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New Year's Resolutions for Your Home Business
"Happy New Year" may be the most positive phrase in the English language. For those whose fortunes were less than they desired over the last twelve months, the new year is an opportunity to close the book and start afresh. Those lucky souls who came...
OIL DEMAND and the effects on the Global Stock Market
HOOKED ON CRUDE OIL, THE REAL STORY.
Without oil, the world shuts down. We burn through 27 Billion
barrels per year. Even 90% of the chemicals we use for farming,
making drugs and making plastics... all come from oil. It's a
habit we can't...
Succeed the natural way
Succeed the natural way Getting ahead needn't be a complicated, contrived process of scheming and manipulating your way to the top. It ca be as simple and natural as "doing the right thing". Here are some tips to succeed in business the natural...
The Perfect Project Manager
I've been working in the computer industry now for over 23 years. During that time, I've had the unfortunate circumstance to work under many incompetent project managers. I don't mean the word incompetent as an insult - it's just that in the...
Wearing Your Politics on Your Sleeve
As the election season heats up, progressively minded entrepreneurs are combining their politics, creativity, and business savvy in an all-out effort to defeat George W. Bush in 2004.
"Vote for Anyone but Bush 2004," says one slogan. "Not my...
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Being Other Focused
Being "Other" Focused
In the Wall Street Journal, Franklin Lavin, U.S. Ambassabor to Singapore wrote the Manager's Journal column about some of the things he learned from the late President Reagan while working on his staff.
******** PLEASE NOTE ************
If you are thinking about moving on from this article because of your feelings about the politics of President Reagan, please don't. The lesson I am about to share isn't about politics or partisan-ship, or any of those things.
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It is about caring.
About being focused on others.
It is a lesson for all leaders.
Lavin shares a story about an appearance the President was making at an Alabama school for handicapped children. The event was going super well, until one of the children with a severe speech impediment asked a question of the President. No one in the audience could understand and the room became tense. The President asked him to repeat the question, and the energy in the room was further dampened. Again, no one understood.
Here is how Lavin tells what happened next, "The teachers froze. What was to have been an upbeat day was turning into a disaster... Reagan to the rescue. 'I'm sorry' he said with a smile, 'but
you know I've got this hearing aid in my ear. Every once in awhile the darn thing just conks out on me. And it's just gone dead. Sorry to put you through this again, but I'm going to ask one of my staff people to go over to you so you can tell them directly what your question is. Then he can pass it back to me.'"
This is what caring, gentle people do. This is what leaders do. If they see someone hurting, they try to help. They don't help to "get through it" or get people back to work. They help, and care, and listen because it is the right thing to do. They show they care through their actions.
If you are like me, as you read this you thought, "How would I have handled that?" and "Would I have been as successful as President Reagan?" They are good questions.
The better question though is, what can I do today to be more focused on others, and therefore help them succeed?
About the Author
Kevin Eikenberry is a leadership expert and the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company. To receive a free Special Report on leadership that includes resources, ideas, and advice go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/leadership.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.
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