The Art of War… and Leadership

May 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Art of War has been regarded as THE book on strategy of the last century. The U.S. Marine Corps actually recommends the small book as part of its Professional ReadingProgram for the rank of Captain and above. This book is also a must read for any decision maker in the business world. Forbes recently published an article with some of the top leadership lessons to take away from the book, here are some of my favorites.

Lesson #1 Don’t Underestimate Your Importance As A Leader

commander stands for the virtues of wisdom, sincerity, benevolence, courage, and strictness. (Chapter I, 9)

You should feel the weight of the responsibility that comes with leadership. Every leader is responsible for setting the highest standards of which anyone on your team can aspire to live/work by.

The principle on which to manage an army is to set up a standard of courage which all must reach. (XI, 32)

Lesson #2 Know The Difference Between Authority and Power

The Moral Law causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger. (I, 5-6)

The need for power suggests that you’ve already lost your authority. Your team should follow you without needing fear as a motivator. That doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t respect the authority you do have.

Lesson #3 Pause, Think, Act Decisively

Though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been associated with long delays. There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare. (II)

The basic lesson is to not act without putting thought into your decision, but to not wait so long that you miss the opportunity. Your team is relying on you to make those decisions when they need to be made. Missed opportunities lead to a loss of faith in your ability to lead.

Lesson #4 Adapt

by attempting to govern an army in the same way as he administers a kingdom, being ignorant of the conditions which obtain in an army. This causes restlessness in the soldier’s minds. (III, 14)

Don’t use the “Scratch it Till It Bleeds” technique. Adapt to your circumstances. This includes the environment, the people you’re working with and the final goal you hope to achieve.  The methods to use to manage your sales team might not work for your marketing department.

Have you read The Art Of War? Leave your thoughts in the comment box below or on Facebook and Twitter.

Filed Under: Business Leaders, Leadership, Leadership and Trust, Leadership Lessons, The Art of War Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Five Whys

March 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

In life and in business it’s important to ask questions. It’s more important to ask the right questions. That’s why I really liked this video from the Harvard Business Review. This experience comes from a more technical field but the ideas can apply to any business. Ask the right questions to figure out the most simple solution.

How do you usually approach problems in your organization?  Share in the comment box below or on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Filed Under: mark denham, Problem Solving Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Is Your Best Employee Leaving You? (Infographic)

November 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

You have come to rely on this employee to handle to heavier workloads and to always go above and beyond. You know that any project you give this person will be done just as well, if not better, as you could have done. What would you do without them?  The truth is that might not be around forever. Here are a few signs that your rockstar employee is thinking about a career change. How do you keep your best employees right where you want them?  Share in the comment box below or on Facebook and  Twitter.


Filed Under: Business, Business Tips, How To Keep Your Employees, Management, Managing Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Social Intelligence and Leadership

September 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By this point in life I have learned that there are several different kinds of “smart”, none of which are better than any other.  I have also had many conversations about which intelligence is better in different situations and when it comes down to it nothing beats social intelligence when it comes to leadership.  Check out this video from Harvard Business Review to learn more about it.

What do you think is the most important area of expertise for a leader?  Share your thoughts in the comment box below and connect with me on Facebook and Twitter for more discussion.

Filed Under: Social Intelligence Tagged With: , , , , ,

What’s The Role Of A Leader?

August 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Is it the leader’s job to oversee all of the work or inspire other’s to do their best?  Is it the role of a leader to control the business or influence and inspire the direction of the company.  This is really a fluid concept and it doesn’t depend just the individual leader but the company culture that has been instituted throughout the business.  Different leadership methods work in different companies, but is there ever a constant when it comes to the role of the leader?  Here is some insight from different leaders from all walks of business.  Share your business and leadership tips with me on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Filed Under: Leadership, Running a Business Tagged With: , , , , ,
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