I somehow got a pre-release copy of a Leonard Sweet book. I copied it to word and printed it, I don't know how I got it - it seems to be a rought draft of an entire book! It is a book on leadership that examines Ernest Shackleton on his expeditions to and around the Antarctic. He seems to have been an inspiring and brave leader, whose story has much to teach leaders today. If you hate to read, you can pick up the movie, Endurance.
From what I can tell it's the book Summoned to Lead, which you can buy at Wal-Mart by clicking on the title link. This is the first Sweet book I have ever read and have since purchased another, Aqua Church, but it's a little down on my list.
Here are the interesting quotes from this rough draft of this book.
"the words 'ear' and 'wisdom' are the same in Sumerian."
"In postmodern culture ther is a new respect for 'losers' and 'successful failures' --those who didn't quite achieve their dreams, but generated a story in the quest."
"One of the reasons Shackleton 'failed' was because relationships were more important to him than achievement, colleagues more important than conquests and campaigns."
"Every person decides whether to leave footprints that will last beyond a lifetime, or that will sink in the sands of time."
"You don't lead. no one does. You only exercise leadership."
"The voice of a leader communicates truth beyond words, turth that sometimes goes beyond even the comprehension of leaders themselves. Leaders are those for whom voice- even more than words - is a way of life."
"You fight until hell freezes over. Then you fight on the ice." -Quoting US Senator Richard Russell
"perhaps sometimes it is best to be blind, so one can see the way things really are, and not be blinded by the way they look." -Quoting William Wharton
"Hire attitude and aptitude. Train for skill."
"[Jim] Collins describes such ['great'] leaders as 'modest and willful, shy and fearless.' These people 'llok in the mirror' to apportion blame for poor preformances, and 'look out the window' to credit success. These leaders have ambition, 'first and foremost for the company and concern for its success ranter than for [their] own riches and personal renown.' "
"Why pay people to work if you can't celebrate their work?"
"Men wanted for Hazardous Journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return. Honour and recognition in the case of success." --legendary Shackleton advertisement by Shackleton for 1914 Antarctic expedition
"People will put in time for a job; people will give their lives for a mission."
"We have as a Pilot one who sleeps in the back of boats."
"books have become cigars for the brain."
"Intuition comes to those who are prepared."
No comments:
Post a Comment