Wise Words – 106 Maxims
The Scottish writer and historian Thomas Carlyle once said, “Every man I meet is my superior in that I may learn from him.” This has always been a thought-provoking quote for me because every day I make it a point to keep an open mind and to learn as much as I can. Having been in so many roles and leadership positions throughout my life, I can’t help but be amazed at how much I’ve yet to learn and how much I’m still learning every single day. Do you ever find times when you realize you have a lot to learn?
Here are some maxims, messages and quotes that I’ve heard over the years that have helped me to grow as a leader, as a friend and as a person. They are not my sayings but words that I’ve come to appreciate and take to heart. Many of them are by that infamous author known only by the name “anonymous”. These have helped me to better understand and enjoy life, as well as enjoy the company of others more fully. My hope here is that you find some of these helpful to you: Read more
Leadership Traps: Communication Without Communicating
Depending upon where you’re from, or what generation you are part of, your view of what a leader should and should not be will vary. There are those who say changing times call for changes in leadership styles. While that may be true for some areas of leadership, many basic characteristics of leadership still hold true today as they did back with previous generations.
A crucial area that has not changed is the ability to communicate. Communication has added new tools to its repertoire over the last couple of decades (such as email and instant messaging), but time tested communication methods are still needed today. To substitute these time tested communication methods with email and/or instant messaging would be to ask your team and peers to begin alienating themselves from you. Why Read more
Winning Friends and Influencing People
It’s interesting how many people out there want to rewrite the rules in life. They want to rewrite them so that it fits their chosen lifestyle. Some even say, “I play by my rules”. Have you ever heard anyone say that? One can say that’s a courageous attitude to take. Others may say that’s a very unrealistic, even childish attitude to take. It’s OK to make your own rules, just be prepared for when the rest of the world confronts you about them (and doesn’t agree). Some rules of life are rules that cannot be changed or altered. Why? Because people are people!
One of my favorite books is Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People”. It’s probably one of the most read books when it comes to the art of relationship building. If you’re a person who truly wants to learn about understanding people (as well as yourself) better, then this is a book that I highly recommend. I periodically re-read this book in order to not become rusty on the teachings it provides. Here are a few golden nuggets Read more
