Thursday, October 18, 2007
ON LEADERSHIP
From Robert Coram's biography BOYD, courtesy of DNI:
"Tiger, one day you will come to a fork in the road,” he said. “And you’re going to have to make a decision about which direction you want to go.” He raised his hand and pointed. “If you go that way you can be somebody. You will have to make compromises and you will have to turn your back on your friends. But you will be a member of the club and you will get promoted and you will get good assignments.” Then Boyd raised his other hand and pointed another direction.“Or you can go that way and you can do something – something for your country and for your Air Force and for yourself. If you decide you want to do something, you may not get promoted
and you may not get the good assignments and you certainly will not be a favorite of your superiors. But you won’t have to compromise yourself. You will be true to your friends and toyourself. And your work might make a difference.”
He paused and stared into the officer’s eyes and heart. “To be somebody or to do something. In life there is often a roll call. That’s when you will have to make a decision. To be or to do. Which way will you go?"
Leadership is not management, though the latter is a skill that has it's time and place. Ultimately, leadership is about service and example, pointing the way moreso than teaching and meeting challenges in the place where wisdom joins with determination. The leader is a person whose words carry far because they are wings lifted by the winds of action.
From Robert Coram's biography BOYD, courtesy of DNI:
"Tiger, one day you will come to a fork in the road,” he said. “And you’re going to have to make a decision about which direction you want to go.” He raised his hand and pointed. “If you go that way you can be somebody. You will have to make compromises and you will have to turn your back on your friends. But you will be a member of the club and you will get promoted and you will get good assignments.” Then Boyd raised his other hand and pointed another direction.“Or you can go that way and you can do something – something for your country and for your Air Force and for yourself. If you decide you want to do something, you may not get promoted
and you may not get the good assignments and you certainly will not be a favorite of your superiors. But you won’t have to compromise yourself. You will be true to your friends and toyourself. And your work might make a difference.”
He paused and stared into the officer’s eyes and heart. “To be somebody or to do something. In life there is often a roll call. That’s when you will have to make a decision. To be or to do. Which way will you go?"
Leadership is not management, though the latter is a skill that has it's time and place. Ultimately, leadership is about service and example, pointing the way moreso than teaching and meeting challenges in the place where wisdom joins with determination. The leader is a person whose words carry far because they are wings lifted by the winds of action.
Labels: dni, john boyd, leadership, slideshare
¶ 8:13 PM
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I liked this post, Mark. It chimes with much of what I consider to be good leadership, particularly Boyd's idea about the difference between being somebody and doing something.
I've come to see leadership as aking to being on a path - showing people the pathway and the goal(s) but (within reason)letting them find their way there.
I've come to see leadership as aking to being on a path - showing people the pathway and the goal(s) but (within reason)letting them find their way there.
# posted by 
: Friday, 19 October, 2007
: Friday, 19 October, 2007
Leadership is a topic deserving of more posts like this -- a no-nonsense perspective on what leadership really is!
I have a "memo" file on my Treo where I've entered leadership-related quotes over the years. Three strike me as apt for this post:
"Leadership is the liberation of talent." - Dr./Maj Gen (ret) Perry Smith, USAF
"Leadership is not about how high you soar -- it's how high you bounce after you fall!" - Gen. George S. Patton, Jr., USA
"Ask me for loyalty, I'll give you integrity. Ask me for integrity, I'll give you my loyalty." - Col. John Boyd, USAF
I have a "memo" file on my Treo where I've entered leadership-related quotes over the years. Three strike me as apt for this post:
"Leadership is the liberation of talent." - Dr./Maj Gen (ret) Perry Smith, USAF
"Leadership is not about how high you soar -- it's how high you bounce after you fall!" - Gen. George S. Patton, Jr., USA
"Ask me for loyalty, I'll give you integrity. Ask me for integrity, I'll give you my loyalty." - Col. John Boyd, USAF
Yep. I have that quote on the wall of my office. It has generated much discussion. Our mission is what matters - its what is saving lives, not accolades, awards, or where you fall on the org chart... Nice to see it here. I've also got the following from Colin Powell:
"Don't be buffaloed by experts and elites. Experts often possess more data than judgment. Elites can become so inbred that they produce hemophiliacs who bleed to death as soon as they are nicked by the real world." AND
"Surround yourself with people who take their work seriously, but not themselves, those who work hard and play hard."
If you can't step away from yourself to examine both yourself and your work, you're closer to 'be' and further from 'do' than you ought be. Also, a penchant for, and commitment to, playing hard provides for clarity and lack of routine while working hard. No ruts - on either side of the workday!
Isaac
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"Don't be buffaloed by experts and elites. Experts often possess more data than judgment. Elites can become so inbred that they produce hemophiliacs who bleed to death as soon as they are nicked by the real world." AND
"Surround yourself with people who take their work seriously, but not themselves, those who work hard and play hard."
If you can't step away from yourself to examine both yourself and your work, you're closer to 'be' and further from 'do' than you ought be. Also, a penchant for, and commitment to, playing hard provides for clarity and lack of routine while working hard. No ruts - on either side of the workday!
Isaac
# posted by : Saturday, 20 October, 2007
: Saturday, 20 October, 2007<< Home
