Ben Franklin: Leadership Guru?
by: Gerry Czarnecki
Ben Franklin is typically associated with the Declaration of
Independence, bifocals, and the spirit of invention. His
name doesn’t generally bring to mind “management guru”, but
Justin Fox, an editor of Fortune magazine posits that the
Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is a self-help guide for
management. In his article “What Ben Franklin Can Teach
Execs”, Fox offers insightful observations about how this
historical figure’s life story is full of lessons for
modern-day managers.
As the owner of a printing shop and publisher of a
newspaper, Franklin was a businessman who, like most of us,
struggled with time-management and order. To combat this
problem, he devised a plan to set a daily schedule with
goals and tasks assigned in hourly segments of each day. At
the end of the day, he asked himself “What good have I done
today?” As Fox astutely observes, Franklin’s approach is no
different than the best practices that should guide modern
management activities.
“This emphasis on setting goals for the day ahead and taking
stock afterward remains a staple of time-management advice.
(At least, so I’m told.) There’s clearly something to it: I
know that I’m far more likely to accomplish something when I
have a well-defined to-do list for the day. But in a work
world where conflicting, competing priorities are the norm,
it’s really hard to stick to such a list… This is perhaps
the most appealing aspect of Franklin’s time-management
advice: He was an admitted failure at it, and yet that was…
okay. Which is just about the most inspirational message
conceivable.”
http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/08/magazines/fortune/pluggedin_fortune/index.htm
Whether or not you succeed in checking each task off of your
daily list, you will be more productive and more focused
simply by having such a list. Set goals, then determine
which assignments are necessary to achieve your goals. Each
assignment should be given a deadline that is reasonable yet
ambitious. A sense of urgency is better than the feeling
that one has plenty of time to “slack off”. At the end of
the day, you will have a great sense of satisfaction at how
much you were able to accomplish, and be better able to
assess what you need to do tomorrow.
(c) Copyright 2006 by Gerald Czarnecki - All Rights reserved
About The Author:
Gerry Czarnecki promotes excellence in leadership through
activities as an author, public speaker & consultant. He
also trains boards of directors in corporate governance best
practices. For leadership books & programs go to
www.the-czar.com; for his business consulting & governance
training visit www.deltennium.com
September 2006
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