Leadership Lessons from Ben Franklin
from Business Insider. com, enhanced by Peter/CXO Wiz4.biz 4/13
Ben Franklin was a man of action. Over his lifetime, his curiosity and passion fueled a diverse range of interests. He was a writer, publisher, diplomat, inventor and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.
His Accomplishments. His inventions included the lightning rod, bifocals & the Franklin stove. Franklin was responsible for establishing the first public library, organizing fire fighters in Philadelphia, was one of the early supporters of mutual insurance & did experiments when he crossed the Atlantic eight times. Self-development was a constant endeavor throughout his incredible life.
Benjamin Franklin was clearly a man who knew how to get things done. Here are 14 Action-Producing lessons from him:
1. Less Talk, More Action. “Well done is better than well said.” [Quotes by Ben Franklin] Talk is cheap. Talking about a project won’t get it completed. We all know people who constantly talk about the things they are going to do, but rarely ever take that first step. Eventually people begin to question their credibility. Taking action and seeing the task through to completion is the only way to get the job done. What can you take action on today, that will make a difference? [Wiz4.biz]
2. Don’t Procrastinate. “Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.” With an impressive list of achievements to his credit, Ben Franklin was not a man of procrastination. He was a man with clear measurable goals who worked hard to turn his vision into reality. What are you putting off till tomorrow that could make a difference in your life today?
3. Be Prepared. “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” You need a plan to accomplish your goals. Charging in without giving any thought to the end result and how to achieve it, is a sure way to fall flat on your face. Think like a Military Planner. Have a realistic plan of attack and a systematic approach for getting where you need to be. Have you created a Biz Plan, Executive Summary, so you can get your ideas on paper, share them with others & plan what steps to take?
4. Don’t Fight Change. “When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.”
While most of us don’t like change, some thrive on it. Either way change is inevitable. The stronger we fight against it, the more time & energy it consumes. Give up the fight. Focus on pro-actively making positive changes, instead of having change merely thrust upon you. Wherever possible, try to view change as a positive instead of a negative. Do you regularly review your product & processes to determine if you can make them better?
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