LeadershipNow 140: January 2009 Compilation

• The phrase leaders cast long shadows is used to draw attention to the fact that a leader’s actions are magnified far more than they imagine
• “You always have to eat humble pie at some point…. Every rejection is the fuel for what you will be.” Diane von Furstenberg in Feb 2009 T&C
• WN: A leader must summon citizens to rise above themselves, but without appearing preachy or contemptuous of their present state of mind
• Not what you’d expect him to say: Creativity flourishes at the edges of things. It needs boundaries and it needs constraints. P Ibbotson
• Without an effective infrastructure for learning – action reviews – a plan is just a plan. An idea is not reality.
• Chief speechwriter for George W. Bush, Marc Thiessen: History Will Remember Bush Well http://ow.ly/4GF
• FT said of Obama’s speech: “the performance of a born leader.” That really means he put the time in. You’re seeing the result.
• FT: Managers who see economic strife only as a threat are missing out on ideal opportunity to implement change and instill better practice.
• Kissinger: Occasionally an outsider may provide perspective; almost never does he have enough knowledge to advise soundly on tactical moves
• Think of leadership IN, not leadership OF. It's not position.
• To develop new leaders, existing leaders will have to give up control and empower emerging leaders to lead in new ways.
• In a downturn, set realistic goals and use shorter time horizons. Predictions are likely to be more accurate and relevant.