2003 First Quarter Newsletter

2003, First Quarter

Focus on Leadership

Thought for the Quarter
"Leadership is leaders inducing followers to act for certain goals that represent the values and the motivations - the wants and needs, the aspirations and expectations – of both leaders and followers. And the genius of leadership lies in the manner in which leaders see and act on their own and their followers’ values and motivations.”
—– In Leadership by James MacGregor Burns

Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun

The following are some excerpts from Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun, by Wess Roberts, Warner Books, New York, NY, 1987:

Surviving defeat:

“Sometimes you will loose, regardless of how prepared you are to win.”

“Do not dwell too long on your bad moments lest they rise to rule your emotions forever.”

Lessons learned:

“We must never fail to analyze the past. No bleached bone of a battle-lost Hun must go unnoticed as we prepare for the future by laying aside the ill-conceived and undisciplined strategies of our past.”

To consider:

“A king with chieftains who always agree with him reaps the counsel of mediocrity.”

“The greatness of a Hun is measured by the sacrifices he is willing to make.”

“Adequate training of Huns is essential to war and cannot be disregarded by chieftains in more peaceful times.”

“If you tell a Hun he is doing a good job when he isn’t, he will not listen long and, worse, will not believe praise when it is justified.”

“Critical to a Hun’s success is a clear understanding of what the King wants.”

“For Huns, conflict is a natural state.”

“Huns should engage only in wars they can win.”

“The ability to make difficult decisions separates chieftains from Huns.”

“Every decision involves risk.”

“Great chieftains never take themselves too seriously.”

“A Hun can achieve anything for which he is willing to pay the prices. Competition thins out at the top of the ranks.”

Thoughts by Peters and Posner on Leadership

Tom Peters recently partnered with Barry Posner to write a book: The Leadership Challenge. Here are some notable quotes from their book.

· “The leaders we most admire are also those who have the courage of their convictions. They have a clear set of principles and a vision that guides them, and they stand for those beliefs especially during times of intense challenge and radical change. It's all about having the courage to do what you say you will do."
· “Stuff happens in organizations and in our lives. Sometimes we choose it; sometimes it chooses us. It's unavoidable; people who become leaders don't always seek the challenges they face. Challenges also seek leaders. Prepare yourself for the challenges that await you!"

Notable quotes on Leadership

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”

- John F. Kennedy

“The only way you can motivate people is to communicate with them.”

- Lee Iacocca

“Any successful organization, whether a business or a country, must possess strong shared values. . . . It is the sole responsibility of the leader to instill these values by constant preaching and persuasion. It is the leader’s role to lift followers out of their everyday selves up to a higher level of awareness, motivation, and commitment.”

- In Lincoln on Leadership by Donald T. Phillips

“Yes, leadership moves organizations, which means people, in the direction leaders wish them to go. And yes, successful leaders are generally smart, focused, experienced, energetic, knowledgeable and competitive. But these descriptors identify operational competence, which is not uncommon, not leadership."

– In Comeback by Martin Puris

SIMPLE TIPS
(A new quarterly feature)

When is documentation important to an organization? If any of these represent your organization, then you need to ensure adequate documentation is in place:

If the company	Then documentation will provide
Is experiencing turnover,	Reference and training material for new staff.
Realizes the need for adequate controls, efficiencies, and consistency,	A mechanism to identify and lay the foundation for standards, policies, and procedures.
Has implemented a new system, products, services, or strategies,	Reference and clarity to all impacted staff.
Has an employee that performs critical tasks,	A foundation of knowledge in case this one person leaves the organization.
Has multiple individuals performing the same tasks,	A framework of expectations on how a task should be performed.
Wants to grow and expand,	Guidelines and expectations so that the organization can concentrate on growth.

can support your documentation initiatives.

Call us to discuss how we can help at 972.447.9787 – or -
E-mail us at Questions@aldridgekerr.com

For assistance with your project, process, and documentation needs, contact:

Charlene G. Aldridge
972.447.9787 (office)
972.897.0580 (cell)
CharleneAldridge@aldridgekerr.com

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