Catalyst Quotes

Compiled by Alex Pena ~ ‘Catalyst’: “to spark, to ignite, energize, mobilize; something that accelerates a reaction (DDI)." Thought-provoking & motivational quotes and stories for you to read, reflect on and move forward in making creative and positive changes in your life.

Archive for the category “Leadership”

11 Dec 2012

“A Leader is the Servant”

“Leaders lead. Is that too simple?

Writers write. If you want to be a writer, write.

And be sure to have people read what you write.

And leaders? Leaders lead.

If you want to be a leader, go lead.” (Seth Godin)

“The climb to the top is arduous and long. People become exhausted, frustrated and disenchanted. They often are tempted to give up. Leaders must encourage the heart of their followers to carry on.

People do not start their work each day with a desire to lose. It is part of the leader’s job to show them that they can win.” (Kouses & Posner, The Leadership Challenge)

“Flatter me, and I may not believe you.

Criticize me, and I may not like you.

Ignore me, and I may not forgive you.

Encourage me, and I may not forget you.” (William Arthur)

“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is the servant.” (Max DePree, Leadership is an Art)

Posted in Attitude, Challenges, Change, Inspiration, Leadership, Life | Leave a comment

10 Dec 2012

“Vision or Hallucination?”

“Not everyone you influence will think the same way you do. You have to help them not only believe that they can succeed, but also show them that you want them to succeed. How do you do that?

Expect it: People can sense your underlying attitude no matter what you say or do. If you have an expectation for your people to be successful, they will know it.
Verbalize it: People need to hear you tell them that you believe in them and want them to succeed. Become a positive prophet of their success.
Reinforce it: You can never do too much when it comes to believing in people.

Once people recognize and understand that you genuinely want to see them succeed and are committed to helping them, they will begin to believe they can accomplish what you give them to do.” (John C. Maxwell, Becoming a Person of Influence)

“Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Let me do and I understand.” (Confucius)

“Vision without execution is hallucination.” (Thomas Edison)

Posted in Attitude, Challenges, Change, Coaching, Leadership, Perception | Leave a comment

06 Dec 2012

2 Comments

“Go and Do It”

“All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dream with open eyes, to make it possible.” (T. E. Lawrence)

“If you assume that there’s no hope, you guarantee that there will be no hope. If you assume that there is an instinct for freedom, there are opportunities to change things, there’s a chance you may contribute to making a better world. The choice is yours.” (Noam Chomsky)

“Know that you can always choose the thoughts you allow in your mind, so make the effort to replace dis-empowering, weakening thoughts with those of a higher spiritual frequency. It is your choice!” (Dr. Wayne Dyer)

“Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life; everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfillment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated. Thus, everyone’s task is as unique as his specific opportunity to implement it.” (Viktor Frankl)

“Don’t wait – initiate! That’s the deeply embedded belief system of strong leaders. An ancient Chinese proverb teaches that ‘the person who waits for a roast duck to fly into their mouth must wait for a very long time.’ Regardless of their position or role, leaders don’t wait for something to happen or someone to tell them what to do. They go and do it.” (Jim Clemmer, The Leadership Digest)

Posted in Attitude, Challenges, Change, Inspiration, Leadership, Life

15 Nov 2012

2 Comments

“Is the Problem Out There?”

“Anytime we think the problem is ‘out there,’ that thought is the problem. We empower what’s out there to control us. The change paradigm is ‘outside-in’ – what’s out there has to change before we can change. The proactive approach is to change from the inside-out: to be different, and by being different, to effect positive change in what’s out there – I can be more resourceful, I can be more diligent, I can be more creative, I can be more cooperative.” (Stephen R. Covey)

“’Life is about lessons, and it’s about learning. … it’s not about feeling bitter and resentful. It’s about moving forward,’” Fisher said. Fisher said that all too often people fall into a ‘victim mentality,’ often blaming others for their plight. While that might be natural to a degree …, it’s not the best way to move on, he said.

In times such as these, it might be easier to feel like a victim. But Fisher said Americans must remain optimistic for the betterment of their future and for the sake of the nation. He advises clients at the end of every day to ask themselves: ‘Did I live my life with truth, honor and integrity today?’

‘Failure is only an emotion, but it becomes a reality when we quit,’ he said.” (CNN Article, Erik Fisher, a psychologist and co-author of “The Art of Managing Everyday Conflict.”)

“You can’t always sit in your corner of the forest and wait for people to come to you… you have to go to them sometimes.” (Winnie the Pooh)

Posted in Attitude, Challenges, Inspiration, Leadership, Life

15 Nov 2012

“We Are Not Formal Leaders, But We Can Lead”

“Our only chance for contributing is to quit waiting and wondering and do something. We serve ourselves and others best when we do not wait. Initiate, with the organization and all involved people in mind. No, we are not in charge but we can act. No, we are not formally designated leaders. But we can lead.” (Geoffrey M. Bellman, Getting Things Done When You Are Not in Charge)

“Commitment is that turning point in your life when you seize the moment to alter your destiny.” (Denis Waitley)

“In every difficult situation is potential value. Believe this; then begin looking for it.” (Norman Vincent Peale)

“Give yourself an even greater challenge than the one you are trying to master and you will develop the powers necessary to overcome the original difficulty.” (William Bennett)

“Life is a challenge; meet it.” (Mother Theresa)

Posted in Attitude, Challenges, Leadership, Life | Leave a comment

11 Oct 2012

“Dreams Soon Become Inevitable”

“Before you can lead others, before you can help others, you have to discover yourself. Today a leader can’t impose himself on others. He makes himself available to others. And nothing is more powerful than someone who knows who they are. The traditional view of leadership talks about leadership as a package, but it looks at the outside of the package. I’m talking about starting with what’s inside the package.” (Joe Jaworski, Synchronicity)

“It’s one of the characteristics of a leader that he not doubt, for one moment, the capacity of the people he’s leading to realize whatever he’s dreaming.” (Benjamin Zander, TED – Ideas Worth Spreading)

“So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.” (Christopher Reeve, aka ‘Superman’)

Think back on the leaders you have worked for or know of. What do you believe made them a success? Those that were successful knew themselves well – strengths and weaknesses, believed in their mission and trusted, cared about and had deep confidence in the people they ‘served.’ ‘Servant leadership’ – successful leaders ‘served’ the people who reported to them. As a result, the leaders’, no wait …, the teams’ dreams became inevitable. Be a ‘servant leader’ and make dreams come true. ~ GMUniverse

Posted in Inspiration, Leadership, Life | Leave a comment

08 Oct 2012

Leadership – “Is Anybody Better Because of You?”

“The ripple effect of a leader’s enthusiasm and optimism is awesome. So is the impact of cynicism and pessimism. Leaders who whine and blame engender those same behaviors among their colleagues. I am not talking about stoically accepting organizational stupidity and performance incompetence with a ‘what, me worry?’ smile. I am talking about a gung-ho attitude that says ‘we can change things here, we can achieve awesome goals, we can be the best!’” (Colin Powell)

“You cannot build a team or organization that believes in different things from you. You can’t make them into something you’re not. Leadership isn’t just a job; it is a commitment to other people’s excellence. As an illustration, think of the movie, ‘Remember the Titans.’ One of the highlights of that film was the heated exchange between the white captain and one of the black players, who had experienced firsthand the captain’s lack of acceptance and support. When the captain confronted the player for deliberately missing a play, the player retorted, ‘attitude reflects leadership, captain.’ We must remember that, unfortunately, too many managers and supervisors who are responsible for developing others haven’t learned the basics of good leadership and development, even for themselves. They are trying to build organizations or provide services based on a different value system. It doesn’t work. Employees quickly observe the disconnect between words and deeds.” (Don Ritz)

“If you want to know whether or not you’re a leader, your title may or may not give some clues. The real clue is in the answer to this question: Is anybody better because of you? Do the people you work with say, because of him or her, I’m a better person or I’ve been able to find skills and talents I didn’t know I had, or develop skills that were latent.” (Mark Sanborn)

Posted in Coaching, Leadership, Trust | Leave a comment

01 Oct 2012

Short Course in Leadership

PhD in Leadership: “Make a list of all things done to you that you abhorred. Don’t do them to others, ever.

Make another list of things done for you that you loved. Do them for others, always.” (Dee Hock)

“It’s not what you say, it’s what you do! Actions DO speak louder than words. When faced with inconsistencies between words and actions, people tend to give greater credence to actions. It’s behavior that counts! The implication of this for managers is: You’re a role model. Employees will imitate your behavior and attitudes.” (Stephen P. Robbins, The Truth about Managing People)

“Three things I’d say to a team to help hold them together:

If anything goes bad, I did it.
If anything goes semi-good, then we did it.
If anything goes real good, then you did it.” (Paul “Bear” Bryant)

Posted in Coaching, Leadership | Leave a comment

27 Sep 2012

Cathedrals and Castles

“All the things we achieve are things we have first of all imagined.” (David Malouf, writer)

A story is told of a visitor visiting a work site and talking to the workers to find out how they felt about their work.

He approached the first worker and asked, “What are you doing?” “What are you, blind?” the worker snapped back. “I’m cutting these boulders with these tools and putting them together the way the boss tells me. I’m sweating under this blazing sun, it’s back-breaking work, and it’s boring me to death!”

The visitor quickly backed off and retreated to a second worker. He asked the same question: “What are you doing?” The worker replied, “I’m shaping these boulders into usable forms, which are then assembled according to the architect’s plans. It’s hard work and sometimes it gets repetitive, but I earn good money every week and that supports my family. It’s a job. Could be worse.”

Somewhat encouraged, he went to a third worker. “And what are you doing?” he asked. “Why, can’t you see?” beamed the worker as he lifted his arms to the sky. “I’m building a cathedral!”

As the Leader of your team, what are you doing to create a vision for your employees? What is the “big picture” they see? How can you inspire them to take pride in their work and believe in their company?

It all begins with you, your dreams, your imagination and how you lead.

“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost. That is where they should be. Now put the foundation under them.” (Henry David Thoreau)

Posted in Attitude, Inspiration, Leadership | Leave a comment

27 Sep 2012

“YMCA House Rules”

“To manage or to coach? People will manage the work. By attempting to manage people you are limiting their potential. A manager is a title, it does not guarantee success. Coaching is an action, not a title and actions will result in successes!” (Catherine Pulsifer)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Excerpt taken from the Communication Section of ‘YMCA House Rules, Y-Sports Basketball Coach Handbook:

Listen to others. Then they’ll listen to you.
Avoid put downs. Who needs them?
Take charge of yourself. You are responsible for you.
Show respect. Every person is important.

Cooperative-style coaches give direction and provide instruction when it is needed, but they also know when to let players make decisions and assume responsibility. Your players will show more respect and be more willing to listen if they know that you are genuinely interested in their opinions.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Let’s take a look again at the YMCA House Rules. Couldn’t we apply the same rules at work or at home? Instead of using the word “players” why not use associates or family members. When we as Leaders at work or Parents at home begin treating those around us with respect, courtesy and genuine care, I believe an atmosphere of engagement, collaboration and trust will develop. Once that occurs, the strategic plan at work will move forward with success and the “agenda” at home will flow smoothly.

Who knows? Maybe you and those around you at work or at home will begin singing and dancing to the song, YMCA! Okay, maybe not. Just think about it.

Enjoy the day! ~ GMUniverse