Leadership Answer Man | For Leaders Managers Entrepreneurs & Influencers with Dr. Hans Finzel

Welcome to Episode #4:  The Spread the Load Principle of Leadership - Also known as "Getting a Life" Are you carrying too much?  Do you feel overwhelmed in your leadership? I hope you listen to the podcast show episode #4 about getting a life and spreading your leadership load.  What we will cover in this show:  1. My personal journey with Donna managing a big family, marriage and a demanding career.  2. The "Spread the Load" principle  3. Very specific applications you can use right away in your life  4. An exercise for learning how to manage your timeDonna and I have been married for 38 years.  We have four grown children who have turned out great.  Two great daughter in laws.  One new son in law about to be. Four and 1/2 grandchildren.  Life is full and life is good.   We rejoice that we love each other and our kids love us.  We have applied an important principle that Moses had to learn from his father in law. The Principle: Spread the Load: Get a life!  This story is found in Exodus 18 in the Bible.What was NOT GOOD about what Moses was doing when his father in law corrected him? Frustrating the people Not doing a good job Neglecting his wife Neglecting his children Why do we fall into this trap? Pressure of the job Pressure of our families Expectations of our employers Money - make a living Pressure to conform to what others have and what others do We think that we are indispensable! We think that we are the only ones who can do the work correctly!   That is known as a "control freak."   We really need to get a life and a break from our always on social media:"A capacity for solitude is what nurtures great relationships. But in today's always-on social media world, our solitude has been replaced by incessant online updates, which both weaken our sense of self and our ability to create genuine friendships. "- Sherry Turkle, Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology MITThe Specific Applications:What do we do about it?  What was the message of Jethro?  What is God's message to us?How did Moses respond?     Exodus 18:24-27 - He did what his father in law suggested, and he got his family back and he was a better leader in the end.  He built a team, appointed other leaders to help him, and he got his family back!From Page 143 of the Top Ten Leadership Commandments: A huge application is to build a team to spread the load. Teamwork makes the dream work!  1. If You Work through a Team, You are more Likely to succeed  2. If You Work through a Team, You are Less Likely to Burn out  3. If You Work through a Team, You do Better Work  4. If You Work through a Team, You ensure Long-Term Continuity of Your Work   Several years ago I developed this slide that shows all the things that I love to do outside of WORK.  They all start with the letter "C".  Can you figure them out?   How about you, what are your interests outside of your work? Some practical ways to get a life:    * Dump your worries on the side of the road when you go home at night   * Don't be ashamed to have hobbies and outside interests - all work and no play make everyone a dull person   * Dont be a workaholic   * Admit that you are not indispensable - Take a lesson from Ronald Regan (Last podcast episode #3)   * Place your family high on your priority list   * Take vacations (The aquarium principle)  We American's are the worst in the world!     * Lay aside your smart phone for a while   * There are times when your career and your job will need to be sacrificed for your family, marriage and/or children Conclusion and applications We should not spend our lives making a living and forget to take time to live.Aquarium exercise:    Do this with your spouse if you canPretend that your calendar is an aquarium    Take a look at your calendar for the next six months    If you don't control your calendar - others will for you!    Place in the big rocks first    Then the little rocks    Then the marbles    Then the BB's    Then the water

Are you carrying too much? Do you feel overwhelmed in your leadership?I hope you listen to the podcast show episode #4 about getting a life and spreading your leadership load. What we cover in this show: 1. My personal journey with Donna managing a big family, marriage and a demanding career. 2. The “Spread the Load” principle 3. Very specific applications you can use right away in your life 4. An exercise for learning how to manage your time Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taking Leadership to the Next Level

I hope you listen to the podcast show about being the leader that people want to follow. When you fall into leadership, get appointed, volunteer or get railroaded, all of a sudden eyes are on you. And the more people you lead, the more eyes there are that are on you!! Sometimes...OK often, that can be intimidating. Leadership is NOT a popularity contest, sometimes we have to make hard decisions. But there are things we can do to help make our leadership much more effective.   Remember playing "king of the mountain" when you were kids? It was raw power that got you on the top.... not great leadership skills. Would you follow this guy => I doubt that you would follow this guy. Looks like he is on a power trip! These are not one secret to great leadership, or the KEY, because leadership is complicated. It is a crazy mix of who you are, who the people are that you work with, and then the culture of the company and the context of the situation. In fact, if you are in a dying industry or a situation plagued with failure, then you have HUGE challenges turning it around no matter who you are. If you think you are leading, but no one is following, you are only taking a walk Taking a walk like I did in this village in Mali, West Africa. It was a beautiful hot day and we were surveying some good ministry taking place in this village. But why is this flock of kids following me? Big-shot leader from America? I don't think so! Pure curiosity. A novelty. Perhaps I have some candy! Nothing better to do that day.   The six important traits that people really appreciate in their leader. Reluctance Focus on People Vision Good delegation A balanced life Servant leadership I unpack each of these carefully in this week's podcast. Here is a great quote on spending quality time with people and getting away from the noise of social media every second: A capacity for solitude is what nurtures great relationships. But in today's always-on social media world, our solitude has been replaced by incessant online updates, which both weaken our sense of self and our ability to create genuine friendships. - Sherry Turkle, Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology MIT Some people accused Ronald Reagan of being a lazy president. But I don't agree. He was humble and he knew his place. Here is the sign that was always on his desk at the While House: Actionable item: Taking My Leadership Temperature How well am I doing? The temptation is to ask… how bad is my boss? Don't take this on your boss, or the leader of your group, take it on yourself! Make a list of these six traits Rank your success for each of the six - score 5 for great and 1 for terrible Add up your score 30 would be a perfect score Over 20 - you're OK 10-20 - you need some help Under 10 - you need some leadership therapy! What one idea did you hear today that you could put into practice this week? Please write a comment in the box below and let me know how you did.   Leadership quote of the show: Sign on the desk of Ronald Regan. “There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn’t mind who gets the credit.” Ronald Reagan Leadership book recommendation of the show: In this book Collins talks about "Level Five" leaders that run great companies. Amazing how many of those traits match up with my six. Jim Collins - "Good to Great", Harper Collins   I Appreciate Your iTunes Reviews! If you know how iTunes works, then you know just how valuable leaving a 5 star rating and/or a written review can be to a content producer. I am so incredibly thankful to those who go into my listing in iTunes and provide a five star rating and a written review of Leadership Answer Man. If you liked the podcast and notes - I would be grateful if you give me a great review in iTunes.   Just click here:  Subscribe to Leadership Answer Man podcast

I hope you listen to the podcast show about being the leader that people want to follow. When you fall into leadership, get appointed, volunteer or get railroaded, all of a sudden eyes are on you. And the more people you lead, the more eyes there are that are on you!! Sometimes…OK often, that can be intimidating. Leadership is NOT a popularity contest, sometimes we have to make hard decisions. But there are things we can do to help make our leadership much more effective. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I hope you listen to the show about vision in leadership! Leaders can do without a lot of ingredients and still be successful.  But they cannot do without vision.  Today's podcast and blog is about "Vision in leadership - why I need it and how to find it." My father helped build the Saturn Five rocket that took America to the moon in 1969 for the first time.  More than any other ingredient, it was fueled by the vision of the leaders of the space industry.  On the left in this photo is Werner Von Braun, on the right my dad Alfred Finzel. At the end of the show I will give you SIX TIPS for action for finding the right vision for your business or ministry. What we will cover today in the show: 1. Why is vision so important? 2. What is vision exactly? 3. Why does it keep changing? 4. Great examples of visionaries. 5. Six Tips on getting vision Why is vision so important? The bible says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish."  Provers 29:18  (KJV) Another translation reads, "Without revelation people run wild, but one who listens to instruction will be happy."  (Holman Version) Leaders make things happen - they take people places they would not go on their own - and that is what vision is all about It is vision that accomplishes great things on earth! What is Vision really? Here is a nugget from John F. Kennedy's speech on Sept 12, 1962 casting the vision to reach the moon before 1970: "We choose to go to the moon," the president said. "We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too." From page 52 of Top Ten Leadership Commandments, by Hans Finzel.  In this section of the book I talk about the importance of having a compelling Vision and Mission statement: Vision statement - what do we see as our preferable future? Describe your dream five years from now. Mission statement - what defines us? What do we uniquely do to get to this vision? These statements are like..... Like Glue—they help leaders hold an organization together. Like a Magnet—they attract newcomers as members, employees, customers, or donors. Like a Yardstick—they allow a leader to measure how his or her group is doing. Like a Laser—they point you to your destination. Why does our target keep changing? In this chart on the right, you can see how our world where we lead is always changing.  We need fresh vision because "what worked back in the good ole days will probably not work today." SIX TIPS for finding the right vision for your business or ministry: What is wrong with this picture?  My wife Donna used to be able to make this IBM Selectric stand up and beg!  The problem is that if you plug it in it still works.  But it is obsolete.  What are we holding on to that still works a little but is obsolete?  Here are some tips for getting fresh vision for today: 1. Brainstorm as a team - I am a huge believer in the power of team vision - go on a vision retreat! 2. Pray about it - really - if you are in ministry and/or leading a church 3. Get around people that can help you with vision. 4. Read books that will inspire you - in your field - read people that are doing what you want to do. 5. Read some good books on vision - I will recommend three on vision at the end of the show. 6. Go to some great leadership conferences - Willow Creek Summit is a great one! Recommended books of the show:  I am going to give you three! Nanus, Burt. Visionary Leadership. San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons, 2001. Barna, George (1992) The Power of Vision. Regal Books, Revised and updated, 2003 Andy Stanley - Visioneering. Multnomoh Press Quote of the show: "A leader is one who sees more than others see, who sees farther than others see,

Leaders make things happen – they take people places they would not go on their own – and that is what vision is all aboutThe bible says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) Another translation reads, “Without revelation people run wild, but one who listens to instruction will be happy.” (Holman Version)It is vision that accomplishes great things on earth!What is Vision really?Here is a nugget from John F. Kennedy’s speech on Sept 12, 1962 casting the vision to reach the moon before 1970: “We choose to go to the moon,” the president said. “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why I love leaders and the topic of leadership Welcome to my first Podcast.  I welcome you and your time. I hope you listen to the show! This first show is an introduction to what I love about leadership and just a bit about my own story.  My passion is to help leaders lead.  So if that sparks an interest, read on and listen. * I begin with a short history is the study of leadership - great leaders (Lincoln, King, Thatcher, Gandhi, Moses) and terrible leaders.  History in many ways is the story of what leaders have done for good and for harm. * I introduce myself --a little about who I am.  I have always wanted to change the world for good - have my life count - and that is what leaders do! * I don't know where you are at in your journey - but I love helping leaders lead. Why do I call myself the Leadership Answerman???  Not because I think I am a great leader.   It is because I am here to help leaders lead, and if I don't know the answer I will find the answer! I write books and speak on leadership: Not because I consider myself a great leader but because I want to become a better leader. I write books and speak on leadership ot from the classroom of academic theory but from the crucible of the leadership trenches. The history of the formal study of leadership: * Great Man (original) * Situational Leadership (leader, follower and situation) * Complexity (today) Why I decided to start podcasting I love listening to podcasts.  Just started four months ago. 97 Million commuters in the USA every day - 26 minutes is the average commute.   It is in my car that I listen to most of the podcasts.  My trainer told me the other day how depressed he gets listening to talk radio.  I suggested, "do what I do!"  Listen to stuff that lifts your spirits, challenges your heart, makes you a better person, inspires you. Every smart phone is a radio receiver now - a podcast receiver. The 2013 Social Media Expo in San Diego said that "Podcasting is the biggest story in social media in 2013." I have always been an early adapter of new technology and am thrilled to get into the world of Podcasting. Here's a tip for you:  How do you improve as a leader? Get around leaders that inspire you. Read their books Go to their conferences Listen to their podcasts. QUESTION: What is the most important qualification for leadership?   You might be surprised.  These are NOT the keys to great leadership though they might help..... * Born leader * Great Personality * Right skill set * Special Family background - pedigree * Spirituality * Right Gifting * Education * Training * Determination * Passion * Good looks Ready for the answer? What is the real key?  Well, I am sorry to disappoint you, but there is no one key!   It is a magical combination of a person's background, family, education, personality and learning over years of experience. Having said that, there are two key ingredients that I want to leave you with today as the application, and they are both a reflection of HUMILITY: Listen - to your people Learn - lifelong learning Quote of the show:  "If we stop learning today, we will stop leading tomorrow." – That's an original for me.  This goes with a theme I will repeat forever and ever;  The two most important words in a leader's vocabulary:  Listen and Learn Book of the Show to recommend  - Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make, by Hans Finzel Send me your questions below to answer in a future show and future show idea topics  

Welcome to my first Podcast. I welcome you and your time. I hope you listen to the show! This first show is an introduction to what I love about leadership and just a bit about my own story. My passion is to help leaders lead. So if that sparks an interest, read on and listen. * I begin with a short history is the study of leadership – great leaders (Lincoln, King, Thatcher, Gandhi, Moses) and terrible leaders. History in many ways is the story of what leaders have done for good and for harm. * I introduce myself –a little about who I am. I have always wanted to change the world for good – have my life count – and that is what leaders do! * I don’t know where you are at in your journey – but I love helping leaders lead. Why do I call myself the Leadership Answerman??? Not because I think I am a great leader. It is because I am here to help leaders lead, and if I don’t know the answer I will find the answer! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.