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I recently participated in an amazing leadership training course called Shackleton’s Way: Leadership Lessons. This course provided a powerful example of inspirational leadership. The class content was inspired by the great explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, who faced monumental challenges in bringing his crew of 27 men back to safety from Antarctica after a famously perilous two-year expedition from 1914 to 1916.
Here are six points from Shackleton’s Way of Developing Leadership Skills that I believe will enhance your real estate practice.
Compassion for others
• Cultivate a sense of compassion and responsibility for others. You have a bigger impact on the lives of those under you than you imagine.
• Never insist on reaching a goal at any cost. It must be achieved at a reasonable expense, without undue hardship for your staff.
• Don’t be drawn into public disputes with rivals. Rather, engage in respectful competition. You may need their cooperation some day.
Commitment
• Once you make a decision, commit to sticking through the tough learning period.
Optimism
• Do your part to help create an upbeat environment at work. A positive and cheerful workplace is important to productivity.
• Find a way to turn setbacks and failures to your advantage. This would be a good time to step forward on your own.
Open-mindedness
• Broaden your cultural and social horizons beyond your usual experiences. Learning to see things from different perspectives will give you greater flexibility in problem solving at work.
• In a rapidly changing world, be willing to venture in new directions to seize new opportunities and learn new skills.
Flexibility
• Be bold in vision and careful in planning. Dare to try something new, but be meticulous enough in your proposal to give your ideas a good chance of succeeding.
Continuous learning
• Learn from the past mistakes – yours and those made by others. Sometimes the best teachers are the bad bosses and negative experiences. |
