Effective Leaders

Thursday November 6, 2014 #676

“Patience and tenacity of purpose are worth more than twice their weight of cleverness.”

~Thomas H. Huxley

I often encounter clever people who are able to devise amazing ways to resolve seemingly insurmountable challenges, and yet who lack the confidence and tenacity to put their ideas into place and push them to success.  Similarly, there are those who are unable to find these clever solutions on their own, but when they understand the purpose and vision of those who can they are unstoppable.  The effective leader therefore, is the one who puts together teams of complementary talents: clever problem solvers and patient and tenacious doers.

The 3 P’s of Success

Thursday February 16, 2012 #395

 “Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.”

~Napoleon Hill

Setbacks and failures stem from a lack of one of these three “P’s”.   If you find you are not quite where you want to be, reflect on your level of sustained patience, persistence and perspiration.  It is almost guaranteed you will find your answer there.

Taking time for reflection

Thursday July 14, 2011 #333

 “The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence; it is to act with yesterday’s logic.”

 ~Peter Drucker

Today’s world has us moving at incredible speed, juggling competing priorities, and striving for more.  At this pace, when a problem arises, we react with tools that have worked for us in the past – and then are surprised when they don’t work, or don’t work as well.  The key for effectiveness in today’s high paced environment is to force reflection time into our days.  New ways of thinking and new tools are made available to us daily – but only if we take the time to reflect on them and have them ready to use when the next opportunity arises.

The process of becoming

Tuesday April 26, 2011 #310

 “Be gentle with yourself. Be kind to yourself. You may not be perfect, but you are all you’ve got to work with. The process of becoming who you will be begins first with the total acceptance of who you are.”

~Bhante Henepola Gunaratana

Shared by JAMmer VL, this beautiful quote reminds us to have patience with ourselves as we navigate our life’s journey.  Our lives and those of others around us are truly a process of becoming.  Patience with yourself and patience with others will make all of our journeys more bearable during the darker moments and more remarkable during the joyous moments.   There will be plenty of both!

Opportunities from troubles

Thursday April 7, 2011 #305

Now, there are many, many people in the world, but relatively few with whom we interact, and even fewer who cause us problems. So, when you come across such a chance for practicing patience and tolerance, you should treat it with gratitude. It is rare. Just as having unexpectedly found a treasure in your own house, you should be happy and grateful to your enemy for providing that precious opportunity.

~Dalai Lama

It is easy to fall into the trap of anger and hatred for those who cause us pain or trouble.  The choice is yours, however, to greet such circumstances with gratitude for the chance to develop skills of tolerance, patience and forgiveness.  It is not an easy path to take but one which when accomplished yields immeasurable benefit.