A fine spinner of the entertaining yarn, Jimmy Collins - the former Chief Operating Officer and faithful right-hand man of Truett Cathy, of Chick-Fil-A greatness - is well known for his plain-spoken and simple style of communication. At his lecture last week, he discussed many of the ideas put forth in his bestselling book, Creative Followership: In the Shadow of Greatness. Mr. Collins often used personal anecdotes and stories to tell how he discovered and used his “Creative Followership Principles” to create a fulfilling lifetime of service. He spoke of his goal, crisscrossing the country, to “Use my life experience to motivate others to venture out on a journey of discovery and adventure.” He spoke of delivering groceries at the tender age of twelve on his trusty bicycle to neighborhood customers. He illustrated the arc of his career from grocery delivery boy to COO of a multibillion dollar restaurant chain. He spoke of his unrealized aspirations to become a great leader, ala Dale Carnegie. He searched for the perfect formula to become that person. He realized, at some poin...
In Mr. Collin’s speech on Thursday, April 3, 2014, he highlighted a few of the most imperative principles of the thirty-five principles outlined in his “Creative Followership”. Collins suggested that through application of these principles, any individual has the potential to be passionately committed and deeply involved in their organization or project - and even in their personal life. All of this without having fashion his or her self into the next Andrew Carnegie. His or her contribution does not have to be as leader to be immeasurabl...
Most people think that being a leader is all about prestige, loyalty, or fame. While being a leader certainly is a great confidence and social status booster, there is more to being a leader than these. Being a leader requires passion, dedication, time, effort, and most importantly hard work. I would like to make myself believe that leaders are made and not born and that hard work can spell the difference between an immature and a holistically effective leader. The objective of this paper is to discuss by knowledge, belief system, and perception of leadership in relation to Bleachers by John Grisham which outlines the leadership story of Coach Eddie Rake and how he handled his team through thick and thin and through the greatest leadership challenges, towards success; to outline which character in the story I see myself in; and to characterize what type of leader I want me to be not in the future, but as early as now.
People around the world need positive attributions at times to help brighten their day. Many times these people help other by doing extraordinary things. As it has been said “Passion in your work and life can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary” (Sanborn). As in the story The Fred Factor, Fred the mailman did extraordinary things for his customers. Throughout the book Mark Sanborn, the author, teaches the readers how to strengthen their leadership qualities to help make a positive attribute to the world. Fred the postman exhibits admirable qualities including outgoing, compassionate, overachiever.
Even after 9/11 Southwest Airlines has always been the top airlines in the United States. The reason for their unwavering success is based on the simplistic way they execute common values. After extensively reading their value statement, I’ve come to realize the company’s ambition thrives on motivating and taking care of their employees. Southwest’s values revolve around a warrior spirit, a servant’s heart, and a fun-loving attitude. These values transcend the more original ones from other organizations and ultimately represent more than that. For example, a warrior spirit represent the area where Southwest Airlines provides the tools for employees to better serve their customers. A servant heart implies that one is encouraged to treat each other with respect by showing concern for the customer. Lastly, a fun-loving attitude suggests that employees should have fun at work. Value is a strong concept created to guide or direct individuals behavior towards a desired or favorable outcome. For Southwest Airlines, values are not just about what the company believes, it’s about how it sets the culture. Newly hired employees are tested in the company’s three core values and in reward Southwest Airlines provide a recognition program for all employees who are complimented by customers. These values are mentioned in newsletters, staff meetings by the CEO and at special event. Southwest’s
Have you ever wondered what it takes to be successful? Some people are not born into success or wealth. Many successful entrepreneurs had a vision they turned into reality. Samuel Truett Cathy is one prime example of a man who lived out his convictions. An inventor of the beast-of-chicken sandwich, mall counter service in the days before food courts and Sunday closing as a policy, Truett Cathy celebrated his 80th birthday in 2001. Many might think of him as a true modern-day role model and hero. Some sees him as the Chick-fil-a man. From his book “It’s Easier to Succeed than to Fail”, Cathy represented a real-life case history showing that a determined and energetic entrepreneur can overcome anything. Cathy stated, “ The secret to success is not secret at all. It is very obvious, but we are too often blinded to the truth.” (Cathy, p. 191)
Dale Carnegie's book How to Win Friends and Influence People gives several proven methods and examples on how to succeed in the business world. The book's chapters are comprised of how to handle people, how to be a successful leader, and how to win people to your way of thinking. The preface provides several ideas and suggestions that will help the reader get the most out of the book. The author suggests that the reader keep an open mind, and also suggest some other reading materials that will also help.
Destiny, brought the book True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership into my life and I want to bring it into the lives of others. More specifically those who may believe they weren’t born with the characteristics or traits to become a leader or those who have not found their passion or purpose in life; their “True North.” The book, written by Bill George and co-author Peter Sims, compiles a series of interviews with 125 managers from Howard Schultz of Starbuck’s to Dan Vasella of Novartis. The interviewees guide readers through their journey to become the leaders they are today; discussing their failures, successes, obstacles, personal tragedies and triumphs. The stories of each manager prove the True North’s thesis, which is no one person is born a leader and there isn’t one path to becoming a leader. The book is separated into three sections: 1) Leadership is a Journey 2) Discover Your Authentic Leadership 3) Empowering People to Lead. Before giving overviews of each section, it is important to define an authentic leader.
Charismatic leaders are individuals who seem to inspire others. There are all types of charismatic leaders; some people may deem what they do as evil and others may hold a different opinion. There are some leaders that are seen as saviors, coming along at the right moment when all hope is lost. There are other leaders that people slander their names with the word ‘Murder’. In the end it all depends on which side a follower is on. Jim Jones, Martin Luther King Jr. , and Gandhi were some of the most remember charismatic leaders in history. though very different in what they preach. Then there is the most iconic charismatic leader of all and he goes by many names: Allah, the Almighty, but many know him as Jesus.
Willis, Gary. Certain Trumpets: The Nature Of Leadership. New York , New York: Simon & Schuster, 1994.
Another author that has investigated the followership topic but asserts a few qualifications between her work and others is Kellerman. She characterizes her work as more descriptive than prescriptive as she considers there must be such a variety of variables impacting the followers behaviors that it is hard to be instructive. According to Kellerman (2008), there are two conceivable definitions about followers: “Followers can be defined by their rank: They are subordinates who have less power, authority, and influence then do their superiors”. And “followers can also be defined by their behavior: they go along with what someone else wants and intends”. Kellerman (2008) uses rank and behavior as determinants to characterize followers, focusing
“The more you get out of this book, the more you’ll get out of life.” This is the claim that Dale Carnegie makes in reference to his book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. Carnegie proposes that there are four main ideas that one should use when dealing with people: 1) Know how to handle people, 2) Make people like you, 3) Win people to their way of thinking, and 4) Be a leader. These skills are essential not only in being a good manager, but also in dealing with people in day to day life.
One of the most important components of leadership is the leader. A leader is responsible for his or her followers and the overall goal of the group or organization. Leaders are the people held accountable or everything that happens, good or bad. On the other hand, the second major component of leadership is the followers. Without followers, a leader would be worthless. Followers make up the backbone of a leader because they are the masses that get goals accomplished. A leader is just one person, but the number of followers is countless. In order to be an effective follower, there are a countless number of characteristics that allow a follower to be the best they can be. Five of these characteristics include a positive attitude, communication skills, being part of the process, being open to new ideas, and patience.
The concept of followership has existed for decades, but only in relatively recent times has the idea received more attention. The dictionary definition of the word “followership” is “the capacity or willingness to support a leader”. In his 1988 book, The Power of Followership, noted followership scholar Robert E. Kelly found this to be lacking.
One of the Disney executives believes that: “The actions of one leader, multiplied by thousands of leaders, can reshape a culture. True leaders create an environment that inspires and motivates everyone with whom they come in contact… whether they be employee, peers, or even their own bosses” (Taylor, C., Wheatley-Lovoy, C., 1998, pg. ).
Murphy, S. (2011, January 6). Reflections of a leader: From developing the leader within you