leadership

Jurassic Park Decisions

/ Jana / 1 Comment

A quote from Jurassic Park has stuck with me over the years (we won’t count how many): “[You] were so preoccupied with whether [you] could that [you] didn’t stop to think whether [you] should.” Oftentimes I associate it with potential avenues we could venture down in science, and I realized this can relate to companies as well.

1. Ethics
The story of Mr. Nobel, the newspaperman, is probably a good depiction here. The story goes that Nobel wanted to increase his newspaper profits. He decided that he couldn’t raise the cost of his paper any more than it already was, or it wouldn’t be profitable. How else do you increase profits if you can’t raise price? Decrease cost. He did this by increasing the cost to the newsies (boys who stood on the street and sold the newspapers). I’m sure the scenario went something like this: “Mr. Nobel, sir, if you want to make more money, we could charge the newsies an extra 1/5 a cent per paper.” You could, but that doesn’t mean you should. The result? A non-union strike.

Continue reading →

Royal Leadership

/ Jana / Leave a comment

My last post talked about the communication skills we can learn from Queen Esther in the Bible. Today I want to focus on her leadership skills. Wouldn’t we all want this said of us, that perhaps you “achieved royal status for such a time as this.” You, uniquely gifted, were put here for this purpose to achieve significance. For Esther to achieve those things, she had to be equipped.

Give credit where it’s due. Mordecai discovered a plot against the king and let Esther know. The Bible says that Esther told the king on Mordecai’s behalf. She could have just walked in there, told the king there was a plot against his life, and never let him know how she came across this information. As a manager, has your team ever come up with a solution to an issue, and you walked into your boss’ office and told him the solution? Next time, make sure and let your boss know where the solution came from. If your team looks good, you look good.
Continue reading →

What I Learned from a Queen

/ Jana / 1 Comment

I frequently find myself drawn to the book of Esther in the Bible. Here was an amazing woman. The book intrigues me on so many levels. Did you know Esther is the only book in the Bible that doesn’t mention God by name? But I wanted to focus on Esther’s character. I think there are some communication lessons we can take from her.

Continue reading →

Lessons from the Devil, Part II: What Not to Do

/ Jana / Leave a comment

Lessons from the Devil, Part 2I would like to continue with Part II of “Lessons from the Devil.” Miranda Priestly, so aptly played by Meryl Streep, is the epitome of what not to do as a leader. Runway’s success is built on fear tactics and power-hoarding. The writing is on the wall with companies like these. When the domineering leader leaves the company, it enters a sharp decline. An example of this is when Lee Iacocca left Ford. The company went from consistent growth to dismal performance. No one was prepared to fill his shoes.

Lead by gaining buy-in. Miranda Priestly leads through fear. The first scene at Runway shows Emily, Miranda’s assistant, receiving a call that Miranda is arriving at the office earlier than expected. Panic ensues and rightfully so. When Miranda interacts with her employees, it consists of berating them for their ineptitude, doling out orders, and bullying in general. Continue reading →

It’s Not about You

/ Jana / Leave a comment

Two people (that I actually have met) really inspire me: Ed Tate and Rory Vaden. These gentlemen are as close as I have come to “celebrities” (except the time I met Steve Forbes, but he doesn’t talk much). Two things about these people inspire me. One, they both worked extremely hard and were rewarded with success. They are models of self-discipline and perseverance. Two, they have never stopped helping other people. Many times I have called Ed to ask a quick question, and we talk for thirty minutes, during which he gives me great advice…advice he normally charges for! Rory, who has a hectic schedule due to a book tour, still takes time to respond to my e-mails personally. 

Continue reading →

Get Back on Track

/ Jana / 7 Comments

I just finished reading Making Managers into Leaders, which should more appropriately have been titled, How to Get Your Project, Your Sales, Your Relationships, Etc. Back on Track. Maybe that’s too long for a title, so they went with Making Managers into Leaders.

Continue reading →