Abraham Lincoln's story in 1861:

"The Union stands for liberty, secession woul

In every age, there comes a time when a leader must come forward to meet the needs of the hour. Therefore, there is no potential leader who does not have the opportunity to make a positive difference in society. Tragically, there are times when a leader does not rise to the hour.

The following are seven leadership practices seen in times of crisis:

1. Stand up and be seen.

   Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done. The same goes for leadership. This is not the time to lock yourself away in strategy sessions. It is time to be visible.

2. Embrace brutal optimism.

   In the end, the best leaders combine two countervailing messages. Jim Collins, a management thinker and the author of "Good to Great", sometimes describes this as the "Churchill paradox." On the one hand was the Prime Minister's grim promise of "blood, toil, tears, and sweat" in the near term. On the other was his upbeat certainty that England would prevail "however long and hard the road may be."

3. Stick to the facts.

   Nothing is scarier than a leader who offers reassurances that fly in the face of the facts. Few believed Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill when he cheerfully predicted a quick economic recovery, nor did Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson inspire trust when he speculated that the first anthrax victim got the disease by drinking from a stream.

4. Tell a story in a statement.

   Abraham Lincoln's story in 1861:

   "The Union stands for liberty, secession would

   Direct Mail – Not What it Used to Be
   The number of businesses using direct mail marketing now compared to how many used this medium 10 to 15 years ago is staggeringly higher. More and more marketers understand its effectiveness and are on the bandwagon - especially Mortgage Brokers.Years back the novelty of receiving an advertisement in your mailbox was such that any direct mail pieces were not only looked at but mulled over. Not so anymore. The term ‘junk mail’ was coined sometime si
   age, there comes a time when a leader must come forward to meet the needs of the hour. Therefore, there is no potential leader who does not have the opportunity to make a positive difference in society. Tragically, there are times when a leader does not rise to the hour.

   The following are seven leadership practices seen in times of crisis:

   1. Stand up and be seen.

      Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done. The same goes for leadership. This is not the time to lock yourself away in strategy sessions. It is time to be visible.

   2. Embrace brutal optimism.

      In the end, the best leaders combine two countervailing messages. Jim Collins, a management thinker and the author of "Good to Great", sometimes describes this as the "Churchill paradox." On the one hand was the Prime Minister's grim promise of "blood, toil, tears, and sweat" in the near term. On the other was his upbeat certainty that England would prevail "however long and hard the road may be."

   3. Stick to the facts.

      Nothing is scarier than a leader who offers reassurances that fly in the face of the facts. Few believed Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill when he cheerfully predicted a quick economic recovery, nor did Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson inspire trust when he speculated that the first anthrax victim got the disease by drinking from a stream.

   4. Tell a story in a statement.

      Abraham Lincoln's story in 1861:

      "The Union stands for liberty, secession woul

      Disorganized? How To Avoid Disorganization At Work
      Are you disorganized to the point of finding yourself spending more time trying to locate things rather than actually working?Typically at work there are probably two main areas that lead to a sense of complete disorganization: 1. Your deskIf you're the type of person who believes that how busy you are at work has a direct correlation to the amount of paper on your desk, you need to get this thought out of your head.Do y
      p>Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done. The same goes for leadership. This is not the time to lock yourself away in strategy sessions. It is time to be visible.
   5. Embrace brutal optimism.

      In the end, the best leaders combine two countervailing messages. Jim Collins, a management thinker and the author of "Good to Great", sometimes describes this as the "Churchill paradox." On the one hand was the Prime Minister's grim promise of "blood, toil, tears, and sweat" in the near term. On the other was his upbeat certainty that England would prevail "however long and hard the road may be."

   6. Stick to the facts.

      Nothing is scarier than a leader who offers reassurances that fly in the face of the facts. Few believed Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill when he cheerfully predicted a quick economic recovery, nor did Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson inspire trust when he speculated that the first anthrax victim got the disease by drinking from a stream.

   7. Tell a story in a statement.

      Abraham Lincoln's story in 1861:

      "The Union stands for liberty, secession woul

      An Inconvenient Truth — A Failure to Persuade
      Learn From SuccessStealing Share is in the persuasion business, make no mistake about it. Our business category is brand development but our brand work must be, by definition, persuasive. Our goal for our clients is to create brands that grow market share by persuading customers who currently do not use or buy a given brand to revisit their purchase decision and to choose differently. We look for examples of persuasive success e
      as the "Churchill paradox." On the one hand was the Prime Minister's grim promise of "blood, toil, tears, and sweat" in the near term. On the other was his upbeat certainty that England would prevail "however long and hard the road may be."
   8. Stick to the facts.

      Nothing is scarier than a leader who offers reassurances that fly in the face of the facts. Few believed Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill when he cheerfully predicted a quick economic recovery, nor did Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson inspire trust when he speculated that the first anthrax victim got the disease by drinking from a stream.

   9. Tell a story in a statement.

      Abraham Lincoln's story in 1861:

      "The Union stands for liberty, secession woul

      Sun Zi Art of War - Securing Loyalty Before Punishment
      When the men are punished before their loyalty is secured, they will be rebellious and disobedient. If disobedient and rebellious, it is difficult to deploy them. When the loyalty of the men is secured, but punishments are not enforced, such troops cannot be used either. Thus, the general must be able to instruct his troops with civility and humanity and unite them with rigorous training and discipline so as to secure victories in battles. When orders
      Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill when he cheerfully predicted a quick economic recovery, nor did Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson inspire trust when he speculated that the first anthrax victim got the disease by drinking from a stream.
   10. Tell a story in a statement.

       Abraham Lincoln's story in 1861:

       "The Union stands for liberty, secession would destroy the Union, and therefore secession is a threat to liberty."

       Winston Churchill's story in 1942:

       "This is not the end; it is not even the beginning of the end, though it is perhaps the end of the beginning."

       George W. Bush's story in 2001:

       "They may not come to justice, but we will bring justice to them."

   11. The bottom line comes second.

       We should not have to tell you what comes first. "The most important thing is to have people know that they're secure and cared about - that they're not just cogs," says Dee Soder, an advisor to top executives and the founder of the CEO Perspective Group in New York City.

   12. Link the ordinary to the extraordinary.

       In the wake of events, employees are apt to ask themselves searching questions about their careers and priorities. With national security at stake, the thought goes, how important can my little job be? Probably not as important as the work of firefighters and Army Rangers, granted. However, creative leaders find ways to connect the humdrum of people's jobs with the larger causes on their minds.

   13. Do not overreach.

       You have done everything right, you have earned your leadership merit badge, and now your people are giving you a standing ovation. Next piece of advice: They are not really cheering for you. They are cheering for themselves - and for the group's ability to unite and persevere under threat. Lose sight of that, and you violate the delicate compact between leaders and led.