HOW TO JUDGE A MAN

JUDGE A MAN

JUDGE A MAN

Judge a man, not by what he has not done;

But, by his pursuits, and patience.

Judge a man, not by his name or fame;

But, by his character and courage to live without them.

Judge a man, not by what he never did or did to you;

But, by the humiliation, you put him through.

Judge a man, not because he is poor;

But that he is willing to give.

Judge a man, not by his achievements;

But, by his spirit and sacrifice.

Judge a man, not by his failures;

But by his attempts to rise up again.

Judge a man, not by how much he loves;

But by what he does for others.

Judge a man, not because he is rude to you;

But by what he does for you.

Judge a man, not by his gifts to you;

But by his will to warn you of what will harm you.

Judge a man, and you will find that you are not a judge but a man.

Allan

HOW TO MANAGE UNCONTROLLED CHANGE

HOW TO MANAGE UNCONTROLLED CHANGE

What do you do when change suddenly explodes all around you? Though this can be unsettling, I suggest you take a long hard look at the volcano. There is no way you can stop it from blowing out lava without becoming vapor yourself. Doing nothing seems like a practical plan.  Keeping damage to a minimum is another. Letting it all come out allows you to see problem the volcano had hidden for so long.

However, even as the volcano erupts you must know that things will never be the same again. Things will never return to the blissful past. For one the landscape will change forever. While people watch the volcano and wonder why you are doing nothing, you have the opportunity to study the emerging new paradigm and plan to make the most of the new landscape once things settle down.

In fact, as soon as you have an idea where things are likely to settle into place, accelerate these conditions and advance to positions of advantage way ahead of anyone else. Once the volcano is done and cold and the lava is no longer holding everyone’s attention, you will be settled in the position the other people now need. They will come to you for the way forward. The strategy to manage uncontrolled change is not to manage it, but to lead the way forward.

Allan

THE LEADERSHIP MARATHON

THE LEADERSHIP MARATHON

We live in an age where people want instant decisions. Instant strategy. Instant solutions. There is wisdom in reflection and taking time to calculate your next move. The marathon starts with a sprint and jostling for positions. It looks like the one who is in front is going to win the race. Not many leaders know that at this point in the game there are pace setters and those who are posing for the actions shots on camera.  The fans are with you at the start. The next time you will see them is at the finish line - if you finish first. There comes a point in the race when the people are spread out and those who need to have dropped out. At this point, there are no fans, no press, and no water. Just you, other runners and race officials.  That is when strategy counts. At that decisive moment, your strategic instincts kick in. In the early stages, you were simply keeping up, studying the field and discussing options with yourself. The master strikes when everyone is comfortable and the race seems set. Suddenly you will see him inching ahead as if powered by a secret dynamo. It's no secret. Its strategy. Life is a marathon; don't burn yourself out too early or leave the race too late. Knowing when to make the move makes all the difference.

Allan

LEADERSHIP POLE VAULT

LEADERSHIP POLE VAULT

Leaders have to make huge leaps of faith. To do this they need a good anchor and strong strategy. The run up must be timed precisely to ensure that you do not miss the anchor and fail to get maximum lift from your strategy. A strategy that breaks in the air can have disastrous results. You may wish to pilot your approach a few times just to make sure you have the right distance. Don't leave your take off to guesswork. Once in the air all you can do is hold on to your strategy to get maximum lift and pray. Clearing the challenge is its own reward and coming down to earth to face reality again prepares you to meet the next challenge. It is usually tougher, but the good thing is that you now have the confidence of a successful experience to spur you on. Leaders become champions one challenge at a time.

Allan

 

LEADERSHIP HOP STEP AND JUMP

Leadership Hop Step & Jump

Leadership is all about approach. The approach you take in any situation gives you an edge, a footing and clearance.  As you approach an issue, always maintain a sense of balance. Bias will derail your effort and limit your success. It may even turn the situation against you. When you have understood the situation do not jump to conclusions. Test the waters with what may appear as a meaningless hop is a direction that may hold the solution. If that works and is welcomed by the parties concerned then take a bold step and carry the people with you.  The idea is to help everyone make a quantum leap to a new position. This is the hard part. It will take every mental, spiritual, emotional and physical muscle to move you and everyone else to the next level. You have three chances.

 Allan

WHAT MAKES YOU A LEADER

WHAT MAKES YOU A LEADER

Change the metric and the measures and the leader will change. If the measure is money, one person my lead. If the measure is beauty another takes the stage. If the metric is values, another will emerge. By what metric do you lead?

Allan

LEADERSHIP @ 1500 METERS

 LEADERSHIP @ 1500 METERS

At the start, everyone is in different positions. Some look like they are far ahead. That is how most companies look like when they enter a market. They are racing or the customers and some seem to have an advantage. It is only when the runners take the third bend that you see positions changing. That is when you see who has really been working. When they take the fourth bend, is when the race really begins. Everything before this was marketing gimmicks. When the sales begin to pick up the front-runners begin to move ahead. That's when the market starts cheering. They know a good product when they see one. It is way ahead of the pack. By the time the leader takes command, it's hard to believe that he was there from the beginning. They have all been running on the same track but the tape only appears for the one who finishes first. The rest have to cross the line. Leadership at 1500 meters is not about the beginning, middle or the end. It's about winning!

Allan