Refleksi Kepemimpinan

Betapa sering kita menyaksikan bahwa apa yang disebut dengan kepemimpinan itu ternyata tidaklah bergantung kepada posisi atau jabatan seseorang. Kepala keluarga yang kurang mampu membina anak-anaknya, guru kelas yang tak dipatuhi para siswanya, ketua partai yang imbauannya tak dihiraukan konstituen, pemuka agama yang khutbahnya dianggap angin lalu oleh umat, direktur perusahaan yang setiap hari hanya memarahi dan mengancam anak buah, hingga jenderal yang tak piawai saat memberikan arahan, merupakan berbagai gambaran mengenai fenomena yang jamak ini. Bahkan ada pula kepala negara yang sebelum masa jabatannya berakhir, didesak untuk mengundurkan diri oleh rakyatnya sendiri walau terpilih secara sah konstitusional.

Padahal, bukankah semestinya dengan menyandang posisi pimpinan maka seseorang akan lebih mudah dalam memimpin orang lain? Bukankah dengan status yang disandangnya itu maka pengaruh yang diberikan kepada para pengikutnya akan menjadi lebih kuat? Hal ini ternyata tak selalu dapat berjalan demikian karena kepemimpinan itu sendiri tidaklah identik dengan sebuah posisi pimpinan, leadership is not a headship. Albert Einstein, Bunda Teresa, Konosuke Matsushita, Hasyim Asy'ari, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., dan banyak lagi tokoh pemimpin dunia lainnya di berbagai bidang, menjadi bukti yang nyata bahwa sesungguhnya pengaruh atas orang banyak dapat diperoleh walau tanpa jabatan penting kenegaraan sekalipun. Visi, integritas, keberanian, kepedulian, kebijaksanaan, semangat, komitmen, dan ketulusan, adalah kunci utama keberhasilan mereka di dalam memimpin, achievement of goals through voluntary followership.

Para tokoh pemimpin dunia tersebut tidaklah menunggu saat yang tepat untuk bertindak. Mereka tidak menunggu kaya, populer, atau berkuasa dahulu baru kemudian mewujudkan perubahan. Mereka tidak bersembunyi di menara gading melainkan hadir di tengah masyarakat. Mereka rela berkorban. Mereka memiliki pendirian teguh dan standar etika yang tinggi. Mereka juga para komunikator yang ulung akan pemikirannya. Mereka tekun membangun kapasitas kepemimpinannya dengan menghadapi kesulitan demi kesulitan. Mereka mengambil tanggung jawab untuk berperan semaksimal mungkin semasa hidupnya. Dan dengan menjalani hal-hal antara lain demikianlah, maka secara alamiah para informal leaders akan dapat bertransformasi menjadi para world class leaders. Kepemimpinan yang telah mereka bangunpun menjadi lebih lengkap saat mereka pada akhirnya mengemban amanat sebagai pemimpin formal di masyarakat. Hal yang kemudian membuat kisah kepemimpinan mereka menjadi inspirasi sepanjang zaman. Meminjam istilah Paulo Coelho dalam karyanya The Alchemist, mereka telah menuliskan legenda pribadinya sebagai karya dan teladan yang amat bernilai bagi generasi sesudahnya.

Walaupun memang tak dapat dipungkiri bahwa kepemimpinan itu sendiri bersifat kontekstual, sehingga pemimpin yang dibutuhkan sebuah organisasi politik akan berbeda dengan organisasi pendidikan, keagamaan, bisnis, militer, kelompok tani, para artis, atau bahkan organisasi mafia, namun sifat dasar kepemimpinan tidaklah jauh berbeda satu dengan yang lainnya. Masyarakat manapun senantiasa membutuhkan sosok pemimpin dan panutan, terlebih lagi dalam menghadapi masa-masa sulit.

Kepemimpinan juga merupakan key success factor dari proses perubahan yang besar. Para pengikutpun akan dengan sukarela mendukung terjadinya suatu perubahan mengikuti kepemimpinan yang kuat. Hal mana yang keberhasilan pengembangannya dalam tinjauan para ahli di berbagai institusi terkemuka, antara lain Harvard University atau McKinsey Inc., tidaklah dibedakan oleh faktor jenis kelamin, IQ, status sosial ekonomi, agama, ataupun ras seseorang. Kepemimpinan yang kuat dapat dijalankan oleh semua orang baik mereka yang berkepribadian ekstrovert maupun introvert.

Kepemimpinan yang kuat pula akan dapat mengendalikan jalannya sistem. Walau tengah berada di dalam sistem yang sudah terbangun secara buruk sekalipun, seorang pemimpin yang kuat tidak akan dengan mudah untuk dapat terpengaruh. Begitupun sebaliknya, seberapapun bagusnya sebuah sistem dalam berbagai bentuk peraturan dan kebijakan yang berfungsi sebagai enabler di masyarakat, jika berada di tangan pemimpin yang tidak kuat, hanyalah merupakan kesia-siaan belaka. Betapa banyak produk UU yang dimiliki oleh suatu negara, namun tak kunjung terasa manfaatnya oleh rakyat bila tak dijalankan dengan sungguh-sungguh oleh mereka yang berwenang.

Sedang di tingkat perusahaan seringkali pula kita dengar, bahwa perencanaan strategis yang sangat baik haruslah diikuti dengan eksekusi terhadap pelaksanaannya, yang tak lain adalah kepemimpinan. Bahkan tak jarang pula kita amati bahwa seiring pergantian kepemimpinan, para pengikut kadang kala merindukan sosok pemimpinnya yang terdahulu, karena pemimpin yang saat ini sedang menjabat kurang terasa kepemimpinannya, walaupun dalam hal ini tak ada perubahan aturan main sama sekali. Hal ini tak lain dikarenakan setiap orang memiliki ciri khas kepemimpinannya masing-masing yang memberi dampak dan jejak berbeda kepada para pengikutnya.

Kepemimpinan adalah driver dari sebuah proses perubahan. Kepemimpinanlah yang mampu mengubah zaman jahiliyah menjadi peradaban madaniyah dalam sejarah penyebaran agama. Kepemimpinanlah yang menjadi kunci bagi terciptanya perdamaian atau peperangan dunia. Kepemimpinanlah pula yang dapat menentukan masa depan negara serta organisasi manapun. Dan kepemimpinan pulalah yang mampu menyukseskan penyelamatan fenomenal 33 penambang Chile pertengahan Oktober lalu, baik dari para penambang itu sendiri maupun para tim penyelamat.

Pada hakikatnya, kita semua merupakan pemimpin di muka bumi ini. Sembari terutama saya mengingatkan diri saya sendiri, apapun profesi, job title, serta kesibukan kita sehari-hari saat ini, marilah kita jalankan kepemimpinan kita di semua tingkat kehidupan secara maksimal dan dengan sebaik-baiknya. Apalagi, jika secara struktural formal saat ini diri kita merupakan pimpinan yang menjadi tumpuan harapan bagi begitu banyak orang. Sungguh, tiada seorang pun yang tahu kapan 'saat' yang telah ditentukan itu akan tiba. Namun semoga, jikalau esok pun adalah waktunya, kita tak menyimpan sesal dan berserah dengan kelapangan jiwa. Kepemimpinan kita, hidup kita, adalah sebuah legenda.

*) Dedy Irawan, pemerhati manajemen, tinggal di Jakarta. Memiliki pengalaman profesional di Accor, Arbe, AstraZeneca, Recapital.

Fine Art in Photography, the art of seeing

Two of the most frustrated trades are dentists and photographers - dentists because they want to be doctors, and photographers because they want to be painters. Picasso

Actually, I'm not all that interested in the subject of photography. Once the picture is in the box, I'm not all that interested in what happens next. Hunters, after all, aren't cooks. Henri Cartier Bresson

I trust pictures, but no pictures made in my world - because I know what goes on. Naomi Campbell

Interpretation is the revenge of the intellect upon art. Susan Sontag

Photography is more than a medium for factual communication of ideas. It is a creative art. Ansel Adams

I paint when I cannot photograph. Man Ray

In every photographer there was a painter, a true artist, awaiting expression. Pablo Picasso

If it is practiced by a man of taste, the photograph will have the appearance of art (but) the photographer must... intervene as little as possible, so as not...to lose the objective charm which it naturally possesses. Henri Matisse

Your character is the sum of all the qualities that make you who you are

It’s your values, your thoughts, your words, your actions
in other words, it’s YOU.

Character is the product of daily, hourly actions, and words, and thoughts; daily forgivenesses, unselfishness, kindnesses, sympathies, charities, sacrifices for the good of others, struggles against temptation, submissiveness under trial. Oh, it is these, like the blending colors in a picture, or the blending notes of music, which constitute the man. Macduff

I have learned by experience that no man's character can be eventually injured but by his own acts. Hill

Man can have strength of character only as he is capable of controlling his faculties; of choosing a rational end; and, in its pursuit, of holding fast to his integrity against al! the might of external nature. Hopkins

If you lose money, you lose nothing, If you lose time, you lose some thing, If you lose character you lose every thing. Swami

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved. Keller

I believe people who are in a position of visibility and leadership affect the character of young people and individuals who look to them as leaders. And in some respects, just as important as their policies and positions is their character and their substance. What for me makes people like Teddy Roosevelt and Franklin Roosevelt and John Adams and George Washington and Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan such extraordinary leaders is that they had integrity through and through. What they were on the inside and what they said on the outside was harmonious. There a lot of people like that. I think that if people try to live a very different personal life not consistent with the role they’ve assumed as a governor or senator or president, we lose something as a nation. Romney

"Knowledge will give you power, but character, respect." B.Lee

"Das Gesicht ist das Protokoll des Charakters." Weber

"Alle Charaktere sind aus denselben Elementen zusammengesetzt; nur die Proportionen machen den Unterschied aus." Jouffroy

"Die Basis des Charakters ist die Willenskraft." Wilde

“Nothing shows a man's character more than what he laughs at.” Goethe

"Un vero carattere riesce sempre a emergere nei grandi momenti." Napoleon

Gefühl: Freude, Angst, Liebe, Hass, Ziel, Traum, Wut, Ärger, Verachtung, Frucht, Interesse-Neugier, Überraschung, Ekel, Traurigkeit, Scham und Schuld

im Sinne von „vager Ahnung“ eine Eingebung bzw. Intuition
im Sinne von „ein Gefühl für etwas haben“ eine Fähigkeit bzw. Kompetenz
und Kompetenz ins Gesicht geschrieben


Like this resume? Carve my name on your hearts, not on marble

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intregrity

Brain-Soul Communication

The godless society’s motto is ‘work and pLay', while the motto of the god-conscious society is, ‘work and pRay’ "!

No worldly anxieties upset the satisfied soul. The Ultimate Success is not in amassing fortunes, being famous or having a fantastic career, but success is in escaping the fires of hell.

The real journey of the soul from the earth to heaven where it meets its Lord, the Creator.

LET'S PREPARE!


www.missionislam.com

Tell me about yourself from theladder.com

You know it’s coming.
It’s the most feared question during any job interview: Do you think I would look good in a cowboy hat?
Just kidding. The real question is: Can you tell me about yourself?
Blecch. What a boring, vague, open-ended question. Who likes answering that?
I know. I’m with you. But unfortunately, hiring managers and executive recruiters ask the question. Even if you’re not interviewing and you’re out networking in the community — you need to be ready to hear it and answer it. At all times.
Now, before I share a list of 10 memorable answers, consider the two essential elements behind the answers:
The medium is the message. The interviewer cares less about your answer to this question and more about the confidence, enthusiasm and passion with which you answer it.
The speed of the response is the response. The biggest mistake you could make is pausing, stalling or fumbling at the onset of your answer, thus demonstrating a lack of self-awareness and self-esteem.
Next time you’re faced with the dreaded, “Tell me about yourself…” question, try these:

1. “I can summarize who I am in three words.” Grabs their attention immediately. Demonstrates your ability to be concise, creative and compelling.
2. “The quotation I live my life by is…” Proves that personal development is an essential part of your growth plan. Also shows your ability to motivate yourself.
3. “My personal philosophy is…” Companies hire athletes – not shortstops. This line indicates your position as a thinker, not just an employee.
4. “People who know me best say that I’m…” This response offers insight into your own level of self-awareness.
5. “Well, I googled myself this morning, and here’s what I found…” Tech-savvy, fun, cool people would say this. Unexpected and memorable.
6. “My passion is…” People don’t care what you do – people care who you are. And what you’re passionate about is who you are. Plus, passion unearths enthusiasm.
7. “When I was seven years old, I always wanted to be…” An answer like this shows that you’ve been preparing for this job your whole life, not just the night before.
8. “If Hollywood made a move about my life, it would be called…” Engaging, interesting and entertaining.
9. “Can I show you, instead of tell you?” Then, pull something out of your pocket that represents who you are. Who could resist this answer? Who could forget this answer?
10. “The compliment people give me most frequently is…” Almost like a testimonial, this response also indicates self-awareness and openness to feedback.

Keep in mind that these examples are just the opener. The secret is thinking how you will follow up each answer with relevant, interesting and concise explanations that make the already bored interviewer look up from his stale coffee and think, “Wow! That’s the best answer I’ve heard all day!”
Ultimately it’s about answering quickly, it’s about speaking creatively and it’s about breaking people’s patterns.

I understand your fear with such answers. Responses like these are risky, unexpected and unorthodox. And that’s exactly why they work.
Otherwise you become (yet another) non-entity in the gray mass of blah, blah, blah.
You’re hireable because of your answers. When people ask you to tell them about yourself, make them glad they asked.
Let me ask you this: How much time did you dedicate this week to becoming more interesting?

When Is a Doctor Too Old? Or Too Young?

Look closely at the top of your doctor's head the next time you get a chance. Do those odd gray hairs worry you at all? Do they speak to you of wisdom and experience? Or do they remind you it may be time to leave the old fool for a source of more up-to-date care?

In Britain, the National Health Service imposes draconian limitations on physicians wishing to work after age 65, and essentially forbids work after 70. The policy is clearly intended to guard the population from doddering idiots, but some may argue it squanders the best talents instead.

We know all about dog-years and cat-years. No expert yet has come up with an estimate for doctor-years. How old do doctors really become, after 10 years in practice, or 50? Can we safely drag wrinkled, elderly frames around like tortoises, knowing that at work we are relatively immortal? Or should we retire while still chronologically young but, in doctor-years, obsolesced beyond repair?

I once had two colleagues who graduated from medical school over 40 years apart. The young one was fresh out of training, the old one heading for retirement. Watching the two of them at work was one of the best possible lessons in the passage of medical time.

The old doctor had taken care of some patients for decades. The intermittent half-hours they spent together had coalesced over the years into tight, loyal partnerships.

The young one had never taken care of a patient for more than a couple of years before saying goodbye and moving on.

The old doctor had learned medicine from a set of principles that were almost antique, as the drugs and tests of successive decades were replaced by newer, better models.

The young one was fully versed in the newest tests and drugs, and had only a passing acquaintance with the historic standbys.

The old doctor, although reasonably conversant with computers, was a hesitant typist who preferred paper charts, prescriptions, textbooks and journals to computerized medical records and cyberliterature.

The young doctor played the computer keyboard like an organist at a Wurlitzer. Doctor and patient often plumbed the Internet for information together. Patients could take home freshly printed data analyses to study for themselves.

So which one of these doctors did the better job? As far as I was concerned, they were in a dead heat.

The old doctor, warm and informal, loved many long-term patients deeply, sometimes to the extent of forgetting they were patients, not friends. Just as you might avoid mentioning a friend's weight problem, drinking habits or bad breath, delicate issues were sometimes let slide in a culpably unprofessional way.

The young doctor never let anything slide. Still, the atmosphere in that office was formal and more than a little chilly. Nothing smoothes the rough edges of medical care like some mutual affection - a lesson the young doctor had yet to learn.

The old doctor used tests and medications fluently - up to a point. Some of doctor's habits were admittedly outmoded. Still, the years had left behind a certain supple flexibility of practice: after witnessing enough changing fashions in medical care, a doctor generally learns that most "best practices" are evanescent.

The young doctor chose tests and treatments based on the premise that there was a single right way to do things. That doctor had yet to learn that absolute trust in any drug or treatment is often a major mistake.

The old doctor stored important details about patients in memory, and nowhere else. The doctor's hesitantly typed notes recording office visits were brief and old-fashioned - a few sentences at most, difficult for anyone else to interpret.

The young doctor remembered little about each patient from visit to visit, but typed volumes, and was a big fan of medical software that supplies preformed phrases, sentences and paragraphs - the results of an entire physical exam, for instance - at the click of the mouse. Sometimes the mouse clicked just a little too quickly and erroneous information crept into the charts.

Insurance reviewers occasionally confused the old doctor's terse notes with incompetence. Patients occasionally complained bitterly about the young doctor, deploring that habit of pounding the computer keyboard for the duration of their visit and never once looking them in the eye. Both doctors, learning of these misunderstandings, were mortified and furious. Colleagues who had to wade through charts belonging to either one just tore their hair.

In some ways, the young pup was much too young for the work, and the old dog much too old. In other ways, each was just right, and would never be better.

Does the practice of medicine have a natural life span? Every doctor, every patient (and every insurer) would probably answer differently.

Abigail Zuker M.D.

When will my reflection show who i am inside

Managing vs Leading

Managing is about efficiency. Leading is about effectiveness. Managing
is about how. Leading is about what and why. Management is about
systems, controls, procedures, policies, and structure. Leadership is
about trust — about people.

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Know the difference between being smart and knowledgeable

If you are smart, mentally, your mind works very well and is sharp. For an example, you have a great memory or you learn quickly.

If you are knowledgeable, you are well-educated, and you know a lot.

Are you both or just one?

Let's turn the joy of reading to a desire to write

Every author, of course, has a "beginning".
Robert Ludlum

The only way to learn to write is to write, and keep doing it until you get it damm right.
Tom Clancy