It begets it - Tom Peters

My daily reading/learning will occasionally take me to the Tom Peters web site. Wow, what a resource for leaders, managers, and entrepreneurs.

If you have ever seen Tom Peters you probably would not categorize him as a quiet leader. In fact, he is a self-described "professional loudmouth". He even flatly disagrees with some of the tenants of quiet leadership. See this You Tube video to see his critique of Jim Collin's Level 5 quietness.

Nevertheless, there are nuggets of quiet leadership theory throughout his work. One of my favorites, "it begets it."

You have to dig into the Tom Peters success tips archive to find "It begets it" in tip #5, "Target #1: Me!"

It begets it. It is a simple way of saying that if you do it, others will follow.

• Smiles begets smiles. If you smile, others will smile back. Try it it works.
• Thanks begets thanks. We can never say thank you too much. Wouldn't it be nice if everyone said thanks. It starts with you. Others will follow.
• Names begets names. Greet people by name and the use of names will grow.

A quiet leader can influence his or her environment by starting with the little things. Smile, thank, use names, stay positive.

Thanks for reading. Please lead quietly.

Don