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November 23, 2006 - HAPPY THANKSGIVING

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leadership; A Key to Your Success

eadership is a word that is often misunderstood.  Many people associate the meaning of “leadership” with positions of authority, responsibility, and power when in fact leadership applies to everyone, everyday, in everything you do.  If you consider just a day in your life, from the moment you rise to the time you go to bed each night, you are either leading or following in all things.  This concept applies to your entire life.  You often lead without even realizing it and you follow when you should be leading.  So, what is leadership and how can it be a key to your success?

Studies of leadership have suggested some qualities that people often associate with leadership. They include:

·         Guiding others through role modeling and through willingness to serve others first.

·         Talent and technical/specific skill at some task at hand.

·         Initiative.

·         Charismatic inspiration - attractiveness to others and the ability to leverage this    esteem to create an atmosphere to help motivate others.

·        A clear sense of purpose - clear goals - focus - commitment.

·        Results-orientation - directing every action towards a mission - prioritizing activities to spend time where results most accrue.

·        Optimism - very few pessimists become leaders.

·         Ability to encourage and nurture those that report to them - delegate in such a way as people will grow.

·        Understanding what others say, rather than listening to how they say things - this could partly sum this quality up as “walk a mile in my shoes.”

How many of the above listed traits of leadership do you use everyday in all the things that you do?  How many do you consider yourself proficient at and how many do believe you need improvement with?  You may find that what you believe is your strength, your friends, family, and co-workers may describe as weaknesses and vice versa.  However, do not let that dissuade you.  You are probably more correct than not in your self evaluation. 

In contrast to leadership traits, David McClelland, a Harvard-based researcher in the psychology of power and achievement, saw leadership skills, not so much as a set of traits, but as a pattern of motives. He claimed that successful leaders will tend to have a high need for power, a low need for affiliation, and a high level of what he called activity inhibition or self-control.

So then, what is leadership?  A set of traits?  A pattern of motives?  How about a bit of both.  If you incorporate good leadership traits with a reason to lead, then others will follow.  You will encourage and nurture; you will be optimistic and rewarded; you will get results and set standards; you will create an atmosphere that can foster good morale; you will demonstrate initiative and guide others.  But perhaps most importantly, you will achieve and portray a sense of purpose and being.  People love a good leader.   One who not only leads, but knows when to listen and when to follow.  Being a good leader is a key to success and if you apply the learned science of leadership to your daily life, leadership can be a key to your success.

Submitted by:
Vanessa M. Brock, PLS, CLA 
Davis, Gerald & Cremer
400 West Illinois, Suite 1400
Midland, Texas 79701

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MOTIVATION

Sharon Lee

Is Motivation important?  Do you really need to help motivate people?  Can’t they do it themselves?  The answers are:  Motivation is very important, yes, some people can motivate themselves but don’t we all need help in getting started sometimes.  As you will see below there are several ways to motivate yourself and others.

Seven Rules of Motivation

Learning to Make Quality Decisions

We need to find the correct path. With each step, we will learn how to complete small projects. At the end, we will collect all the small accomplishments and combine them into a successful achievement.

Knowing what path we are on, we can make quality decisions that will guide us to our goal. Others can help if they know what our goal is.

We need to learn how to prevent problems. Problems are caused by a lack of knowledge, not bad luck. Problems destroy dreams, not money.

As leaders, we need to know how to bring the best out of people. No one knows their true potential until opportunity presents itself.

So remember:

•      Imagine the change we want.

                    •           Build an expectation of the change.

•      Mentally and emotionally, prepare ourselves for the   change by anticipating what it will be like.

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STRATEGIC PLANNING

By now everyone should have received a copy of the Strategic Planning Survey that was distributed at the Fall Board Meeting in Richardson via the e-mail Roster.  To date I have received approximately 150 surveys – that’s not even close to being a majority of our membership.  Surveys are a good way for Texas ALP to determine what you, the member, want.  So, folks, what are you waiting for?  Go ahead and fill it out and send it to me.  The deadline has been extended to November 15, 2006.  You may e-mail the survey to me at alexis.montgomery@sbcglobal.net, or via mail to 3502 Lost Pine Cove, Austin, Texas 78739.

The results of the survey will be published in an upcoming issue of the Texas ALP Roundup. 

This is the time to let your voice be heard!

Alexis Montgomery PP PLS TSC
2006-07 Texas ALP Strategic Planning Chairman

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