An Essential Quality of a Good Leader
There are basically two ways to get the people who work for you to do what you want. You can bully them into it. Or you can lead them.
The bully’s method is initially effective, because it takes advantage of his superior power. But everything changes with time — including the balance of power within a company. So, ultimately, it fails.
The leader gets what he wants through inspiration and persuasion. He has to work harder at first, because his method depends on gradually enlisting the voluntary support of his people. But he sustains his influence long after the bullies have been beaten.
“I stopped cold.”
“Before I get to my objection, let me say that I love ETR. I’ve only been getting it a short while, but it became quickly obvious that I needed to set aside a folder to save the e-mails to so that when I am ready to pursue a particular link I can easily find it. Thanks for the GREAT JOB!
“However, I stopped cold when I started reading today’s edition: ‘But aging is mostly a state of mind. It’s perfectly possible to live an active and meaningful life well into your eighties.’
“Boy, I sure hope not! I’m already 60, and I fully expect to last to between 84 and 104! My mother died at 84, my grandmother at 104, and both were really sharp to the very end. I know you thought you were making a very positive statement — and perhaps for most people you were — but it was a baldly stated limiting belief! Not your normal style.
“Thanks anyway for making me THINK!”
Rose McDowall
[Ed. Note: Mark Morgan Ford was the creator of Early To Rise. In 2011, Mark retired from ETR and now writes the Palm Beach Letter. His advice, in our opinion, continues to get better and better with every essay, particularly in the controversial ones we have shared today. We encourage you to read everything you can that has been written by Mark.]
Egg Harbor Township, NJ