It is hard telling your friends that it is time to change.

 
By Ricky Lyons in : Champion Culture, Culture Thoughts, Ricky@Champion // Aug 12 2010

In a recent article in Bloomberg Businessweek, the activities of the Gates Foundation were chronicled. At the end of the article Bill Gates is quoted as saying “sometimes the most difficult act of leadership is not fighting the enemy; it’s telling your friends it’s time to change.”

That is very true. On the other hand, sometimes the most difficult act of leadership can be waiting for your friends to tell you that it is time to change.

It is time to talk to a friend – and – be a leader to him?

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  • http://www.srgaz.com matt milinovich

    Ricky, thought provoking post. Very hard in our hectic world to take a step back and make a good honest self evaluation and see what changes we each need to make personally. The suggestion by a friend that a change is needed may be the nudge to find the time for that evaluation, and potential new direction.

  • http://www.cpchampion.com Ricky Lyons

    Matt, you are so right but here is the rub. We live in a ‘politically correct’ world that has changed how we talk to our friends. Friends are rarely willing to say it the way it is. To be clear, we will always criticize each other socially and throw shots at each other. That is not what I mean. I mean that we do not get involve ourselves in the truly important parts of our friends lives and ‘intervene’ to help our friends. So that leads me to ask, how do I convince myself more often intervene and let the consequences fall where they might?

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