Leadership Vision
Our mission at Zenie Foundation is to Help Students Become Effective Adults. We describe the key attributes of effective adults here. Beyond this, however, we hope that our effective adults will lead others; family, friends, career colleagues and community, to become more effective.
Leaders often are defined as people who control organizational units. What a terrible definition! Being a boss, doesn’t make you a leader nor does the title Manager; they do, however, create the expectation of leadership.
When discussing leadership, people frequently try to identify the personal characteristics that will make them effective leaders. Don’t be fooled; charisma, appearance, and good communications skills do not create effective leaders.
The true definition of Leadership is: A process of interpersonal influence which motivates others toward achieving a shared goal. You become a leader only when people want to follow you.
Leadership isn’t about control – It’s about Ideas & Vision
A potential leader develops a vision describing some future desired condition. Vision creates leadership opportunities when people think:
Vision and Trust Enable Leadership
You can bully peoples’ behavior for a while, but you can’t bully their minds and their will. You can con for a while, but you ultimately will be exposed. Long-term leaders are authentic.
Organizations that lack a worthy vision can be managed but not led. Worthy visions energize and motivate people to want to be part of them. Leaders instill cultural values and build trust: it’s simple and pragmatic; How you live - Is who you are.
Imagine back to June 6, 1944 – the Allied invasion of Europe at Normandy. We landed 150,000 troops from the US, Britain and Canada. The weather stunk, the original invasion plans failed, the generals and admirals were offshore without communications and there were untold Germans shooting at and paralyzing our troops who were unprotected on the beach. Some number of very young soldiers recognized that Hitler was evil and that we needed success to begin the end of Nazi Germany. With this vision, they stood up, faced the enemy guns and said to those around them, “Follow Me”. Many were killed in their first few steps but the shared vision prevailed, and it was the beginning of the end.
Leaders often are defined as people who control organizational units. What a terrible definition! Being a boss, doesn’t make you a leader nor does the title Manager; they do, however, create the expectation of leadership.
When discussing leadership, people frequently try to identify the personal characteristics that will make them effective leaders. Don’t be fooled; charisma, appearance, and good communications skills do not create effective leaders.
The true definition of Leadership is: A process of interpersonal influence which motivates others toward achieving a shared goal. You become a leader only when people want to follow you.
Leadership isn’t about control – It’s about Ideas & Vision
A potential leader develops a vision describing some future desired condition. Vision creates leadership opportunities when people think:
- That’s a worthy idea; and
- I’d like to go there; and
- How can I help?
- Building a team committed to the vision; and
- Seeking and instilling values & culture that build trust.
Vision and Trust Enable Leadership
You can bully peoples’ behavior for a while, but you can’t bully their minds and their will. You can con for a while, but you ultimately will be exposed. Long-term leaders are authentic.
Organizations that lack a worthy vision can be managed but not led. Worthy visions energize and motivate people to want to be part of them. Leaders instill cultural values and build trust: it’s simple and pragmatic; How you live - Is who you are.
Imagine back to June 6, 1944 – the Allied invasion of Europe at Normandy. We landed 150,000 troops from the US, Britain and Canada. The weather stunk, the original invasion plans failed, the generals and admirals were offshore without communications and there were untold Germans shooting at and paralyzing our troops who were unprotected on the beach. Some number of very young soldiers recognized that Hitler was evil and that we needed success to begin the end of Nazi Germany. With this vision, they stood up, faced the enemy guns and said to those around them, “Follow Me”. Many were killed in their first few steps but the shared vision prevailed, and it was the beginning of the end.
Franklin Covey & ZF
We often link our ideas with Stephen Covey’s, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
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Covey's 7 Habits
1. Be Proactive 2. Begin with the End in Mind 3. Put First Things First 4. Think Win/Win 5. Seek First to Understand...Then to be Understood 6. Synergize 7. Sharpen the Saw |
Zenie Foundation
Vision Mission > Vision Always be faithful to your vision, mission and values. Advance with passion and learn from experience. Avoid denial, discover reality and accept or change it. Never forget: Our students are our customers. |
Martin Luther King is a powerful example. He was assassinated on April 4,1968, 52 years ago as I write this, and yet, he still leads us today. How is this possible? On August 28, 1963, he delivered his most famous speech, “I Have a Dream,” featuring this excerpt of his ideas:
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."
Dr. King is gone but his ideas and vision are clear and they still inspire.
Leaders will emerge. Lead when appropriate. Support worthy Visions and Values.
Leaders will emerge. Lead when appropriate. Support worthy Visions and Values.