Most commented posts
- 4 – The Law of Navigation — 11 comments
- 12 – The Law of Empowerment — 10 comments
- 2 – The Law of Influence — 10 comments
- Laws of Leadership — 10 comments
- 8 – The Law of Intuition — 7 comments
Darryl Pendergrass
Author's posts
Sep 19
Protecting Your Electronic Personal Data
It’s hard to believe but my first computer relied on a cassette tape drive to store programs and data. I considered it a luxury, when I upgraded to a floppy drive a few months later. Four years after that, I moved to a PC with a 10MB hard drive. The data storage requirements were minimal, so backing up data to floppy disks was more than sufficient. Over time, I used a variety of technologies for securing the data generated at home. I used the IOmega ZIP and Jazz drives for a time. Like others, eventually I found myself with a collection of cartridges but no drives to use them with as the technology fell victim to new backup technologies. I also used CD and DVD for backing data.
Today, our home computers serve as a storage platform for more critical data because we use our computers for home banking, completing taxes, managing investments accounts and the like. We also store family history like digital pictures and home movies. A couple of years ago, I purchased a single drive Western Digital 1TB MyBook World to store our family photos and movies. When I installed the device, I began to think about the risk of a single drive unit and about backups of backups. I looked at redundant drives, but at the time the cost was more than I wanted to invest. Well, a few days ago I noticed that my operating system was losing the mapping to the MyBook. Yesterday, I realized that the unit is failing when operating for a while and turning the unit off to cool would restore functionality when powered back on. So I began the process of moving data to another location temporarily while I considered my options.
After reading a few reviews and comments of others, I settled on the Seagate BlackArmor NAS 440. The device contains 4, 1TB drives and supports a variety of RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) configurations. RAID provides the ability to replicate data across multiple disks , therefore reducing the possibility of losing data due to the unlikelihood that two disks would fail at the same time. The BlackArmor supports hot swapping drives, so when a disk fails I can replace the drive without shutting down the unit. When the new disk is inserted, the RAID system rebuilds the data on the new drive using the replicated data from the other drives.
I have managed to avoid any loss of critical data during my computing experience spanning nearly 30 years, but I have heard horror stories from friends. As in the case with the MyBook, a simple flip of a coin may have resulted in non-recoverable loss of data and a horror story of my own. When the NAS arrives and gets installed, I’ll be able to rest a little easier knowing that the ever increasing amount data in our household is safe for a little while longer.
I would love to hear your story about how you manage computer data in your home and any horror stories you have to share because data was not backed up.
Permanent link to this article: http://darrylpendergrass.com/Blog/protecting-your-electronic-personal-data/
Sep 07
15 – The Law of Victory
"Leaders Find a Way for the Team to Win"
In John C. Maxwell’s book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You (2007), John shares the law of buy-in.
Most people prefer to win rather than lose. For any given leadership situation, a multitude of variables teeter the balance that influences whether a team wins or loses. Leaders that win often tend not to accept defeat as an option so they find ways to win rather than lose. The litmus test for a leader is found in a crisis — when the pressure is on. When under pressure, great leaders find a way for the team to win.
Great leaders understand that they are responsible for leading the team to victory. Great leaders shoulder the blame when things go wrong and do not seek out others to blame. Great leaders leverage their passion for the objective and their unwillingness to accept defeat to foster creative thinking among their team to identify solutions that allow the team to win.
Attaining victory hinges on three major components. First, a unity of vision among the team members is vital. The leader is responsible for creating the team’s mental model. Without the common mental model, team members form their personal agendas and contribute from that perspective. Despite the exceptional talent and potential of individual contributors, a team without a common mental model or vision rarely wins. I have said many times in the past that I prefer a team of above average performers with a common vision and good attitude to a team of star performers without a common vision and poor attitudes.
Second, the team members exhibit a diversity of skills. Some team members contribute vital skills while others contribute less vital skills but in most cases a variety of skills are necessary for teams to be successful. A key leadership skill is to staff the team with a diversity of skills. Another leadership skill is to appreciate and value every contribution whether from a vital or non-vital skill. At this point, I am compelled to add that thought diversity also adds to the team’s success. Most people are comfortable with like-minded people. However, a leader must develop comfortable relationships with others that think differently. The combination of ideas from a variety of perspectives normally leads to much better solutions when compared to those created by teams that missed key perspectives during development.
Third, the team needs a leader dedicated to victory and willing to mentor and guide team members to their full potential. Developing a vision and creating a unity among team members to work towards the vision does not happen by accident. The leader is responsible for molding the vision and communicating in such a way to create the unity or common mental model. The leader motivates, empowers, and provides the direction for the team to win.
As a leader, your responsibility for success must be a personal commitment to the task at hand. The leader needs to display unquestioned passion and dedication to the team’s success. If unable to meet those leadership goals, one must seek answers to ask some critical questions. Am I pursuing the correct vision? Am I in the wrong organization? Am I the right leader for this team or organization?
Ask your team about their purpose and mission. If the members do not agree on the purpose and mission, as a leader you need to define and communicate the vision to create unity. Discover the personal goals of your team members and strive to align those personal goals with the team’s vision, mission, and overriding goals.
I wish you well on your personal growth journey. I appreciate your additional insight, so feel free to comment to share your thoughts and experiences.
Links
Links to other posts in this discussion on the laws of leadership.
Mind map of the 21 laws of leadership.
Introduction to the leadership laws | 1 – The Law of the Lid | 2 – The Law of Influence | 3 – The Law of Process | 4 – The Law of Navigation | 5 – The Law of Addition | 6 – The Law of Solid Ground | 7 – The Law of Respect | 8 – The Law of Intuition | 9 – The Law of Magnetism | 10 – The Law of Connection | 11 – The Law of the Inner Circle | 12 – The Law of Empowerment | 13 – The Law of The Picture | 14 – The Law of Buy-in
Reference
Maxwell, John. (2007). The 21 irrefutable laws of leadership: Follow them and people will follow you. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Permanent link to this article: http://darrylpendergrass.com/Blog/15-the-law-of-victory/
Aug 23
14 – The Law of Buy-in
"People Buy into the Leader, then the Vision"
In John C. Maxwell’s book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You (2007), John shares the law of buy-in.
Many people with a good idea are often stunned to discover that they have difficulty selling the idea to other people. It is not necessarily that the idea is not good but that people have not bought into the person selling the idea. Good leaders understand that people must buy into them first before buying into their vision. This concept is readily observable but for some seems contrary to what many believe should happen.
Several years ago, I saw this leadership law in action. An acquaintance had an idea for a robbery deterrent system targeted at high-risk businesses like gas stations and convenience stores. His idea as actually quite good and he had spend a considerable amount of time molding the vision to convince investors to fund initial prototypes. Many of the investors knew the inventor quite well and recognized his limited leadership influence, which created high-risk from an investment point of view. The bottom line – the inventor failed to comply with the law of buy in.
The law of buy in causes people to take one of four actions.
1. People look for another leader when they do not buy into the leader or the leader’s vision.
2. People look for another leader when they do not buy into the leader but do buy into the vision.
3. People seek to change the vision when they buy into the leader but not into the vision.
4. People support the leader and the vision when they buy into both.
Getting support for your ideas, vision, and strategy requires that people buy into you first. This often takes time. To build credibility with people develop relationships with them, earn their trust by displaying character, integrity, and honesty, hold yourself to high standards, set good examples, help people do their jobs better, help people reach their goals, and develop people as leaders. When you add value to your relationships your credibility with other people increases and builds the foundation for people to buy into you and your ideas.
I wish you well on your personal growth journey. I appreciate your additional insight, so feel free to comment to share your thoughts and experiences.
Links
Links to other posts in this discussion on the laws of leadership.
Mind map of the 21 laws of leadership.
Introduction to the leadership laws | 1 – The Law of the Lid | 2 – The Law of Influence | 3 – The Law of Process | 4 – The Law of Navigation | 5 – The Law of Addition | 6 – The Law of Solid Ground | 7 – The Law of Respect | 8 – The Law of Intuition | 9 – The Law of Magnetism | 10 – The Law of Connection | 11 – The Law of the Inner Circle | 12 – The Law of Empowerment | 13 – The Law of The Picture
Reference
Maxwell, John. (2007). The 21 irrefutable laws of leadership: Follow them and people will follow you. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Permanent link to this article: http://darrylpendergrass.com/Blog/14-the-law-of-buy-in/
Aug 09
13 – The Law of the Picture
“People Do What People See”
In John C. Maxwell’s book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You (2007), John shares the law of the picture.
The law of the picture summarizes what is often observed in human nature. People tend to mimic the behaviors of their leaders. When a leader demonstrates behaviors that lead to success, people that follow mimic those behaviors and succeed as well.
The picture consists of vision, mission, and strategy. Great leaders possess a visionary mindset. The vision describes the “what” needs to be accomplished. Great leaders understand the purpose for reaching the vision or desired end state. The mission answers the “why” to reach an objective. Great leaders also posses the ability to develop a strategy to reach an objective. The strategy provides the “how” for achieving a desired end state.
Mission, vision, and strategy provide little benefit without action. So leaders recognize that without action the vision, mission, and strategy accomplish nothing. The leader is responsible for assisting people to take action toward the vision through the strategy. People rarely envision the end state the way that the leader does so the leader is responsible for communicating in such a way as to create a common mental model that makes the vision come alive. Communicating in such a fashion includes clear and creative techniques to continually reinforce the desired end state. When the leader lives the vision, the leader models the vision making it real and alive.
Nothing is easier than saying words. Nothing is harder than living them, day after day – Arthur Gordon
Good leaders recognize the importance of the example they set. A strategy rarely plays out exactly as expected. When deviations occur and uncertainty is high, the need for strong leadership increases. In this state, the ability to keep the vision alive that creates energy, passion, and motivation to press on in the face of uncertainty is the law of the picture.
Leadership Insights
1. People watch what you do. As a leader, recognize that people tend to model behaviors that you display. People tend to believe what they see not necessarily what they hear. You convince people by what you do not by what you say.
2. Teaching what is right is easier than doing what is right. On 6 Aug 2010, an example of this insight surfaced when Mark Hurd resigned as CEO of Hewlett-Packard. Mark stated, “As the investigation progressed, I realized there were instances in which I did not live up to the standards and principles of trust, respect and integrity that I have espoused at HP and which have guided me throughout my career. After a number of discussions with members of the board, I will move aside and the board will search for new leadership. This is a painful decision for me to make after five years at HP, but I believe it would be difficult for me to continue as an effective leader at HP and I believe this is the only decision the board and I could make at this time. I want to stress that this in no way reflects on the operating performance or financial integrity of HP” (Hewlett-Packard, 2010, para 5).
3. Change yourself before trying to improve others. As a leader, you need to lead yourself first. Set high standards of excellence for yourself. Work the hardest and longest on improving yourself. Failing to lead by example creates a fuzzy picture to those you intend to lead.
4. A leader’s example is the most value gift a leader can give. People desire leaders where espoused beliefs and actions align. People learn best from watching good leaders in action. Many leaders emerge by observing and replicating the behaviors of leaders that mentored them.
I wish you well on your personal growth journey. I appreciate your additional insight, so feel free to comment to share your thoughts and experiences.
Links
Links to other posts in this discussion on the laws of leadership.
Mind map of the 21 laws of leadership.
Introduction to the leadership laws | 1 – The Law of the Lid | 2 – The Law of Influence | 3 – The Law of Process | 4 – The Law of Navigation | 5 – The Law of Addition | 6 – The Law of Solid Ground | 7 – The Law of Respect | 8 – The Law of Intuition | 9 – The Law of Magnetism | 10 – The Law of Connection | 11 – The Law of the Inner Circle | 12 – The Law of Empowerment
Reference
Hewlett-Packard, HP. (2010, August 6). HP CEO Mark Hurd resigns; CFO Cathie Lesjak appointed interim CEO; HP announces preliminary results and raises full-year outlook . Retrieved from http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2010/100806a.html
Maxwell, John. (2007). The 21 irrefutable laws of leadership: Follow them and people will follow you. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Permanent link to this article: http://darrylpendergrass.com/Blog/13-the-law-of-the-picture/
Jul 27
7 Traits Great Leaders Share that Enable Empowering Others
Leaders that excel at the law of empowerment recognize seven important factors and comply with those seven factors to build strong capabilities in those they lead.
7 Factors Needed to Empower Those You Lead
1. Value people. Leaders that truly value people and appreciate the benefits received through teams that demonstrate thought and skill diversity are more prone to empower others.
2. Share Vision – people flourish in environments where they feel they are part of something bigger than themselves. Leaders that share their vision focus their teams to pursue a common direction and empower them to work towards a common goal and purpose.
3. Communicate. Leaders that communicate the direction and provide clear objectives build a mental model or picture that guides their team toward success.
4. Trust people. Leaders that trust people to make the right choices find following the empowerment law much easier than those leaders reluctant to trust. I find that most people want to do the right thing. Leaders that model good leadership behaviors discover that others will also learn and model those behaviors.
5. Enable effective decision-making. Leaders that empower effectively provide the information necessary for team members to make decisions. Poor leaders shy away from the effort to create the environment for others to make decisions opting instead to withhold the decision-making authority for themselves. This simply creates bottlenecks, limits capacity, and prevents growing other strong leaders.
6. Delegate. Leaders must learn to delegate in order to empower people. Many leaders consider delegation a lose of their own power. But leaders that delegate effectively find that building other strong leaders earns them even more power and influence. Effective delegation requires delegation of authority and establishing accountability. See article Improve your Capacity with Effective Delegation for additional information.
7. Recognize and reward positive empowered behaviors. Behaviors that get rewarded get repeated. Great leaders recognize the power of genuine and well-timed praise and rewards.
I wish you well on your personal growth journey. I appreciate your additional insight, so feel free to comment to share your thoughts and experiences.
Links
12 – The Law of Empowerment
Improve your Capacity with Effective Delegation
Permanent link to this article: http://darrylpendergrass.com/Blog/7-traits-great-leaders-share-that-enable-empowering-others/
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