong and successfully?
9. What (or who) are you most grateful for up to this point in your student leadership year?
10. What will you do with the answers to the previous nine questions to help you be a better student leader?
Is there a question that you think would be good to ask yourself as a student leader that I missed?
Leave your question below in the comments.
Photo Credit: www.intersectcommunity.com
Looking for potential leaders?
Excellent article over at Learn This
The patterns that emerged were often surprising even to the researchers. The researchers determined that great leaders were passionate about doing what was best for their companies. This drive for the advancement of the company took precedence over their drive for personal advancement and recognition. The leaders of these companies also exercised personal humility by passing forward credit and accepting blame. Additionally, they asked questions as often, if not more often, than they gave answers. This empowered their people to make important decisions which increased their confidence, skills, and commitment to the organization. These leaders also exhibited commonalities within their personal lives. Many of the leaders studied were extremely modest. They often preferred domestic cars or pick-up trucks over exotic sports cars. They also had a tendency to live in moderate houses instead of sprawling mansions or estates. Though humble and modest, these leaders were not meek. They tended to be stoic when it came to important business decisions. They would make tough decisions without great emotion and fanfare but rather with quiet resolve and determination. In short, great leaders are defined by their humility, integrity, determination, and strength of character, not by their stage presence and strength of personality.
You could create a pretty good checklist based on this paragraph alone.
Read the article in its entirety - Why Is It So Hard For Companies To Find Great Leaders?
