Passion - The Light of Leadership...

 
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In This Issue:
     Quotes of the Week
     Passion - The Light of Leadership
     Bookmark - HBR's 10 Must Reads 2016
     Inspirational Words
     Spiritual Centre
     Story Time
     Time to Smile
     Feedback
 
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"Change Gears" eZine is a no-cost electronic newsletter dedicated to helping people be more effective and fulfilled--to be masters of change instead of victims of change. What follows are tips, strategies, quotes, resources and shortcuts to getting more done in less time and having fun in the process--to living a more productive and fulfilling life. We're always on the lookout for information to help you live and work more effectively.
 
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Quotes of the Week

"There is a misleading, unwritten rule that states if a quote giving advice comes from someone famous, very old, or Greek, then it must be good advice." - Bo Bennett

"A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety." - Unknown

"A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything." - Friedrich Nietzsche

"A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life depend on the labours of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving." - Albert Einstein

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Passion - The Light of Leadership

'Life is no brief candle to me. It's a sort of splendid torch which I've got to hold up for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.' - George Bernard Shaw

Leadership is passion. Without passion, a person will have very little influence as a leader. I believe passion provides an individual with the light of leadership and creates an undeniable drive to make a difference.

Consider the legacy of historical leaders like J.F.K., Mother Teresa, or Abraham Lincoln. They are regarded as great leaders because they passionately worked to help others. In the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John Maxwell said "leadership is about influence - nothing more, nothing less." This moves beyond defining the leader to looking at the ability of the leader to influence others. Indirectly, it also builds upon leadership character, since without maintaining integrity and trustworthiness, the capability to influence will disappear.

Leadership is not achieved by those who speak the most eloquently, command the most attention or win the most awards. Rather, leadership is oneís ability to influence and help others ? as Maxwell notes above. I believe this philosophy needs to be emphasized more in our society today, particularly as it relates to leadership development in youth. We often reward young people for ìface value? leadership activities rather than really focusing on skills to draw a team together and move the group forward. For example, students with polished speaking skills or athletic prowess are often awarded with leadership positions without determining their abilities as a leader.

One only has to look at the demise of business ethics to see the results of 'face value' leadership. True leaders combine absolute integrity with an innate ability to unite a group around a central cause. Warren Bennis said "Good leaders make people feel that they're at the very heart of things, not at the periphery. Everyone feels that he or she makes a difference to the success of the organization. When that happens, people feel centered and that gives their work meaning."

This 'meaning' is essential to the happiness of an individual, whether they are working for a large corporation, volunteering for a non-profit, or developing their own business. After all, human naturally desire to make a positive contribution to society; a lasting impacting both on both the present and future. I believe great leaders recognize that need, draw upon it, and use it to engage individuals in their cause. Essentially, they draw others to the flame of their passion!

Unfortunately, the passion that fuels leadership can be used for both good and evil. One hour visiting a concentration camp leaves an everlasting picture of how Hitler's passion influenced thousands to create mass human devastation. Osama Bin Laden offers a modern day example of a leader that left an indelible impression on a generation who never before experienced war on our land. While I do not advocate such destruction, it is my opinion that September 11th served as a wake-up call for widespread apathy across the United States.

Many positive examples of leadership were found in that tragic day, yet there was one figure that consistently stood out from the dust settling around the twin towers. Passion for the U.S.A., America's freedom, and our inherent independence defined Rudy Giuliani's leadership legacy. Like many great leaders in world history, Giuliani's legacy was defined by leading through a crisis.

Impassioned leadership gave Giuliani the courage to face the unthinkable in his beloved city. We should all learn from the leadership examples of September 11th that finding our personal passion allows us to influence individuals at a level we might not believe. As Eleanor Roosevelt said 'You have to accept whatever comes, and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give.'

We need to remember those lessons as we are challenged with economic uncertainty, information overload, and increasing apathy. Now is the time when we must find ways to extract that passion and create more leaders of influence. After all, if we are to pass on the splendid torch noted in George Bernard Shaw's quote to future generations, we need to ensure it is burning as brightly as possible. Passion is the light of the leadership torch that will help guide the way now and in the future!

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Bookmark - HBR's 10 Must Reads 2016: The Definitive Management Ideas of the Year from Harvard Business Review

Author: Harvard Business Review
Price: Rs.619/-

We’ve combed through the ideas, insights, and best practices from the past year of Harvard Business Review to help you get up to speed fast on the relevant ideas driving business today. Revisit these topics now to make sure you’re incorporating the smartest, most up-to-date ideas in your organization, or keep it as a reference so you can access these memorable pieces when you need them most. The collection includes articles on leadership, strategy, and innovation, as well as articles to help you manage yourself and others. A year’s worth of management wisdom, all in one place.

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Inspirational Words

"Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once." - William Shakespeare

"The happiness and misery of men depend no less on temper than fortune." - Francois de La Rochefoucauld

"The only happiness a brave person ever troubles themselves in asking about, is happiness enough to get their work done." - Thomas Carlyle

"The death of God represents not only the realization that gods have never existed, but the contention that such a belief is no longer even irrationally possible: that neither reason nor the taste and temper of the times condones it. The belief lingers on, of course, but it does so like astrology or a faith in a flat earth." - William H. Gass

"You only live twice. Once when you are born and once when you look death in the face." - Ian Fleming

"Glamour, that trans-human aura or power to attract imitation, is a kind of vessel into which dreams are poured, and some vessels are simply worthier than others... A beautiful woman can turn heads but real glamour has a deeper pull... Glamour [is] the power to rearrange people's emotions, which, in effect, is the power to control one's environment."
- Arthur Miller

"All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible." - Thomas Edward Lawrence

"I'ts heartbreaking to see many people who merely long for success. They're on a sort of treadmill, plodding along, getting exactly nowhere. They haven't mastered their dreams. They've let their dreams master them, and what makes it so sad is that they don't know why others get where they want to go!" - Loretta Young

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Spiritual Centre - Listen to the Heart

God has given us a heart that responds to everything, good and bad. The moment anything wrong happens, it gives us a signal: “This is not right.” Listen to it and don’t get carried away by the wrong activity.

(C) Shri. Kamlesh D. Patel - President, Shri Ram Chandra Mission - https://www.sahajmarg.org

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Story Time - Thousand Gold Coins and a Handful Grain

Simhapuri was a prominent town in the Vijaya Nagar Empire. There lived a stunning beauty named Vidyullatha. She was a rich lady and well versed with prose, poetry and composition besides dance and music. Vidyullatha was famous as a proud woman in the region. A hoarding appeared on the compound wall of the woman’s house quoting as, “A reward of one thousand gold coins would be presented to those who can win over the Lady in the house. The competitors are required to prove their upper hand in humour, wit and scholarship.” This became a prestigious issue for the scholars in the region.

Many responded to the open invitation and barged into her house, individually, to test their fate through the fete. Surprisingly, everyone whoever walked into Vidyullatha’s house lost in the battle and came out with chins down. The list of losers was steadily growing and after sometime there were no takers to the invitation.

Days were passing like this. One morning, a vendor with a load of firewood on his head started shouting in front of her house, “Firewood…strong firewood…excess heat generating firewood…” he continued the sequence for sometime. Vidyullatha thinking that his noise was growing unbearable walked on to the threshold and enquired, “How much do you sell the load for?”

An instant reply came from the vendor, “I will not sell this for money. If you can give me a handful grain I will give you the entire load.” Assuring him to give more grains, Vidyullatha ordered him to dump the load in the backyard and return to collect the grains. The vendor unloaded the weight off his head then and there started to argue, “There is no bargain in this deal Madam! I will sell this to you only if you can give me a handful grain, did you get it” he stressed, “a handful grain.” The rich woman got disgusted with the vendor’s behaviour, “Hey you bloody vendor. Stop crying, I will give you what you wanted.” She said, “Throw them in the backyard and come here.”

The Vendor was adamant and made his firewood load’s price much clearer, “There is no change in the deal Madam. I said a handful grain…that means nothing more or less…it should be a handful grain. If you cannot pay the price, you should pay me one thousand gold coins and wipe the invitation hoarding on the compound wall.”

Vidyullatha yelled at him, “What nonsense are you trying to talk?” The vendor replied on par with her, “There is not any nonsense. I told you the price, you agreed for it and now if you cannot pay the price, stand by my wish. You should give the one thousand gold coins. That is it.”

The fire broke out between Vidyullatha and the firewood vendor. Both started arguing and shouting at each other. The local people started gathering in front of the house to witness and know what is happening and why the Lady was having a tiff with an ordinary vendor. Tired of shouting, both resorted to approach the provincial Court of Law for justice.

Vidyullatha presented her argument, “My Lord! This firewood vendor must have gone crazy. He is not ready to accede to my offer, though I wished to pay him more. He is sticking to his senseless argument to have a handful grain. He demands later for payment of a thousand gold coins and wiping away the invitation hoarding. I plead for justice.”

The Judge looked at the vendor and asked him what his problem was. Folding hands the vendor started in a humble manner, “Yes Your Majesty. She was right to some extent. However, I am not crazy. I informed her beforehand that the load of firewood would cost her a handful grain.”

He continued innocently, “When I was clear about a handful grain, she must have understood that I needed handful of grains. That was her mistake to mistake my quote for a handful grain. It means, one grain that fills the hand.”

What more? Vidyullatha was speechless. Obviously, the verdict was in favour of the vendor. Vidyullatha was unable to comprehend that a handful grain meant so much. Shocked with the development and the judgement, she was compelled to pay him one thousand gold coins and wipe off the invitation from the compound wall.

The people of the region knew about this and told themselves that the years old proud ness of Vidyullatha was shattered to pieces in a single stroke. By the way, the vendor was Tenali Ramalinga.

On hearing about the problem Vidyullatha created with her hoarding, Ramalinga took due permission from the King Rayalu to take her to task. In the guise of firewood vendor, Ramalinga fulfilled his responsibility in all success.

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Time to Smile - Life is Like That

Picky Beggar...

Wife: I hate that beggar.

Husband: Why?

Wife: That rascal, yesterday I gave him food and today he gave me a Cookbook!

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