Wake Up Call

The phone rings. It's darker than usual. Who would be calling now? You stumble to find the source of the ring. That's not even what your phone sounds like. You pick up the receiver. No one's there. It's your wake up call.

Now you remember: you're away from home. There's work to be done, and you did ask for this reminder to rise up early and to get started on your goals.

Wake up calls are sometimes disorienting. They can take us by surprise, even when we expect them. How does that make sense? Examine your history of wake up calls and look for patterns. The patterns are likely there.

What is your wake up call? What have you put in place to get you going, to get you oving in a strange place, at an unusual time?

We live in unusual times but hasn't that always been the case? What do we have to prevent us from slipping into a muddled routine accepting everything and leaving our own assumptions untested? What can rattle our cage?

We need wake up calls -- ways to get started in new territory, signs that the jig is up on our old ways. The dark night is nearly over.

What's your latest wake up call?

Are you listening?

-- Douglas Brent Smith

http://frontrangeleadership.com

Constant Learning

High performance leaders remain vital by continuing to learn.

They learn by taking training, continuing their education, reading, exercising their creativity, exploring what makes them curious, helping social agencies...countless ways to continue learning.

What are you doing to keep your learning active?

What have you learned today?

-- Douglas Brent Smith

http://frontrangeleadership.com

Taking Charge

Leadership is not being in charge -- it is taking charge when help is needed.

When you find yourself in a situation where you are wondering who's in charge -- that's the universe telling you that it's up to you...

Are you ready to lead when you're needed?

What are you doing to improve your leadership skills so that you WILL be ready?

-- Douglas Brent Smith

http://frontrangeleadership.com

Leaders Should Train Regularly

Athletes, actors, and musicians train every day. Shouldn't leaders train regularly?

When was the last time that you attended any leadership training?

When will you attend more opportunities for learning?

What could happen if you neglect your leadership development?

How much more success could you achieve by improving your leadership skills?

-- Douglas Brent Smith

http://frontrangeleadership.com

Avoiding Misunderstandings

Leaders can afford more mistakes than misunderstandings.

Mistakes are part of moving forward. Mistakes mean that you are taking chances. Mistakes mean that you are pushing your boundaries.

No one wants a surplus of mistakes, but if you must choose between making mistakes and creating misunderstandings, the choice is clear. Misunderstandings create tension. Misunderstandings fog your communication and even damage the organization. Avoid misunderstanding by creating open and honest communication, lots of feedback, and brightly shining clarity of purpose.

How do you bring clarity to your relationships?

What will you do today to prevent misunderstandings?

-- Douglas Brent Smith

http://frontrangeleadership.com

Ready to Move Forward

The best leaders build organizations that become ready to move forward without them.

They do this thru skillful coaching, frequent training, and attentive focus toward develop their own individual courage, creativity, clarity, and compassion.

How are you developing your organization?

Will your team outlive your involvement?

-- Douglas Brent Smith http://frontrangeleadership.com

Getting Resistance

The more a leader exercises authority, the more people will resist.

People have an built in impulse to rebel. By exercising authority, by making announcements about unilateral decisions rather than seeking input, and by leading through authority and power rather than influence, leaders trigger high levels of resistance.

Is that what you want?

Seek instead to influence your constituents. Ask their opinion before decision (whenever possible). As soon as you start to exercise your authority you have effectively diminished your influence. It's a troublesome paradox that leads to less control, not more.

How can you influence without using authority today?

-- Douglas Brent Smith

http://frontrangeleadership.com