LINCOLN TOP THREE
President Abraham Lincoln is a legend in leadership. On November 9 the movie, Lincoln, will be released to theaters. What were his TOP THREE leadership attributes? He had a lot of them, but what can I argue are his three most significant? 1. Faith. President's Lincoln's faith in Jesus not only enabled him to have a vision for America's future, but the humble spirit, people skills, and perseverance to achieve his unique destiny. QUESTION: Whatever you believe about God, are you applying your faith to pursue meaningful work so that people's lives are changed for the better even long after you have left your current career position? Our lifetimes are relatively short. Enjoy the personal fulfillment of demonstrating what you believe through your actions daily. Without his faith, President Lincoln would have never been President. 2. Truth. President Lincoln lived his life based on truth. He set aside emotions to engage reality. He engaged his enemies because he needed them to succeed. He hired people as government employees because he needed their support. He shortened his speeches to give the press less opportunities to misquote him. QUESTION: What emotions or ego could you set aside to better relate to superstar employees, high-paying clients, or your spouse / loved ones? And you thought this newsletter would not be challenging... 3. Love. No matter how abused President Lincoln was from his Cabinet, wife, the press, and the public, he looked beyond their poor behavior to see what was good in them and hope for a better future. He gave everything he had for them... and for us. QUESTION: Unforgiveness is only a burden to those who cannot or will not forgive. What are you missing in your career and personal life because you cannot see beyond someone else's poor behavior? Jesus only gave one "commandment:" "Love one another. As I have loved you, love one another. By this people will know you are my disciples, when you love one another." NOTE: He was talking to his "superstars," yet still had to repeat himself three times! Someone once said, "Hurt people hurt people." Think about it: Would the world be a better place if more of us consistently demonstrated a gentle faith, acted in truth, and expressed love to other people? It would have to be. Yet this process of transformation starts with leaders like you... and me. I am confident Lincoln, the movie, will still be excellent. I hope you join me in enjoying the film. Remember... You Are An Intentional Leader. David Russell, CEO |
 MEETING IDEA |
| Again, I encourage you: Movies are a great bonding experience for a team to explore. Why not attend as a team during business hours, or ask people to attend the movie and come prepared to discuss it. TIME Magazine did a series of articles on the movie. You might want to ask your people to review and discuss that information too. Here are some quick ideas for discussion. 1. (Might be too personal - make it optional) What are three ways as an organization you demonstrate your faith in a manner that is consistent with our company values? 2. Name the aspect of your work that is most meaningful to you. 3. What would you change in your job so your work would have a more significantly positive impact on our Clients? 4. Where can we be more truthful with our Clients? 5. How can we be more truthful with each other? 6. How can we "love" our Clients professionally so they know we value their business more than our competitors do? 7. Personal question not to be discussed: Discuss with a friend who is strong enough to point out where you are wrong - and you are reasonably confident they will be correct: What am I unwilling to forgive in a personal relationship that is holding me back from fully loving someone else? Send me your team's thoughts on the movie. I'd love to consider your conclusions. |
