Not all Managers are Leaders. Moreover, not all Leaders are savvy. In this post, Ruth Simmons offers a few nuggets for those who aspire to be savvy Leaders. Wisdom-building lessons aren’t always where you’d expect to find them.
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In life, Simmons feels that learning is ongoing and that lessons can be learned when you least expect them. A Leader must not assume that lessons are always going to come ‘neatly tied in a bow’.
“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities, brilliantly disguised as impossible situations”
Chuck Swindoll
To put it simply, Ruth Simmons feels that organizations driven by “individual glorification” are doomed to mediocrity. In this post, three teamwork strategies, that Simmons learned early in her professional career, are shared. As well, the work of Patrick Lencioni, on the dysfunctions that make good teamwork impossible, are explored.
Read More 3 Habits of Highly-effective, Team-successful Leaders
“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.”
Malala Yousafzai
What are two of the keys to being an effective Leader? Ruth Simmons, rightly, feels that being amicable and keeping your ego in check are essential elements of being such a leader. An interview she had with a New York Times reporter in 2011 sheds light on her insightful thoughts on these and other leadership qualities. In this Series on Ruth Simmons, this interview, other interviews she has done, and videos will serve as a way to see how one non-profit Leader has made her mark – and how you can ‘Lead like Ruth’ too.
To put it simply, egomaniacal leaders who are nasty and publicly berate those on their staff won’t be effective; they’re likely merely managers. That’s the focus of this Your Outcomes Well Series post. Read More Leaders: Working Amicably with People Works Well
“What you do has far greater impact than what you say.”
– Stephen Covey
“There are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group; there is less competition there.”
– Indira Gandhi
The job of a University President isn’t a simple one. Ruth J. Simmons has led 2 major universities (1995 – 2012) and is currently, after a five year break, leading a third university.
Read More Ruth J. Simmons: A Trailblazing University Leader (Part 2)
“You can’t depend on your eyes
when your imagination is out of focus.”
Mark Twain
“We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.”
J.K. Rowling
The job of a University President isn’t a simple one. For a large, private university the unique hats one must wear are particularly challenging. These leadership positions involves many skills, including:
Given these ‘hats’, to rise and successfully a single university or college is a uniquely-challenging thing for a person to accomplish. Ruth J. Simmons has led 2 universities (1995 – 2012) and is currently, after a five year break, leading a third.
“If we don’t change, we don’t grow.
If we don’t grow, we are not really living.
Growth demands a temporary surrender of security.”
Gail Sheehy
Better Outcomes through Best Practices (Non-Profit Leaders)