Leadership Library vs Laboratory
 Â
“It is not enough merely to read books about leadership or to proclaim that we are students of leadership. Nor is it enough to fill our bookshelves with the writings of Maxwell, Collins, Buckinham, and videos of Fish, Cheese and how to make Steam.  True Leadership is not a spectator sport. We cannot expect to experience the resulting joy and growth of real leadership while we standing inactive on the sidelines any more than we can experience the benefits of health by sitting on a sofa watching sporting events on television and giving advice to the athletes.” Leadership is best defined as an action verb. Â
Leaders learn yes, but they don’t learn in the library as much as they do in a laboratory. Laboratories by design encourage and even require risk, experimentation, trial and error. Results are measured, feedback is weighed and considered… adjustments are made and the experiment is repeated. In the laboratory of leadership the experimenting, or practicing and playing with the principles of leadership dramatically accelerates the leaders learning. It both refines his character and deepens his convictions. And perhaps most importantly, at the same time it helps the leader to identify and strengthen his or her natural talents and strengths.Â
Life is a laboratory… experiment with it, gain experience from it, accelerate your growth and your ability to contribute in that unique way that only you can.
Kirk Out
August 19th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
your ‘newsletter’ is always so timely and inspirational. I regularly share it or parts of it with my staff and with my peers. Keep up the GREAT work!