Tag Archives for leaders

MANAGEMENT & Quotes from Drucker on Non-profits

Helpful (& insightful) quotes from Peter Drucker’s book “Managing the Non-Profit Organization” compiled by Dr. Whitesel

“A leader needs to see himself in a position of indebtedness.  Leaders are given the gift of leadership by those who choose or agree to follow.” (Drucker, p. 37)

“Even if you have market leadership, non-customers always outnumber customers.” (Drucker, p. 100).   Elmer Towns said once: “As long as there is one person in your community who doesn’t know Jesus as Savior, your church isn’t big enough

“Write down what you expect to happen.  Nine months or a year later, compare your expectations to what actually happened.” (Drucker, p. 197)

David Hubbard said, “I think a CEO has two primary areas of service.  I have to care for the vice-presidents, whom I supervise…And I have to care for the trustees.” (Drucker, p. 173)

“Paying serious attention to self-development – your own and that of everyone in the organization – is not a luxury for non-profit executives.”  (Drucker, p. 189)

Inviting each volunteer to answer two questions twice a year.  “What have I learned?  What difference to my own life has my [ministry] at the church been making?” (Drucker, p. 190)

Drucker’s questions were great.  “Where have I made an impact?  Where do my clients need me—not just want me?  Where have I been wasting their time and mine?  Where should I concentrate next year so as not only to give my best but also to get the most out of it?”  (p. 191)

Drucker maintains, “Probably the best of the nuts and bolts of self-development is the practice of keeping score on yourself.” (p. 224)

“Write down what you expect to happen.  Nine months or a year later, compare your expectations to what actually happened.” (Drucker, p. 197)

“It is always painful for me to see how great the gap is between what I should have done and what I did do.” (p. 224)

ETHICS & How a Firm’s Ethical Failure Can Increase Employee Satisfaction

From Harvard Biz Review

“If a company responds vigorously to a breach in ethics, workers who witnessed the breach end up more satisfied with the firm than if no failure had occurred at all (4.55 versus 4.22 on a seven-point satisfaction scale), according to a study of more than 24,000 employees in 16 U.S. companies by Marshall Schminke of the University of Central Florida and colleagues.”

Read more at … http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/02/how-a-firms-ethical-failure-can-increase-employee-satisfaction/

MULTIPLICATION

Will Your Entrepreneurial Personality Sink Your Start-Up?

“The personality traits that draw people into starting their own companies can lead to negative workplace behaviors that cause the start-up to fail, according to a study of more than 2,000 managers by Adrian Furnham of University College London and two colleagues.”

http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/02/will-your-entrepreneurial-personality-sink-your-start-up/

LEADERSHIP & Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset: Which One Are You?

Here is an excerpt from an article about Carol Dweck, a professor of psychology at Stanford University:

Through more than three decades of systematic research, [Carol Dweck] has been figuring out answers to why some people achieve their potential while equally talented others don’t—why some become Muhammad Ali and others Mike Tyson. The key, she found, isn’t ability; it’s whether you look at ability as something inherent that needs to be demonstrated or as something that can be developed.

Michael Graham Richard gives an overview of Carol Dweck’s comparison of how your mindset affects your parenting and your leadership.

Read more at … http://michaelgr.com/2007/04/15/fixed-mindset-vs-growth-mindset-which-one-are-you/

LEADERSHIP

Is leadership born or built? By James G. Clawson, Washington Post, December 1, 20213

In his book, “Executive Instinct,” Nigel Nicholson of the London Business School suggests that there may be a leadership gene — that some people are just driven to be in charge. But the University of Michigan’s Noel Tichy — in his book “The Leadership Engine” — declares that leadership style and abilities emerge from experience.  Yet another opinion comes from the former chief executive of a $40 billion business who claims that leadership is irrelevant — it’s all about designing the right employer contracts….

I think leadership is about managing energy, first in yourself and then in those around you. What this definition implies is that unless you are deeply committed to an outcome that others can engage in and understand, no amount of teaching will make you a leader.

Deep commitment implies clarity of vision — because leadership implies the question, “To what end?” A lack of vision is one of the two main reasons for a lack of leadership in the world. In my experience, most people are not clear about what they are trying to do; and getting rich off the backs of others, by the way, is not very motivating to everyone else.

(read more at http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/is-leadership-born-or-built/2013/11/27/d6c6d3de-514c-11e3-9fe0-fd2ca728e67c_story.html )

LEADERSHIP

Four common mistakes that can undermine any leadership program by  Pierre Gurdjian, Thomas Halbeisen, and Kevin Lane, January 2014, McKinsey and Company

  1. Overlooking context
  2. Decoupling reflection from real work
  3. Under estimating mind-sets
  4. Failing to measure results

http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/leading_in_the_21st_century/why_leadership-development_programs_fail?cid=other-eml-nsl-mip-mck-oth-1402

#ORGANIXbook