Tweet

As a Leader Choice Is In Your Control

Guest post by: Leanne Hoagland-Smith

Article Overview: Leadership is about making choices and not the choices make you. Read about a personal experience and how choices and control build leadership.

As a Leader Choice Is In Your Control

Recently I attended a conference here in Northwest Indiana and one of the speakers made this statement:

"The choices we make are driven by the choices we have."

As I looked around the room, it appeared from the non-verbal body language (nodding heads) at least three quarters of the room (approximately 50 people) agreed. My own reaction was "Hogwash!" Statements like this only restrict growth be it business, sales, innovation, professional development or personal self improvement and truly do not demonstrate effective leadership.

Imagine if any of the renowned leaders of the past such as the great scientists, other experts from technology to human freedom or even the Founding Fathers of the USA embraced this ridiculous statement? Would we have traveled to the moon, have mobile devices, improved human freedom or have the U.S. Constitution?

This statement limits human potential and therefore opportunities. Sure many people do not have the same choices as others. However, that should not be an excuse to keep individuals from pushing the envelope, to going further than others before them.

Another negative consequence of this type of thinking is that is subscribes an excuse for failure. I cannot achieve what I need to achieve because I am limited by my surroundings. Then this self limiting belief takes even a stronger foothold and the end result is "victim mentality."

Finally, ongoing thinking from this perspective creates the "disorder" rationale. People begin to look for disorders to justify failure.

Henry Ford is quoted "whether you think you can or you think you cannot, either way you are right." A more contemporary philosopher, Yoda, said "There is no try, just do." Finally, when you change how you look at things, the things you look at will change.

There are always more choices. However, it is up to each individual leader to find those choices and not to fall back on a lazy excuse that your choices are limited by the choices you have.

Related Articles
  How to Be an Empowered Leader in a Challenging Business Environment
  Leadership According to Napoleon Hill
  What does a good leader need or look like
  Maturity in the attitude of the business leader
  The 3 R's of Business Leadership
  Are You Exercising Your Right to Choose?
  Stop Driving Your Customers To The Competition
  Being a Business Leader
  How to Brand Yourself Online “YOU INC”
  Developing a Positive Attitude
  Are You a Baby Boomer and Is Retirement for You?
  Leaders Make it Happen
  How is the Attitude – Have you Amazed those around you yet?
  LEADERSHIP: AUTOGRAPH YOUR WORK WITH EXCELLENCE
  The Difference Between Management And Leadership
  [How to find a great leader in network marketing]
  Great Leaders Help People Assume Responsibility
  Blogging: Choosing The Right Platform
  INVENTORIES CAN BE MANAGE BUT PEOPLE SHOULD BE LEAD.
  Using Time Wisely

Article Tags: choices, human potential, leadership, personal experience



Related Forum Posts
Re: My 200 post - Well GT, You done it again, The Leader and now you have 1003 post, wow. Michelle and Trent, you are a winners too. WTG friends, you are an inspiration.
Blank text field might be better - Hi TheAnonymousMan, I like your idea! I'm assuming it would be similar to the status feature on Facebook where it might say "Kevin is ... " So I think having a blank text field in the profile box (and even "Leader" boxes on the left and top side of the forums if possible) might be more fun than just choosing from pre-set options from a drop down menu:D
Re: New Guy Here - Automobile Industry - Hi Ray, Welcome to the forum. If you use a website to promote your business, please add it to your signature file (via the User Control Panel) so that we can check it out. Best wishes, David H
Re: Hello, I'm brand new - You need to go to your User Control Panel /Profile/Edit Avatar where you will be able to put a pic or avatar of your choice. Hope this helps, any problems let us know, take care, Carol
Re: Suspicious/Problematic Users - Well spotted Trent, we must have seen this joker at the same time. I have just sent off a p.m to GT as well under the heading "Pest Control" Mal.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

The Pure FUN of Learning & Using NLP

Marketing & Sales tools – going back to basics

Convening a focus group for a niche product

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.