The Sanford Berenberg Experience: Message of the Day

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Message of the Day - Take Human Bites!!

Good Morning,

My current read is “Spiritual Leadership” by Henry and Richard Blackaby (http://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Leadership-Moving-People-Agenda/dp/0805418458). In reading through a section on successful leader characteristics, the authors mention people who hold out and look for the big accomplishment to put on their resume in order to get the next big position, and how that often fails.

Leaders are followed because they have credibility. This is covered very well in the book ‘Credibility’ by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner.

Developing credibility is not a one time activity. You don’t just walk into a new leadership role, roll up your sleeves, do something huge and amazing and suddenly get upgraded to ‘Credible Leader’. This seldomly if ever happens.

In the same vein, there are no badges, certificates or awards which bestow true credibility on a leader in and of themselves. Credibility is earned through accomplishments. So to be credible do we have to accomplish huge tasks to win over our followers?

No.

We just need to be successful at the tasks we are given. Think about it. Who does the boss often give the larger task to? They often give them to the people who successfully complete the smaller tasks.

We can start small, and get our feet wet, so to speak, and do little things. As we accomplish the little things we build up a track record of accomplishments. Sure, they may not be pretty or sexy accomplishments, but they are accomplishments.

So long as we look to increase the size and scope of our accomplishments, using baby steps, we can come from having no experience or success to being highly successful and sought after as a leader.

Remember, do not try to eat the entire elephant in one bite, take human bites!

Enjoy!

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://www.berenberg.net