The following contains excerpts from the book Leadership Mastery (Dale Carnegie Training).
At our music school in Odessa, Texas we teach our students that musc is more than sound, it is relationships. In dealing with every relationship, we encourage our teachers and our students to gain an understanding of the subject of leadership, learning how to interact positively with others.
Although the Carnegie Training Institute is comprised of later generations of leadership teachers, they frequently draw from Dale Carnegie’s teachings, extending his core leadership principles to our current times.
Leadership in the New Workplace
As a leader you must be aware of the demographic sensitivity of today’s highly charged workplace. Small gestures mean more than ever before. Returning a phone call, remembering a name, and treating people respectfully all add up to leadership mastery.
Practical steps involve:
- Mastering the decision-making process
- Clearly articulate expectations
- Only make promises you can keep
- Avoid ambiguity and confusion
- Use humor whenever possible
- You can be respected and liked
- Mastering one-on-one communication is key
This tactic applies to everything you do, “whether it’s private conversations, public presentation, or the way you sign your name. Be consistent.”
At our music school in Odessa, Texas we value consistent positive relationships with our students and their families, knowing that this is the way to have long-term positive growth and development for the student.
Dealing With Crisis
“Very simply put, leaders are defined and judged by how they respond in a crisis. The worse the crisis is, the more important the leader’s behavior becomes…you must train yourself to resist instinctive emotional responses. Force yourself to think positively, even if you don’t believe your own reassurances…Act as if everything is under control and chances are, it soon will be. Quietly ask yourself, ‘What can I do to make this situation better? How quickly should I act? Who can I help? After I make the first move, what are the second, third, and fourth things I should do?”
“You’ve got to break it down into bite-size pieces for your own benefit, and for the people who depend on you…The point is this: If you cannot see a way to solve a problem, can you at least see a way to solve part of it? Even in the direct crisis, there is almost always something proactive that you can do.”
At our music school in Odessa, Texas we take seriously the example we set for our students, knowing that they are relying on us to be a positive and professional role-model for them.
“Here’s a rule of thumb…: In a crisis, discipline yourself to make a list of no less than fifty proactive things you can do. Make no mistake, there are more than fifty if you really get yourself to think about it.”
When facing a crisis, enlist support. “A difficult thing for any leader in a crisis is the sense of isolation that often settles in…Getting outside support is extremely important in a crisis, not only for making decisions, but also in dealing with the inevitable emotional stresses.”
Find time for rest and relaxation. “In any crisis, force yourself to get some distance from it on a regular basis. This is by no means shirking your responsibilities. In fact, it is one of the best ways of equipping yourself to fulfill them.”
Avoid blame and take responsibility. “Whatever happens on your watch is ultimately your doing. If people make mistakes, they should have been better prepared, and that is the leader’s responsibility. If someone proves to be incompetent, they should never have been hired…until you are prepared to accept responsibility for literally everything that happens under your leadership, you are not really ready to be called a leadership master.”
We believe that assuming responsibility for being proactive in all of our dealings is foundational to the climate of respect we seek to foster at our music school in Odessa, Texas.
Building a Firm Foundation for an Unpredictable Future
“Until recently, America has enjoyed economic prosperity. The good times that attended the dawn of the new millennium have been compared to the postwar boom of the ‘50’s, but there is a least one very significant difference. In the ‘50’s, Americans really believed that the good times would never end. We were the conquerors of the world. We had it all figured out. We believed that we were not only different from everybody else, but a lot better.”
“Needless to say, like today, some surprises were in store. Eventually, the postwar boom and the American economy went bust in a very big way…Japan suddenly seemed to own the future. In everything from cars to televisions sets, the Japanese took our own products, made them better, and sold them back to us. Then a few other unexpected developments took place. American high technology moved out of California garages and onto the world marketplace. The leading edge of the most profound economic revolution since the invention of the steam engine was firmly centered in the United States and nowhere else. What’s more, the cold war geopolitical environment that had dominated the world for forty years suddenly evaporated. This, too, seemed to come out of nowhere, and suddenly the whole meaning of leadership was fundamentally altered. The image of the leader as a stern-faced military commander abruptly gave way. We no longer needed someone to lead us into battle. We needed leaders who could deal with change, work effectively with a diverse population and workforce, and model in themselves the ethical, emotional, and spiritual qualities expected of them.”
“As a leader, you should be both flexible and principled. You should be prepared to adjust to sudden change, but at your inner core, certain beliefs, values, and behaviors must remain steadfast no matter in what directions the winds are heading or how hard they blow.”
This mindset also applies to how we work and teach at our music school in Odessa, Texas. We endeavor to train students in core competencies that are centuries old, while at the same time showing them how those core competencies can be useful in navigating a new path into the future.
“First and foremost Dale Carnegie counsels us to look at life from other people’s perspectives. This is an absolutely essential quality in a leader, yet it seems to become more difficult as a leader’s authority grows…In ancient Rome, when a victorious military commander returned to a celebration in his honor, a slave was assigned to stand behind him as the general’s chariot paraded him through the streets. The slave had a very important assignment. Every few moments he was to softly whisper into the hero’s ear, ‘Remember, you are mortal’ – just like any other man.”
“Looking at things from the other person’s point of view doesn’t happen by itself. It is a quality of leadership mastery that most of us have to develop with focused attention. It means asking a lot of questions and listening closely to the answers. The questions aren’t complicated, but they have to be asked again and again, at work, at home, and with friends and acquaintances. What life experiences do other people bring to this interaction with you! What are they trying to achieve? What are they trying to avoid? What will it take for them to feel that this encounter has been a success?”
One of the greatest lessons a student can learn at our music school in Odessa, Texas is empathy towards others. Learning the valuable lessons of listening provides a key avenue into this mindset.
The sum of Carnegie’s teachings can probably be summed up in Jesus’ words, “And just as you want people to treat you, treat them in the same way.” (Lk. 6:31)