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How Do You Measure Success?

December 6, 2015 By

How people measure success is a question well worth exploring. For the coach of an athletic team, it may be measured in terms of wins and losses. The entrepreneur might well measure success in terms of profits and losses; by the bottom line if you will. A Commander Personality, someone who is task driven, might well measure success in terms of projects completed or goals attained. The Entertainer Personality who is driven by factors such as likeability and friends made might judge success by his/her popularity. The Relater Personality may choose to measure success by the number of relationships created, bridges built rather than burned; by how well people “get along”. The Organizer will undoubtedly choose to measure in terms of compliance with rules and regulations or policies and procedures. Each personality type will have a standard against which success is measured.

At this point, I would like to suggest that there is a standard of measurement that all of the personalities could use. It is a standard that would be appropriate for each. The standard was suggested to me by a co-worker recently when he quoted Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and many other novels and stories.

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”

I believe that this is the standard by which Great Leaders judge their successes. They recognize that their legacy will be the future leaders that they identify, mentor, and whose successes they influence. Recognizing that their own time on this earth is finite, Great Leaders choose to put their efforts into building the future. They will be remembered for the new generation(s) of leaders that they create and leave behind to carry on the mission of helping people build successful lives and careers.

Have you had the opportunities afforded by influence of a Great Leader who influenced you and helped you build your success? Will you follow in that individual’s footsteps and build not only your own legacy but continue to build that person’s legacy? The effect of planting seeds is much like the ripples created when we throw a pebble into a pond. The ripples spread out and touch people we may never know … but the legacy is carried on by them. Click “Comment” to share the story of how a Great Leader helped you build your legacy.

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 tom.hoisington@eagleoneresources.com

Filed Under: Building a Legacy, Dynamic Leadership, Great Leaders, How personality type impacts leadership, Lead by Example, Lead from strength, Leadership, Leadership Qualities, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , ,

Great Leaders Take the Time to Know Their Team Members

September 20, 2015 By

Walking the battlefield at The Cowpens in South Carolina, I was reminded of General Daniel Morgan’s use and handling of the militia at that battle. The night before the battle, Morgan moved from campfire to campfire, speaking with small groups of men at each, encouraging them and telling them what he wanted them to do. He spoke their language, the plain talk of the Wagoner he had been before the war.

He did not ask the militiamen who would be in the first line of colonial forces to stand and face the feared British bayonet charges. Knowing and understanding these citizen-soldiers, he knew that was something they would not do. Rather, he asked them to stand and fire two (some reports say it was three) well aimed shots before retreating to the second line held by the Continental soldiers.

When, after firing their shots, the militiamen began running back to the second line, the Redcoats began chasing what they saw as a defeated army running away only to find that they were running directly into the trap set by Daniel Morgan. This led to a crucial victory for the Continental Army.

As I thought about General Morgan’s campfire instructions to his troops, I realized that he had carefully crafted his message to each audience he was facing; and, isn’t this what Great Leaders do when leading their teams? They recognize that each team member has his/her own communication style (based on personality type) and each has his/her own goals and desired outcomes. Great Leaders craft communications to their intended audiences and assign roles based on the strengths of each team member.

Have you had the privilege of working with a Great Leader who knew how to work with and communicate with you in a manner that was conducive to clear communications? 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 tom.hoisington@eagleoneresources.com

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

How Do You Compliment and Recognize Introverted Personalities?

April 19, 2015 By

Last week, I shared with you my embarrassing experience of finding out that I did not know as much about motivating people as I thought I did. So what does work and with whom does it work best?

COREMAP(tm) teaches us that introverted personalities, Organizers and Relaters, respond best to specific types of recognition …

  • Organizer personalities prefer private forms of recognition. They are much more comfortable with a quiet side conversation that acknowledges their achievement; and, because they are very detail oriented, they value the compliments and recognition when they are very specific. Example: working with a counselor that we’ll call Lisa, it was always a pleasure to see her when she arrived at work and I wanted to let her know that. I could have told her, “it sure is great to see you every morning”. It would have conveyed the essence of the compliment. Instead, one morning when she was the first to arrive, I went to her desk and said, “I sure am glad to see you in the mornings. You always have a smile on your face and your whole attitude conveys that you’re excited about what you do. You make it a great day for everyone you talk to”. How do you think Lisa responded? If you guessed that she perked up, smiled, and said thank you, you’re partially right. She also made it a point to be the first to arrive each day thereafter and greet each of her co-workers with a smile.
  • Relater personalities, those people who are all about building relationships and helping everyone get along, prefer recognition that provides an act of service or quality time. Sales rep Joe was a Relater personality and his desire to do what was best for both his customer and the sales team he was part of was a key reason that he was a top sales person. Wanting to recognize Joe’s contributions, the account manager, Alex, went to him at the end of the day and told him simply that he was going to buy Joe’s lunch the next day. They ordered sandwiches and spent the lunch hour talking about Joe’s participation in a little theater company and the role he was going to play in its current production. Needless to say, Joe was thrilled by the lunch and the conversation … in fact, he did not realize that Alex knew anything about his activities outside of the workplace.

Great Leaders take the time to get to know the members of the team that they are privileged to lead. They take the time to determine what is important to each team member and they convey their appreciation in ways that are most valued by each individual. Have you worked with a Great Leader who took time to really find out what was important to you? Click “Comment” and share that experience. – OR – Click “Comment” and share how you like to be recognized for something well done.

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 tom.hoisington@eagleoneresources.com

Filed Under: Building a Legacy, Dynamic Leadership, Great Leaders, How personality type impacts leadership, Lead by Example, Lead from strength, Leadership, Leadership Qualities, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , , ,

When It Comes to Compliments, “One Size Fits All” Fits No One

April 12, 2015 By

Newly promoted into sales management, I was given the opportunity to attend management training classes. Of course, being young and full of myself, my thought process was, “what do I need training classes for … I know how to motivate people”. Fortunately, the trainer (his name was John) at one of the first classes I attended volunteered me to role play a situation with him where it was my job to recognize his achievements and compliment him.

After John had set the scene, he sat down in my seat in the meeting room and told me to begin the exercise. I announced that I had a plaque to present him and called him to the front of the room. He quietly told me that he had a wall full of plaques, more than he could count, and that they really did not excite him. He’d rather not get another plaque.

I asked him to come up anyway so that I could tell everyone about his accomplishments. He quietly told me that he was really a shy person who felt it was his job to do the best he could and being glorified in front of people really made him uncomfortable.

At this point, John let me off the hook and told me that not everyone likes to receive recognition in the same manner; and, that not everyone wanted to receive that recognition in the same way that I obviously liked. That experience of standing in front of a roomful of my peers and learning that I did not know everything started me on a quest to learn all that I could about what motivates people and how they want to be recognized for their achievements because John was right … different personality types have very different preferences when it comes to recognition and compliments.

Are you curious to know how different personalities want to be recognized? Next week, we’ll take a look at what works well with introverted personalities.

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 tom.hoisington@eagleoneresources.com

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

Do Great Leaders Rely on Facts or Trust Their Intuition?

March 15, 2015 By

Last week, we looked at the decision making process of the Organizer personality who is a sensing, logical, thinker who relies on facts, figures, data … things that can be seen, touched, felt, and studied when making decisions. This week, we will contrast this with the decision making process of a Commander personality.

COREMAP(tm) teaches us that the Commander personality is an intuitive, thinking, logical, decision maker who is quite comfortable relying on his/her “gut feelings” when making decisions. In fact, even when presented with facts, figures, and demographics in support of a specific course of action, the Commander personality will often counter with the statement that, “while the facts and figures may say that we should do A, my gut tells me that we should do B. I’m going with my gut on this”. To the Organizer personality, this tendency to rely on intuition and “gut feelings” is uncomfortable and feels irrational.

However, this willingness to trust “gut feelings” empowers the Commander personality to be decisive and provides both the confidence and the willingness to take the lead and accept the responsibilities of leadership in order to ensure that the desired outcome is reached. Their decisiveness and confidence will frequently command the respect of others; but, it can also intimidate the less confident and the more introverted personalities.

Great Leaders who have a dominant Commander personality are quick thinking and level headed in times of stress and emergencies. Great Leaders also recognize that they cannot do everything themselves and are good delegators who find the right person for the job and inspire that person to greatness. Great Leaders are highly motivated to see those that they lead succeed in their own right. They are always willing to listen to the ideas of others and implement those ideas when they provide a better way to reach a goal; and, they give full credit to the one who provided the suggestion. At the same time, they have the self-confidence to reject those ideas that are contrary to their own ideas of what is right and what is wrong, what will work and what will not.

Have you had the privilege of working with a Commander personality and witnessing his/her decision making process? Click “Comment” and share your experiences.

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 tom.hoisington@eagleoneresources.com

Filed Under: Building a Legacy, Dynamic Leadership, Great Leaders, How personality type impacts leadership, Lead by Example, Lead from strength, Leadership, Leadership Qualities, Personality Assessment, Personality types, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Is That Pause Indecision or a Moment to Consider the Facts?

March 8, 2015 By

“Now wait … let’s think this through.”

Do these words sound like the reaction of a Great Leader to someone’s suggested course of action? If you are like most people, you’re probably thinking that these words sound indecisive; like the words of an individual who has little or no self-confidence. However, they could well be the words of a Great Leader who has a dominant Organizer personality.

COREMAP(TM) teaches us that Organizer leaders are sensing, logical, thinkers who rely on facts, figures, data … things that they can see, touch, feel, study when making decisions. They think things through rather than go with their “gut reactions”. To know that they have made the right decision, Organizers need to know that they have considered all possible courses of action; have thought about all of the benefits that can be derived from the decision or the potential for unintended consequences of each course of action.

When given the time to weigh all factors, Organizer leaders are able to be decisive and rock-steady in their pursuit of the determined course of action. If the ultimate decision is different from their original idea, they are able to endorse the other person’s idea with conviction because they have weighed the benefits versus the costs and are convinced that it is the best course to pursue. Likewise, if they truly believe that the actions proposed by another are not in the team’s best interest, they can voice their opposition with graciousness and in a manner that shows the proposer that his/her suggestion has been heard, considered, and acted upon.

Great Leaders make every team member feel valued and know that they have been heard. Great Leaders who have Organizer personalities do this especially well for all of the reasons listed above. If you’ve worked with an Organizer Great Leader, click “Comment” below and share your experiences.

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 tom.hoisington@eagleoneresources.com

Filed Under: Dynamic Leadership, Great Leaders, How personality type impacts leadership, Lead from strength, Lead with Integrity, Leadership, Leadership Qualities, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , , ,

How Does a Leader Differ From a Boss?

February 15, 2015 By

I love serving as a member of an Eagle Scout Board of Review. The view of true leadership, stated by a young man who has spent up to seven years studying and demonstrating leadership skills, is both insightful and awe inspiring. A question that I like to ask the candidates is simply, “What is the difference between a leader and a boss?” While no two candidates have ever given the same answer, here is brief summary of some of the answers I’ve heard.

  • Bosses – Bosses sit back and tell others what to do. They seldom do the jobs themselves. In fact, it’s very possible that they’ve never done the job they’re telling others to do. Bosses pass judgment … a lot. They seldom tell someone what they’ve done well; but, they can always tell that person everything that’s been done wrong. Bosses find fault and have a unique ability to crush a person’s desire to improve or create something.
  • Leaders – Leaders, on the other hand, tend to be very hands-on. They’re not afraid to dig right in and help get the job done. They don’t ask others to do things that they are not willing to do themselves. Leaders look for opportunities to provide genuine and deserved praise. Genuine praise is specific about what was well done (i.e., “you did a great job of identifying that client’s need and showing them how it could be met by our product) rather than an insincere and vacuous “nice job” or “you did good”.  When something has not been done well, leaders will typically help the team member review the job or situation, asking “what do you feel you did well? what do you think you could do differently/better next time?” They help team members discover solutions for themselves by asking guided questions and commending the team member when he/she comes up with the solution.

Great Leaders may be in charge of a project but they are not bosses. They do all of the things that leaders do above … and then some. They find ways to go the extra mile to help the team reach and surpass a goal or objective.

Click “Comment” below and share your experience with a Great Leader who led rather than bossed.

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 tom.hoisington@eagleoneresources.com

Filed Under: Building a Legacy, Dynamic Leadership, Great Leaders, How personality type impacts leadership, Lead by Example, Lead from strength, Leadership, Leadership Qualities, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , , ,

Great Leaders’ Views of Helping Others Varies With Their Personality Type

January 25, 2015 By

Two weeks ago, I shared with you a friend’s view that committing even small acts of kindness required courage, risk, and sacrifice. We’ve had several conversations during the past week and he made a very valid point. It was that, “what does the individual person view as a sacrifice?”. He went on to cite how an outgoing person might view interaction as opposed to how a person who is not outgoing might view the same interaction with another person.

WOW! Has he made a good point. Consider the personality traits of the four COREMAP personality styles.

The Extroverted personalities, the Commanders and Entertainers among us, are very comfortable with interacting with others. In fact, interaction with others energizes both Commanders and Entertainers so much so that they will look for and create opportunities to do so.

  • Commanders tend to be interested in possibilities. For the Commander, helping another person is a step toward a brighter, more productive future. They see a situation requiring action and are born to be action takers. Reaching out to help another satisfies their need to affect outcomes.
  • Entertainers are friendly and tend to be curious about the unknowns. They are very adept at reading people and are excellent communicators and motivators For the Entertainer, that small, helpful, interaction is a chance to learn more about the other person; a chance to see what adventures their action can lead to; an opportunity to help another person reach their true potential.

Introverted personalities, Organizers and Relaters, are drained of their energy by interaction with others. For these individuals, interacting with others requires the commitment of a great deal of energy and for this reason they much prefer to stay quietly in the background

  • Organizers are very observant of details and abhor disorder and chaos. They tend to be good team players and will do what is necessary to ensure the success of the team. For the Organizer, the act of helping another presents the chance to bring order out of confusion; to learn facts and details that will help them solve problems; to take actions that promote the success of the team as a whole.
  • Relaters are very observant and tend to focus on the needs of others. For the Relater, committing a “random act of kindness” is all about meeting the needs of another person; resolving a problem with the aim of promoting the common good. Because these things are uppermost in their minds, Relaters are able to overcome their natural tendency to hang back in order to achieve these goals.

As my friend pointed out, in the final analysis, Great Leaders do not see that small act as a sacrifice. Rather, they see it as a part of their responsibility as a leader … to resolve problems; to take the actions that are required to create the desired outcome and lead the team to success; to help team members reach their full potential.

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 tom.hoisington@eagleoneresources.com

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

GREAT LEADERS WELCOME 2015 WITH GOALS SET!

January 4, 2015 By

The great motivational speaker Zig Ziglar said that, “A goal properly set is halfway reached”. As we welcome the new year, Great Leaders will ask themselves these questions …

  • Are the goals I’ve set clear in my mind? Great Leaders recognize that, first, they must have a clear vision of the future that they want to create. This cannot be a collection of vague ideas. The Great Leader must have the clarity of thought to know precisely what they desire the future to look like.
  • Am I communicating my vision clearly and with specificity? Great Leaders understand that, having been given the privilege of leading a team, they now have the responsibility to deliver specific goals and objectives. They cannot allow team members to wander aimlessly in the wilderness of generalities that is populated with only the current industry buzzwords. The Great Leader must communicate their vision with clarity and in sufficient detail that team members can see themselves turning that vision into a reality. In essence, they empower the team members to feel the warmth of the goal attainment sun on their faces long before they complete the journey … they can smell the sweet smell of success that beckons them onward.
  • Do I have a road map in my mind that tells me what steps must be taken in order to traverse the path between vision and reality? If the Great Leader is to guide the team, he or she must know how to get from Point A (the vision) to Point B (making that vision a reality). Like the captain of a sailing vessel, the Great Leader must be able to identify the correct route and ensure that it is taken. There must be a specific course set and adhered to; no orders to the helmsman to set a course “thataway”.
  • Have I delegated tasks to the people most qualified to perform them? COREMAP shows us that each personality type has strengths and weaknesses that can significantly impact job performance. For example, if the job requires close attention to detail, it is probably best to assign that responsibility to an individual who has an Organizer personality (lives for policies and procedures that make certain that the job is done right) rather than to the person with a Commander personality (sees the “big picture” and prefers not to deal with details) or the person who has an Entertainer personality (may or may not know where to find the details). If the team has a number of clashing personalities, the Great Leader knows the importance of including a person who has a Relater personality, someone who is skilled at helping team members find common ground and building consensus.

Great Leaders will ask and answer these questions; make adjustments as needed, and then, monitor progress toward the goal. With these questions answered, the Great Leader has taken the all-important first steps toward reaching the goals and turning the vision into reality. Make 2015 your best year ever!

Have you set your goals? Care to share? Click “comment” to share your goals for 2015 and how you will turn those goals into reality.

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 tom.hoisington@eagleoneresources.com

Filed Under: Dynamic Leadership, Goal Setting, Great Leaders, How personality type impacts leadership, Integrity, Lead by Example, Lead from strength, Lead with Integrity, Leadership, Leadership Qualities, Personality Assessment, Personality types Tagged With: , , , ,

What Could Possibly Make an Introverted Relater a Great Leader?

October 28, 2013 By

As much as a Relater Personality is the complete opposite of a Commander Personality (the quintessential “leader” that is on the shelf at type-casting), Relaters can be Great Leaders. What are the skill sets and characteristics that the Relater brings to the leadership table that make this personality an ideal fit in some circumstances?

  • Team and Consensus Builder – I recently read an article that was premised on the idea of being the new manager/leader who has to follow in the footsteps of a really BAD leader; one who used and abused his team. My first thought was that the ideal candidate for this position could well be a Relater. Relaters are all about creating and maintaining harmony. They take the time to build a team. They value everyone’s input and strive to build a consensus that all team members can support. How do they do this? They begin by being a …
  • Good Listener – In the article referenced above, it was understood that all members of the existing “team” KNEW that they were dysfunctional and they all had ideas about how they had become that way and what was needed to remedy the problem. The ideal candidate to turn this dysfunctional team into a smoothly operating production machine is someone who will take the time to listen to what the team members feel is needed; and, who will implement the best ideas, giving credit to those who contribute to the turn around. These are behaviors that Relaters excel at. They are …
  • Patient and Supportive – Change seldom happens “overnight”. Change, especially radical change, takes time and require encouragement. Again, Relaters understand this and will give the team time to adopt new systems and new thought processes, encouraging and supporting the people who make it happen.
  • Thoughtful – Once again, we need to recognize that Relaters, as introverted personality types, need to have their alone time to recharge their batteries; to re-energize themselves. Great Leaders who are Relaters and who use their alone time to consider their team and the situation in which it finds itself can find the opportunities that are available to the team and can develop strategies for turning dreams into realities.
  • Empathy – Relaters have tremendous empathy for others and can relate to the needs of other people. They are able to see themselves in another person’s shoes. A former neighbor, a Relater personality, worked in the construction industry. A job that he was supervising was slightly behind schedule and the client needed to obtain the certificate of occupancy (C.O.) on the coming Monday morning. There were no extensions to be had. Recognizing that his crew had been working hard and would not be excited at the prospect of working on Saturday to finish the job on time, this man did not begin by telling the crew that they would have to work on Saturday. Instead, he began by telling everyone how much he appreciated all that they had done to get the job this far; and, how proud he was of the quality of their work. He then made the statement that the final inspection for the C.O. was scheduled for Monday and that he planned to be on site at 7:30 on Saturday morning to make sure everything was done.  He then asked who would join him at 8:00 … that he’d provide the coffee and donuts. Needless to say, he had a full crew with him on Saturday, the job was finished on time, and the inspection was completed without a hitch.

Relaters have a real knack for building teams that work together … a skill that every Great Leader would love to have. Do you have an example of how a leader that you know has exercised Relater skills to build a great team. Click the COMMENT button and share it here.

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 tom.hoisington@eagleoneresources.com

Filed Under: Dynamic Leadership, Great Leaders, How personality type impacts leadership, Lead from strength, Leadership, Personality types, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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