Life abhors a vacumn. A vacancy demands that something fill that space. This is especially true in Leadership. When there is no leadership in an organization, or the leadership is inadequate, one of two things will happen. Those who recognize the need will either move toward filling need, or, if that is not possible or the structure cannot be solved without the additional clout of position, these people will leave the situation/organization.

Leaders are influencers. In the best sense they use their influence to empower those around them in the fulfillment of the goals. In the worse sense, they manipulate those around them to make themselves look good regardless of anyone else.

7/11/03 One of the best books I have recently read on the subject of leadership is The Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley. Although the book is not very long, it is well written and challenges past the basics. I recommend this book and will be posting reflections from my reading in upcoming blogs.

7/11/03 I don't know why but I couldn't sleep this morning and it seemed like a good idea just to go ahead and get up and make an entry here. I have been thinking a lot about the mechanics of leadership and realize that, even though those mechanics can be learned, the heart of a leader is developed much earlier, while growing up. There are certain principles of life which I believe to be foundational enough that I have attempted to teach them to my children from their earliest days. They are: 1. All of life can be reduced to relationships, 2. Everything rises and falls on leadership, 3. Excellence in all things, 4. It is not what happens to you but how you respond, and 5. Perseverance - don't quit. These principles are then build on the Shema which says: The Lord God is ONE, love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. I can't overemphasize the importance of these principles when practiced in conjunction with the guiding force of the Shema. Teach them to your children, talk about them at the table over a meal, meditate upon them in the situations of your life.

7/9/03 Communication is a key component to effective leadership. In fact, you could say that without strong communication skills leadership, at least over the long haul, is impossible. What are the basic pieces of the skill set needed for effective communication? Just remember your PEAS. P=precision. A leader's communicatin must be clear, without ambiguity. E=enunciate, as in pronounce the words correctly. It is VERY annoying to hear people in leadership mispronounce words. A=articulate, as in make sure you speak distinctly enough to be clearly heard by everyone in the audience (whether that audience is one person or a hundred). Mumbled, indistinct speech is a big off-putter. S=simple. Keep your focus on the subject at hand.