Tag Archives: Leadership

Introducing the Leadership Redefined Audiobook

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Leadership Redefined Audiobook by Dave WeberI am pleased to announce that the Leadership Redefined Audiobook is now available for download!

Thousands of people across the country have read and been practicing the principles in my latest book Leadership Redefined: The 12X’s of Success for TODAY’S Leader.  If you have been holding out because you are always on the go and just don’t have time to read a book…good news, now you can listen to it wherever your day takes you!

This 5 hour, unabridged audiobook is read by yours truly and is sure to inspire and motivate you, regardless of if you see yourself as a leader or not.  You see, a leader is anyone who has influence…and that means you really are a leader!

Join with thousands around the country as we aim to redefine leadership across the board!  Get your copy of Leadership Redefined as a book, and now as an audiobook, and Lead Well!

Focus On Your Strengths

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An exhausted and jet-lagged dad had just walked in from a brutal week of working and traveling across the country. As he was unpacking, his son burst into his bedroom carrying a baseball bat and ball and excitedly announced, “Dad, you have to see what a great baseball player I am now!”

“All right, son,” the dad replied. “Just let me change my clothes first.”

“Ok, but hurry! You are not going to believe your eyes! I am the greatest baseball player in the world!”

Baseball-kidA few minutes later, the father followed his son into the backyard, where the little boy proceeded to rest the bat on his shoulder, throw the ball up in the air with his left hand, and then quickly grab the bat with both hands and swing as the ball came back down.

On his first attempt, the little boy completely missed the ball. Undaunted, he retrieved the ball, tossed it back up in the air, and swung again, missing. His dad was starting to get a little embarrassed for him and moved in to help.

“No, Dad!” his son said with a huge grin spread across his face. “One more time.”

With a firm resolution he gripped the bat harder, tossed the ball up, and for the third time, swung the bat – and completely missed the ball.

His father’s heart was breaking for his son when the little boy turned and excitedly pronounced, “Do you see what I mean?! I am a great pitcher! Unhittable!”

Sadly, rather than focusing on what we are good at and enjoying life, we tend to focus on our own weaknesses and shortcomings and that tends to drag us down. Choose to focus on your strengths and figure out how to do “those things” more often.

“No” Does Not Mean Game Over

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As I travel in airplanes across this great nation of ours, I have the opportunity to meet many different people. Since I am energized by others, me and my seatmate (or, as my wife would tease me, my new best friend) usually end up having a great conversation. I love to hear about people’s dreams and goals and learn what inspires them. Recently though I have begun to see a pattern… folks who have given up on their dream because they have run into opposition.

From the bank not loaning them the money, to a partner backing out, to the deal falling through, to the economy in general—many are throwing up their hands and saying, “Oh well…I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.”

Phooey! Life is full of opposition. And just because you may have run into a stop sign or brick wall, that does not mean the journey is over!  Here is what I mean:

When the Decca Recording Company rejected the Beatles in 1962, the company said it didn’t like the young British group’s sound, claiming that guitar music was on the way out of mainstream popularity.

When Debbi Fields went to a potential investor for her idea of a cookie store, she was told that it was “a bad idea” and that market research indicated that “America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you make.” Fields went on to found Mrs. Fields’ Cookies (and probably added to America’s obesity epidemic in the process. But I digress.)

A Yale University professor similarly labeled Fred Smith’s paper proposing the idea of reliable overnight delivery service “unfeasible.” Smith went on to found Federal Express Corporation, known these days as FedEx.

It’s no secret that every one of the people behind those “bad” or unfeasible ideas created something that has become a household name. Right from the start, they experienced opposition, but they didn’t let it stop them from persevering and taking their idea from dream to reality.

Opposition is a normal part of life. Don’t let it throw you off course or cause you to give up on the dream. Pause, rethink, reevaluate, adjust, and keep moving forward!

Redefining Leadership: You ARE a Leader

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Some people define leadership by a title. Others define a leader by the amount of responsibility or authority one has, or by how many people a person oversees. Sometimes, a leader has a combination of all of those.

I want to reframe the idea of what it means to be a leader, to help people understand that the idea of leadership isn’t just some lofty goal or state of being reserved for presidents, CEOs, and the rich.

No matter who you are, or what you do, or how much wealth or material possessions you have (or don’t), you have the ability to become a leader in your own life – and profoundly change it, and the lives of those around you, for the better.

While standards like title, responsibility, authority, financial standing or occupation can be universal measures to establish leaders, being a leader can have a much more subtle, but no less powerful, definition.

A leader is someone who has influence.

The key word in that sentence is influence – not power, not wealth, not status, not looks. Influence can equal leadership, for good or for bad. Of course, good leadership is what we’re striving for, and it boils down to positively influencing the situation.

Now, with a definition like that, who can be a leader? Anyone – even if they don’t have a title, occupation or demeanor that would necessarily imply it.

Take look at any group of kindergartners on the playground. Not one of those little stinkers has a title, but there is definitely someone in charge, influencing what is going on. While CEOs are certainly considered leaders, receptionists can be, too. Principals are definite leaders, but custodians can just as easily demonstrate leadership qualities in their jobs.

While the “traditional” view of leadership usually assigns most of it at the top of an organization or department (in theory, that is!), the best performing entities – whether they’re companies, clubs or sports teams – have members who demonstrate leadership at every level. These “leaders without the title” have latched on to the profound reality that because they have influence, they lead.

You have influence. Therefore, YOU ARE A LEADER. Use your influence to positively impact what is going on around you.  Lead well.