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I recently read “Leaders Open Doors” by Bill Treasurer. Treasurer has done an outstanding job at describing the importance of creating opportunities for others as it relates to the role of a leader.
Among several significant points, Treasurer brings home the idea that to be an influential leader, we must influence the opportunities that others are provided. When we use the resources that we have to create opportunities for others, “open doors” if you will, we are setting an example of what great leaders do. They develop more leaders.
Simple in concept, but deep in execution, opening doors for ourselves, others and our organization result in growth and success.
Treasurer starts the book off with a brilliant example of the wisdom found in the words of a child. He tells the story of his five year old son sharing his excitement of being the class leader that day.
Of course Dad wanted to know all about it “… what did you get to do as the class leader?” In the words that could only mean the world to a five year old, “I got to open doors for people!” Treasurer sums up the backbone of the book by stating “In a matter of fifteen seconds, with seven simple words, Ian clarified what’s most important about leadership.”
The idea behind this book is brilliant. We all know that most people, when asked, want more than just a paycheck from their job. They want an opportunity. Treasurer gives five basic elements behind the opportunities that workers are expecting:
- growth and personal development
- career fulfillment and enrichment
- acquisition of new skills
- financial gain and other rewards, and
- greater access to leadership roles
My take on this is that leaders need to create an environment that is conducive to opportunity. As he describes it … “Open-door leadership is about noticing, identifying, and creating opportunities for those being led.”
John Maxwell met with the government officials of Guatemala earlier this year and asked the President this question, “Will your people be better off after you leave office than they were when you took office?” I would add that creating opportunities is not only open-door leadership, but transformational leadership as well.
If I had to choose one quote from this book to share it would be this. Treasurer is making the point that opportunity should be the focus of leaders and that opportunity attracts and excites employees more than problems do. He states, “Leaders would be better served to talk about what get’s them up in the morning instead of what keeps them up at night.”
That statement in itself is worth ten times the price of the book. How often do we focus on the problems that keep us up at night? I am not just talking about our professional lives, but our personal lives as well. What if our focus was on the opportunities that are in front of us?
Far too many takeaways from this book to try and squeeze into a single post but I will share one more thought and leave the rest of the reading up to you. Treasurer makes the point that people want to know that you care. Are you telling those you lead that you care by the way you lead them?
Treasurer makes this comment, “You know that people aren’t just “resources”; they are the coach of the local soccer club, lay minister at the church, active alumna at the state college, recently widowed husband to a wife who died after a long battle with breast cancer, and father to three heart broken kids.”
So I leave you with this question today; “What is the value of providing an opportunity to someone that only you have the power to provide?” Remember, someone may be asking themselves that question about you someday.
One final thought … Read this book!
To find out more on Bill Treasurer and Giant Leap Consulting click here
For more on “Leaders Open Doors” click here
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]]>The post The 5 Pillars Of Influential Leadership – Part 7: Their Environment appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.
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This is the 7th of 16 weekly installments on The 5 Pillars of Influential Leadership. Every Thursday, I will break down the 5 Pillars and show you how becoming and influential leader will not only improve your job skills but your personal life as well.
The 5 Pillars is a project that I have been working on for almost two years and am looking forward to officially launching “The 5 Pillars of Influential Leadership” Coaching program on May 23th.
Why the 5 Pillars? I have spent more than 30 years in the business world and although it has been primarily in the Construction world, the 5 Pillars philosophy works across all industries. In fact, while developing this program I realized that it can have a significant impact on your personal life as well.
I will break down each Pillar into three sections, personal, business and community. Any growth or improvement needs to start within, with the end goal of influencing the community you live in. In this post we will take a look at COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT.
The environment that we live in impacts the way we live in countless ways. The question is “Is my current environment conducive to my growth?” The first two posts on environment looked at the things that we directly impact or directly impact us. Now let’s take a look at the big picture.
COMPETITION
Most of us are in a business that competes with other businesses for clients and customers. Competition is what requires us to maintain a high level of performance. Working at a high level makes the community and the environment around us better. Sometimes thinking about how you both can be successful will lead to creating more need for what you are selling.
OPPORTUNITY
Have you ever heard someone say “you need to create your own opportunities”? The reality is that they are already out there. You don’t need to create them, you need to find them. Can you think of some opportunities in your community that could benefit you? Maybe it’s time to go find them.
QUALITY
It doesn’t matter what you do, you are a reflection on the community you live in. You will be part of the environment that is created in your community. Are you part of the problem or part of the solution? Making quality one of your priorities will help to produce a better overall environment.
RISK
There is risk in almost everything we do. Choosing the right environment for your home or your business will decrease risk and increase the potential for success.
VICTORY
We have all heard the phrase “It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.” So does victory come from winning (the destination) or from how you played the game (the journey)? I believe it depends on what game you are playing. If you are team player in your community and help to create a positive environment, everyone wins.
SUCCESS
Success! Everyone defines it differently. I believe success will be defined by the legacy we create while here and what we leave behind. Making a difference, that makes a difference is what success is really all about. Many people think that wealth defines success. My thought on that is “What did they do with that wealth?”
The 5 Pillars coaching program will take each topic to a much deeper level. We will explore open ended questions and how they are directly impacting your life and more specifically in this segment, will allow you to evaluate and understand how you impact the environment within your community.
In the mean time, start asking the type of questions that will result in better answers. When you ask “How can I” you get an answer that will move the needle. “How can I improve myself and what can I do differently to create a better environment for my entire community?” Answer that question, act on it, and you will succeed.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER FOR THE MAY 23RD CALL
RELATED:
- Click here to see Part 1 of The 5 Pillars Of Influential Leadership
- Click here to see Part 2 of The 5 Pillars Of Influential Leadership
- Click here to see Part 3 of The 5 Pillars Of Influential Leadership
- Click here to see Part 4 of The 5 Pillars Of Influential Leadership
- Click here to see Part 5 of The 5 Pillars Of Influential Leadership
- Click here to see Part 6 of The 5 Pillars Of Influential Leadership
- For more on The 5 Pillars of Influential Leadership and to view my video click here
- To view my guest post in the 2013 International Leadership Blogathon click here
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Barry Smith 5/16/13 photo by author © Building What Matters 2013
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]]>Charles “Tremendous” Jones said “You are the same today that you are going to be in five years from now except for two things: the people with whom you associate and the books you read.”
So a few simple questions … Who are you hanging around and what are you reading?
Let’s be honest – we are a product of our environment. There is really no way around it. If you feel like there is more to life and you just can’t figure out what it is, it might be due to the fact that there is only so much visible in the environment you are currently in.
Now comes the hard part – you need to change your environment or you need to change your environment. In other words, you can be an agent of change within the environment you are in or you can find another environment.
In either case, the choice is yours. I just spent a week on the Island of Oahu and I saw all kinds of environments. Most of the Island is very conducive to the growth of vegetation. Lots of sun and lots of water. The result; lots of greenery.
I also saw parts of the Island that were run down and it appeared that poverty was in full force. No bad on the state of Hawaii – most communities have representation of all these types of conditions. It’s just the way things are. But it was very clear that some were thriving and some were simply surviving.
So like I said, it’s all about our choices. Are you currently in an environment that provides INSPIRATION and SECURITY? Do you live in FEAR because of the EXPECTATION that FAILURE is not an option?
Does your work CULTURE allow for BALANCE between your business and personal life? How would you rate employee ENGAGEMENT and MOTIVATION? Is the concept of TEAMWORK helping to build MORALE?
Is COMPETITION so fierce within the organization that you have to RISK your QUALITY of work in search of SUCCESS and VICTORY? Are you RESPECTED for THINKING that CHANGE means OPPORTUNITY?
On May 23rd, at 8:00 pm ET, I will be hosting a free call introducing “The 5 Pillars Of Influential Leadership” Coaching Program.
This will be a content filled call that will not only teach you about influential leadership but also about leading an intentional and successful life. The words in capitals above are topics within Pillar #2 – Environment.
This is the second of five posts related to the 5 Pillars that will go out prior to the call on the 23rd.
For more information and to register for the free call CLICK HERE.
To see the first video on Pillar #1 – AWARENESS click here
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Barry Smith 5/13/13 photo by author © Building What Matters 2013
The post Are You Thriving Or Surviving In Your ENVIRONMENT? appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.
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