Audio Tidbits

Have you been there and done that? What is your take on going back and doing it again? It's all a matter of perspective. Listen and see how you come down on the question.

Talking Tommy is the newest country star from "down under." If you want to be a country star, Tommy tells you how to write your very first country song. Will it be a hit? Will you be a star? Listen to what Tommy has to share just for you.

This is the first episode of Audio TidBits Podcast. To get the podcast started, I am sharing a little audio drama that was developed as part of my participation in the CAVI audio training program. The people in the third scene are CAVI instructors and the audio clips used have been edited and taken out of any recognizable former context. The clips are used just for fun. They are actually amazing teachers. I hope you enjoy the short drama.

Talking Tommy is the newest country star from "down under." If you want to be a country star, Tommy tells you how to write your very first country song. Will it be a hit? Will you be a star? Listen to what Tommy has to share just for you.

This is the first episode of Audio TidBits Podcast. To get the podcast started, I am sharing a little audio drama that was developed as part of my participation in the CAVI audio training program. The people in the third scene are CAVI instructors and the audio clips used have been edited and taken out of any recognizable former context. The clips are used just for fun. They are actually amazing teachers. I hope you enjoy the short drama.

Moving to the head of the line comes through hard work, good luck, and the careful application of intuition and well-developed political horse sense. This is certainly true; and it would also help if you were related to the boss or happened to be the only qualified person on the planet.  Short of this, can you move into a leadership position on your own initiative, understanding that being the boss and being a leader are not necessarily the same and often are not? There are no guarantees; but knowing the 101 secrets of leadership and applying them conscientiously and consistently is a good start. You may not make it to the head of the line but you are sure to start moving up.

 

Start your journey by thinking about people you know who stand out from the crowd, people who are certifiable class acts, people who everyone sees as leaders. They have three techniques down pat. First, they are originals. Their style and approach with people and situations are their trademarks. Second, they are not on-again, off-again. They are always uniquely themselves. Third, and here is the key: it is no accident. They usually make it seem easy and natural. Still, take a closer look and you will soon understand and appreciate how hard they work at it. They consciously and purposely do everything they do, with style, all the time, on time, one situation at a time, one relationship at a time, one person at a time.

 

Genuine leadership is not grounded in flashy clothes, gestures of affection, superficial interest, staged behavior, or anything else that serves only to call attention to you. It is grounded in commitment, sincerity, and personal integrity. It is the stuff from which admiration flows, the special ingredient that sets the interpersonal standard that others aspire to follow. It is the brand of interpersonal excellence exemplified by those who have carefully cultivated their skills and techniques over time. They may not be born leaders but have certainly learned to lead.

 

Perhaps you personally know such leadership superstars. If so, you know that these representatives of the leadership elite provide a value-added benefit for their followers that they cannot get from the merely competent. Others have their occasional flashes of brilliance; but the creme de la creme work their wizardry consistently, creatively, and in virtually every situation. Of course, there is their uncanny ability to anticipate problems and opportunities and their simply taking it for granted that their followers are trying to do what is right. As important as that is, they have an even more important secret. They always remember and own everything they say, agree to, and do. The leadership bottom line is integrity; and following the lead of people who have it is your best path toward the head of the line. If your bottom line is integrity and you are committed to sticking to the high road with everyone, every time, you are ready to learn these 101 secrets of leadership. What's more, you are ready to join those at the head of the line in your company or organization.

 

Since 101 of anything is a lot to remember, use this strategy to develop your personal leadership enhancement guide. Beside each of the numbers, put a 3, 2, or 1. "3" means that this secret is one you know well and follow consistently. "2" means that this secret is one you understand but apply on an on again, off again basis. "1" means that this secret is not a strong area for you and is one where you need to get better at practicing what you preach.

 

101 SECRETS

 

1 Understand and champion your company's mission.

 

2 Value your company's customers and products.

 

3 See Company goals as personal action steps.

 

James is focusing on decision making and decision makers. There may be an important point in there about leaders and their relationship to decisions, but James is skeptical.

James gives us a complex notion to ponder as we wonder who is and who is not a leader, what and what is not leadership. As I consider his thought process, I find myself continuing to question whether leadership is something real and identifiable or instead an artificial construct that we like to impose on some people and situations that we do not understand. Why are some people unusually successful while others are not? Why do some groups excel while others do not? What really accounts for the world's winners and losers? I suggest you listen and come to your own conclusion.

James brings his own take to whether leadership is real or just a clever way of putting a label on some people who happen to be rather talented and particularly lucky. Do you think leadership is a real thing or is it just the way some writers choose to describe people who they think have been unusually successful at doing whatever the writer values? It might go either way. Listen and see what you conclude.

I doubt that many would disagree with the notion that thinking for yourself is definitely the way to go. Given that popular belief, James raises the question asking if thinking for one's self is a good idea, why do so few people actually do it? If this causes any curiosity, listen to the podcast to hear what else James has to say on the topic.