Admonish, Nurture, A Legacy Leadership

We've all talked about Leadership, Servant-Leadership (which is a start), but what about a transparent leader? How about...
                                    
                                                        Being a Legacy Leader!

What is a legacy leader, what does it look like, what does it do?

Well, let's start with what they are not, and don't do.

They never lead from behind.
They never ask for anything that CAN'T be done.
They never ask from you what they haven't done themselves. (Within limits, of course)
They never make rules no one can follow, or not follow themselves.
They never gossip about their followers.
They never condemn nor condone bad actions.
They never play the blame game on others.

What legacy leaders do:

They always lead from the front. They are the point men and women.
They always ask from you what you are capable of.
They always push you into a growth zone.
They always build their followers, working on their strengths.
They always admonish and nurture when things go awry.
They take the heat for their followers when it gets down to it.
They give positive affirmation and praise for a job well done.

Think on these questions

 They go with you side by side on any frontier or tread any new waters. Legacy Leaders go above and beyond their call of duty.


                  You are asking your followers to, "Do as I say, and do as I do!"


  You ask why would they do such a thing, why don't they just do their time, make sure everyone did what they should have and call it a day? That's why they are called...
                                                      
                                              "LEGACY LEADERS!"

  What kind of legacy will you leave to the next generation of managers after you retire or are gone. Would your dream be to be remembered as the "jerk that didn't care" That wouldn't last too long. But the guy or gal that went the extra mile, spent that extra minute or hour helping a follower get it right, put her/him on the right path to become perhaps a stellar performer, that's one of the things a legacy leader does.

                                                          AHH, but there's more!

  A Legacy Leader does one giant step greater. That's to live that legacy in the present, not after they've moved on. Followers watch what's done more than hear what's said. That old saying, "I can't hear what you're saying, because your actions are speaking louder!" Don't let that be said of you.

  You can touch them, speak to them any time, almost hear their heart beat. Why? They get up close and personal with their followers. They're not afraid to be vulnerable with those they lead. Napoleon was a leader such as that. He knew the names of his soldiers and knew of their families, Gen. Patten, the same.
You are training the next generation to be great leaders as yourself, to take up the gauntlet in your stead.

   Jesus when he walked the earth did just that. He was and is the ultimate Legacy Leader of all time. He taught his disciples to be just as himself, and after two millennia, his followers still grow.

   Stepping into this kind of leadership is demanding non the doubt, but the rewards are stupendous. Here at Arnold Group, we are "Building dreams, teams, and friends for life, not just clients!"

Culture! Everyone's Talking Culture

   Everybody wants to either create a new culture for their organization or do it from scratch. Which of the two do you declare is your venue? Or maybe you haven't thought of needing one, or more-so never thought of having a culture at all.
 But, now that I put it in front of you, you're thinking, "To have a culture, or not to have?" AHH..the question!

   Cultures play different roles in different organizations. No two cultures are alike! Just as no two people are alike. What one type of culture can do for one may not do the same for another; not that its bad, it just doesn't fit your type of organization.

  "Creating a culture for your company is like picking a suit/dress, or shoes it has to feel, look,  and wear just right or it won't go far."

  Next question to ask yourself is, "What kind of culture do I want for my organization?" Sophisticated, light, cheerful, fun, debonair (to name a few)? Maybe a mix, such as fun yet sophisticated, light yet debonair.

                                                                  Don't go for dark or

                                                    gloomy, you'll chase people away.


   Seriously though, you need to think of the atmosphere you want to portray in your company. Think of it as a stimulus. You want it to perpetrate all the persons involved; to be a part of something bigger than themselves to invade their personage (in a good way).

  The type of business you run plays a major part in the culture type you need to have in order to be successful for years to come. It's not a one size fits all, it has to be true to you and the mission you're on, the end being in mind from the beginning.

  What do clients see when they walk into your respective business, especially new clientele? First time impressions mean everything, whether it's a date, first day at a new career move, a meeting, etc. What does your opening act personify to the client?

  How can culture affect employees, 1. they are eager to start their day, or 2. just another day at the office, blah, blah, blah?

                     Culture is always there, (good or bad) whether we observe it or not.

Your Culture is the very essence of your company, it's the heart and core values wrapped up in everything you and your company stand for.

  A good introduction is the book Corporate Cultures by Terrence Deal and Allan Kennedy.  A more in-depth examination is the book The Cultures of Work Organizations by Harrison Trice and Janice Beyer. These will help you start your "Cultural journey". 

Happy culturing! Cheers, Jack