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21 Management Lessons from Successful Politicians

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Posted: August 22, 2008

Michael Wade

Call people by name.
Find out what they want.
Give them your time.
Go to all parts of your community.
Listen carefully.
Don't try to do too much.
Keep in touch.
Simplify your message.
Maintain key principles.
Think several steps ahead.
Recognize your supporters.
Listen to your opponents.
Adjust your strategies so they correspond to, or reshape, reality.
Marshal your resources.
Consider new perspectives.
Develop your skills.
Pay attention to those who may feel excluded.
Understate your case.
Avoid convoluted explanations.
Don't accord too much weight to your greatest fans and critics.
Lead and serve.

Michael Wade writes Execupundit.com, an eclectic combination of management advice, observations, and links. A partner with the Phoenix firm of Sanders Wade Rodarte Consulting Inc., he has advised private and public-sector organizations for more than 30 years.

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