Rock Stars, Bloggers, and Leadership

In her post on The Blog Herald, of which I am an avid reader, rock star Liz Strauss of Successful (and Outstanding) Blog, writes about rock star bloggers. You know, the bloggers that get all the attention? She talks about those who were rock stars in the beginning, with passionate posts and could make you swoon all over everything they wrote. Then, their hair starts to fall out, they get that "tire" in the middle, and they aren't so pretty anymore. Now, you just snore whenever you read their stuff. You wonder, "what happened to the passion, let alone the looks?"

Well yes, the looks may go, the middle may puff out a bit, but the content doesn't have to follow suit. I love this analogy to leadership. Becoming a leader is fun, it's prestigious, it's got all the pomp but very little circumstance; unless you are authentic. Leadership, like rock stars, isn't about the position, it's about influence. Yes, there's that word again!

One of my favorite quotes is by Carl Buechner, "People may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel." Leadership, influence, is about a lasting impression. How does your team feel after being around you all day? Are they happy to be away from you, or does a little piece of you travel with them?

Liz ends her post with three ways to make sure a little piece of you does travel with your followers:

1. Be attentive to your readers’ needs for great content.
2. Be consistent and transparent. Be grown up with self-respect.
3. Be authentically you in service to them.

Brilliant! I couldn't have said it better myself; which is why I borrow from rock star Liz.

Make sure your leadership is attentive, consistent, transparent, and authentic -- and you will always be a rock star!

Read the rest of Liz's article at The Blog Herald.

To lead is to serve,

Coach Carolyn

Leadership and Respect

Writing in The Blog Herald, Conversation Agent Valeria Maltoni, shares five ways to get respect as a blogger. I think her points can also apply to the leader.

1. Make innovation part of your creative habit; put aside some time every day for “what if” thinking.

2. Reward the hard questions. When a reader challenges your thinking, take that as an opportunity to address their questions, make sure they know they’re heard. You get respect when you give it.

3. Work on the quality of your writing constantly. Practice, practice, and then practice some more. It’s also a good idea to read a lot. Read the classics; read good writing.

4. Think design as container of experience. How can you have a visual impact? How can you communicate your value through design?

5. Be transparent and trustworthy. Conduct a personal audit regularly to keep yourself honest.

These points not only make for a great blogger, but also for a great leader.

Check out The Blog Herald to read Valeria's entire post. It's well worth applying to one's leadership style chart.

To lead is to serve,

Coach Carolyn