鱼

1. "If I can help people believe they can improve, I can motivate them to make
this journey of discovery, of honest self-appraisal, and of hard work toward
fundamental change. None of us is born perfect. We all have things that
we do wrong and get in our way. You have a choice of letting them get in
your way your whole life, or fixing them. Why wouldn’t you want to do
that? It’s illogical to me."
Perfection is not the goal of authentic leadership. Rather, it is to be true to who you are while continuing to develop yourself into a more effective leader. That requires the kind of deep introspection, feedback, and support

2.Once armed with a high level of self-awareness and self-acceptance,
it is much easier to regulate yourself and your feelings. Your anger
and emotional outbursts usually result when someone penetrates to
the core of what you do not like about yourself or still cannot
accept. By accepting yourself just as you are, you are no longer vulnerable
to these hurts and are prepared to interact authentically
with others who come into your life—your family, friends, coworkers,
even complete strangers. Free of having to pretend to be someone
you are not, you can focus on pursuing your passions and
fulfilling your dreams.

3.In reflecting on what she had learned through her work experience
as a star consultant at McKinsey, Alice Woodwark noted that
she tended to focus on negative feedback. The cycle continued
until she realized she was spending so much time responding to negatives
that she did not celebrate or take advantage of her strengths.
“No one achieves anything brilliant by mitigating their weaknesses,”
she explained.

Brilliance comes only from exploiting your strengths. Many of
the most extraordinary people in history were tremendously flawed
individuals. Margaret Thatcher, Gandhi, and Napoleon all had
striking weaknesses. Yet there was a part of them that was ridiculously
gifted and enabled them to achieve amazing things through
their leadership.

4.To integrate your life, you must remain grounded in your authentic
self, especially when the outside world is chaotic.

5.It does not matter what you do, as long as you establish a routine
that enables you to manage the stress in your life and gives you time
to think clearly about life, work, and your personal issues. It is critical
to avoid abandoning these routines when you are going
through an especially busy or difficult period, because that is precisely
when you need your stress reduction techniques to kick in.

6.Genuine friends—those we can count on in good times and bad—
are an invaluable resource in helping us stay grounded. They are
always willing to provide candid feedback, constructive criticism
when appropriate, and encouragement when most needed. Some of
Howard Schultz’s closest friendships are those he made during college
and in his twenties. He says, “There is a core group of people
you meet in life who are your friends because your relationships
really matter, not because of who you are or what you have done. It
is important to stay close to those people because your relationships
with them ground you and keep you humble.”

7.It is difficult to determine your passions in the abstract. Discerning
them takes a combination of introspection and real-world
experiences before you can determine where you want to devote
your energies. Without that understanding, you are vulnerable to
jumping from one high-status role to another without ever finding
fulfillment.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just for a moment, envision yourself at the end of your life. You are
at home in your bedroom. All the children, grandchildren, and
great-grandchildren have gathered around you to say good-bye.
Your adorable great-granddaughter looks up at you with her bright
brown eyes and says, “Please—tell us what did you do in your life to
make a difference in the world?”

Tears well up in your eyes and a lump forms in your throat as the
important people and events of your life flash before your eyes. You
think back to all the moving speeches given at your ninetieth birthday
party and recall that you never had the opportunity to say what
your life and leadership were all about. Now you have that opportunity.
In the presence of your entire family, what are you going to
say? What will your legacy be?

Why not take the opportunity to think about that question
right now, while you are still writing your life story? Just as it is never
too late to lead, it is never too late to make a difference in the world
and to leave a legacy for those who come along after you. But only
you can answer that question. When you know your answer, you
will also recognize why leadership is so fulfilling.

A close friend of mine devotes his time to working with businesspeople
in their fifties and sixties who have achieved great financial
success but find their lives are hollow because there is no
fulfillment in them. It is never too late . . . or too soon to step up to
leadership.

After studying numerous cases of failed executives in my MBA
class, a student asked, “Is leading an organization worth the risks of
failing, of being criticized, of being sued, or even of being disgraced?”
She was correct in assuming that being an authentic leader
means taking all those risks.
In my closing talk for that class, I quoted Theodore Roosevelt’s
famous 1910 speech at the Sorbonne, “The Man in the Arena.”

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong
man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is
marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly . . . who knows
great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy
cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement,
and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that
his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know
victory nor defeat.

Are you prepared to enter that arena, to dare greatly, to know
the great enthusiasms and the great devotions, and to spend yourself
in a worthy cause? If you are, in the end you will also know the
triumph of high achievement.
That is the fulfillment of leadership.

You cannot find that fulfillment by observing leaders from the
sidelines or by being a brilliant observer from the press box, high
above the arena. You have no choice but to get in there and get
your face marred by dust and sweat and blood.
That is what life and leadership are all about. Your fulfillment
comes not from the money, the titles, the awards, or the recognition.
These fleeting symbols of external gratification will vanish like
the wind.

What will remain are the memories:

• Working together toward shared goals with a group of people
you care about.
• Being passionate about helping other people or righting societal
wrongs.
• Toiling long hours to get it right.
• Debating and arguing to understand each other’s points of view.
• Failing and then regrouping to learn from your mistakes.
• Growing together as leaders.
• Making a difference in the world through your combined
efforts.

After reaching your goal together, pause long enough to celebrate
your success before going on to the next challenge. Then pass
it on to those who carry on after you.
That is the fulfillment of leadership.
It is knowing who you are and staying on the course of your True
North. And of knowing that when you found you were off course,
you were able to correct your direction and get back on track.
There is no satisfaction in your professional life that can compare
to this sense of fulfillment. No individual achievement can
equal the pleasure of leading a group of people to achieve a worthy
goal. When you cross the finish line together, all the pain and suffering
you may have experienced quickly vanishes. It is replaced by
a deep inner satisfaction that you made a difference in the world.
Countless numbers of people, many as yet unborn, will benefit
from your efforts. They will pass on your legacy to those who come
along behind, because at the end of the day, the only thing you take
with you is what you leave behind.

Is that what you will tell your great-granddaughter? If it is, she will
stand on your shoulders and see an even greater vista ahead to explore
on her journey to authentic leadership. Your legacy will be complete.
You followed your True North.
You discovered your authentic leadership.
The world is a better place because of you.
That is the fulfillment of leadership.
The discovery of your authentic leadership is well on its way as
you become a True North leader. Good luck and Godspeed on your
journey.