Leadership is a Process

Leadership is a journey, not a destination.
It is a marathon, not a sprint.
It is a process, not an outcome.
~ John Donahoe, president of eBay

What is it that you are passionate enough about that you are willing to lead.  Our world and our communities need people who are courageous enough to lead.  I am not talking about running for a political office or becoming the President of the PTA.  Instead I am talking about leading something that you are passionate about.  Be a leader on a project for a local community organizations that helps provide for a need in your community.  Be a leader for your son or daughter by being involved in their activities, don't be the parent who drops them off and runs.  Be a leader for a group of people who have the hobby or interest, take the initiative to pick up the phone at get two or more of you together.

Why don't we take a leadership role more often?  Are we afraid that we might make a mistake or "fail".  It takes courage to lead, and you may not have a 100% success ratio.  It does not matter if it is perfect or not, because others will still appreciate your effort. Without your leadership they would not have had the opportunities you provided through your actions.  Leadership is about courage, the willingness to see a need and take action "towards" a goal.  That is right it is action "towards" a goal.  You may or may not complete the goal exactly like you envisioned it, but you will have taken action.  You will learn from your leadership position and be able to achieve even more the next time you lead.

Leadership is a process!  Do not limit sharing your leadership and passion by entering into it think it has to be done completely right the first time.  Perfectionism kills progress. Pick something you care about and make a difference today.

Book Review - The Lemonade War

The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies


My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, this is a great book for youth to read about business. There are so many great lessons to be learned for this book. The Lemonade War is started because a brother and sister who have been very close, have some common misunderstandings about the other persons motives.

There are pertinent lessons about budgeting, profit margins, marketing & advertising, value added service, location and franchising. Really all of these issues are discussed with a kids perspective.

There is also a great bases for a discussion about business ethics. The motivations of the youth change as the book progresses and you see a progression through their motives, common to what you see in some business people. Things deteriorate until they get to the point that the ends justifies the means, and winning becomes so important that they will do anything for the win.

If you have kids and you want to have a great discussion about business - I highly recommend this book.

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Book Review - The Shark and the Goldfish by Jon Gordon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jon Gordon continues to deliver great guides to leading a life through unique stories that make his books a true pleasure to read.  I think that his work on the The Shark and the Goldfish is simply amazing.  Jon really condenses so many tested approaches to maintaining a positive attitude, event in difficult time, in such a short, quick read.

I really appreciate that Jon addresses "Abundance Theory".  All the politicians and news media try to drive just the opposite into our heads every day.  Jon also addresses the fact that there is "No Substitute for Hard Work", which I think that so many people have forgotten prior to the financial crisis last fall.  That is what really got us into this mess was people trying to take shortcuts to riches.

My biggest take away from this book is to "Be Humble and Be Hungry."

Get a copy of this in your hands, I promise that you will devour it and be motivated to maintain a positive attitude on life.

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