In an uplifting message to students and faculty at Charleston Southern University, Tim Elmore, founder of Growing Leaders, said the goal of college students should be to find the situation where they can ripple with influence. Elmore spoke at Charleston Southern’s convocation Oct. 29.
Tim ElmoreElmore shared several lessons with student leaders from his Habitudes series. In the series, he attaches images to leadership to aid memory.
One Habitude is The Mirror Effect. “People do what people see,” said Elmore. “This is the greatest management principle in the world.” He tells leaders, if something is not working in your organization, take a look at yourself. “Rick Warren says, if you want to know the temperature of an organization, put a thermometer in the leader’s mouth,” he said.
“I thought that Tim brought a fresh perspective that was both objective and insightful,” said Keith Sharp, chair of the religion department. “His passion for leadership and for helping others become great leaders was evident in both the convocation and the lunch seminar. It was obvious to me that Tim has spent much time thinking about some bigger horizon issues of leadership and how specifically we can prepare for their arrival,” he said.
A favorite Habitude Elmore shared was Dorothy’s Way. The movie “The Wizard of Oz” is a classic leadership movie, according to Elmore. Dorothy leaves a black-and-white, flat world and arrives in a colorful, complex world. The wicked witch leads through manipulation. She’s on a power trip – “I’ll get you, my pretties.” Another leader is the wizard. He leads through intimidation, but he’s just an image, a facade. Dorothy, the true leader, leads through exploration on the journey. “She doesn’t have all the answers; she reveals her team’s strengths; she gets scared herself, but she leads point for her team,” said Elmore.