He had always thought the Holy Grail would be finding a girl who submitted gladly and whole- heartedly to his leadership. Now he saw how much more powerful it was when the surrender was a bit reluctant, when she had to overcome her own strong will before yielding to his. He didn’t want an off-the-shelf submissive after all. He wanted a girl with a mind of her own, whose heart and will had to be tamed, who would submit to him and him alone.
Why is this disengagement epidemic becoming the new norm? A few reasons I have witnessed in speaking with companies across the country include . . .• Information overload• Distractions• Stress/overwhelmed• Apathy/detachment• Short attention span• Fear, worry, anxiety• Rapidly changing technology• Entitlement• Poor leadership• Preoccupation• Social media• Interruptions• Multitasking• Budget cuts• Exhaustion• Boredom• Conflict• Social insecurity• Lack of longevityThese challenges not only create separation and work dysfunction, but we are seeing it happen in relationships and personal interactions.
Realistic and unrealistic expectations will be placed on you, demands will be made, fair and unfair judgment will be passed. Your growing leadership intelligence should reflect in your objective response or reaction to these challenges – remember more eyes than you can see are watching you. Know when it is prudent to make a comment, to set the record straight or just not comment. Decide which invitations to accept and which ones to send a representative or to turn down. Continuously reflecting on your mission, beliefs and values will make this process more objective.
I believe the message in the hymn “Rise Up, O Men of God” (Hymns, no. 324) is a plea, a call, a divine invitation for us to rise above the telestial tinsel of our time; to deny ourselves of ungodliness and clothe ourselves in the mantle of holiness; to reach and stretch and grasp for that spiritual direction and sacred empowerment promised to the Lord’s agents, to those charged to act in the name of our Principal, Jesus Christ; and to point the way to salvation and deliverance and peace in a world that finds itself enshrouded in darkness, a world that yearns for spiritual leadership.
Many have argued with me that ambition is not the problem. Women are not less ambitious than men, they insist, but more enlightened with different and more meaningful goals. I do not dismiss or dispute this argument. There is far more to life than climbing a career ladder, including raising children, seeking personal fulfillment, contributing to society, and improving the lives of others. And there are many people who are deeply committed to their jobs but do not - and should not have to - aspire to run their organizations. Leadership roles are not the only way to have profound impact.
“I think it's a really wonderful way of looking at leadership development. What we're saying is, if you understand the broad issues that make up the life of the city, if you understand its history, if you understand its architecture and its neighborhood and its place, if you understand some of the ethical dilemmas that leaders must face as they make different choices about a city, and if you can articulate that in some kind of a creative process, then you are prepared to take an active role in decisions and choices that affect your life as well as the city's.”
“The Georgia Ford Dealers are excited to play a leadership role in this emerging property, and to support the event's core objectives by promoting cycling, good health and the Georgia Cancer Coalition. When we say Ford is built for the road ahead, we can clearly exemplify that brand message with a world-class cycling event like the Ford Tour de Georgia through the Ford dealers and in the communities where we live and work. Ford dealers across the entire route, and across the state, are eager to activate both community and customer programs for the spring.”
“A&D systems are continuing a rapid shift towards standards-based operations and, at the same time, manufacturers are being asked to deliver increasingly complex products, with higher quality, on budget and on schedule. Customers need proven solutions that provide for ease of certification and the security to ensure their devices are always interoperable, reliable and reusable. With approximately 40,000 developers using Wind River's platforms, our new enhancements are continued proof of our leadership in delivering a fast, easy, standards-based development platform for commercial and military devices, while also reducing costs.”
“Leadership is a word and a concept that has been more argued than almost any other I know. I am not one of the desk-pounding types that likes to stick out his jaw and look like he is bossing the show. I would far rather get behind and, recognizing the frailties and the requirements of human nature, would rather try to persuade a man to go along, because once I have persuaded him, he will stick. If I scare him, he will stay just as long as he is scared, and then he is gone.”
“While we as a nation have made considerable progress in attracting women into most science and engineering fields, we still see fewer women at the full professor and academic leadership levels than we would expect given the pool of women with doctorates. After investing in creating this pool of highly trained talent, we should see a high rate of return -- productive, creative and respected teachers and researchers attracting more students into fields that might have seemed closed to them given the traditional profile of science and engineering faculty.”