Is there a Leadership Fire in Your Belly?

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When I was recently asked to name one thing, that has kept me focused and guided my decisions for years, I shared this quote:

“Control is not leadership; management is not leadership; leadership is leadership. If you seek to lead, invest at least 50% of your time in leading yourself—your own purpose, ethics, principles, motivation, conduct. Invest at least 20% leading those with authority over you and 15% leading your peers.”

— Dee Hock
Founder and CEO Emeritus, Visa

When I dive into that quote this is what I see…

  • Power hungry control freaks are not leaders.  They are insecure people that don’t trust themselves or anyone else and live in fear. 
  • Managing a process is not the same as leading people to be the very best they can be and to contribute to the organization at the highest possible level.

The power in the quote and the place that I focus – as if it were the “Secret Sauce for Leadership Success”is in the second half.

  • When I am deeply invested in developing myself (at least 50% of the time) I am tapped into an endless well of wisdom and creativity that comes from people that are wiser and more experienced than I am. 
  • And that wisdom gives me insight that the people on all sides of me need.  (Up, down, sideways…)

Here’s the bonus:

When I build relationships with the people around me and share what I’m learning, it magnifies the learning in me AND increases my leadership influence with them!    

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Now back to that your fire in YOUR belly…  What are you doing to lead yourself?

  • Are you purchasing leadership material and studying it. (Not just reading it.) …Deeply studying, reflecting, applying, re-reading, re-examining…? 
  • Are you looking for and applying lessons that are all around you every day?  At home, on your drive to work, at the office, at the diner you had lunch in, at the game you attended this weekend, in the movie you took your loved ones to, from the song that is playing on your iPod?
  • Are you sharing and debating what you are learning with your family?  …Your team?  Your leaders?  Your peers?

Looking for books to start with?  

I own hundreds of books and have found something of value in nearly every one, however, the books below are the ones that have fueled my fire from early on.  They are the ones that I’ve gained the most from, and are the ones I continually refer to.  

They are listed in priority order from the bottom (the foundation) up.

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Additional posts about developing your leadership:

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2 thoughts on “Is there a Leadership Fire in Your Belly?

  1. Great post! May I suggest another book for you to explore? The Art of Possibility by Rosamund & Ben Zander is really one of those books where you can read a section, go away think about it, do the items described & come back to the next section energized. It’s one that we give (along with Boring Meetings Suck by Jon Petz) to many of the people we come into contact with through our business. You are spot on when you point out that just reading Leadership books won’t really get your skills on a better path. Engaging with the books you read will. Sometimes things you try won’t work for you….the magic happens when they do. Thank you!