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GREAT LEADERS SET GOALS FOR THE NEW YEAR

December 23, 2014 By

Soon, the curtain will fall on 2014; and, one second later, the curtain will rise on 2015. Great Leaders have a vision of what the coming year will look like and they share that vision in the goals that they set. I had the privilege of working with a coach a while ago and she shared these goal setting techniques with me.

  • Decide what you really want. Great Leaders know what they really want. They know … they don’t think they want something … they know what they want. That want is a passion that drives them forward. It motivates them every waking hour of their day.
  • They believe that their goal is attainable. The belief of a Great Leader is strong; so strong, in fact, that they cannot imagine that the goal won’t be reached. Not only is the goal a part of their vision of the future, they envision themselves having already attained it.
  • Their vision is specific. Ask Great Leaders about their vision and they will tell you all about it. If you listen closely, you find that the vision is very specific … they know exactly what the final outcome will look like; what it will feel like to reach it and mark the goal “got it!”
  • Their goals have timetables. Great Leaders know that time is of the essence and they apply this knowledge to their visions and their goals. “Someday” is not an appropriate timetable; “by December 31st, 2015” is a very specific timeframe for a goal. Great Leaders establish a timetable and then measure their progress toward the goal against this timetable. On any specific day, Great Leaders can tell you if they are “on track” to reach their goal by the end date; if they are ahead of schedule; if they are behind schedule. Knowing their status in reference to the timetable helps the Great Leader determine if more work must be done faster or if they can reach the goal sooner than anticipated.

Next week, we’ll take a closer look at goal setting and establish the parameters for setting meaningful goals that lead to accomplishments that may be greater than you have ever foreseen.

Tom Hoisington is a speaker, trainer, and author whose goal is to provide leaders and potential leaders with tools that empower them to build teams that are creative and cost effective along with a clearer understanding of how personality types interact within those teams. He can be contacted at [email protected]

Filed Under: Building a Legacy, Dynamic Leadership, Great Leaders, Lead by Example, Lead from strength, Lead with Integrity, Leadership, Leadership Qualities, What characterizes good leaders

Even Bad Leaders Can Be Great Role Models

December 14, 2014 By

In the article titled, “Let Great Leaders Pause to Give Thanks”, we talked about the importance of Great Leaders taking time to give thanks. Reflecting this past week, I realized that there were a few thank you’s that I had neglected to offer. While Great Leaders are usually the result of the wonderful examples set by other Great Leaders, it occurred to me that, sometimes, bad examples are also instrumental in the development of a Great Leader.

This realization was prompted by a short time spent at the counter of a diner I ate at while traveling. It was late Saturday morning and the diner was relatively busy. The manager was standing at the “pass out window” where the cooks would set the plates that were ready to be delivered to the patrons at the tables. His job was to organize the various meals by ticket so that the server could pick up a tray and all of the meals for that table would be on the tray. While the manager was doing this, he was constantly yelling at the cooks and berating the servers. The overall attitude of the staff was very negative and it was reflected in the service that they provided. This incident brought to mind a time when I worked as a cook in a coffee shop and the manager, we’ll call him Larry, was a crude, rude, and verbally abusive drunk. I remember watching the way he treated everyone and thinking, “I don’t ever want to be a manager like him.” Through his bad example, he made me realize the importance of treating others with courtesy and respect regardless of their position in the company’s hierarchy. Thank you, Larry, for setting that example of how NOT to treat employees.

While I’ve frequently cited the great leadership skills of my first agency manager, Ray, I also recall the behaviors and actions of several agency managers that I met who belittled their agents, questioned the agents’ potential to “ever amount to anything”, treated staff members with disdain, were deceitful, and were generally rude to everyone. One of the agents who transferred to my agency after working for one of these other managers remarked, “I learned a lot from (former manager). I learned what I don’t want to be like.” Thank you, (former manager), for showing me why agents left other agencies to work for a different manager.

Great Leaders, today and always, learn from everyone around them. On some days, they see an example of how they want to lead, an example that they want to emulate. On other days, they see, first-hand, behaviors that they want to avoid at all costs. Regardless of which day it is, Great Leaders see and learn from everything and everyone around them. For this, we should all give thanks.

Tom Hoisington is a speaker, trainer, and author whose goal is to provide leaders and potential leaders with tools that empower them to build teams that are creative and cost effective along with a clearer understanding of how personality types interact within those teams. He can be contacted at [email protected]

Filed Under: Building a Legacy, Dynamic Leadership, Great Leaders, Lead by Example, Lead from strength, Leadership, Leadership Qualities Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Great Leaders on a Day in Infamy

December 7, 2014 By

On “December 7th, 1941, a date which will live in infamy,” as President Roosevelt called it, the United States Naval Base at Pearl Harbor was attacked. Today marks the 73rd anniversary of that attack.

As President of the United States and leader of the American People, FDR made no effort to hide the fact that extensive damage had been sustained and many lives had been lost. He united the country in its resolve to undertake the hardships and sacrifices required in wartime. But he was not the only Great Leader on December 7th and the days that followed.

Men and women in the armed forces stepped up and organized efforts to fight back; led efforts to rescue individuals whose lives were in peril; and, cared for those who were injured and wounded.

Civilians volunteered to serve in  the military; organized and led to scrap metal drives; planted “victory gardens” in which they raised fresh fruits and vegetables; participated in “bond drives” so essential to the funding of the war effort;.

In the days following Pearl Harbor, the American people demonstrated that there is the potential to be a Great Leader in each of us; that, when circumstances require it, each of us is capable of leading others to do what is needed. Let us pause today to remember all of the “unsung leaders” of the Greatest Generation.

Tom Hoisington is a speaker, trainer, and author whose goal is to provide leaders and potential leaders with tools that empower them to build teams that are creative and cost effective along with a clearer understanding of how personality types interact within those teams. He can be contacted at [email protected]

Filed Under: Dynamic Leadership, Great Leaders, Lead by Example, Lead from strength, Leadership, Leadership Qualities, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , ,

Let Great Leaders Pause to Give Thanks

November 23, 2014 By

Leaders who would be Great Leaders know that few become who and what they are alone; with no help. It is only fitting then that we as a people, and especially those among us who are leaders, should pause this week to give thanks for the many blessings we have received; and, for those individuals who have shared the knowledge and experiences that helped shape who we are today. Here are a few of the people and things for which I am thankful this year.

  • The love, encouragement, and support of my family – For me, it all starts here. Without the love and support of my family, I could not do what I do. I am especially thankful for my wife, Lin, who supports and encourages the work I do in the Scouting Community to help shape the character and values of the next generation of leaders.
  • The examples set by my parents – Without a doubt, my mother and father set an example of unconditional love and acceptance; honor and integrity; justice and fairness. I recognize today that they did not “preach” these values but rather provided the example by living them every day of their lives.
  • Friends and associates I call “Talent Scouts” – I have been blessed with a number of friends and business associates who have seen talents in me that I never suspected were there; and, they encouraged me to use those; to let them “come out and play”. Even when I questioned my own ability, they were steadfast and encouraged me to exercise and grow those talents. They are far too numerous to mention each by name; but, you know who you are and I hope you know how much I appreciate the encouragement and support you have provided.
  • The selfless men and women of Scouting – A standard and running joke among Boy Scout Volunteers is that “it’s only an hour a week”. For most of these dedicated leaders, volunteering entails far more than a single hour a week; yet, they continue to give of their time and talents … some for many years after their sons graduate from high school and even college.
  • The country in which I live – I am thankful that I live in the United States of America, a country in which I am free to make my own choices and succeed or fail on my own merit and effort. Ours is a country in which a person’s opportunities are not governed by the class into which they were born; not limited by a government that determines the education that they will be allowed to obtain or what job they will enter. I pray that the people of this nation will not cast aside these freedoms to pursue the mirage of “safety and security” wherein someone else makes these choices for them.
  • Finally – I am thankful that I am free to write what I believe and to give thanks for the blessings I enjoy without fear of reprisal from someone who does not agree with what I believe or how I offer up my thanksgiving. May God Bless the USA and all who reside here.

Those who are Great Leaders and those who would choose to become Great Leaders will take time this week to look around them, see how blessed they are, and offer up thanks. For what are you thankful? If you care to share, click “Comment” and tell others what you are thankful for.

Tom Hoisington is a speaker, trainer, and author whose goal is to provide leaders and potential leaders with tools that empower them to build teams that are creative and cost effective along with a clearer understanding of how personality types interact within those teams. He can be contacted at [email protected]

Filed Under: Building a Legacy, Dynamic Leadership, Great Leaders, Lead by Example, Lead from strength, Lead with Integrity, Leadership, Leadership Qualities, Uncategorized, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , ,

Great Leadership Requires Teamwork, Right?

November 16, 2014 By

It’s a funny thing about Great Leaders. Their alphabet seems to be missing a letter. The alphabets of Great Leaders also seem to have a letter or character that appears to be missing from the alphabets that many people use. Have you figured out what letter is missing and what letter has replaced it?

Great Leaders seldom use the letter “I”. Listen carefully and you soon realize that you seldom hear, “I did this” or “I did that”. In fact, Great Leaders use the letter “I” so seldom that it is only natural to assume that it has been removed from their alphabet. Instead, they’ve added the letter (character?) “we”, as in “we did this” and “we did that”.

Assembling and using the talents of a team is one of the great talents of true leadership. It is the abandonment of the concept that one must do everything oneself in order to have it done right. It is the mark of a Great Leader to embrace the realization that together, we can do so much more that we could ever hope to accomplish individually.

I remember, as a child, hearing a story told by the great singer Tennessee Ernie Ford. He told of a father watching his son try to move a large rock. The boy tried pushing, pulling, rolling … everything he could think of. Still, the rock remained unmoved. Finally, the boy stepped away from the rock and declared that he could not move it. The father asked if he’d tried everything that could be done and the boy responded “yes”. The father thought a minute and then asked, “are you sure you’ve tried everything?”  Exasperated, the boy affirmed that he’d tried everything. The father waited a moment and then suggested that there was one more thing the boy could do. “What is that?”, asked the son. The father replied, “You could ask me to help.”

Great Leaders do not believe that they must be capable of doing all things well. Great Leaders recognize that there are people who have talents and strengths that they themselves do not possess. Great Leaders willingly accept this fact and ask those others to join a team that, together, will accomplish so much more than any one individual can achieve. And, in the end, when the goal has been met, the Great Leader gives credit where credit is due … to The Team.

Have you had the joy of being part of a team that accomplished more than its individual members could have done individually? Click “Comment” and share what made the leader of that team a Great Leader.

Tom Hoisington is a speaker, trainer, and author whose goal is to provide leaders and potential leaders with tools that empower them to build teams that are creative and cost effective along with a clearer understanding of how personality types interact within those teams. He can be contacted at [email protected]

Filed Under: Building a Legacy, Dynamic Leadership, Great Leaders, Lead by Example, Lead from strength, Lead with Integrity, Leadership, Leadership Qualities, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Leaders See Greatness All Around Them

November 9, 2014 By

Do Great Leaders instill greatness in their followers; or, is the greatness already there and the Great Leaders find ways to draw the skills, talents, and greatness out of the team members for all the world to see? I would suggest that it is the latter and here is how they do it.

  • They believe – Great Leaders believe in the members of their teams. They have faith that the team can rise to any occasion and any challenge.
  • They demonstrate confidence – Great Leaders allow their faith in the team to be evident for all to see; especially for the members of the team.
  • They encourage – Great Leaders provide encouragement. If they can see that something is not working, or is not going to work, they do not discourage effort. Rather, they provide encouragement and guidance that leads the team in a direction that will work.
  • They provide praise – Great Leaders deflect credit for success away from themselves and direct credit to the members of the team that made the success possible.

Great Leaders see talent and potential greatness all around them. They attract that greatness in others. These people choose to follow someone who expresses faith, confidence, encouragement, and praise. Great Leaders do not fear that surrounding themselves with talented people will diminish them. Rather, Great Leaders know that their own star will reflect the brilliance of the teams they assemble … and they give credit to the team for making them look good.

Have you experienced the joy of following a Great Leader? Click “Comment” and share that experience.

Tom Hoisington is a speaker, trainer, and author whose goal is to provide leaders and potential leaders with tools that empower them to build teams that are creative and cost effective along with a clearer understanding of how personality types interact within those teams. He can be contacted at [email protected]

Filed Under: Building a Legacy, Dynamic Leadership, Great Leaders, Lead by Example, Lead from strength, Lead with Integrity, Leadership, Leadership Qualities Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Does Great Leadership Requires Foresight?

November 2, 2014 By

You seldom hear a Great Leader say, “I never saw that coming.” Why is that?

Foresight … Great Leaders have foresight. They do not focus so closely on the immediate here and now alone. Rather, they have the ability to keep today in focus while simultaneously looking down the road and foreseeing the likely effects of today’s actions on tomorrow.

When making decisions and taking actions, Great Leaders do not solely ask “will this solve my problem today?”.  They also ask “what are the possible consequences of this decision; this action?” They anticipate and plan for those possibilities. They develop, in advance, what we often call “Plan B”; sometimes, they develop “Plan C” as well.

Looking ahead and planning potential courses of action enable Great Leaders to see and recognize problems before they become emergencies. By anticipating what might happen and developing contingency plans, Great Leaders are able to adapt quickly to changing needs or circumstances. It’s why things usually appear to go smoothly for them. They did not need to “scramble” and look for solutions to problems or difficulties that arose … they’d already thought about what to do.

Does this mean that Great Leaders are never caught off-guard? Not at all. But, when it happens, the Great Leader has developed the talent for being able to identify the cause of the difficulty and quickly weigh each possible solution.

Have you had an experience where planning ahead and considering potential courses of action has made it possible for you to adapt “on the fly” when things did not go exactly as planned? Click “Comment” and share how having a contingency plan made your life easier.

Tom Hoisington is a speaker, trainer, and author whose goal is to provide leaders and potential leaders with tools that empower them to build teams that are creative and cost effective along with a clearer understanding of how personality types interact within those teams. He can be contacted at [email protected]

Filed Under: Building a Legacy, Dynamic Leadership, Great Leaders, Lead from strength, Leadership, Leadership Qualities, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , ,

How Do Great Leaders Show Respect for Self and Others?

October 27, 2014 By

The Roman Emperor and stoic philosopher, Marcus Aurelius, wrote, “Never esteem anything as of advantage to you that will make you break your word or lose your self-respect.” This is good advice for one who wants to be a Great Leader. Consider this example of how a leader pursued a course of action that he thought would give him an advantage but ended up costing him dearly.

Shirley had been a counselor at the Family Counseling Center almost from its inception. As the agency grew, more counselors were brought on staff and everyone played “musical offices” so that clients and counselors could conduct sessions privately. In fact, Shirley had gone from having a private office to sharing the office with other counselors; to having a desk in the front office/reception area so that other counselors could use the office for private meetings with clients. Shirley was a team player and accepted the move cheerfully and was given the assurance that when the agency moved into a larger space in a few months, she would again be given a private office in recognition of her tenure and the nature of the work she was doing in addition to providing counseling.

On the day of the big move, Shirley picked up the box containing her personal belongings and went to the new office. Walking in the door, she was greeted by the FCC’s Director and led to a cubicle in what the floor plan called “the bullpen”. The Director told Shirley that he’d changed his mind, he didn’t feel that she needed nor deserved a private office. Other, less senior, counselors would be given the private offices. Needless to say, Shirley felt that she had been lied to and her dedication to the agency had been betrayed.

In the ensuing months, she wrapped up the various projects that she was working on and, when they were completed, she tendered her resignation and opened her own practice. Today, she has a very successful practice and does not regret her decision to “go independent”. As for the FCC, at last count, the Director had hired four new people to do the work that Shirley had previously done by herself. Over half the people who were on staff at FCC have now left having seen how the Director treated Shirley.

While it is unclear what advantage the Director believed he would achieve by his treatment of Shirley, what is clear is that the FCC lost a knowledgeable counselor who had been a valuable resource for the agency. It is also clear that he did not value or respect the talents and abilities that Shirley brought to the agency.

Great Leaders recognize the talents and abilities of those around them. They treat team members with respect, courtesy, and dignity. They keep the promises that they make. In doing these things, Great Leaders earn the loyalty and respect of the people who make up the team they have been given the privilege of leading.

How has a Great Leader demonstrated that he/she recognized the talents that you brought to the table? How did that individual show you respect? Click the “Comment” button and share your story.

Tom Hoisington is a speaker, trainer, and author whose goal is to provide leaders and potential leaders with tools that empower them to build teams that are creative and cost effective along with a clearer understanding of how personality types interact within those teams. He can be contacted at [email protected]

Filed Under: Building a Legacy, Dynamic Leadership, Great Leaders, Lead by Example, Lead from strength, Lead with Integrity, Leadership, Leadership Qualities, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

What Could a Leader Accomplish If … ?

October 12, 2014 By

What could you accomplish if you believed that it was impossible to fail? Could you reach a goal that you had always thought was unattainable? Could you successfully complete a project that you had always been afraid to start for fear of failure?

What could you accomplish if you had faith in yourself and those who form the team you have surrounded yourself with? What could you achieve if you chose to ignore those nagging voices of self-doubt? What could your team accomplish if they knew that you had the ultimate faith that they could do the “undoable”?

What could you accomplish if you considered success to be inevitable? What could you accomplish if you believed, really and truly believed, that you were born to succeed and that you have all the talent, skill, and intellect that you will ever need to do whatever you set your mind to do?

While Great Leaders understand on an intellectual level that failure is always a possibility, on an emotional level, they act as though failure is impossible; and, they inspire the team that they have been given the privilege of leading with the belief that the only possible outcome is massive success. They have faith in themselves, in their own abilities, and most importantly, they have faith in team members to accomplish whatever the team has committed itself to. Great Leaders act as if it is impossible to fail and in doing so, they inspire their teams to achieve heights far above those that anyone had previously thought possible. Great Leaders believe, as Napoleon Hill stated that, “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”

Click “comment” and share what YOU could accomplish if you acted as though failure were impossible.

Tom Hoisington is a speaker, trainer, and author whose goal is to provide leaders and potential leaders with tools that empower them to build teams that are creative and cost effective along with a clearer understanding of how personality types interact within those teams. He can be contacted at [email protected]

Filed Under: Building a Legacy, Dynamic Leadership, Great Leaders, Lead by Example, Lead from strength, Lead with Integrity, Leadership, Leadership Qualities, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , , , ,

What Is Your Greatest Asset as a Leader?

October 5, 2014 By

It’s interesting the answers you get to this question. Some will say that the leader’s greatest asset is the authority bestowed by the job title, the corner office, the position power. Others will respond that it’s the leader’s ability to change things for the better; to improve systems. Still others will cite tangible assets such as cars, houses, investment portfolios, and the like. Great Leaders know better. They will tell you that all of these things are frills; not great assets.

Great Leaders know that their greatest assets are the people that they have been given the privilege of leading. Great Leaders will be the first to tell you that, without dedicated and committed team members who willingly choose to follow, they can accomplish little.

Great Leaders will also tell you that their greatest investment is the time they spend with their team members; time invested in learning about each team member’s wants and needs; time learning about each team member’s values and priorities. Great Leaders do not use this information to manipulate people. Rather, they use this information to help each individual grow, to showcase each individual’s talents so that they are given the opportunity to excel and advance.

Have you had the opportunity to work with someone who saw you as a great asset? Share your story by clicking “comment”.

Tom Hoisington is a speaker, trainer, and author whose goal is to provide leaders and potential leaders with tools that empower them to build teams that are creative and cost effective along with a clearer understanding of how personality types interact within those teams. He can be contacted at [email protected]

Filed Under: Dynamic Leadership, Great Leaders, Lead by Example, Lead from strength, Lead with Integrity, Leadership, Leadership Qualities, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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