May 8, 2007, 12:14
Paris Hilton represents many things to many people. And now she inadvertently offers fantastic lessons in leadership skills. Her crimes Aca,!aEURoe DUI, breaking probation, driving without a license Aca,!aEURoe and follow-up botches offers lessons to leaders on how not to handle key leadership problems.
Here are five lessons Paris Hilton taught all leaders.
Leadership Lesson #1 = LEADERS ADMIT THEIR MISTAKES
Ms. Hilton claimed her 45 day jail sentence Aca,!A"punishment is cruel and unwarranted.Aca,!? In contrast, a smart leader admits mistakes and accepts the consequences. Employees admire leaders who come right out and admit they did wrong. Honesty in trying circumstances shows the leader is a human being who admits blunders and whose heart is in the right place.Aca,!?
Leadership Lesson #2 = HIRE THE BEST
Paris claimed other people handled her mail, including legal papers concerning her convictions and punishments. Well, Paris Hilton and every leader needs to hire assistants sharp enough to tell them when monstrously important pieces of mail arrive or read all their mail themselves. I delve into how to hire productive, dependable employees in my third book, Aca,!A"Hire the Best -- & Avoid the RestAcaEURzc.Aca,!? At some point, leaders should not blame other people for their major mistakes.
Leadership Lesson #3 = APOLOGIZE Aca,!aEURoe & TRULY MEAN IT Aca,!A"When a great leader apologizes, everyone feels the leader really means it. In contrast, Paris Hilton seemed more concerned with wiggling out of jail than feeling heart-felt regret for her dangerous and illegal missteps.
Leadership Lesson #4 = ONLY SIGN DOCUMENTS YOU READ & AGREE With Leaders sometimes get so caught up in their big-shot, big-picture activities that they sometimes forget some details require their total attention. Sarbanes-Oxley has brought this truth to the fore. Paris Hilton said she signed some legal papers without fully reading them. Signing important papers without reading and agreeing with the contents is a leadership crime no leader ever should commit.
Leadership Lesson #5 = SHOW UP & SHOW UP ON-TIME Paris Hilton failed to show up properly in two big instances: She never attended alcohol education sessions required after her DUI conviction, and she arrived late to court. True leaders absolutely must do what they must do on the schedule they need to do it. Absolutely fabulous leaders know failure is not an option. No one appoints a leader Aca,!aEURoe or Paris Hilton Aca,!aEURoe king or queen so they might think they can do whatever they want and are not required to show up and show up on-time for crucial meetings and events.
Fortunately, Paris HiltonAca,!a,,cs unfortunate actions give fantastic leadership lessons to leaders everywhere. At this point, it is better to learn from Paris than to be Paris.
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A,(C) Copyright 2007 Michael Mercer, Ph.D. Michael Mercer, Ph.D., is AmericaAca,!a,,cs Hire the Best ExpertAcaEURzc. Many companies use pre-employment tests he created -- Aca,!A"Abilities & Behavior ForecasterAcaEURzcAca,!? Tests Aca,!aEURoe and his Aca,!A"7-Step Method to Hire the BestAca,!?AcaEURzc. Dr. Mercer authored 5 books, including, "Absolutely Fabulous Organizational ChangeAcaEURzc", "Hire the Best -- & Avoid the RestAcaEURzc" and also "Turning Your Human Resources Department into a Profit CenterAcaEURzc." You can (a) get a free subscription to his e-Newsletter at http://www.Pre-EmploymentTests.com or (b) call to talk with Dr. Mercer at (847) 382-0690
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