Leaders know how to ask the right questions, Paul Bridle told chapter leaders on Saturday during their all-day forum.
“Two important questions you can ask yourself right now are, ‘What value do you offer?’ and ‘Are you the leader you always wanted to work for?’” said Bridle, an information conceptualizer who has researched effective organizations and the people who lead them.
Bridle emphasized that times of crisis offer opportunities to shine, opportunities to make a difference and opportunities to prove yourself as a leader.
“Many of the great leaders in history emerged at a time of great conflict and of course many failed,” he said. “But it can also be argued that many of the great leaders only became great because of their ability to rise to the leadership required at that time. The world is changing, and with that comes the need for good leadership, the chance to make a difference, to leave a legacy and to push things to a higher level.”
Bridle offered several requirements of chapter leaders.
“You need confidence to think differently,” he said. “You also need to think about forming alliances and work with the best.”
It’s those that take calculated risks but attend to detail that become effective leaders, Bridle says.
“Leaders manage people’s perceptions and create habits that work,” he said. “Most important, they speak in positive terms, offering new ways to do things instead of telling people what not to do.”
And when your term is up, Bridle says, “Get out of the damn way.”
“You’ve set the stage,” he said. “They may not do things the exact way you did them, but if you’ve led effectively, you’ll have the confidence they’ll do the job the way it should be done.”
The forum was sponsored by the Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB and Naylor.