Honestly, there were amazing things to digest each day that I read a new Habitude (you can read my full book review by clicking here), but here are 10 passages from this book that especially stood out to me.
Unless otherwise noted, all of these quotes are from the author, Dr. Tim Elmore.
“The best leaders almost without exception and at every level, are master users of stories and symbols.” —Tom Peters
“The goal of a leader is to focus, not expand. Growth is a product of focus. Clarify the vision. Focus your people, time, energy and resources. Remember this: just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Intensify, don’t diversify.”
“Leaders need people in their lives who don’t take from them, but who replenish them. If they don’t have this network of people in place, they will use their followers to meet this need. This almost always leads to unhealthy situations.”
“Without question, the greatest emotional need of people today is the need to be understood. And to understand we must listen. Leaders have to get this.”
“Bad listening habits:
- Judgmental listening—jumping to conclusions about the speaker.
- Selective listening—only hearing what you want to hear.
- Impatient listening—finishing other people’s sentences.
- Egocentric listening—thinking about what you will say as others are talking.
- Patronizing listening—pretending to listen, but really off in your own world.
- Stubborn listening—listening, but not open, because your mind is already made up.”
“Winning in this game [chess] is all a matter of understanding how to capitalize on the strengths of each piece and timing their moves just right.” —Bobby Fischer
“Great managing is not about control, but about connection and release. It’s not about your power but your empowerment of others.”
“Think about it: a mediocre leader believes values must be taught. An excellent leader believes that the best is already inside of people—they just need to find it. So, while a mediocre leader’s goal is to overcome weaknesses, the excellent leader’s goal is to identify strengths and focus on them.”
“Choir directors are a good picture of leadership and team building. They recruit, audition, assign parts, rehearse and direct music. But at the end of the performance, the applause goes to the choir.”
“Look at a man the way he is, and he only becomes worse. But look at a man as if he were what he could be, and he becomes what he should be.” —Goethe
Craig T. Owens 