Wijaya Kusuma Foundation

A nurse friend sent this and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I agree. If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks. Seriously……………!!!!

Please read:
STROKE IDENTIFICATION:During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall, she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics), she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die, they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

It only takes a minute to read this...A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Thank God for the sense to remember the 3' steps, S.T.R. Read and Learn!
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions to do:
S (Smile) *Ask the individual to SMILE.
T (Talk) *Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) e.g. It is sunny out today)
R (Raise) *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
New Sign of a Stroke------- Stick out Your Tongue

NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue.. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.
A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this message; talk or forward it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.

Any Comments or Inputs are welcome

"The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another." ~ William James

"Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are." ~ Chinese Proverb

"The happiest people I know are the ones who have learned how to hold everything loosely and have given the worrisome, stress-filled, fearful details of their lives into God's keeping." ~ Charles R. Swindoll

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin." ~ Mother Teresa

Any Comments or Inputs are welcome

“To the person who does not know where he wants to go, there is no favorable wind.”
~ Seneca

“All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible.”
~ T.E. Lawrence

“The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight, but has no vision.”
~ Hellen Keller

“Keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world.”
~ George Bernard Shaw

“The real voyage of discovery consists of not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.”~ Marcel Proust

Any Comments or Inputs are welcome

By Dr. John C. Maxwell

“I am sorry.” What makes it so hard to say those words? They seem so simple, yet we’ve been fighting against saying them since we were kids. “Say you’re sorry,” a parent commanded us. Maybe we had stolen a toy from a friend, had spoken a bad word in front of guests, or had hit a sibling. Stomping over to the offended party, we would mutter, “I’m sorry,” as quickly and quietly as possible, as if it the apology was physically painful to say.

Our human nature cringes to admit guilt. We hate to be wrong, but worse yet, we hate to confess to having wronged others. That’s what made Pope John Paul II’s apology spectacular on March 12, 2000. In a speech at St. Peter’s Basilica, the aged pope asked forgiveness for a list of sins committed by the Catholic Church. The confession included the church’s sins against other cultures, sins against women and minorities, sins of human rights abuses. Given The Catholic Church’s professed position as the authority on faith and morality, the apology is a remarkable admittance of guilt.

THE UNIVERSAL NEED TO APOLOGIZE

A leader will inevitably make a mistake. Perhaps a misjudgment of where to allocate finances, maybe a bad decision related to hiring or firing employees, or possibly a lapse in moral judgment. The mistake may be small and affect only one or two employees. Or, the mistake may be visible and far-reaching, affecting employees, shareholders, partners, and the community. Regardless of the mistake’s size and scope, a leader must learn how to apologize.

HOW NOT TO APOLOGIZE

The half-apologies of celebrities or public officials are almost laughable. The sound bites are usually as follows, “I regret that my words were misinterpreted,” or, “I’m sorry if they felt that way about my actions.” Notice how, in these phrases, the person is not even admitting guilt. Rather, they are almost blaming those they have offended for being unable to properly interpret their words or for being overly sensitive to their behavior.

TIPS FOR APOLOGIZING

In her article, “Always Apologize, Always Explain,” featured on Oprah.com and CNN.com, Martha Beck offers sound advice for giving an authentic apology.

1. Fully Acknowledge the Offense

Tell the full account of your misdeeds. Take complete responsibilities for what you did wrong, and as Beck advises, don’t avoid the worst truths. Don’t put the onus of the offense on the person who was offended, i.e., “I’m sorry they reacted that way.” Instead, assume total culpability for having made the offense.

2. Give an Explanation

While avoiding justification of your actions, explain why you made the mistakes you did. Allow your humanity to show. Admit you may need help in an area, maybe it’s treatment for substance abuse or counseling for an uncontrollable temper.

3. Genuinely Express Remorse

By recounting the ways your behavior has caused harm, you convey awareness of your misbehavior and its consequences. By doing so, you also communicate sincere regret for what you have done. Apologies should be given, not because they’re expected or because the guilty party has been caught, but because the offender has hurt someone and feels bad about having done so.

4. Repair Damage Done

If the damage is tangible, like money embezzled or assets stolen, then the apologizer should, of course, payback what was taken. Oftentimes, however, the offense creates intangible harm. This happens during an assault on a person’s character, a slur against their ethnicity, or a betrayal of their trust. “In such cases, writes Beck, “Your efforts should focus on restoring the other person's dignity.” In every instance, to make amends should be your aim.

Any Comments or Inputs are welcome

By Dr. John C. Maxwell

He walked away from $1 million a year. He forfeited the luxury and status afforded to a professional football star. In a nation where athletes are worshipped, he chose the anonymity of serving his country halfway around the world. Ultimately, Pat Tillman sacrificed his life to protect the United States.

What can we learn from the man who may be America’s most well-known casualty in the war on terror? More than can be written in a simple article, certainly, but three lessons stand out:

1. A leader chooses purpose over perks.
2. The glory of a leader is to sacrifice for the common good.
3. A leader’s sacrifice may not be compensated with rewards.

A LEADER’S CHOOSES PURPOSE OVER PERKS

Leaders don’t allow dollar figures to dictate how they make decisions. Rather, leaders dig within to bring out the best they have to offer to the world—regardless of the compensation. Likewise, they aren’t seduced into settling for a life of luxury. Leaders have a burning passion to make a difference. As a result, they willingly put themselves on the front lines (literally in Tillman’s case) to be in the place of greatest responsibility.

Pat Tillman had been offered a three-year, $3.6 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals football team before he enlisted in the army. He could have cashed in on it, retired in his early 30s, and lived comfortably the rest of his life without ever setting foot in Afghanistan. Yet, Pat Tillman was a leader, and he wasn’t about to compromise his sense of duty. He loved his country, and he recognized his talents would be well-suited to serve U.S. interests on the battlefield. “Pat knew his purpose in life,” said Dave McGinnis, Tillman’s former coach with the Cardinals. “He proudly walked away from a career in football to a greater calling.”

THE GLORY OF A LEADER IS TO SACRIFICE FOR THE COMMON GOOD.

In America, we are quick to assert our individual rights and slow to exercise our responsibility to the community. The generations who persevered through the Great Depression and the World Wars are passing from the stage. We are reaping the benefits of their sacrifices without having to endure their hardships. Perhaps for this reason, we feel a sense of entitlement. We feel like the world owes us a life of ease and affluence. Children expect to be paid allowances, and teens assume they’ll be handed keys to a new car when they turn 16. We feel deprived without wireless internet, TiVo, and HDTV.

Counter to modern culture, leaders know no entitlement. They think in terms of creating rather than consuming. They value corporate welfare above individual security. Pat Tillman’s life bears out this philosophy. In his mind, it was unthinkable to enjoy life in the USA while soldiers protected his freedom abroad. He felt compelled to be the protector, not the one enjoying the benefits of protection.

A LEADER’S SACRIFICE MAY NOT BE COMPENSATED WITH REWARDS.

Tragically, Pat Tillman gave the ultimate sacrifice to his country. His selflessness and bravery led to his death on the battlefield.
Leaders cannot be certain of the costs their sacrifice will require of them. For every soldier who stands victoriously after the war has been won, another soldier lies lifeless on the battlefield. Many times, a leader pays the ultimate price with no reward but the hope of bettering the lives around him or her.

Pat Tillman was an American hero. His life serves to remind us of the tremendous sacrifices we may be asked to make as leaders. Also, his story brings to mind the courageous men and women serving our nation overseas. We thank them for their sacrifice, and we wish them safety and a speedy return home.

Any Comments or Inputs are welcome

By Dr. John C. Maxwell

Oprah Winfrey and Anderson Cooper are two of the most popular media personalities in America. Yet, their backgrounds hardly could be more dissimilar. Oprah was born to unmarried teenage parents in rural Mississippi. Anderson’s mother was fashionable railroad heiress, Gloria Vanderbilt, and his father was a successful writer/editor in Manhattan. Oprah grew up in poverty, spending her childhood in the inner-city ghettoes of Milwaukee. Anderson was born into wealth. He appeared with his mom on The Tonight Show when he was three, and he modeled for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and Macy’s as a child.

Yet, for all of their differences (background, race, and gender), Oprah Winfrey and Anderson Cooper have unmistakable similarities. At some level, they resemble each other. They have an aura of success that identifies one with the other.

For example, both Oprah and Anderson Cooper consistently deliver. Whether it’s a talk show, a book club, or a cause she has adopted, we can rely on Oprah’s candor, inspiring energy, and excellence. The same consistency can be attributed to Anderson Cooper. One night he’s reporting from New York, the next night from Cairo, and he’s in London the day after that. Yet, when we turn on CNN, we can count on him to be poised, polished, and deliver the news with excellence.

What is it about successful people, like Oprah and Anderson Cooper, who, although completely different in background and style, are almost identical in their approach to work and life? In his book, 9 Things You Simply Must Do to Succeed in Love and Life, Dr. Henry Cloud passes along his observations of nine principles commonly practiced by the successful people he knows. The book drips with leadership application, and I would like to take this lesson to summarize Dr. Cloud’s insights.

Principle #1: Dig It Up

Each person has a treasure trove of ability inside of them. Everyone has dreams and desires lodged within their soul. Why do some people dig deep and take hold of their dreams while others let them drift away?

According to Dr. Cloud, successful people give sustained attention to what stirs within them. They find outlets for their passions. Exercising their strengths is non-negotiable.

Principle #2: Pull the Tooth

Many people I know have an irrational fear of the dentist’s office. The idea of someone poking and prodding in their mouth fills them with dread. Amazingly, some people are afraid to the point where they would rather suffer discomfort day after day rather than undergo the temporary pain of a visit to the dentist.

As Dr. Cloud has observed, successful people go to the dentist. They face their fears and make the appointment. They pull the tooth that is causing the nagging ache and, by enduring the pain, they come out better on the other side.

Successful people refuse to carry their baggage through life. They confront their hurt, disappointment, and anger early, and they seek emotional freedom from life’s injuries. Likewise, successful people quickly recover when they fail. Rather than succumbing to a downward spiral of disappointment (or even depression) they come to terms with the failure, make course adjustments to their lives, and move on.

Principle #3: Play the Movie

Dr. Cloud recommends the exercise of playing a movie of your life in which you are the hero or heroine. What traits does your character have? What happens during the plot of the movie? Who do you starring alongside you? How does your movie inspire the people in the theater?
Most people live their life and then look at it. Do the opposite. Look at your life and then live it. Envision and step toward the future you want to experience. Don’t wake up one day to realize that your life is like a B-grade movie—you don’t want to leave in the middle, but you would never want to watch it again!

Principle #4: Do Something

Dr. Cloud’s fourth principle is short and to the point: successful people do something. They initiate, create, and generate. Successful leaders are proactive as opposed to reactive. “They do not see themselves as victims of circumstances,” Cloud writes, “But as active participants who take steps to influence outcomes.” Their days and their lives are controlled by internal motivations rather than external currents.

In a similar vein, successful people take ownership for their destinations in life. They don’t assign blame; they welcome responsibility. They refuse to cede their freedom to others and live dependently. The successful person has done leadership’s toughest task—mastered the art of self-leadership. The benefit of leading yourself well is that you don’t have to rely on others to provide direction for your life. You get to plan the course.

Principle #5: Act Like An Ant

“Go to the ant, you sluggard;Consider its ways and be wise!It has no commander,No over seer or ruler,Yet it stores its provisions in summerAnd gathers its food at the harvest.” -Proverbs 6:6-8

Dr. Cloud points to the ant to develop another principle of success. Three lessons stand out from the metaphor of the ant. First, they appreciate the ethic of hard work. Their lives are a flurry of constant activity as they tirelessly search for food. Second, ants refuse to give up. They never abandon the hunt, crawling through cracks and crevices in their pursuit of a morsel. Third, ants understand the value of compounding. Grain by grain an ant builds the hill that becomes its home, and crumb by crumb they accumulate storehouses of food.

Principle #6: Hate Well

In his writing, Dr. Cloud talks about focusing feelings of anger constructively to solve problems or end injustice. As he develops his idea of “hating well,” he distinguishes between subjective hate and objective hate.

Subjective hate is toxic. Dr. Cloud describes it as, “a pool of feelings and attitudes that resides in our soul, waiting for expression. It is not directed at anything specific or caused on any given day by any specific object. It is already there, sort of like an infection of the soul.” Subjective hate poisons and corrupts the person who houses it.

On the contrary, objective hate can be described as anger with a purpose. Objective hate protects by standing in opposition to dishonesty, exploitation, or deceit. Objective hate may spark entrepreneurship. In fact, many successful businesses have begun as a result of the founder’s hatred of poor service or shoddy quality.

Principle #7: Don’t Play Fair

Fairness says “an eye for an eye,” or “a tooth for a tooth.” Fairness weighs all actions in a balance and continuously moves to equilibrium. The rule of fairness means good actions deserve kind responses, and bad behavior deserves punishment.

In Dr. Cloud’s opinion, living in accordance with fairness will destroy every relationship in life. With everyone keeping score of favors bestowed and received, eventually someone will feel victimized when a good deed goes unreturned. As a leader, I’ve learned the high road is the only road to travel on. Don’t treat others according to what they deserve; treat them even better than you would prefer to be treated. By doing so, you’ll keep integrity and avoid sticky accusations or petty arguments.

Principle #8: Be Humble

“Pride is concerned with who is right.Humility is concerned with what is right.” -Ezra Taft Benson

In Dr. Cloud’s estimation, successful people have a healthy dose of humility. Humility has an internal and external component. Internally, humility comes when we admit our errors, and open ourselves to instruction. Externally, humility is gained when we show patience for the faults of others, and when we are quick to shine the spotlight on the successes of others.

Principle #9: Upset the Right People

A person’s success will always be inhibited if he or she tries to please all of the people all of the time. I like how Dr. Cloud explains the principle of upsetting the right people:
Do not try to avoid upsetting people; just make sure that you are upsetting the right ones. If the kind, loving, responsible, and honest people are upset with you, then you had better look at the choices you are making. But if the controlling, hot and cold, irresponsible or manipulative people are upset with you, then take courage!

Be likeable and be gracious, but don’t sacrifice your identity or values for the sake of harmony.

Review: 9 Things You Simply Must Do for Success

Principle #1 – Dig It Up
Principle #2 – Pull the Tooth
Principle #3 – Play the Movie
Principle #4 – Do Something
Principle #5 – Act Like an Ant
Principle #6 – Hate Well
Principle #7 – Don’t Play Fair
Principle #8 – Be Humble
Principle #9 – Upset the Right People

Any Comments or Inputs are welcome

“There is nothing so terrible as activity without insight.”~ Johann Wolfgang Van Goethe

“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom; mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.”~ Lao Tzu

“A moment’s insight is sometimes worth a whole life’s experience.”~ Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Any Comments or Inputs are welcome

By Seth Godin (Penguin Books, 2007)

Between miles 20 and 21 of the Boston Marathon, runners must climb the infamous Heartbreak Hill—over one-half mile of steep incline. Research shows that around the 20 mile mark marathoners began to exhaust the stores of energy in their muscles. For this reason, Heartbreak Hill is positioned at the worst possible point of the race. Just when runners are hitting their peak of physical fatigue, they find themselves staring up an enormous hillside.

Seth Godin’s conception of “The Dip” is reminiscent of Heartbreak Hill. He describes The Dip as a place of resistance. Like Heartbreak Hill, The Dip is the point in the journey where people are most likely to quit. It’s an obstacle causing the majority of contestants to give up. “The Dip,” Godin writes, “Is the long slog between starting and mastery.” The Dip is the inglorious and often difficult process of attainment.

Along life’s path, The Dip weeds out competitors, separating the winners from the losers. As Godin writes, “The people who set out to make it through the Dip—the people who invest the time and the energy and the effort to power through the Dip—those are the ones who become the best in the world.” Yet, the ones who make it through The Dip are rare. Most give up. By forcing so many people to quit, The Dip creates scarcity. The Dip thins the ranks until only the best remain.

Readers may expect Godin to adopt a rah-rah tone of cheerleading and encouragement to help people press through The Dip. On the contrary, Godin advises people to quit before reaching The Dip as often and as adamantly as he argues for them to persevere past it. In Godin’s experience, some Dips are drop-offs to nowhere, and they have no upside. “If you realize you’re at a dead end compared with what you could be investing in,” writes Godin, “Quitting is not only a reasonable choice, it’s a smart one.”

The Dip is a short book and a speedy read, but for those looking to hit the highlights, the following areas are of note: What it means to be the best in the world (pages 10-12), The Dip defined (pages 16-19), the contrast between quitting and failing (page 63), and questions to ask before quitting (pages 66-71).

As a marketing guru, Godin has a penchant for developing trendsetting ideas. His books also have a nimble, creative style which makes them entertaining and memorable. Godin writes as a storyteller rather than an academic, and The Dip draws more from appealing illustrations than concrete research. Readers will find its style compares favorably with many of the longer, more methodical books on business leadership.

In writing The Dip, Seth Godin helps his readers clarify when to quit and when to press forward tenaciously. He encourages leaders to discern what their destination will be on the other side of The Dip. For those who will benefit by struggling through The Dip, Godin offers inspiration. For those who won’t get anything by surviving The Dip, Godin advises them to think about channeling their efforts elsewhere. As a whole, the Dip isn’t a book with formulas or five-step takeaways. Rather, Godin offers up intriguing ideas about the challenging times in life, and how they filter the best from the rest.

Any Comments or Inputs are welcome

By Dr. John C. Maxwell

At 8:50 am on July 7th, 2005, London’s subway system experienced the unthinkable. In less than sixty seconds, three underground trains were blown up by suicide bombers. In the minutes following the bombings, smoke issuing from the underground tunnels was the only indication of the horrors they contained. Emergency workers rushed to investigate the smoke, and soon the world was rocked by news of the blasts. 39 passengers perished in the explosions. Hundreds more suffered cuts, fractures, and burns. The attack was the worst in London since Nazi air raids in World War II.

In the aftermath of the terrorist bombings, Britons demonstrated their trademark courage. Resuming business as usual, they refused to allow fear to dictate how they lived their lives. London’s subway system, The Underground, symbolized the undaunted spirit of the British. Amazingly, thanks to feverish work from maintenance crews, almost the entire Underground was back in operation the morning following the bombings. As the city went through its process of shock and grieving, The Underground was there to serve them.

In its June article, “Turning around the London Subway System: From Terrorism to the Olympics,” the University of Pennsylvania’s, Knowledge@Wharton, features the man responsible for the resilience of The Underground in the aftermath of the 7/7 bombings. In the article, Tim O’Toole, managing director and CEO of The Underground, describes his philosophy of managing one of the world’s most famous transportation systems. Three themes arise as O’Toole talks about overseeing operations of The Underground: competence, confidence, and mission.

Competence

On August 29, 2003, a London power outage forced O’Toole to evacuate a quarter-million passengers from The Underground during rush hour. Not a single injury was reported from the stranded passengers. “That doesn’t happen because of management intervention,” O’Toole asserts, “That happens because people in the field are in control and understand what needs to be done. The thing that makes 14,000 people behave that way is training and competence.” O’Toole is a firm believer in equipping his frontline workers to do the job, and he trusts them to deliver when circumstances call for immediate action.

Confidence

When a crisis hits, competence alone may not be enough. Leaders need to endow their people with the confidence to act decisively when time is precious. “We not only drill, drill, drill and train, train, train to make sure our employees have confidence,” O’Toole states, “But we understand that they make sure they have it.” Since having proof of your competence breeds confidence, O’Toole encourages workers to be certified. Thanks to O’Toole’s approach, more Underground employees are nationally certified than in any other company in the United Kingdom. “We want our people to understand that they know things other people don’t,” O’Toole says.

Mission

A sense of mission is the string tying competence and confidence together. O’Toole has been very intentional in casting a vision his company can grasp and go after. His slogan, “A world-class tube for a world-class city,” has become the rallying cry of The Underground as it implements $40 billion of improvements. The upgrades must all be put in place without disrupting service to London’s 12 to 14 million residents. As O’Toole describes it, “We’ve got to perform open heart surgery on this patient while he plays tennis.” As colossal as that challenge sounds, O’Toole believes a vision of The Underground’s accomplishments can motivate his workforce. “My employees know that they will take the world to those games (The Olympics) and take them home.”

Any Comments or Inputs are welcome

By Dr. John C. Maxwell

Popularity and productivity sound like fraternal twins, but in reality they can look as different as Paris Hilton and Warren Buffet. If productivity is a Honda Civic, then popularity is a Lamborghini Diablo with a bad transmission. In leadership, substance trumps style—every time.

A Popular Flop

Among the litany of dotcom flameouts, Pets.com is notable for the mass popularity it achieved, and infamous for its failure to generate even a cent of profit. As a 1998 startup, Pets.com was founded upon the idea of selling pet supplies to online shoppers. The darling of venture capitalists, Pets.com raised a spectacular $82.5 million of capital during its initial public offering in 2000. Shortly thereafter, Pets.com poured $1.2 million into a Super Bowl commercial.

Featuring the company mascot, a sock puppet dog, the advertisement was a smash hit and was voted the best Super Bowl ad by USA Today. The business’ catchy slogan “Because Pets Can't Drive!” announced its arrival to the American market, and consumers flocked to the company’s website. Fellow dotcom, Amazon, even bought into the craze—literally—purchasing 50% ownership of Pets.com.

Unfortunately for Pets.com (and fans of their sock puppet mascot), they never garnered enough business to offset massive startup costs sunk into warehousing and marketing. The dotcom bubble burst and financing dried up. Only nine months after going public, Pets.com went out of business. In short, Pets.com lacked a productive business model which could translate popularity into profits.

Lovable Losers

The Chicago Cubs epitomize the concept of the popular, but ineffective franchise. Nicknamed, “The Lovable Losers” by their fans, the Cubs consistently play their way to the bottom of the standings, despite having one of the higher payrolls in Major League Baseball. Although the Cubs have endeared themselves to Chicagoans, who pack Wrigley Field for every game, the team cannot seem to deliver results. With each passing year of futility, the Cubs prove how disconnected popularity can be from performance.


Leadership Application

What can leaders learn from Pets.com and the Chicago Cubs? Well, a couple of simple lessons.

First, as the proverb says, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” A prudent leader looks past appearances to discern the heart of a matter. Perhaps it’s the potential hire with the glittering resume, who, upon further review, falsified his achievements. Or maybe it’s a potential partner with the captivating sales pitch, who after being researched, turns out to have a track record of unethical behavior. Or possibly it’s a sparkling business opportunity that promises growth and brand recognition, but, after being reviewed, would clearly steer the company away from its mission.

Second, leaders build margins not image. A leader may be forced to take unpopular stands for the good of the company. Popularity isn’t bad, but decisions made solely on the basis of popular opinion can be devastating. Leaving a plush corporate campus for smaller, more functional office space doesn’t earn a leader a pat on the back, but it may protect the company from financial doom. Layoffs are agonizingly unpopular, but they may the only solution to a downturn in the economy. Leaders are willing to endure the criticism of making tough calls that fly in the face of popular opinion.

Any Comments or Inputs are welcome

By Dr. John C. Maxwell

As a child, when I misbehaved, I was sure to receive “The Look” from my father. I have vivid memories of the furrowed eyebrows and pursed lips of The Look. It makes me shudder just to remember it. The Look could cut right through my body and penetrate into my soul. There was nothing comforting about The Look, and, invariably, it signaled impending disciplinary measures. The Look was to be respected, The Look was to be feared, and, above all, The Look was to be avoided.

However, just as I can recall The Look, I also remember the tenderness of my father’s care after he disciplined me. I remember the whispered assurances of his love for me. I remember the warmth of his embrace as he held me in his arms. I remember his tenderness as he gently explained why I had been disciplined and how I could learn from the experience. His was not mean-spirited or severe in his discipline; rather, his loving correction was intended to develop me into a man of character.

Leaders, like my father, must balance toughness and tenderness. My friend, Tim Elmore, describes these leaders as Velvet-Covered Bricks. They are firm and strong on the inside, but soft and pleasant on the outside. In this edition of Leadership Wired, I would like to discuss the qualities of that make a leader into a Velvet-Covered Brick. I am indebted to Tim Elmore for many of the thoughts in this lesson.


TOUGH BUT TENDER

Some leaders are so tough they could chew nails, but their insensitivity prevents them from connecting with their employees. Ignorant of the emotions around them, they rely on authority and scare tactics to earn the allegiance of their team.

Other leaders go the extra mile to earn the admiration of those they lead. They love to be seen as the “good guy,” and they go soft on their team. To protect their popularity, they sacrifice healthy confrontation or neglect holding employees accountable.

A Velvet-Covered Brick leader makes difficult decisions, but at the same time, they act as emotional caretakers to the people their choices affect. They instill discipline, but they also provide encouragement and inspiration.


CONFRONT PROBLEMS BUT CONSIDER PERSPECTIVES

Velvet-Covered Brick leaders are not afraid to deal with conflict in order to iron out an unhealthy situation. By actively addressing problems, they are peacemakers as opposed to peacekeepers. At the same time, such a leader remains open to the perspective of others. Although supremely confident, a wise leader knows the fallibility of his or her judgment, and they turn an attentive ear to those who share differing opinions.


COMMITTED TO RESULTS AND COMMITTED TO RELATIONSHIPS

Leaders with a Velvet-Covered Brick mentality refuse to compromise goals or take the easy road out of tough spots. They relentlessly set the bar high so that the team achieves its potential. Yet, all the while, leaders value people just as much as productivity. They never sacrifice relationships simply to get results


PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL

The Velvet-Covered Brick type of leader maintains an aura of professionalism in the workplace at all times. Such a leader stays poised in the most heated moments and keeps control of his or her emotions. While approachable, they reserve part of themselves (their fears, knowledge, insights) so that they can effectively motivate the team from a place of authority.

At the same time, leaders don’t want to come across as aloof, distant, or plastic. The best leaders are warm, genuinely interested in their teammates, and intentional in understanding what makes each person unique. Additionally, to connect with the team, they may show selectively disclose information about themselves or even let down their emotional guard during a meeting.


TAKE CRITICISM AND SERVE THE CRITIC

Leaders who aspire to be Velvet-Covered Bricks develop thick skin and bypass the desire to retaliate against critics. Instead, they graciously accept criticism and welcome confrontation. Then, they take pains to win over their critics by reaching out them. They go the extra mile to wade through conflict until resolution can be reached.RESPECTED AND APPROACHABLE
A leader earns respect on the basis of what he or she has done. More often than not, respect is gained on difficult ground. Adverse circumstances test the mettle of a leader and show a leader’s true merit.

For a Velvet-Covered Brick leader, respect is balanced by approachability. An approachable leader has a consistent mood, is quick to forgive, willing to apologize, and shows authenticity. A leader at ease with himself puts others at ease. Secure leaders aren’t constantly seeking validation from others, and, as such they are free to add value to those they lead rather than deriving value from the approval of those around them.

People are drawn to leaders who value them. They will approach a leader who makes them feel encouraged, helps them grow, and treats them honestly.


REVIEWING "THE VELVET-COVERED" LEADER

The Brick - The Velvet
Toughness - Tenderness
Confronts Problems - Considers Differences
Results-driven - Relational
Professional - Personal
Endures Criticism - Serves the Critic
Respectable - Approachable

Any Comments or Inputs are welcome

PRE - Meeting TASKS :

1. Decide Goals
2. Who Attends ?
3. Design Agenda with Times, Goals, etc........
4. Circulate Agenda
5. Assign and Clarify Roles
6. Include previuous Minutes and Action Items

DURING the Meeting, Assure ;

1. Clear Goals and Roles
2. An Agenda
3. Involve everyone
4. Recognize Participation
5. Remain Concise, No "Side Trips"
6. Review, Summarize, Agree Action Plans


Any Comments or Inputs are welcome