LeaderAim for the heart ! As a leader, do you honor and appreciate the power of WE? Do you stop to thank and recognize the members of your team? Do you consistently show an attitude of gratitude? I recently read a great story about Captain Charles Plumb, a graduate from the Naval Academy, whose plane, after 74 successful combat missions over North Vietnam, was shot down. He parachuted to safety, but was captured, tortured and spent 2,103 days in a small box-like cell After surviving the ordeal, Captain Plumb received the Silver Star, Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit and two Purple Hearts, and returned to America and spoke to many groups about his experience and how it compared to the challenges of every day life. Shortly after coming home, Charlie and his wife were sitting in a restaurant. A man rose from a nearby table, walked over and said, "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!" Surprised that he was recognized, Charlie responded, "How in the world did you know that?" The man replied, "I packed your parachute." Charlie looked up with surprise. The man pumped his hand, gave a thumbs-up, and said, "I guess it worked!" Charlie stood to shake the man's hand, and assured him, "It most certainly did work. If it had not worked, I would not be here today." Charlie could not sleep that night, thinking about the man. He wondered if he might have seen him and not even said, "Good morning, how are you?" He thought of the many hours the sailor had spent bending over a long wooden table in the bottom of the ship, carefully folding the silks and weaving the shrouds of each chute, each time holding in his hands the fate of someone he didn't know. Plumb then began to realize that along with the physical parachute, he needed mental, emotional and spiritual parachutes. He had called on all these supports during his long and painful ordeal. As a leader, how many times a day, a week, a month, do we pass up the opportunity to thank those people in our organization who are "packing our parachutes?" I love great stories. They can speak to our souls! This is one of 28 great stories that are shared by Tom Mathews in his book, Aim for the Heart….Leading to Build Great Team. Visit Simple Truths: Get the Book Aim for the Heart . 
As a leader, deciding to make changes is the easy part. Getting your people on board is much more difficult. Why is that? Quite simply, change is an emotional process. We are all creatures of habit who usually resist it, and welcome routine. Unchartered waters are scary!
In the long run, however, sameness is the fast tract to mediocrity. And, mediocre companies won't survive. Tuli Kupferberg said it best... "When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge." And, that is your challenge...to convince your team that the new world you are trying to create is better than the one you're in. Is it easy? Of course not. It takes planning, commitment, patience and courage. The truth, of course, is that change can be a wonderful gift. In fact, it is the key that unlocks the doors to growth and excitement in any organization. And, most importantly, without it...your competition will pass you by. A big part of success, as a leader, will be your ability to inspire your team to get out of their comfort zones; to assure them that even though they are on a new path, it's the right path, for the right reasons. That's what this book is all about....ideas, to inspire, to motivate, and to encourage your team to move forward and to embrace change. I'd like to share one of the chapters titled: Inspire Personal Accountability. Enjoy!
Something magical happens when we accept personal responsibility for our behavior and our results. But, it's not easy, because it's human nature to "pass the buck". I (Mac) know there have been times in my life when my business was struggling where I found myself blaming others, blaming the economy, blaming this, blaming that! But as I've gotten older (and a little wiser) when things go wrong in my business, or my life, I can always find the culprit...in the mirror. In every instance, it always comes back to choices I've made in my life that put me exactly where I am today. I have to say, that this one "tweak" in my attitude may sound like a little thing, but it has made a big difference in my life. What does all this have to do with change? Plenty! As a manager, one of the most important things you can do in times of change is to get your people to understand how taking personal responsibility and recognizing problems as opportunities, will not only help the company, but will help them as individuals. In other words, sell the idea of...what's in it for them? Authors B.J. Gallagher and Steve Ventura wrote a great little book about achieving success through personal accountability titled: Who Are "They" Anyway? I like their list showing how each individual in the company can benefit by adopting a "personal accountability attitude": You have more control over your destiny You become an active contributor rather than a passive observer Others look to you for leadership You gain the reputation as a problem solver You enhance your career opportunities You enjoy the satisfaction that comes from getting things done...the power of positive doing You experience less anger, frustration and helplessness - all leading to better physical health You realize a positive spillover effect into your personal life at home According to Gallagher and Ventura, the most important words of personal responsibility are as follows: The 10 most important words: I won't wait for others to take the first step. The 9 most important words: If it is to be, it's up to me. The 8 most important words: If not me, who? If not now, when? The 7 most important words: Let me take a shot at it. The 6 most important words: I will not pass the buck. The 5 most important words: You can count on me. The 4 most important words: It IS my job! The 3 most important words: Just do it! The 2 most important words: I will. The most important word: Me Frank Tyger said it best..."Your future depends on many things, but mostly yourself."
Keys to Building your team Visit the top ten teambuilding websites Creative leadership Outdoor Teambuilding exercises Coaching trends
LEADERSHIP: ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL It's no secret that leading people in a way that responds to their individual capabilities yields the best results. But while that idea may seem like common sense, a formalized approach can make the difference between leadership success and failure. Developed by Dr. John Nicholls, a recognized author, consultant, and speaker, Responsive Leadership is a situation-based model whereby managers match their leadership behavior to the individual capabilities of their employees. What makes his approach more effective than other conventional situation-based models is that it is practical for managers to learn, understand, and memorize. It doesn't take much time for leaders to internalize the principles and quickly develop the lifelong skills they need to be confident, successful managers. Click on the HRDQ link to download more information about the Responsive Leadership Model and discover the self-help toolkit for leaders 
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