Leadeship #2 - Putting Action Into Words
From this, you will understand clearly that "sharing your personal values" is not just a cliche. It is not something that you "do" for your speeches. Your personal values should be exactly that - yours. Everyone have their beliefs, their likes and dislikes. Whether you choose to share them with others is your perogative. However, it would be most unwise to try to create a false persona by blithely listing some "values" that you think others would appreciate.
Action speaks louder than words, and in the case of a leader, those actions can solidify or destroy all the goodwill and trust that have been built.
Let us go for a safe example. Kindness. That is a character trait. Must be kind to animals, that could be a possible personal value. Now, if this is really not a value that you hold dear to your heart, don't say it. After a few beers, you go happily on your way, and then... you pat the dog, or you kick the cat? At a time when our guard is down, when we least expect it, our true values surfaces. It is bad enough to kick the cat, but there could be a million explanations and justifications. While that is bad, it is so much worse if you presented yourself as an animal lover, and then get caught in that despicable act. Kiss your leadership goodbye. You can still be "boss"; but you ain't git no respect!
It is important to articulate your personal values, it is even more important not to be dishonest in any way about them. Some people are not even sure what their personal values are, and so find it difficult to articulate them. But when you ACT, your values shine through. So, be careful what you say. Your words are a testimony more powerful than you know. Your actions then become the final straw that will either seal that truth or break the illusion you try to create.
On final point, some leaders try to "walk the talk". That is fine as long as the efforts are genuine. If you are building up new habits, if you are trying a new tact, fine. But never mis-represent that these are your already your values; your words, if not seen in action, mean nothing.
In the next installment, we will explore how a leader should "Have A Vision".
This is the second installment on Leadership. The first one, "Leadership - Articulate your Personal Values as a Leader" is also published here at http://www.ezinearticles.com/.
Related Tags: leadership, management, development, leader, executive, supervision, professional development, leaders
Calvin is a veteran product marketing professional with experiences at several multi-national companies including Philips, Nokia and others. He has created global products and have brought successful products to launch in China, USA, Europe and Asia. He continues working and blogs about his ideas today at http://www.calvinwarr.com.
He also contributes articles to http://www.versacreations.net
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- A Few Of The Skills Of An A Successful Leader
Among the most important factors in determining the result of a group exercise of any style is the m - What Do Leaders Have In Common?
Who are "THEY"?"THEY" are all the top performers -- the best of the best. But what does it take to m - Lms Mentoring - More Fresh Ideas
Simple and effective LMS training on both managerial roles and staff mentoring strategies are a huge - Leadership Training in the 21st Century. How to Bring Your Leadership Training Up to Date
If you're reading this article, you're probably someone responsible for delivering an effective and - How to Create a Leadership Development Plan
HR leadership and executive leadership training both take a lot of practice and motivation. To becom - Six Secrets To Building Your Confidence
If you have seen the movie or stage musical The Sound of Music, you likely remember Maria leaving th - Six Ways To Defeat Complacency
Complacency - and its ill effects - is all around us.Consider politics. Democrats held one Senate se - Getting Back To The Basics Of Problem Solving
Everyone has problems. Big problems, little problems, work problems, relationship problems; pick an - Five Ways To Pick Your Best Development Tools
Personal development.Professional development.Leadership development.Regardless of which words you u - Market Leadership is Extremely Difficult - What You Need to Do to Succeed
Online marketing is becoming increasingly difficult to succeed in as a continuing marketer, nevermin
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Engaging The Five Senses
We were all born with five senses, each one helping us to make generalizations about the world. You - Power Inspires Your Audience
Power is intricately connected to persuasion in that it increases your ability to persuade, influenc - NLP A Personal Development Tool
Like many personal development innovations, NLP - which stands for neuro-linguistic programming - is - Team Building in Bristol
Many employers in Bristol take the vision of their companies very seriously. This is true whether it - Seven Ways to Improve the Results of Your Leadership Development Efforts
Every day we deal with a variety of matters of urgent importance in our organizations. Seldom is lea - Why Most Leadership Development Efforts Fail
George was seen as an up-and-coming leader in the organization. People the worked for him liked and - Occam's Razor And Leadership
PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in newsletters and on web sites provided at - Leadership In The Workplace As A Boss
Do you give your employees the type of leadership in the workplace that they come to expect? What is - Metal Detecting Is Also About Obedience
Are you purchasing a detector to use occasionally at a lake or beach? Or do you now find yourself wi - Get Courage and Build Unstoppable Strength!
What shape are your courage muscles in? Courage is our ability to act despite fear. What honestly ca