Leadership Lessons from Paris, France
About one month ago I did something CRAZY! My husband and I decided to travel to Paris, France. We were a bit nervous, but mostly excited because we love adventures and visiting new cities. The first day we arrived we jumped off the plane and it was tomorrow already. We had a choice. Stay awake and tour around Paris for the day or go to sleep. Of course we decided to stay awake. Each day we visited amazing historical monuments and walked the streets of Paris. It was so fun and I learned so much about leadership.
Leadership Lesson #1: Look for experiences that will expand you.As leaders it is important to always have an eye out for new experiences. These experiences will expand your view of the world and yourself. In order to be a great leader you must understand that there are other cultures and different ways of seeing the world. Unfortunately, too many leaders have a limited view of the world and don't take the time to expand it. I'd recommend you take the time to travel to new places.
Leadership Lesson #2: Learning the history of other leaders will help you understand influence. As leaders it's important to understand the history of other leaders. While I was in Paris I took a tour bus and I learned the history of some of France's leaders...both good and bad. It's interesting to learn how these leaders thought and how their influence impacted the country.
Leadership Lesson #3: Visiting historical structures will help you gain perspective.
"There it is. Wow!" I remember stopping and admiring a huge structure that I've seen in pictures for my entire life. To tell you the truth I wasn't too interested in the structure until I saw it in person for the first time. The Eiffel Tower is magnificent and it helped me gain perspective on how small I am. Not insignificant, but literally small in comparison to this large structure. As I walked up closer and closer to it I was mesmerized at the structural components of the Eiffel Tower. To think it was built in 1887!
As leaders it is important to understand different perspectives. Having the ability to look at an opportunity or a challenge from multiple lens will help you make the best decision possible. Many leaders only see the opportunity or challenge from their view or perspective. Long term this can turn into a problem because leaders need to understand all sides.
Remember leaders need to look for experience to expand, learn the history of other leaders, and gain perspective.
Make today amazing!
Allison