Question

What's the most insightful or helpful or practical or inspiring or sensible thing you've read or watched or heard on the topic of leadership?  How about on making meaningful contributions?

I'm thinking about both leadership and authentic contribution.  (Maybe I don't mean "both" because maybe they're facets of the same jewel, or sides of the same coin, or whatever.)  I'm interested in what you have found wise or helpful on either subject. 

Comments

[Pete]

Lao Tzu: a leader is best when people barely know he exists....

[James]

Hazel-Rah. The leader of the rabbits in Watership Down. It's not exactly about leadership, but Hazel sets a fine example.

[LinaGermain]

*Beyond the Double Bind* by Kathleen Hall Jamieson. Raises some particularly interesting conundrums for women. It's a political book, but it identifies, what I think, are some universal themes about women and leadership issues. But the most important lessons I've learned are gleaned while observing others (even those who do it badly -- those individuals, sadly, often provide the best lessons in how not to lead).

[turboglacier]

"Our chief want in life is someone who shall make us do what we can. This is the service of a friend. With him we are easily great."

(Emerson)

[Katrina]

To me, these epitomize what true leadership is:

"whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10;43-45

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Phil. 2; 3-4

[Slice]

"Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl was a book my football coach in college asked the seniors to read during the summer before our final season. I would say it was both insightful and inspiring. There is probably no more desparate of situation then being a prisoner in a concentration camp, and I guess the overall them was how one can create possibilities and hope when circumstances are about as close to impossible as they can be.

The same coach always talked about the idea of our team having "one heartbeat." Obviously a vague, general theme but one that was repeated year after year to instill this mentality that each of us were a part of this whole that functioned as one.

[bill]

My father, who spent his career as a manager in a big corporation, said that the key to leadership was to be positive with your team, and show them that you would protect and support them. He also said that it was really hard to do well. A bit like Katrina's entry above.