Advice to leaders

Leaders from different organisations were convened in ten focus groups on Appreciative leadership and positive power. Its focus was to understand what people want and need of leadership in order to be their best and realise their potential. They were each asked to offer one message that they would like leaders all over the world to hear. I thought it will be a great checklist to compare them with your own leadership principles and how you empower people in their work.

• Live what you say (values).
• Ask the questions that nobody else does.
• Be engaged, be passionate, and be present.
• Consider all citizens your citizens.
• Take care of yourself, take care others and take care of this planet.
• Believe in the art of possibility.
• Learn to create harmony among differences.
• Be optimistic; have a can-do attitude.
• Give everyone a voice; collaborate.
• Take time to think, strategize and check your plan.
• Love people; be people centric.
• Share vision and mission with everyone.

(Source: Appreciative Leadership by Diana Whitney.)

What are some additional ones that you felt is really important in leadership?

Allow me to leave you with a quote by Management Guru, Peter Drucker on how leadership should function.

“The task of organizational leadership is to create an alignment of strengths in ways that make a system’s weaknesses irrelevant.” -Peter Drucker.