Intro.

Thanks to all of you who sent me best wishes for the book conference in Los Angeles.  Mark Victor Hansen is changing the world. He’s an ideas guy who has the momentum, the team, the time and the money to change parts of society for the good of all. His attitude is one of constant giving and this flowed through to the seminar, the speakers we were blessed to listen to and learn from, and the opportunities that will come out of attending.

Below there’s a photo of me with Mark Victor Hansen (left) and Jack Canfield (right), the two guys who launched the Chicken Soup for the Soul books.  (I’m the one in the middle if you haven’t met me yet!)

Leadership.  It’s a word that not many people understand.  This article puts the responsibility of leadership on YOUR shoulders and uses a pretty good role model as an example.

This article is a little longer as I have inserted excerpts of President Obama’s speech to Congress on 24 February 2009.  When I got to editing stage I couldn’t find anything I could take out!  So please enjoy the whole article.

Article:  Nine Leadership Principles You Can Use In Your Family

While I was in Los Angeles I caught a speech that President Obama made to Congress, and man am I glad I did.  This speech stopped the nation for days.  There were discussions on about 14 different TV channels, the USA Today and other papers were full of commentary.  This was a speech that will impact their nation.

And as I reflected on how I was impacted by President Obama’s speech and was hit by all the media noise surrounding it I realized that this man was truly embodying Leadership to its fullest form.  And this is what I would like to represent to you today with the hope that you take on board some of the principles I share.

It is my view that each of us need to accept the responsibility of leadership in our families at the moment.  Whether you are having tough times or not, the media noise surrounding you is going to be enough to unsettle members of your family and, therefore, you need to apply one, some, or all of the leadership principles I have identified from President Obama’s speech.

Leadership Principle #1:  Remain Connected

“… to speak frankly and directly to the men and women who sent us here …”

President Obama may be one of the most powerful men in our world, but here he communicates his desire to remain connected to the voters, his followers.  How can you apply this?  Whatever your circumstances make sure you do not remove yourself.  It’s easy when the money is tight to take yourself out of circulation and focus on “fixing the problem”.  Absent leadership is not effective!

Leadership Principle #2:  Instill hope

“But while our economy may be weakened and our confidence shaken, though we are living through difficult and uncertain times, tonight I want every American to know this: We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before.

The weight of this crisis will not determine the destiny of this nation. The answers to our problems don’t lie beyond our reach. They exist in our laboratories and our universities, in our fields and our factories, in the imaginations of our entrepreneurs and the pride of the hardest-working people on Earth.

Those qualities that have made America the greatest force of progress and prosperity in human history we still possess in ample measure. What is required now is for this country to pull together, confront boldly the challenges we face, and take responsibility for our future once more.”

I honestly can’t think of any more to add, these words are enough!

Leadership Principle #3:  Use Honesty about Reality

“And though all of these challenges went unsolved, we still managed to spend more money and pile up more debt, both as individuals and through our government, than ever before.

In other words, we have lived through an era where too often short-term gains were prized over long-term prosperity, where we failed to look beyond the next payment, the next quarter, or the next election.”

It is time to face the facts, and that’s not always easy when the news is bad.  But, you know, usually a reality check is the first step towards a turn-around.  So I would like to recommend my previous article where you can examine your entire situation.  This is a healthy exercise to do in good times and bad.  Whichever you’re in I encourage you to take a reality check.

Leadership Principle #4:  Blunt is Sharp

“Well, that day of reckoning has arrived, and the time to take charge of our future is here.  I want to speak plainly and candidly about this issue tonight, because every American should know that it directly affects you and your family’s well-being.

Now is the time to act boldly and wisely, to not only revive this economy, but to build a new foundation for lasting prosperity.”

Can you hear the message here?  Words like “reckoning”, “take charge”, and “act boldly” are words that instill power.  You can do this in your family.  Leadership is about taking everyone on the journey with you willingly, so I believe it’s vital to give them power with the words you use.

Leadership Principle #5:  Failure to accept compromise

“… while the cost of action will be great, I can assure you that the cost of inaction will be far greater, for it could result in an economy that sputters along for not months or years, but perhaps a decade.

That would be worse for our deficit, worse for business, worse for you, and worse for the next generation. And I refuse to let that happen.”

One of the speakers I heard at my Book Conference had a phrase she used, which is the title of her book “No Matter What”.  This is the message the President brings here and is one that we could all use a dose of.  When your family hears you talk in a way that refuses to give in, when they see you persevere despite the odds, they are strengthened.  My Grandfather used to call it “backbone”.

Leadership Principle #6:  Bring strength from history

“I reject the view that says our problems will simply take care of themselves, that says government has no role in laying the foundation for our common prosperity, for history tells a different story.

History reminds us that, at every moment of economic upheaval and transformation, this nation has responded with bold action and big ideas.

In the midst of civil war, we laid railroad tracks from one coast to another that spurred commerce and industry.

From the turmoil of the Industrial Revolution came a system of public high schools that prepared our citizens for a new age.

In the wake of war and depression, the GI Bill sent a generation to college and created the largest middle-class in history.

And a twilight struggle for freedom led to a nation of highways, an American on the moon, and an explosion of technology that still shapes our world.

In each case, government didn’t supplant private enterprise; it catalyzed private enterprise. It created the conditions for thousands of entrepreneurs and new businesses to adapt and to thrive.

We are a nation that has seen promise amid peril and claimed opportunity from ordeal. Now we must be that nation again.”

Do you know what I like to do?  I like to tell stories about my Grandparents and my parents.  For me it shows my family that we have roots we can be proud of.  It gives us a connection to the successes of the past.  And, best of all, it reinforces that fact that the sun always comes up tomorrow.

Leadership Principle #7:  Invoke the value of uniqueness

“Now, none of this will come without cost, nor will it be easy. But this is America. We don’t do what’s easy. We do what’s necessary to move this country forward.”

Don’t be afraid to do what is different.  Don’t be shy about going against the trend.  Your family will be happy to going against the crowd when they know why.  Make sure you message includes the why behind the journey.  This brings commitment from everyone.

Dave Ramsey, a US author and financial teacher has a saying:  “If you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else.”

Leadership Principle #8:  Participation

“…It is our responsibility as lawmakers and as educators to make this system work, but it is the responsibility of every citizen to participate in it.”

This is about getting everyone involved.  A leader draws people to them in a way that has them wanting to do whatever they can to make the team a success.  How can you motivate your spouse, teenagers, or younger children to become partners in your financial survival and success?  The answer is in participation.  We include our kids in a lot of discussion and this means they know what is going on and, as a result, they participate.  It may take time to work for you, but the sooner you start the sooner you get the result.

Leadership Principle #9:  Allow dreams to shape the future

“As we stand at this crossroads of history, the eyes of all people in all nations are once again upon us, watching to see what we do with this moment, waiting for us to lead.

Those of us gathered here tonight have been called to govern in extraordinary times. It is a tremendous burden, but also a great privilege, one that has been entrusted to few generations of Americans, for in our hands lies the ability to shape our world, for good or for ill.

I know that it’s easy to lose sight of this truth, to become cynical and doubtful, consumed with the petty and the trivial.

But in my life, I have also learned that hope is found in unlikely places, that inspiration often comes not from those with the most power or celebrity, but from the dreams and aspirations of ordinary Americans who are anything but ordinary.”

Sometimes we get so bogged down in the tactical, the trivial, or the testing times that we lose sight of the dream.  I’ve learnt this many times as I set my sights on the seemingly impossible and struggle to attain the desired end point.  Often I’ve been guilty of losing sight of the big dream.  But do you know what?  It’s in times like these that a leader draws strength from their team.  So always share the dream.  Make it public and share it often, for when you are not in tune with the dream you have those around you to pick you up and put you back on track.

There’s a lot to digest there for all of us.  My closing thought is this: 

We are all called to be leaders regardless of age or position in the household.  We influence others for good by who we are and what we do.  I hope you take on the responsibility you have to be a leader to those around you.