This morning at the Austin Leadership Forum (http://www.theaustinleadershipforum.com/), we had our annual Celebration of Appreciation to honor this year’s speakers. Ron Kessler, a leader in his own right and emcee extraordinaire, invited each one to speak on what they had learned in 2010. We got more than we expected as every person spoke from the heart about what it means to lead. Here is a brief summary of their wisdom.
Allyson Peerman, VP Global Affairs AMD: Leadership is about leading from where you are, not about waiting until you have a title or position. It is about learning to walk with people you don’t agree with and people who are hard to get along with. “It’s always about the relationship.”
Don Christian, Dean Concordia Business School: None of us get to where we are without men and women who invest is us. Take time to thank those leaders who have invested in you. (His blog http://thinkingaboutleadership.blogspot.com).
Dr. Howard Prince, II Executive Director, Center for Ethical Leadership, LBJ School UT Austin: Leadership is the means, not the end. Great leaders will attract the right quality of followers who share the same passion and same values.
Dick Moeller, Founder Water2Thrive: In living your passion, do these 4 things will get you a long way: Pray, Tell others, Do what you can, Give what you can whether time or money.
Dr. Carol Fletcher, President Pflugerville ISD School Board: Don’t try to fix the problem or reform the system for that is a recipe for discontinuity and confusion. Rather, aim at being better today than yesterday, and better tomorrow than today.
Martha Smiley, Attorney, Mentor, Community Leader: Many times, leaders don’t think at all about leadership, but simply look at the problems that face us. Leadership is really about responding to those problems to find a solution whether they be global or local.
Mark Clayton: Sr. V.P St. David’s Healthcare: The power of one can make all the difference in the world. In healthcare as in any industry, one person has the ability to make an impact in the life of another individual.
Our other speakers, unable to attend, Earl Maxwell, Gary Farmer, Tim Hawks, Allen Sockwell, Dr. Deigdra Stephens, and A.J. Josefowitz were missed this morning as they, too, are leaders who take responsibility to make a difference.
These leaders are bound by their shared passion and value of leadership as the way to improves people’s lives and enrich our community. Each one of them took the time and effort to solve a problem, create a path, or be a friend.
We salute each one of them and thank them for making our lives better in Austin, Texas.
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