The first chapter discusses a good leaders quality of visionizing the long term goals but at the same time focusing also on the short term goals and limited resources. Frankly speaking, I don`t think I did a very good job with this when I was in the position of a leader when I was in High school. I was captain of my sports team, but I would not say that I had a very clear ultimate goal. I believe I too, focused more on the short term ones, such as winning the next competition, or exceeding a level in the examination and so on. However, when I think about it carefully, maybe I had a better eye for looking at things in the longer span than the rest of my team mates, short term as they may seem by others. So while keeping in mind the ultimate goal, in my case the next competition, the next examination, in a way I let the others concentrate on even smaller scale goals. By steering their attention to perfecting a move, or increasing their speed of movement, I see now that maybe that has contributed to diverting their worries or uneasiness toward the bigger goal and instead charging their energy toward something more visible, achievable. By creating the step to step measures, in the end we were systematically able to reach our goal successfully. I also think that another important reason to why our team ended in success was because the depth of my ambition was in parr with theirs. In not being overly ambitious, as ambitious as what everyone could keep pace with, each member could play their part fully, without the pressure that may have brought them down.
I certainly believe that showing symbolic gestures and setting personal examples are important factors of being a good leader. The act that dramatises the situation is what diffrienciates the leader from the rest I think. At least, it would be a signal to the rest in showing the capacity of what he/she is capable of and thus lead others to look up to he/she in some way. What makes these acts most memorable though I think, is timing. No matter how chivalrous, or courageous, or thoughtful the gesture you made has been, if it weren`t done in the appropriate timing it may not create such an impact. Worse, it could even have the very opposite effect, people thinking negatively of you, of what you meant it to be.
Good post, and "timing is everything" as they say. I would add that "framing" is similarly important. How you choose the right moment and what comes before and the context in which such things are presented is essential as well.
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