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Questions to Stir the Heart
By Dr. Edwin Weaver
January 21, 2009
As an American, I am so very happy to the people starting to unite. For decades, we have become more and more splintered, everyone going in their own direction, pulling the nation apart. President Obama's charisma has pulled the people together again, but for how long.
Leaders, true leaders, must challenge the people. They must move people from where they are to a new place, a new level. Charisma, by itself, will not move the people to the next level. Yes, it does have the effect, often temporary, of pulling people together, but more is needed. The heart must be stirred and inflamed.
Nothing stirs the heart like probing questions, reflective questions, innovative questions. The leader not only asks these questions, but also gives us answers to them, the answers we need to follow. That is what all the great leaders have done to move the people from the pulling together stage to the action stage.
I was watching for President Obama to do this at his inauguration; however, he only asked one question. He made many statements, but only one question.
Review some of our great leaders, Washington, Lincoln, and Kennedy. They asked questions of the people, heart stirring questions, reflective questions, innovative questions. They also gave the answers, answers, which pointed in the direction in which the people needed to go.
To unite Americans, move them into a new and better
That is why the questions are important for a leader. Without the questions to stir the people, they will loose the motivation, which was ignited by the charisma. The questions keep the direction alive. The questions keep the motivation alive. The questions provide the reason to continue. The questions stir our hearts.
The hopes of
Charisma and Show, But is Obama a Leader
By Dr. Edwin Weaver
January 19, 2009
No one would doubt that Mr. Obama is charismatic. He has a strong appeal factor working for him. He is good at words and knows how to put on a show. His trip to
I am not a pessimist, but each day I doubt him a little more. Charisma is not everything. Yes, it helps a leader. In fact you really can not be a leader unless you have a certain amount of charisma, but you need more.
There are 10 main points to be a good leaders and I am wondering if Mr. Obama will stack up. My doubts really started to surface when he backed down on a fight with congress on, what I considered, a vital part of the stimulus plan.
If you remember, Mr. Obama proposed to give a tax credit to companies which retained present workers and a larger credit if they hire new employees over and above the replacement of exiting employees. This would have done wonders for the economy and for the morale of the people, but congress said no we don't want it and Mr. Obama cut it out of the package, without a fight.
A leader has to be prepared to fight when the fight is worthwhile and this was a worthwhile fight. Keeping Americans working is more important that protecting the profits of huge dinosaur corporations.
You will say that if the big corporations and the banks go under there will be no jobs. Yes and No! The government has already set a precedence of taking over institutions and could step in and take control of the failing corporations. As for the banks, their greed led to their downfall and now the government wants to protect their greed.
Let's face it, if the banks failed who would get hurt? Only the big guys! 83% of Americans (the average American) do not have over $100,000 in any one account. Therefore they would not lose one dime. The government would give them their money back, only the big guys would lose, the same big guys who, through their greed, caused this mess. Mr. Obama should have fought congress to keep Americans working.
In other words, keeping the average American working instead of protecting big money is a battle worth fighting for and Mr. Obama did not take the challenge, he caved in to congress and their desire to protect big money. That makes me think that he lacks two of the essential points to be a good leader; concern for the people and willing to fight when it is necessary.
Only time will tell if Mr. Obama is a true leader or just another silver tongued politician. Good luck Mr. Obama.
While Rome
By Dr. Edwin Weaver
January 13, 2009
As with Nero fiddling while
I believe that everyone is well aware that we are in a depression. Yes, the
They could have stopped this problem long before it got started, but like the others in the banking and corporate world, they were enjoying the ride (hoping it would not end while they were around). Now we have a problem.
Very simply, the problem is that people are losing jobs because the economy is depressed. As people lose jobs, less is spent and more people lose their jobs and the spiral continues.
Solution -
1) Keep us working in our present jobs. Provide us with some security. If we feel secure, we will spend again. If we spend we start the economy on the road to recover.
2) Get the people who have been unemployed working. It will take 6 months to 2 years for the psychological scars to heal, but as soon as they do, these people will start spending, improving the economy
3) Keep the banks afloat so the people do not panic. Then as spending starts, get the banks to start loaning again.
It will take some GOOD administrators watching over everything, not like they have with TARP. If some good people are placed in charge, there is hope.
While people are being kept in their jobs and new jobs created, congress can argue on how to prevent this from happening again, but at this minute they need to serve the people who elected them.
We need a closer watch on the financial institution and the corporate world. it may sound like Big Brother, but those who have been in charge have proven they can not be trusted. Even with a big brother system, those who do the correct thing do not have to worry. The only ones who worry about someone looking over their shoulder are the one who are doing what is right. Then we should start to get back on track again. Hopefully the right track this time.
Dear President Elect, What do Economists Know?
By Dr. Edwin Weaver
January 3, 2009
Today President Elect Obama said, "Economists from across the political spectrum agree that if we don't act swiftly and boldly, we could see a much deeper economic downturn that could lead to double-digit unemployment and the American dream slipping further and further out of reach," (AP News on Yahoo. Com http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090103/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama ) This was in reference to creating new jobs.
Creating jobs will help, but the psychological effect of losing one's job demoralizes. Have you ever lost your job? It hurts. It takes months, years to fully recover from losing one's job.
I have worked for Rescue missions and other organizations which help the needy and homeless. I have seen men, women and families hit hard times. It demoralizes them completely. Even after they got work it would take months, even years before they started to get back to normalcy.
Yes Mr. Obama, you may create jobs and the person may be working again, but they are still demoralized and will not return to their old habits until they have fully recuperated from the stigma. That means they will not return to their old spending habits for quite some time, which also means a long recovery from this recession.
I have watched these people. I have worked with them. They did not want to spend money for fear of what might happen. They bought only what was absolutely necessary. They feared going back to the streets again. Their self esteem was destroyed and it took time before they felt confident that they could succeed again.
Dear Mr. President Elect, a great leader worries about the people, not only that they are working and that they have food and money, but the great leader worries about their morale also. Their moral is the highest concern.
Economists know about numbers, not people and feelings, that is why economists are not leaders. President elect Obama, you know that it is the people who will make or break this recession. Mr. President, you must focus on keeping the people working at their present jobs. Keep them from falling into a demoralized state which will hurt the recovery of the country.
I am not an economist, but I know people. I have worked with and helped people for over 30 years. Mr. President Elect, you need some people on your team who know the common man and how he/she thinks and feels. If you want our country to recover soon, keep the people working in their current jobs and create jobs for those who are out of work. You will kill two birds with one stone.
You will keep the income taxes coming in from those who are still employed. You will keep their morale up and their spending up, which will help to create new jobs. You will put the unemployed to work giving them a little hope. Between the enthusiasm and the spirit of those who are still working and the chance at a new position by those who are unemployed, the country will take on a new hope. With your charisma leading them, they will pull together to make a new
However, if you let the people become unemployed, they will lose hope. Even your charisma will not excite them. The road to recovery will be long and hard.
Best regards and best of luck
Dr. Edwin Weaver
The article below was one that was published four years ago. I had many comments at the time, however the warning involved in the article was never heeded. I have choosen to re-publish it in hopes that people will hear the warning and make a change...
What the Business World needs now are True Leaders
By Dr. Edwin C. Weaver
Remember that song in the late sixties, "What the world needs now, is love, sweet love"? The song is still true, but there is another crisis on the rise. We have bigger and bigger companies, but less leadership.
This is amazing considering the fact that Leadership training is the current buzz word. Every company talks about leadership training, there are hundreds of training companies offering these courses, yet for all this we lack leaders, or at least good leaders.
Where are the people like Henry Ford, the Lee Iacocca and the other great business leaders? We see millions being made, but that is not a sign of leadership. That is a sign of greed.
Henry Ford, Lee Iacocca and the other greats not only thought about making money, they also thought about people. People were important. That is a sign of all great leaders.
Go back 3000 years to Cyrus the Great, leader of Medes and Persians. He said he would not rule any group who did not want to be ruled by him. He knew the value of people. He made laws to improve the lives of his people.
Suleiman the Great, a leader in the
Henry Ford paid people what they were worth. He placed small factories in rural
The same can be said for Lee Iacocca. He was connected to the people. He knew what the people wanted. He knew how to be apart of the people, yet lead them. After he became the head of Chrysler, he lowered his salary to one dollar per year until he could turn Chrysler around. This made him popular with the average worker and everyone. He knew people were important.
In 2003 Business Week did a poll, nearly 80% of those surveyed in the Business Week/Harris poll said that the CEOs of large companies put their own interests ahead of workers and shareholders. The people controlling the large companies and corporations do not care about people. They are not leaders.
The world is facing a leadership crisis. People are no longer important, only making money and growing bigger. The heads of companies change every couple of years, or less, which leads to the people feeling a lack of stability in their work life.
In big business, people have become less than a number, which was a big complaint during the sixties and seventies, they are now completely disposable. Pampers has a better chance of survival than the average worker.
Without true leaders at the helm of these giant companies, the people of the world will suffer. There will be no hope of job security. There will be no hope of a future. Yes, people lost their jobs under Henry Ford and Lee Iacocca, but there was hope, there was some semblance of stability.
It is a time to become serious about producing true leaders in business. Otherwise, there will be no hope left, no stability. What kind of world will we have when hope is dead?
During the past 25 years, Dr. Weaver has worked with people in more than 20 countries. He has helped people open their own companies, turn around troubled companies and prepare for the next generation of leaders.
For more articles on Succession Planning, Management and Leadership go to UNIQUE LEADERS www.uniqueleaders.org
Do You Have the Right Stuff
By Dr. Edwin C. Weaver
December 2008
Many of your will remember that over 14 months ago I was warning people about the impending collapse which has transpired on us. I warned that companies needed true management and true leaders in place. That is still true.
Though the times are rough they will get worse. Your company's survival depends on getting true managers and even more important true leaders in place as rapidly as possible.
True leadership can weather the storm that is about to hit the corporate world. Only a true leader will be able to keep the people going and producing.
During times of stress and depression the spirit of even the employed worker will become disheartened and demoralized. That is where the vision, charisma and enthusiasm of a true leader will have its best effect.
Don't look at the CV, look at the person. Education may be a downfall at this point. You need a leader and that is not always taught in the institutes of higher learning. As the latest report from Wharton School of Business says, people do not trust the corporate giants. You need a change.
Now I am not an Obamanite, but we need a change. We need to start at the down and work down. We need a true leader at the head of the company and an allow him/her to rally his/her supporters and eliminate the other.
Sounds cruel? Perhaps, but in the near future it will be survival of the fittest. Where does you company stand??
I have been training people for close to 30 years; through 2 recessions and my most profitable times were the recessions. If you can inspire the people to follow you, you can accomplish miracles. And that is exactly what many companies need right now, a miracle.
During the 'good time' people are happy and do not need inspiration. Their only concern is keeping up with the Jones. Now, for most people, there is a new experience, a recession and not just a recession, but a deep hard recession. Most employees have never had to weather a true recession. Their parents saw the late 70's and early 80's but most of our employees were just children, they have no experience in this matter.
That makes the need of a true leader even more important. Remember, don't look at the CV and do not look at the age, look at the person. Even a young person, who has not experienced a recession, can lead people out of it. Look at the person.
Once you have found the right person, you may need to dig out some of your retired leadership to mentor and help this person take charge. They should not try to take over or oppose, only guide this person. If you do not have any good retirees who can help out, you will need to find a good leadership development group. Not your run of the mill canned seminars and workshops; you need true hands on development.
So why are you still reading this article? Get going! Time is ticking away and everyday a new calamity arises.
If you need help, you can contact Dr. Weaver at www.uniqueleaders.org
Leadership in Times of Trouble
By Dr. Edwin Weaver
Unique Leaders
March 3, 2008
As the
All throughout recorded history, the country or company who had good leadership, in place, prior to a recession was able to weather the storm and come out stronger and better than before. These times of trouble or recessions weed out the weaker companies and the weaker leadership.
This is not to say that just because a company survives the recession that they have good leadership. A company may survive because they have enough capital in reserve to weather the storm. The difference is the condition of the company after the recession.
The company who survives the recession only on capital comes out of the recession hungry. They need to replenish their capital. They did not have good leadership prior to the recession, so they were not poised to survive and take advantage of the recession. Therefore, they exit the recession alive but hungry. Their capital is depleted and they fall on their competitors like a ravaging animal.
On the other hand, the company who had good leadership prior to the recession saw the writing on the wall and they were prepared for the recession. They had plans A B and C ready. During the recession they were able to continue making profits, without depleting their capital.
Because of their superior position, while the recession was still in progress, they were able to offer hope to companies who were floundering in the troubled times. Even in the recession, they were able to buyout weaker companies and make them profitable again. Though money was tight, they were able to re-train the management team of these companies and install new leadership, which model the parent leadership.
At the end of the recession, they exit the tough times stronger than when the recession began. They now control more than before and have more profits entering the company than before. They have expanded their territory in an honorable way.
Which of these models will your company copy? Will you survive on capital? Will you flounder and fail? Will you survive and even though in a recession, prosper?
Leadership trained by Unique Leaders survives and leader their companies to prosperous ground. To find out more about leadership in times of recession, contact Unique Leaders - www.uniqueleaders.org
Unique Leaders Professional Development Consultants can help you with leadership development, management training, and succession planning. www.uniqueleaders_005.htm
Corporate Blind Spot
By Dr. Edwin C. Weaver
Oct. 22, 2006
Recently I was offered a position with a large Saudi corporation. They were doing an upper level shake up, a revamping of the entire corporate HR department. The sales and profits had been climbing year on year, but there were problems in employee retention and training. They were making money and expanding rapidly, but there were many problems inside the company.
I sat with the new corporate HR director for hours discussing the problems the company had been facing. The parent company owns 8 other companies and they all follow the lead of the parent company. All had the same problems.
He told me that each company had an HR director who was European or American and the head of training was European or American. After telling me this, he wanted me to explain why none of them were able to see the problems? He could not understand how you could have high caliber management, yet lack results.
I told him it was a leadership problem. You can have all the right policies and procedures, but if the leadership is not good, everything will suffer. You can have the best minds in the world, but if there is no true leadership, little will be accomplished.
The new HR director asked me how I would fix the problems in the training departments. He noted that I am a leadership specialist, but he wanted to know how I would ascertain the main problems, how long it would take and what policies I would change.
I laid out a plan to evaluate the current programs within 6 months and I told him from there we would have to see how long it would take to fix the problems. I told him depending on how extensive the problems, the solutions could take months or years to implement.
I then continued with the need for leadership training at all levels, but he was not that interested in that aspect of the program. I attempted to show him that leadership was the root cause of the company's current dilemma. Had there been good leadership, you would not be facing these problems now.
The owners, three brothers, had started from scratch and built an empire, but then handed over control to corporate heads. When they were in direct control, the problems did not exist. They lead the company, they had a vision for the company, they inspired loyalty; they were the leaders.
Now, the company is in the hands of corporate 'chiefs' and there have been problems ever since. Yes, the company makes money, lots of money and that is the blind spot of 87% of the corporations today. They make money and every year the profits increase masking the internal problems; lack of true leadership.
This new HR director wants to bring in the finest brains to solve the problems. He has grand ideas. He worked in the
In truth, it will be a fix, but a temporary fix. In time everything will drift back to its present state. The owners will see the problems again and once more fire all the top management and bring in fresh blood. Hopefully, they will hire in leadership experts and develop a company of true leaders, all focused on the same vision for the company.
Examine your company. Do you have true leadership? Are you committed to developing true leadership? Or are you happy as long as the money keeps coming in?
For more insights and articles on leadership and management go to
THE POWER OF VISION
By Dr. Edwin C. Weaver
Oct. 7, 2006
There has been a lot of controversy about what talent or skill makes a person a great leader. I have read dozens of articles and everyone has there own view. One says that communication skills are the key to being a leader, but of course he works for a company which provides training in the communication skills. As for me, I believe it is something deeper, perhaps something which can not be taught, vision.
Can you teach someone to believe something? Can you teach someone to hope? Can you teach someone to look beyond what is to what could be? Can you teach someone how to have a burning desire for something or is that something deep down inside?
I will leave those debates to the psychologist and philosophers. My only point is that vision makes the great leaders, not communication skills, not planning skills, or the others. They may help, but the center, the key is vision. Let's look at history as a proof.
Everyone considers Alexander the Great as a great leader, but he lacked good communication skills. In fact, because of his poor communication skills there were three mutinies or revolts during his short life. The only thing that kept things together was his presence and his vision. That inspired his men to keep following him,
You will say that presence is the key to being a great leader, but where does the presence come from? If you do not have a burning vision for what could be, do you have a presence? Examine all the people who are known to have presence. Every one of them has a burning vision within them. Some only have a vision for themselves, but they have a burning vision.
Well, what about planning, organizational skills? Let's look at a couple of business leaders to decide. Look at Fred Maytag, the founder of Maytag. He was not very organized, according to the standards set by training companies. He was always starting something new, while still in a current project. Mr. Maytag did have something else though he had a vision for his company. That vision inspired everyone else.
The same is true for Henry Ford. His vision for Ford Motor Company inspired thousands to follow him. He was not known for his organizational skills, he was known for his vision.
Ok, so it is not communication skills or organizational skills which make a person a leader, what about a concern for the people? Yes, that does help to make you a 'good' leader, but it does not make you a leader.
Fred Maytag, Henry Ford, Cyrus the Great and others have all been concerned about the people. It made them a good leader, but it did not make them a leader. Look at Hitler, was he concerned about the people, but he was a leader. Another example is Osama Bin Laden, is he concerned about the people? He is a leader. Many follow him, even to their death, but he is not good.
So being concerned about the people will decide if you are considered a good leader or an infamous leader, but it, of its self, will not make you a leader. Look at how many people there are in the world who are concerned about the welfare of other, but they are not leaders.
Therefore, I must conclude that vision is the key to making a person into a leader. The vision must be one that encompasses the whole company or community.
If it is only a personal vision, you will not be a leader. You may inspire yourself to do great things, but you will not inspire others to do great things and after all that is what a leader does. He inspires others to do great things.
Now, the question stands, can vision be taught? I believe that it can. Examining history, we see that people like Alexander the Great had mentors. People who help them find the vision that was deep inside them. People who help define and unlock the power of that vision.
You might be a school teacher, a parent or a professional mentor, but if you do not have a strong burning vision you need someone to help you discover the vision and focus that vision. That is what the businesses need to devote their training time to. They need to develop this vision in their top management to make them leaders then teach them the other skills to make them into good leaders.
What are the benefits? Maytag and Ford are still around, the companies are still there, 100 years later. The leader will help to provide sustainability to the company. If you are good at developing leaders, you will be like Fredrick I and his son Fredrick the Great. You will have generations of leaders and generations of sustained profitability.
The choice is yours, try to develop leaders using the other techniques or go to the root and develop a leader. A report in 2003 by DDI showed that 80% of corporate management were only concerned about themselves. They did not have a vision for the company.
These men and women were well trained in communication skills, time management, planning, etc. The missing link was vision. Is it time to develop a vision in the people you want to lead your company?
More articles on leadership and management can be found at http://uniqueleaders.org
Fred Maytag
This is part of Unique Leaders' "Insight on Great Business Leaders"
Examining great business leaders to gain from their experiences.
VISION and CONCERN FOR OTHERS
"In all business, there is a factor which cannot be compensated for in dollars and cents or computed by any measure. It has no relation or connection with the mercenary and is represented only by the spirit of love which the true craftsman holds for his job and the things he is trying to accomplish."
Fred L. Maytag
Fred Maytag, the founder of Maytag Washers, was a great business leader in his days. What made Fred Maytag a great leader? In his case attitude was more prevalent than skills. He was not an educated man; he just had what it takes...
What made Fred Maytag different from others? He had vision and a concern for others. In the July 2006 article 10 Points to be a Successful Leader, we went into detail about these traits and how they help a person become a great leader.
F.L., as he was called, saw what was coming. He saw the changes in
The leader has vision. He can see the possibilities and knows that they are attainable. F.L. was in the farm machine business when he saw the future. He knew that the washing machine was something that was going to stay. He inspired others to believe in his vision and Maytag Washers was started.
He also had a vision of quality, which also relates to concern for others, which he inspired in his workers. He inspired his workers to produce the best or do not produce anything.
Part of the power of Fred Maytag and his ability to inspire others was his genuine concern for others. When you know that someone truly is concerned for your well being, you are more willing to put out the effort for this person.
Fred Maytag had that genuine concern for others. He wanted to succeed, but not at the cost of others, unlike some corporate leaders today. As he succeeded he helped those who were apart of that success.
Fred Maytag built homes for his workers and sold the homes to them on easy terms. He wanted them to have homes of their own. He built a theater, water plant and other things for the community. He had a true concern for those around him.
Fred walked among his workers, he was not above them, he was apart of them. He was always ready to listen to them. One of his favorite slogans was "is everybody happy?" and he meant it.
True concern for others and vision are two of the foundational traits for a great leader. Without vision you are nothing more than a hired hand. Without concern for others you are nothing more than a Hitler.
I look forward to hearing comments on vision and concern for others.
For more than 30 years I have been studying the lives of great leader (military, business and political). I have tried to model their success and to a good degree, I have enjoyed success. Nothing that I write about is theory, has been applied to my life with success.
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