4 Leadership Lessons from American Influential Leaders
By Rena Parent
There are various ways to receive knowledge and take in advice in this fast-paced technology driven world we live in. Perhaps some ways are more successful than others. Advice is given by many these days. And some very well intended people can give us bad advice if we let them.
The internet and social media has made it so easy to share ideas, beliefs and logics. And although this is a fabulous advancement for human beings on the planet. Mainly because the immediate and instant access to information and collaboration initiated from anywhere in the world is just a few clicks away. One main important factor remains, and that is that the information is often dissipated without ever being cleared by experts. And if, we as a reader, don’t check on the credibility and research the various notions proposed we are left with concept such as “Believe it or not” “Put the advice in practice or not” Or worse “Live with the consequences of taking the advice good or bad”.
My angle today is to give you time tested, business relevant, leadership advice from successful famous leaders. They have impacted our American society in one way or another and achieved heights many men only dream of. Some you might recognize, respect and others you might want to learn more about:
1-Rex David Thomas: Founder and CEO of Wendy’s fast food restaurant chain.
Leadership Style: Be Kind to People
Lesson #1: BE RESPECTFUL OF OTHERS’ OPINIONS.
“Dave” Thomas believed that to motivate people it was necessary to speak with honesty and transparency and treat those same people with respect and dignity. He knew that when that happens people are more apt to keep an open mind and cooperate. Being nice also means being a good listener and respecting the other person’s opinions.
2- Mary Kay Ash: Founder of Mary Kay cosmetics, grown into one of the largest direct sellers of skin care and color cosmetics in the world.
Leadership Style: Visionary wanting success for others.
Lesson #2: SINCERELY MAKE OTHERS FEEL IMPORTANT
Mary Kay is renowned for “Praising people to Success!!!” She acknowledged from early on that her company’s growth and expansion would come from others being successful. She would be continuously validated by experiencing the shattered glass ceilings of human potential when people were made to feel important.
3- Warren Buffett – CEO of Berkshire Hathaway and widely considered the most successful investor of the 20th century
Leadership Style: Participative self-empowered, servant Leadership
Lesson #3: DON’T CRITICIZE OTHERS
Buffett believes in trusting his managers to do their job and communicates with them as needed and as expected if the tables were turned. He knows that hands-on experience increases productivity much more than streams of directives. In contrast to criticism, Buffet believes in showering people that work for you with praise.
4-Sam Walton: American businessman and entrepreneur best known for founding the retailers Walmart and Sam’s Club. Today, the Walton family is the wealthiest family in America, per Forbes, with a combined net worth of roughly $149 billion as of 2015.
Leadership Style: Fully comprehensive
Lesson #4: COMMUNICATE, ENCOURAGE, AND SHARE REWARDS WITH OTHERS
Sam Walton’s well communicated vision, inspired others and allowed them to emotionally connected to it. He is at the origin of the famous saying ‘individuals don’t win, teams do. His respect and encouragement for every individual is one of his core values. Celebrating his successes by sharing the rewards with his managers is a true testament to his belief that recognizing the success of an organization depends on people throughout the organization.
As some leadership advice, can come and go as the flavor of the month; you can count and trust on the 4 legendary Billionaire leaders above. Their inspiration and fascinating common denominator for their leadership lessons is that they are all Dale Carnegie Graduates and use Carnegie Skills for Success Principles.
If you are interested to find out more about the how Dale Carnegie can support you in creating a vision and manifest it while using time-tested leadership principles, you can contact Rena Parent at [email protected] or by phone or text at 850-748-7678. You can like us on Facebook @DaleCarnegieEmeraldCoast or follow us on LinkedIn Dale Carnegie Training Emerald Coast.
