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Leadership Principle #1: Know Yourself and Seek Self-Improvement

LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE #1: Know Yourself and Seek Self-Improvement.


An authentic leader is always looking to improve their place in life. It is when the leader STOPS learning and improving that the honor of leading people comes to an end. Never stop moving forward. Never stop improving and you will always succeed and pass along that success to those that follow you.

Knowing yourself is one of those never-ending, lifelong tasks that a leader cannot slack off on nor can they view while wearing rose colored glasses. Objectivity is necessary in order for any leader (at any level) to see themselves for who they really are. Failing to be truthful to yourself is unacceptable.

The first time you fail yourself is the moment you have given up any chance of being leader. A true authentic leader. Why? When you cannot be honest with yourself, how can you possibly begin to know yourself, let alone try to seek any form of self-improvement?

Without the truth, the truth to yourself, you cannot begin.

Thanks,
David G. Guerra, M.B.A.


Do you agree or disagree with this list? Let me know either by
Twitter @daveguerra or by email [email protected] or both.

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Inspiration Leadership Motivation Reading Walking Leader

Required Reading: 10 Books On Leadership (Summer 2017 edition)

Summer on the beach. Summer in the country. Summer abroad.  Summer Time.

For some reason or another, Summer is the time of year for fun and relaxation. Summer is also time to catch up on your reading. That’s why I have put together this list of 10 books on Leadership as Required Reading for any up and coming leader, including those leaders that require a refresher or two (ALL LEADERS).

Why 10? Ten books is enough for one person to read from early June to late August.  90 days. Think about it, does it really take you more than nine days to read a book?

It should not. Sure some of these books may seem a little long and daunting but in the end, it does not matter how long or how short they are. What does matter, is the vast knowledge and wisdom that will be gained by reading these 10 books.

Now if you have read them or some of them that’s OK. Read the ones you have not read and re-read the ones you have. Personally, I am re-reading The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Actually, it is my fifth re-read. Sometimes, things are that important to study, analyze and do so over again.

THE REQUIRED READING LIST

1. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
2. The Art of War by Sun Tzu
3. How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
4. Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
5. The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale
6. Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
7. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
8. Good to Great by Jim Collins
9. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell
10. The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard

Do you agree or disagree with this list. Let me know either by Twitter @daveguerra or by email [email protected] or both.

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blog Current Events Decisionmaking Leadership Mentor Motivation Walking Leader

Now that the Golden State Warriors Won, Let’s Talk about Teams by David Guerra

“Congratulations to the Golden State Warriors for winning the 2017 NBA Championship. Congratulations for creating the beginning of the end of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.”

 

That is most certainly one of the headlines you will be reading in the coming days. Delivering congratulations to a team then singling out one player and his team. One loss of a series of games and everyone is ready to throw in the towel for this individual, stellar NBA player. They are also ready to throw in the towel for his team. His entire team.

What does this all mean? It means that all over, LeBron James is recognized as the one individual that is the heart, soul and glue of the Cleveland Cavaliers. How can that be? How can it be that outsiders see this as the LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers instead of “The Cleveland Cavaliers”?

It is so easy for people to drive a wedge between a player and his team. The media is no help, they have all but exalted the most honorable and most high “King James” as they like to call him. Yet, what about the team? Do they call the Cavaliers something like “King James and his court”? You had better believe they do. They do so much that when the team does not do well you can almost hear the teaser commercials call it “King James and his court jesters”.

Seriously, not even James believes that nonsense or does he? While he has been quoted as saying, “There is a lot of pressure put on me, but I don’t put a lot of pressure on myself. I feel if I play my game, it will take care of itself.” However, when has he been heard saying or asking not to be called “King James”?

James is a very good player. He does what he can to distinguish himself on the basketball playing court. There is no argument there. However, what about the team. It takes a great team to end the NBA Playoffs year after year. It takes a greater team to enter the NBA finals but the greatest team for the season is the one that wins the NBA Championship.

That last paragraph NEVER mentions an individual. It mentions teams. To be great players of the game and the sport you have to be bigger that the game. This means having to be more than the sum of all your teammates. That is why the Los Angeles Lakers and the Chicago Bulls will always remain great teams (no matter the Win-Loss record). It takes a team to make great teams. When one individual is elevated to a position above his own team, then is the team truly great?

To be great team and great team members, the individuals must believe in the team and the team must believe in ALL the individuals to make the team great. From game one to game 82, the team must work together as one cohesive unit with each member of that team doing his part. Eighty-two games later, if they worked and worked with one mission and vision, they enter the play offs. They advance as a team. They move forward building their legacy by being a team. One day, history will look back on that team and its legacy and with a little luck it will call that team GREAT. Then and only then will history decide which individual or individuals were great. Until then, this is still a game played by a TEAM and as a TEAM!

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