The following contains excerpts from the book, The Heart of a Leader (Ken Blanchard).
“Leadership isn’t just about having a powerful position. Anytime you use your influence to affect the thoughts and actions of others, you are engaging in leadership. So you can be a leader as a parent, spouse, friend, or citizen…the best leaders are those who understand that their power flows through them, not from them.”
At our music school in Midland, Texas we believe that music is more than sound, it is relationships. When dealing with the subject of Leadership, relationships matter.
The main points in this book are as follows:
- Sometimes when the numbers look right, the decision is still wrong! – Good business requires more than simply calculating which choice will make the most money. It requires developing a way to step back from a situation and put it in perspective.
- Real communication happens when people feel safe – Real communication is a product of trust. However, most of the performance review and evaluation systems used in organizations today create mistrust…Find ways to convince your people that you see them all as either winners or potential winners.
One of the top values at our music school in Midland, Texas is that of respect. When teachers, parents, and students have mutual respect, this generates a trusting environment.
- Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans – Observing successful people over the years, I’ve noticed that they don’t let disappointments stop them. When one door closes, they look for another to open.
- Let people bring their brains to work, and let them use their knowledge – For many leaders, it’s hard to change to a mindset that shifts responsibility to their people. We feel it is our responsibility to tell people what to do, how to do it, and why it needs to be done…Leaders must make a leap of faith and fight the battle against the command-and-control tradition. Empowerment requires a major shift in attitude. The most crucial place where this shift must occur is in the heart of every leader.
Our end-goal at our music school in Midland, Texas is to bring each student to a place of full autonomy, where they can continue their learning process into the rest of their lives.
- There’s only power in empowerment if you are a self-leader – You need to shift from ‘waiting to be told- to taking the initiative to lead yourself. When goals work out, it is usually because you instinctively take the initiative to be a self-leader and get what you need to succeed.
- A river without banks is a large puddle – Boundaries that create autonomy include: purpose, values, goals, roles, and structure. Establish clear boundaries that will free them to make decisions, take initiative, act like owners, and stay on track.
- Leadership is not just what happens when you’re there; it’s what happens when you’re not there – When you win your team’s trust, it will work together and consistently perform well over time – even when you’re not around. Leading people is the opposite of trying to control them; it’s about gaining their trust through your integrity, developing their potential through your partnership, and motivating them through your affirmation.
We endeavor to lift up each student at our music school in Midland, Texas, giving them the opportunity to grow in a positive environment, with caring teachers.
- Perpetual prosperity comes to those who help others – Moneymaking is about what you can get; perpetual prosperity is about what you can give.
- People in organizations need to develop a fascination for what doesn’t work – When a mistake is made, what’s the first question asked? “What can we learn?”
- Consistency isn’t behaving the same way all the time – It actually means behaving the same way under similar circumstances…Many leaders make the mistake of letting their mood determine how they respond to their people…When you respond to your people in the same way under similar circumstances, you give them a valuable fit: the gift of predictability.
- The only job security you have today is your commitment to continuous personal improvement – The sign on your bathroom mirror should say, ‘Getting better all the time.”
The concept of perpetual growth is foundational to our ethos at our music school in Midland, Texas and everyone involved is on a growth journey, including our teachers.
- There is no pillow as soft as a clear conscience – When you deal straight with people, they sense they can trust you.
- Servant leadership is more about character than style – I want to be led by strong natural servants because they are willing to use whatever leadership style – directive, supportive, or some combination – that best serves the needs of those they are leading…The flock is not there for the sake of the shepherd; the shepherd is there for the sake of the flock.
- Am I a servant leader or a self-serving leader? – One of the quickest ways you can tell the difference between servant leaders and self-serving leaders is how they handle feedback, since one of the biggest fears that self-serving leaders have is losing their position.
- Leadership is not something you do to people. It’s something you do with people – When you share your leadership strategy with your people, they not only understand what you have in mind, but they can give you helpful feedback.
At our music school in Midland, Texas we believe in partnering with the students and their parents for a successful journey in learning and growing not only in music lessons, but also in life-skills.
- Take time to identify core values – Draw in your people – everyone should have ownership in this process. Remember that rules can be imposed, but values cannot.
- Core values must be communicated – In fact, it is impossible to affirm your core values too much.
- Walk your talk – Leaders must make every effort to become living symbols of their organization’s value system.
- Embody the values – When you embody the values you profess, you become the kind of leader that others gladly follow.
- As a leader, the most important earthly relationship you can cultivate is your relationship with yourself – Do you have a personal ‘mission statement? If you have trouble with that question…write your own obituary.
- Purpose can never be about achievement; it is much bigger – The beauty of writing you own obituary before you die is that it serves as a dream – a big picture of what you want your life to be and mean…remember that every journey begins with a single step and moves along one step at a time. Enjoy the trip!