About Social Media Today
"Most people who want to get ahead do it backward. They think, 'I'll get a bigger job, then I'll learn how to be a leader.' But showing leadership skill is how you get the bigger job in the first place. Leadership isn't a position, it's a process." - John C. Maxwell
Last week I was blogging -- actually, tweeting non-stop -- from the World Business Forum 2009 organized by HSM Global. The roster and quality of speakers ranged from former Medtronic CEO Bill George to Kraft's Irene Rosenfeld, from movie magnate George Lucas to Nobel Economist Paul Krugman, billionaire entrepreneur T. Boone Pickens and former U.S. President Bill Clinton. Sprinkled in the mix to add a touch of leadership education were Patrick Lencioni on teamwork, Gary Hamel's strategic innovation, and Saatchi & Saatchi's Kevin Roberts talking about marketing and "lovemarks" (Google that one). Hats off to HSM Global and the speakers -- everything was on time, ran just the right amount of time, and was in tune with the times.
I was aware of some consistent personal feelings throughout:
a. If a speaker had accomplished something by leading, I gave more credibility to what was said. Makes sense, no?
b. No matter how good a speaker/presenter guru you are, if you talk about leadership but have no hands-on credentials, I may agree with what you say but you really don't add much except intellectual entertainment (if you are good). I also learned that, sandwiched between some heavy duty achievers, that's not a bad thing. But I didn't "learn" anything about leading that I didn't already know.
c. Speakers who use the term "transparency" and "authenticity" in every third sentence don't convey either of those characteristics. Because...
d. Transparency and authenticity are conveyed by relating specific, personal stories that form the foundation for what the speaker has learned through success and failure. The most credible speakers (for me) were the ones who never used the buzzwords. They didn't need to.
Do you have any genuine leadership stories to tell based on failures, successes, and what you learned? If so, there are people who can learn from you.
______________________________Big "thank you" to HSM's Kelsey Woods for a first-class job organizing the Bloggers' Hub and making sure everyone was informed all along the way.
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