The Laws are the Laws

9 May 2013

Law #19 The Law of Timing

When to Lead is As Important As What to Do and Where to Go

 I once heard the expression that “timing is everything”. Only the right action at the right time will bring success. Without proper timing it can get extremely expensive. I pause here to note that I am not just referring to money. I am referring to logistics as well as the lives of people. Shudder to think that a human being could be put into Harm’s Way because of timing or a lack thereof. If you have been following my other postings throughout my blog site you will notice that Time is one of the most important commodities of our discussions. Amazing and yet so simple.
When I was on a call a couple of days ago, I referred to and told the story of the B17 Flying Fortress Bombers during World War II. These planes were not called Fortresses for nothing. Every member of the crew had a specific job to the point of complete orchestration. The loss of any one of these crew members would cause that orchestration to falter. Timing had everything to play in this. But at one point near the target the pilot would give complete control of the plane to the bombardier. The bombardier would fly the plane and line up the bomb site and prepare to drop the bombs. Again, timing was everything. But if you know Murphy’s Law you will know that sometimes things happen that throw off timing. Heavy cloud cover so that he could not see the target or anti aircraft fire are just two variables. But I think you get the point that timing is so important.
I will conclude this posting with some points mentioned by John Maxwell:
1. The Wrong Action at the Wrong Time Leads to Disaster
2. The Right Action at the Wrong Time Brings Resistance
3. The Wrong Action at the Right Time is a Mistake
4. The Right ACtion at the Right Time Results in Success
Ponder these statements. If you want to discuss these further just give me a shout. I will be happy to make TIME for you.
Peace. BB

2 May 2013

Law #18 The Law of Sacrifice

A Leader Must Give Up to Go Up!     To best understand this law, you first need to understand that not only is sacrifice a constant, it is something that will follow you all the way through what ever it is that you are yearning to do or to become. There are NO Exceptions! Well yes, actually there are…there is giving up and not following the path to your victory. In fact, when you get right down to it, a true leader will normally be asked to give up more than anyone else. And in order to stay up there you will need to continue to give up. The higher up you want to go the more sacrifice will be required.

Why does someone step forward to be a leader to others? There are many reasons…survival, money, business. How about because they want to make a difference and be a change agent to the world. But I have to tell you that there is a great misconception by those who are not leaders that leadership is in fact about position, perks and power. Well let me introduce you to a higher concept and that is what we refer to as Transformational Leadership. There is much more that can be addressed and said about the Law of Sacrifice but I want to leave you with a few questions in closing:

What sacrifices have you made to get to where you are today?

Examine your own journey…was there an opportunity for you to give up to go up?

Have you sighted the next mountain top for you to scale yet?

I Will SurvivePeace. BB

16 April 2013

Law #16 The Law of the Big Mo

Momentum Is a Leader’s Best Friend…is it Your’s?

If you want your organization, department, or team to succeed, you must learn the Law of Momentum:

1. Momentum is the Great Exaggerator – this is probably best seen in sports because momentum swings can occur right before your eyes. When a team is on a roll everything no matter what seems to work. The Team can seem to do no wrong. The opposite is true when the team is in a slump…NOTHING goes right no matter how hard you work at it. Momentum is so great that leaders try to control it. That is why the opposing team coach calls a time out when the other team has everything going for it. For if he doesn’t, his team will likely lose the game.

When you have momentum, you don’t worry about small problems.

2. Momentum makes Leaders Look Better Than They Are – When Leaders have momentum on their side, people think they’re geniuses. People will look past the leader’s shortcomings and forget about any mistakes made. People like associating themselves with winners. Momentum also causes the leader to look better than they may actually be.

3. Momentum Helps Followers Perform Better Than They Are – When leadership is strong and there is momentum in an organization, people are motivated and inspired to perform at higher levels. Think of the US Hockey Team of 1980 aka “The Miracle”

This is especially true when organizations contain volunteers.

4. Momentum Is Easier to Steer Than to Start – It’s kind of like water skiing…hard to get up on the skis at first but once you are it takes very little to maintain momentum.

5. Momentum is the Leader’s Responsibility – Leaders create it, followers catch it and good managers are able to use it once it has begun…and everyone enjoys its benefits. Vision is required here.

6. Momentum Begins Inside the Leader – Vision, Passion and Enthusiasm mixed with energy

Let’s end with a couple of questions. WE can also refer to them as calls to action as you answer them. These questions can help you to get momentum going or to change in your organization that you are now in charge of….

a. Describe the momentum in your organization. Is it moving in the desired direction?

b. Who are the momentum makers in your organization? Who are the detractors? Can you turn them around to the positive?

c. What can you do to create additional momentum in your organization?

d. What are you doing to become a momentum maker?

President Harry Truman said “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen”. Let’s modify that and say…”If you can’t make some heat, get out of the kitchen”….Your team can experience wins by accomplishing goals.

So why not start by making a list of the wins that your team will go after.

 

19 March 2013

The Law of Victory (21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership #15) Leaders Find a Way for the Team to Win

What is the difference between a team that wins and one that loses? What does it take to make a team a winner? Every leadership situation is different and every crisis has its own challenges.But one thing is held in common…that the teams shares an unwillingness to accept defeat.

It was the bottom of the 9th, 2outs, the score tied and your fastest runner had just stolen 2nd base (you can’t steal 2nd with your foot still on first).

Coming up to bat is your star player, the big hitter, the guy who could put it over the fence. But with a home run hitter always comes a drawback. Not only do they strike out a lot but they can sometimes forget that there is a team that goes with it. So up he comes with the game on the line. For some reason, this time, he hesitates and then steps back and signals the coach with that baseball sign language stuff. The Coach smirks / smiles and then signals the runner on 2nd. The home run hitter star of the team gets in the batters box and suddenly takes his arm and points out to beyond the center field fence telling the whole world where he is going to hit it. The opposing pitcher decides to dust him off the plate and throws a high fast one right past his head. Unfazed, the batter gets up and without dusting himself off, points out to Center again. In comes the pitch and hey, wait a minute, he BUNTS the ball catching everyone including the 3rd baseman off guard. Off goes the runner digging and digging for 1st base. Running and running getting to 1st just a split second ahead of the throw. The 1st baseman starts arguing the call with the umpire when wait…EVERYONE forgot about the runner on 2nd who has rounded 3rd and is sprinting full speed for home. The 1st baseman recovers and responds throwing home but alas too late! Your team pulls it out in the bottom of the 9th with a win and WHY? Because your star player made sure that it was a team victory because Leaders Find a Way for the Team to Win!

8 February 2013

People Naturally Follow Leaders Stronger Than Themselves…

There are different forms and levels of respect. If you want to influence others, you need to be respected as a leader. To do this, the leader must show
1. The Leader must know
2. The Leader must know he knows
3. The Leader must make it abundantly clear to those around him that he knows.
People do not follow others by accident. If we follow the precepts of the Law of the Lid, a person does not look to a leader who rates lower than himself.
Here are 6 ways that leaders gain other’s respect:
1. Natural Leadership abilities…all leaders are not created equal but every person can become a better leader.
2. Respect for others…good leaders do not rely on violence and intimidation. Good leaders rely on respect.
3. Courage…”A leader does not deserve the name unless he is willing occasionally to stand alone”. Good leaders do what is right even at the risk of failure, in the face of great danger, and under the brunt of relentless criticism.
4. Success…success is very attractive. People are naturally drawn to it. It’s hard to argue with a good track record.
5. Loyalty…In this age of Free Agency, professional athletes hop from team to team. In a culture of constant change, turnover, and transition, loyalty is an asset. The Leader sticks with the team until the job is done, remains loyal to the organization when the going gets rough, looks out for the followers even at the risk of getting hurt.
6. Value added to Others…If you want to measure how much respect you have as a leader, the first thing you should do is to look at who you attract. When leaders are respected and ask for commitment, the people step up and sign up.
Having the respect of those closet to you is priceless.

 

31 December 2012

Everything Rises and Falls on Leadership….

As today is New Year’s Eve and I have been sitting here reflecting on not only 2012 but what I intend to do with 2013, I must remember that yesterday is a cancelled check, tomorrow is a promissory note and I have today.

Am I the Leader that I need to be? Have you been the leader that you need to be? Everything clearly does rise and fall on leadership. One only has to go back to the Bible to see how clearly this continues and continues to happen or fails to happen. So much is dependent on the Leader. Now don’t get me wrong on this as micro management is not a good thing but a good leader knows and knows well that as the leader goes…so go the people! Why you may ask is this true? Well to just list a few points:

1. Leaders represent the people they oversee

2. People reflect that of the leader they follow

3. Leaders are usually the most influential individuals among the people

4. When a movement starts it is usually the Leader that spearheads it

5. And unfortunately in so many cases, the people are like sheep and look to their leaders as models.

This last point is so important as it has allowed throughout history some leaders to lose sight of the people’s value and they became obsessed with power. I ask you on this New Year’s Eve to think and reflect on the above points. I ask you to ponder the word Accountability into your thought patterns towards your resolutions.

I also ask you to provide some input into this conversation and how any of the above has influenced your actions or that of others this year for either the good or the not so good.

Look forward to hearing from you. Peace. BB

 

The Law of Navigation: Anyone Can Steer a Ship but it takes a Leader to Chart a Course.

So many things going on out there in the World. The major fact is that without leadership and the principles that go with them, we will clearly see many boats and ships just sailing around in circles. That is if those boats and ships even leave the dock in the first place. We have heard the phrase many times “that a rising tide floats all boats”.

Leaders need the skills to take them to the next level and not just be managers. The Law of Navigation forces leaders to become students of 3 facets of leadership: discernment, strategy and the future. They must interpret the times, see the future and plan the steps. This is about painting the picture for others to see and as to what the leader sees. One last item never to be forgotten is the Leader must remember to put himself/herself into the picture as well. This is your Rembrandt in the making!

 

The Law of Vision: A quick look from Job’s perspective (and mine)

I normally only write about the “word of the day” on Mondays to Fridays but was compelled to provide an entry today as I read through scripture. Just an aside to let you know that my mentor John C. Maxwell took and went through the Bible and showed how Leadership interacted and played a great role.

So, just want to jot down a few words about “Vision”. With all that is going on in Bermuda, The USA and of course the World, Vision is playing such an important role. You have all I am sure heard the phrase “Where there is no vision, the people perish”. What this really means is that the people DO NOT die as a result, although they could, but rather their lives literally can come to an end even though they will live for many many years.

Let’s just take a quick look at my good friend “Job”. I can’t begin to tell you the number of times I use the phrase “Patience of Job” on any given day. Job’s perspective on Vision clearly separated him from the others around him.
1. He renewed his perspective
2. He released his past
3. He remembered his purpose

So I ask you to take a few moments today and each day moving forward to remind yourselves of what your “vision” is as both you and I have a major purpose to fulfill before “our time” on Earth is finished. And of course, none of us knows when the sands of our Hour Glass will run out.
Peace and a wonderful weekend. BB.

 

The Law of Discipline: If Leaders Can’t Rule Themselves, They Can’t Rule Others…

There is no leadership without self-discipline. Leaders must first lead themselves and earn the right to attract followers. The best leader serves as a model for others.

The Law of Timing and YOU….

 

We all find ourselves in positions of Leadership from time to time and many times when we least expect it. Please take a few moments to read of the Law of Timing and reflect where you presently find yourself. I will compare the Leadership of Moses and that of Joshua. It is not presented from a religious perspective but from a Leadership perspective and as such, please govern yourselves accordingly.

 

It took over 40 years for Joshua’s leadership style to match the need of the moment. Whereas, Moses led diplomatically…he sat and judged the people patiently as they grumbled through the long years spent in the desert. But by the time they arrived in Canaan, enemies awaited them and as such they would need a more confrontational leader…enter Joshua. Note how TIMING can dictate appropriate leadership styles:

 

Moses Joshua

 

  1. Led through 40 years of desert travel              Led through 30 years of conquering              Canaan
  2. Was a political diplomatic leader                     Was a military in your face leader
  3. Patiently listened to complaints                       Confronted laziness and fear of the

Enemy

  1. Led people as a peacemaking shepherd        Led as a tough commander
  2. Provided water from a rock when people        Told the people to dig their own wells

got thirsty                                                         when they got thirsty

 

 

So, as they say, TIMING is everything and Everything Rises and Falls on Leadership.

 

Will you be a Moses Leader or a Joshua Leader? Will you choose to take the best of both and time it perfectly so that those you lead and those that look to your leadership will realize that their best interests are at heart. This is also what the concept of Servant Leadership is about.

 

Peace. Bermuda Bob, Your Leadership Expert.

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