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P R E S E N T S

“What is Missing
Most in
Leaders Today?”
Over 75 Answers! - Uncut Bonus Edition
We asked the question:
“What is Missing Most
in Leaders Today?”
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do not necessarily reflect the opinion of anyone other than the person quoted.
“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
C. Salamone wrote: S. Iqbal wrote:

I think it really depends on the Humility.


individual. Everyone has something
You will get better results from
that they need to improve.
people who know that the leader is
someone who appreciates success
I would say though that courage is one
but realizes that it is not an
that immediately comes to mind.
individual effort but a team effort.
Hope that helps!

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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
A. Laudenslager wrote: A. Stafford wrote:

Too many leaders in the public and Many leaders lack a shared purpose with
private sectors lack the courage their followers. The leader's outcomes are
necessary to honor their disconnected from their team's.
obligations to others and to uphold
Example: a CEO who gets a bonus while his
the essential values of leadership.
company's stock price is dropping
(shareholders), and employees are getting
~John McCain, U.S. Senator laid off. It has become everyone-for-
himself rather than a shared purpose and
shared outcomes.
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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”

T. Seamon wrote: Courage

J. H. Brondum wrote:

Emotional Intelligence.

I believe the way leaders are recruited and assessed is


where you will find a lot of root causes to answer your
very relevant question.

www.Linked2Leadership.com
“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
C. Norris wrote:

If we are talking political leaders -- I believe they lack vision.


Too many are simply saying what they believe with get them the
votes.
I miss the days of Robert Kennedy when you know that the words
spoken were what drove him.

I have also at times experienced this lack of vision in business.


Many are so worried about having customers that they forget why
they started in the business in the first place.
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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
S. M. Smith wrote: P. Mateo wrote:

A Vision. The answer is far more simple:


The ability to create a consensus to Intergrity, character, and the
achieve that vision. willingness to lead!
A bedrock of principles.
A moral compass.
A. Greere wrote:
Source: Professor R.Fears, Listening
Professor of Classics at the
University of Oklahoma
www.Linked2Leadership.com
“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
K. Thomas wrote:

Great question, one that I'm sure will generate a wide variety of answers.
I believe many leaders today under-utilize and underestimate the talent within
their organizations. I have seen many wonderfully talented people leave
organizations, not because of money, but because they weren't challenged or
given an opportunity to contribute fully to the organization. If leaders viewed
every hiring decision as a $1-3MM+ investment I think they would spend more
time figuring out to maximize the potential return in that investment. Leaders
who allow talent to take intelligent risk, support them behind the scenes to set
them up for success, and use failure as a means of learning rather than blaming,
will ultimately take an organization further than one who manages by
command/control/edit.
www.Linked2Leadership.com
“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”

M. Aitken wrote:

Doing the impossible. The jobs of top leaders are massive


and balancing the human high-touch side with the grittier
task requirements without dropping from exhaustion or
extensive (and probably still illegal) cloning is daunting.
That our top leaders manage this at all is extraordinary and
the fact that some manage it well is near miraculous.

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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
J. Page wrote: J. Weinberg wrote:

Ethics, humility, integrity, What is missing most in leaders today?


compassion and a passion for They're not asking this great question of
people! themselves.
True leadership has always required K. Daisley wrote:
good doses of the above along with
business smarts and a measure of Humility, integrity, and common
good luck too! Too many of the sense.
narcissistic 'leaders' of today have
forgotten these.
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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
G. Mann wrote:

I think this question needs to be asked over and over again, keeping the spotlight and the
focus in the areas that need the improvement.

With all due respect, in my view there is no one thing across the board that is lacking.
Each of us (each of our leaders) has our/their own set of blind spots. While some will be
overlapping, there is not one unique blind spot shared by all. Perhaps it is the notion of
believing that there is a unique primary blind spot.
If we could get past that, then we could start on the difficult work that remains of filling in
all the gaps that contribute to the leadership vacuum. Regards, and thank you very much
for the question.
www.Linked2Leadership.com
“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”

B. Cole wrote: T. Cervoni wrote:


Servitude Courage!

P. Joyner wrote: J. Mayes wrote:

My one word is "listening." Trustworthiness

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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
D. Scott wrote:

Very interesting question that will spark some interesting responses. I


feel the most critical element of being a leader is having a clear vision
and the courage and conviction to fulfill that vision.
The leader must ensure their vision is communicated effectively to the
team that must fulfill that vision. The team must see that the leader is
consistent in that all energy is focused on the vision.

Just my two cents worth.

www.Linked2Leadership.com
“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”

B. Brinkman wrote:

The ability to genuinely be a servant leader and attend to


the team's needs over personal desires.
A healthy and focused team makes exciting things
happen and they must all have the energy to do the
heavy lifting.
A servant leader creates and releases that energy in their
team.

www.Linked2Leadership.com
“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
J. Inman Ed.M. PHR wrote:

This is a broad question. My field is conversational leadership so I have to lead


with "they are not willing to be in conversation with anyone and everyone around
them including front line, peers, superiors, and clients". It is rare to see someone
be able to lead effectively from spread sheets. Must get engaged with those around
them. Only in this way can they get the insights they need to create a sustainable
high performance community. I also have a list of those attributes that are
important to me as a leader and they are listed here:
Living systems perspective :: Transparency :: Vision :: Integrity
Asking questions that matter :: Create conversations :: Creating feedback loops
Tapping into the potential of the team :: Curiosity :: Passion :: Courage
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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
A. Villar-Woodworth wrote:

I don't like to see leadership as a group of attributes...to me leaders need


to understand how leadership really works in order to be good at it...if
simplified, leadership can be very frustrating for everyone...

First, leaders need to acknowledge leadership more as an event and from


there see the opportunity to build it...that's where the tricky part is at to
me. Also, Some things can be easily learned like giving direction,
supporting you employees or knowing when to delegate, but to be a
successful leader (that with committed and unconditional followers) you
need to deeply know how human nature works...
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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”

Y. Haidai wrote:

Charisma! The ability and will to create and spread great


ideas and lead people in fulfilling those.

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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
T.L. Maurer wrote:

There seems to be a gaping hole where ethics and


integrity used to be a critical part of being a leader. So
much is now focused on the 'me' and so little on the 'us' of
an organization.
The exceptional leaders are a part of the team, not just
the one cracking the whip, placing unreasonable
demands on their staff, demanding loyalty but giving
none in return.

www.Linked2Leadership.com
“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
C. Baula wrote: A. Saeed, PMP wrote:

Integrity... I would say what is lacked by most 'Leaders' is


Character... Ethics and a sense that all Life is ultimately
Honesty... connected.
Sincerity...
When they are drunk with 'Power', it impedes and
and most disables their ability to make a difference where it
importantly...RESPECT matters most, People and their lives around them.
for people they work with.
This may be the powerlessness of the worst kind.
www.Linked2Leadership.com
R. Schwartz-Hebron wrote:

I vote for a combination of kindness and excellence. By kindness I mean things like
respect for others and yourself, clear boundaries with compassion etc.

By excellence I mean a combination of three skills:


• Simplicity - the ability to see things as they truly are
• Systemic thinking - the ability to use subconscious thinking to produce snapshot
decisions in face of complex dynamic challenges.
• Real Knowledge - the ability to teach others Simplicity and Systemic Thinking which
is the ability to teach expert skills to novices (i.e. the ability to articulate and train
others in prioritizing, strategizing, creativity etc.--things we think are in the "either
you have it or you don't" category.)

The result is a combination of four factors with kindness sustaining excellence and
vise versa.
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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”

R. Wall wrote: M. Dziekan wrote:


Listening Openness

Jim Estill wrote: K. Featsent wrote:

Stamina Communication
Ability to inspire people

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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
B. Potta wrote:

1. Success: Most leaders understand Success as Own Success and focus much
attention to individual success pursuits. True leader will achieve Own Success by
ensuring every one in his team Succeeds, and much attention will be focused on
how as a leader I can help each one in my team succeed.
2. People: Most leaders remain managers and limit their efforts to managing
people’s time, tasks, etc.. True leader will focus on how he/she can help
individuals learn and support them to be able to do their job successfully and aid
in career building.
3. Primary Responsibility: While a Managers primary responsibility is to ensure
the job at hand is done, a leader’s primary responsibility will be to create a team
with able people and support them get the job done.
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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
A. Paranjpe wrote: V. Mani wrote:

Leaders just don't know the Here you go with my answers on what
meaning of Leadership anymore! generally Leaders of these days miss out in
Their management degrees teach general:
them that its all about being the one Personal integrity
who is most vocal on the floor. Willingness to be accountable
However, today's leaders lack vision, Awareness of how business works
empathy, courage to stand up for Caring about seeing the company succeed
their subordinates, and hindsight Commitment to continued learning
into a subordinate role they once Succession Planning
were in. Transformational Leadership skills

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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
V. Prabhu wrote: J. Arora wrote:

I can rank them in the A single word but the most


following order: desiring attribute for
organizational and self
1. Courage success: "COMMITMENT."
2. Creative problem solving
3. Openness
4. Work/Life Balance
5. Delegation

www.Linked2Leadership.com
S. Hansen wrote:

What is missing? The ability to stimulate leadership in the people you work with!
A lot of 'leaders' are just managing (themselves) in other to control others.

What's the need for leadership?


The philosophy of Bernard Lonergan (1904-1984) inspires me in relation to the topic of
leadership. He suggests 5 guidelines that can help develop bright ideas and stimulate
new perspectives; for people, projects or complicated assignments.
1. Be attentive ! (look, listen, be aware of the situation and what others ask from you)
2. Be intelligent ! (try to read, write, understand en give structure)
3. Be reasonable ! (look at the insight, try not to judge too fast or to it prudently)
4. Be responsible ! (answer others or answer the situation and look in the mirror once
in a while and face the influence you have on others)
5. Be in love ! (BE there, put your heart into the things you do, give your passion to
your projects and people and say: Yes, I do)
www.Linked2Leadership.com
“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”

T. Best wrote:

I would add to the list:

Emotional Intelligence and Cross-Cultural awareness.


This second one is growing in importance and both are
very hard to learn as this will not come out of a book or
classroom.

www.Linked2Leadership.com
“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
A. Khan wrote:

I can see a lot of very intelligent answers, so I shall not try and list
what they do not have. I will say something that they have, and
that makes them what they are.

Most leaders today are working for themselves, and not for the
good of their job, the company, and even their own country. They
are striving very hard to benefit themselves, and make hollow
claims that they are working for the common good. I believe a lot
of things need to be changed to change this attitude.
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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”

A. Levene wrote: J. Bassett wrote:

A commitment to training Truthfulness/Honesty - with


their vision, thought, speech themselves and their teams.
and action in an altruistic
Ability to say, "I think we're
way.
headed the wrong direction.
What the world needs is Let's stop and check the map."
Noble leadership.

www.Linked2Leadership.com
“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”

A. Mittal wrote:

I feel the most important thing in a leader should be first do the things
yourself, set examples, show the way of doing things and then expect
the results from your team. But this is lacking in most of the leaders.

A leader must be innovative, he should find more and more ways of


performance. A Leader should work as if everyday is his first day on job
and he/she will have to prove him/herself to the
management/colleagues and to the subordinates by this he will always
be aggressive, enthusiastic, attached with everyone in the company,
will always understand the basic problems and will always be fresh.
www.Linked2Leadership.com
“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
O. Shani wrote:

I think that the main problem is that we have too many


instant-made managers who are not leaders at all.

In nature, leaders have to fight their way up in a way that


ensures the survival of the fittest - and this is the healthy way
it should be in human organizations as well. Instead, people
are in many cases dropped down into positions just because
the have the right connections or graduated the right business
school.
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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
L. N. Kristiansen wrote:

I can only answer with yet another question!

“Do you, Dear Manager, meet your personnel with the


same enthusiasm, loyalty, vision and open mindedness
that you expect from them?”

www.Linked2Leadership.com
“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
C. Predeanu wrote: L. Becerra wrote:

Great and hard question... It's a great question, from my point is


the ability to help people to develop
I think work / life balance in the
progress in their course of their
most important issue at this
professional activities or private life
moment - The time for us - I think
in order they unleash their potential.
we need to provide trainings
In a nutshell putting people first
about "Time Management" or
rather than oneself.
"SCEM for our internal resources
" or a BSC - life, work, family,
career perspective...
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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”

J. Adams wrote: C.Cook wrote:


Dedication Integrity

J. Anastasio wrote: F. Gerard wrote:

Inspiring Being consistent

www.Linked2Leadership.com
T. Corbett wrote:

Interesting question.

In accessing leadership we need to be aware of our own perceptions of leadership. Many of


the attributes you and others have mentioned mention are common in leaders, and others,
and no one person can exhibit them all. Yet this often what we expect then we have our own
perception to consider. I can look at leaders I know and find fault and others will look at the
same leaders and think highly of them. Political leaders are a prime example of this. Rather
than consider what is lacking in our leaders perhaps what need to do is “…end the myth of
the complete leader: the flawless leader person at the top who’s got it all figured out.”
(Ancona, Malone, Orlikowski and Senge, 2007, Harvard Business Review “In praise of the
incomplete leader).

As this article points out the incompetent leader is one who is unaware of their relative
strengths and weaknesses. So to actually answer your question that attribute that is missing
most often from people in leadership positions who do not exhibit real leadership is self
awareness.
www.Linked2Leadership.com
“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
S. Mehta wrote:

Many of the business leaders today mostly lack one thing - Long
term strategy aligned with their vision.

That is why we see different procedures coming out every time an


organizational leadership is changed !
( which is so unlikely in organizations like Toyota where core
strategies never gets changed despite of change in leadership..)

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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
L. Lindsay wrote: P. Heppding wrote:

Honesty and Openness....


authenticity as
attributes. In good and bad times, the people that a
leader is responsible for may not have a clear
Inquiry - Asking the understanding of the current state of the
best right questions firm/organization for the simple reason that
as a way of leading the leader hasn't been open enough or has
been open about the necessary things.

www.Linked2Leadership.com
“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
B. Clere wrote:

If there were just one attribute that I believe that a


successful leader must have, it would be integrity. Without
it the leader will sooner or later, rise to the level of great
pride or fall into the pit of despair. Others must know just
as King David wrote in the Psalm that they can be judged
according to their integrity.
If others know that what you say is truth and you will stand
behind whatever you have said, even to your own hurt,
others will follow that.
www.Linked2Leadership.com
“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
J. Estill wrote: J. Kennedy wrote:
One word from a professional
Stamina
speaker is like asking my son to
Ability to inspire people
have one chocolate on Easter
Sunday.....
T. Troyer wrote:
Empathy is what is missing
most!
My one word would be:
Empathy.

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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”

N. Botten wrote: G. Tsanava wrote:

A sense of duty, a sense of I believe most of them can't integrate


honour, humility, integrity. vision with action eventually becoming
All are essential i believe more dreamers than visionary leaders.

S. Jatain wrote:
Lack of really good opportunities where leaders can actually show/prove what
they got to offer based on their immediate responsibilities. Office politics is
ruling the corporate sector. Beggars are choosers. Leaders are battling the so
called 'Internal Politics'.
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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”

C. Bragg wrote:
Good question Tom. I wonder how many see the word "leader" and think "manager". There is a HUGE
difference between the two.

I would like to see more people in leadership roles LEAD those they are charged to manage. Successful
leaders have a vision for what they seek to accomplish, where they want to go, and are adept at
communicating it AND reinforcing its pursuit everyday. Successful leaders hand out equal amounts of
responsibility and authority to those they lead with the confidence that doing so is the only way of
reaching the shared vision. Doing so positions people to manage themselves which has proved to be
quite effective.

Too many people in management positions think that leadership comes from their title or level of
responsibility. It doesn’t work that way.

So what attribute do I wish "leaders” were better at? Leading.

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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
G. Robinson wrote:

If we can get it out of our heads that “anyone can be a leader”


and start to appreciate that leadership and management are
two different but complimentary roles in an organization,
great things can happen. Leaders are not always able to
manage and managers are not always able to lead. And those
who can’t, shouldn’t

So I guess my short answer is, successful leaders today lack


leadership and/or the right followers.
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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
G. Clarke wrote:

This is paraphrasing something Henry Kissinger said, a few years back and resonates
still greater today, in the age of the Internet enabled sound bite...

The modern leader, whether a political, religious or business leader is less interested in
being a practitioner than a superstar. Practitioners walk alone; stars derive their status
from approbation.

Practitioners are defined by inner values, stars by consensus. When a leader’s views are
forged in white elephant committees and ratified by sycophants, disproportioned levels
of insecurity and superficiality become congenital. Mediocrity replaces meritocracy,
and indecision masquerades as consensus building.

Again - pick the forum and apply the observation.


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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
J.S. Rajeski wrote:
A few quotes come to mind:

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Gandhi.

“A politician thinks of the next election. A statesman, of the next generation.” –


James Freeman Clarke.

"This world demands the qualities of youth: not a time of life but a state of mind, a
temper of the will, a quality of imagination, a predominance of courage over
timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease."
– Robert Kennedy.
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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”

J.S. Rajeski wrote:

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired
signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not
fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not
spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the
genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of
life at all in any true sense. Under the clouds of war, it is humanity
hanging on a cross of iron." – Dwight Eisenhower.

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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”

J.S. Rajeski wrote:


“The basic things expected by our people of their political and economic
systems are simple. They are: Equality of opportunity for youth and for others.
Jobs for those who can work. Security for those who need it. The ending of
special privilege for the few. The preservation of civil liberties for all. The
enjoyment of the fruits of scientific progress in a wider and constantly rising
standard of living. These are the simple, the basic things that must never be
lost sight of in the turmoil and unbelievable complexity of our modern world.”
– Franklin D Roosevelt, State of the Union Address, 1941.

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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”

S. Yantra wrote:

Honesty and Statesmanship -- Today leaders have given a


pass to these qualities which our forefathers are known for
us .

I guess the leadership qualities do change with time???

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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
K. Daisley wrote:

Interesting piece. I also think that there is a division between leadership


and management - when it comes to roles that it. A manager can
definitely be a leader. I am thinking more of the CEO leader as opposed
to the manager leader.

One thing I have experienced in a few of my positions is CEO managers -


the "captains of the ships" so to speak becoming task managers when
they should be at the helm, while the manager leaders are the ones really
steering the ship. I think the difference between these two is also the soft
skills characteristics you mentioned.

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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
M. Juneja wrote:

Clarity on the meaning of the term “Leadership” itself is missing among


most of the leaders. Many of the people up in the hierarchy assume it as
being a 'control freak".

The biggest problem lies in the fact that they delegate without giving
authority, which ultimately takes away the challenge to do something new,
encouragement to take initiatives, willingness to take the OWNERSHIP
from all those who're working 'under' that leader.

Notice the word 'UNDER' here instead of 'WITH'.


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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”

R. Siegel wrote:

True self-awareness followed by self-disclosure.

K. Brame wrote:

Strong Ethics and character

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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
G. Sullam wrote:

There is an old saying by Confucius:


The leader works for the people. When something gets done, the
people say: "We did it".

Some modern leaders do exactly the opposite: They exploit the


people, and when something gets done, the leader says: "I did it!".

They lack of integrity.


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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”

C. Del Giudice wrote: Complementarity and intervision.

R. Elmes wrote:

One word...Empathy!!!

Put yourself in their shoes first. Understand their needs first.


Then you can communicate your needs and why it is in their
best interest to perform the tasks you are asking them to do.

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“What is Missing Most in Leaders Today?”
K. Berchelmann wrote:

Courage -- to make hard decisions; to stand behind them afterward, and to support
the values and ethics of an organization even when grossly uncomfortable. To take
measured risks.

Credibility -- a track record of doing what you say you'll do. Making realistic
expectations of others, and using accountability as a common thread for all involved.

Empathy -- the ability to listen, understand, and relate. Accepting input, and
having the personal mettle to explain why someone's advice won't be used his time.
Realizing that most people -- generally -- want the same things from their work
experience.
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Quotations may be attributed incorrectly. This is an unedited edition of “Let the People Speak.”™ All quotations have been
previously made available to the general public. This free resource may be re-quoted with the following attribution:

LinkedIn® is a trademark of LinkedIn Corporation Mountain View, CA USA ©2008.


Linked 2 Leadership is a group on LinkedIn. No other affiliation exists. These quotations
do not necessarily reflect the opinion of anyone other than the person quoted.

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