Leadership Through the Eyes of An Eagle

I recently had lunch with a young man, Joshua, who became Eagle Scout a little more than a decade ago. Knowing that he had earned this prestigious award, I asked him to tell me about the traits and skills that inspired him to say, “I choose to follow this leader.” Unsurprisingly, he told me that it was more a combination of things that would cause him to make this commitment. Here are a few of the things he cited.

  • The person is willing to lead – As a team member, Joshua looks at his co-members and asks, “who is willing to lead?”. It’s not always the person who was appointed by management. It is often another member of the team who is quietly guiding the group, offering suggestions and steering the group toward the desired outcome.
  • The person is knowledgeable – Joshua asks if the leader has knowledge of the concept; an understanding of the big picture and how the team’s undertakings fit into the ultimate goal? Is the individual able to acknowledge what he/she does not know? This last point captured my interest and Joshua elaborated by explaining that the leader does not have to be an expert; rather, must have a working knowledge and a willingness to ask for help in areas where he/she recognizes that another team member is more knowledgeable than he/she might be. When these characteristics are present, Joshua told me that he is comfortable following that individual’s lead.
  • The person seeks out and implements input from the entire group – When team members feel that they’ve had an opportunity to help shape the direction and course of a project, they have a sense of ownership. It is now their project and they want to see it through to a successful conclusion. “When I see a leader taking my input and placing it in the project,” said Joshua, “I double my efforts and willingly follow.”
  • The person communicates clearly – While recognizing that some information cannot be shared if confidentiality is to be maintained, the leader that Joshua follows never “keeps him in the dark” or withholds information that he needs to effectively do his job.
  • The person anticipates problems and points of conflict and steers a course to avoid them – Why deliberately walk into troubles? The leader that Joshua follows does his/her best to navigate a course that avoids the things that can tear a team apart. However, when the unexpected problems arise, and we all know they will, this leader efficiently and effectively shepherds the group through the problem and helps it keep its eyes on the ultimate goal. The leader does this with tact and diplomacy when possible; with determination and assertiveness when necessary. The Great Leader ensures that nothing is allowed to derail either the group or the project.

Whether these leadership roles are performed from the front of the group or the back of the room, the Great Leader, in Joshua’s mind, displays these traits and performs these acts to ensure the successful completion of the project and gives credit for success to the group as a whole.

Thanks for sharing these thoughts, Joshua!

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

Do Great Leaders Know How To Use Their Position To Lead?

I just finished reading Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book, The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism, and I am struck by Roosevelt’s recognition of how his position, his bully pulpit, to arouse interest in and support for causes that he felt strongly about.

Like most Great Leaders, Roosevelt recognized that he had an opportunity to help shape both public opinion and public policy in order to effect changes that he believed were essential for the betterment of society. To do this, he did several things …

  • He knew what he wanted to accomplish; his goals were clear. Great Leaders have specific goals. These goals are not vague wishes. Rather, they are specific and measurable with clearly defined deadlines.
  • He refined his message so that it was clear and understandable to anyone who would listen. In refining the message, Great Leaders create a vision that their followers can focus on as they strive to change that vision into a reality. Great Leaders inspire their followers in such a way as to make it possible for the followers to see themselves reaching the goal and enjoying the fruits of their labors.
  • He made allies of those who could help him spread his message. Great Leaders know that they cannot accomplish very much by working alone. They create alliances that are mutually beneficial to all parties. Great Leaders also make certain that their allies know how vital their role is in turning dreams into realities; and, Great Leaders share credit for the accomplishments with their allies and team members.

Do Great Leaders know how to use their position to Lead? You bet they do! Who, in your opinion was a Great Leader who used his or her position of leadership to change the world for the better. Click comment and share your opinion.

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

Do Great Leaders Eliminate Negativity?

It’s a fact of life. There is an element of negativity in the world. We are exposed to it every day by some of the people we encounter in our daily lives. As the great platform speaker Cavett Robert once remarked,

“Some people brighten a room the moment they walk into it; others brighten the room when they leave it.”

The importance of attitude was driven home recently when a friend shared a poster with me that she had seen at a school where she was sent to work as a substitute teacher. It read,

“Entire water of the sea can’t sink a ship unless it gets inside the ship. Similarly, negativity of the world can’t put you down unless you allow it to get inside of you.”

Great Leaders know that they cannot eliminate the negativity that exists. Rather, they choose to look for and always find a way to identify the positives that surround us. They choose to embrace the positives and reject the negatives. Great Leaders recognize that, while negativity exists, it cannot bring anyone down who refuses to embrace it.

Great Leaders also inspire their followers to do the same thing. They encourage followers to share good news with one another; to celebrate each other’s victories; to encourage one another to build on strengths. At the same time, Great Leaders discourage complaining, whining, and the PLOM’s (Poor Little Old Me). Great Leaders inspire followers to look for the teachable moments when things don’t go according to plan; to identify the new opportunities that setbacks reveal.

In the final analysis, Great Leaders do not eliminate negatives. Rather, they choose to reject the negatives; to keep them on the outside where they cannot bring down the great ship “I Can Reach My 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

Will Your Goals Create the Future You Desire?

I recently read a statement on the power of not only writing down goals but sharing them with others. Kristin Armstrong, a professional road bicycle racer and two-time Olympic gold medalist stated, “If we write our dreams and goals down, we dramatically increase our odds of realization. If we share them with others, they become potent and alive.”

Like everyone else, Great Leaders look at the approaching new year with anticipation; questioning what it might hold in store. Unlike many, Great Leaders take actions designed to make the coming year one that will deliver the outcomes that they desire. They do this by setting goals; personal, professional, and organizational goals.

  • They write their goals down. They articulate precisely what it is, what it will look like, what it will feel like when they reach the goal. They make the goal very specific and measurable empowering them to see precisely where they stand when measuring progress toward the goal.
  • They share those goals with others; friends, family, team members. They identify an “accountability partner” who will regularly talk with them and help them identify those parts of each goal that have been attained, which are within reach, and those that require greater efforts. These accountability partners may be a single individual or a small group of like minded people. These accountability partners serve, essentially, as a board of directors that supports and encourages the Great Leader in the pursuit of each goal.
  • Great Leaders believe that the goal is attainable and instill that belief in others. They know that they can reach the goal. They believe in themselves and their teams, knowing that, as W. Clement Stone wrote, “Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” This belief focuses the brain on the goal with the intensity of a laser. Without this belief, there can be no focus.Great Leaders make their goals measurable. Vague goals that offer mere generalities aren’t really goals. They are wishes that have little chance of becoming realities. On the other hand, measurable, quantifiable, goals must by their nature be very specific … I will make 10 additional sales calls each week … I will write 500 words each day in my book manuscript … I will walk 3 miles every day and eat 100 fewer calories every day so that I can lose 3 pounds per week. Whatever the goal, the more specific it is and the more specifically planned it is, the greater the probability that it will be reached.
  • Great Leaders challenge themselves and those around them. Sure, it feels good to set minimal goals that require no real effort to attain, but that is a surefire way to ensure that there is no growth. Growth comes from having the courage to dream … to dream big … to set goals that truly inspire going the extra mile to make things happen. Great Leaders know that it is not possible to reach heights never before achieved if they are not reaching for the moon and the stars.
  • Finally, Great Leaders recognize the importance of giving themselves a “due date”, the date by which the goal must be accomplished. Without these deadlines, goals remain only dreams. They cannot become realities without specific deadlines. Great Leaders hold themselves accountable for reaching a goal by a specific deadline. They commit themselves to doing whatever is needed to meet the deadline.

As the sun sets on 2013, we can pause and reflect on the goals that we have previously set for ourselves. We take pride in those that have been attained. We re-examine those that were not and decide if they are still applicable to our long-term plans; and, if they are still worthy of our efforts, we refine them and develop plans to reach them in 2014. We set new goals, dream new dreams, create the future that we desire.

You control your destiny. Dream it … visualize it becoming a reality … make a plan … work your plan. The future is in your hands. Make 2014 your best year yet!

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

How Can You Create A Legacy by Sending People Out Into the World?

The privilege of leadership brings responsibility … the responsibility of helping those that you lead to grow and develop so that they can become leaders as well. Consider …

Some managers see themselves as being responsible for assembling a staff of people who can meet the needs of their customers. Once they put that staff together, their primary concern is to keep the staff intact so that it is not necessary to identify new talent and develop it. For these managers, the status quo is the ideal that they strive to maintain.

Other managers, however, recognize that they have been given the privilege of leadership. With that privilege comes the responsibility of helping people improve their skills and cultivate new talents so that they can advance in their chosen careers. These managers have the potential to become Great Leaders. Attaining this status, though, requires that they adopt a new mindset; a mindset that measures success against a standard that involves the number of people they send out into the world to accept new challenges and opportunities. I had the privilege of working with a Great Leader who had adopted this standard.

My first agency manager, Ray, realized very early in his career that he was helped by those around him who recognized his ability to recruit, hire, and develop new agents who had the ability to advance into agency management; and, they encouraged him to use this talent and helped him increase his skills in this area. He saw the help he received as a debt that he could only repay by doing the same for others.

As he grew his agency, Ray sought out talented people and exposed them to the possibility of career growth and the opportunities that agency management could offer them. Even though promoting people out of his agency reduced his income (at least temporarily), Ray began measuring his own success in terms of the number of new agency managers he developed and allowed to leave to develop new agencies. He never begrudged them the chance to grow their careers in new directions. In fact, he encouraged them to do so if that is where their ambitions led them. At the time of his death, Ray counted 29 new agency managers as one of this greatest legacies. Ray was a Great Leader. He accepted the responsibilities that being a Great Leader entail and he thrived on those responsibilities.

Have you had the privilege of working such a Great Leader? Share your story by commenting below.

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

Let Us Give Thanks For the Great Leaders We’ve Known

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of knowing some truly great leaders. Some I knew in professional relationships; others through my avocations.

Looking back, I see them and the impact that they had on my life with far greater clarity than I did when I was within their circles of influence.

  • First and foremost, there was my father who taught me that leadership need not be loud and boisterous. Rather, it could be quiet while setting an example for others to emulate; that the example would speak more loudly and clearly than words could ever do. He taught me that it required patience, honor, integrity, and honesty … honesty in one’s dealings with others and when seeing one’s own talents and shortcomings.
  • There was Mr. Knapp, my Cub Scout Leader who made it a point to ensure that every one of “his” boys had a ride to den and pack meetings. He made it his mission to send us to Boy Scouts with the tools we needed to continue on the Trail to Eagle Scout.
  • Mr. Satzke was my Scoutmaster. I doubt that he ever knew the impact of the example that he set when he came to the pool at summer camp to find me. It had gotten dark and cold and dinner had already been cooked and served in camp; but, one of “his boys” was still trying to pass a canoeing merit badge requirement at the pool. He brought a jacket to keep me warm and made sure that a generous serving of Mulligan Stew was kept hot for me to eat when he brought me back to the campsite.
  • Then there was my first agency manager, Ray, who introduced us to Napoleon Hill’s statement that, “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve”. For Ray, this wasn’t simply a memorable quote, it was a credo that he taught to each of us and repeated it daily until we truly believed in its truth. He was committed to helping each of his followers grow and become leaders … without ever voicing these words, he was committed to replicating the best qualities in him and shaping the lives of those who would replace him and become the leaders of the future.
  • More recently, I met the owner of a company who, at the end of a very trying and exhausting week, brought a refreshment cart through the office and served cold drinks to his employees, as he personally thanked each of them for all that they had done to bring a critical project to a successful conclusion.
  • Finally, there are my fellow Scouting volunteers who give so generously of their time and talent to shape the character of the next generation of leaders.

This week, we gather with family and friends to give thanks for the many gifts that we have been given. Please join me in giving thanks for the Great Leaders who have influenced each of our lives.

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

Do Great Leaders Follow A Moral Compass?

I recently read an article written by Frank Bucaro, a regular contributor to a LinkedIn group for Ethics and Compliance Officers. In this article, Frank asked, “How Does One Set A Moral Compass?” (http://www.linkedin.com/groups/How-does-one-set-moral-50939.S.5793914936249827331?view=&gid=50939&type=member&item=5793914936249827331&trk=eml-anet_dig-b_nd-pst_ttle-cn) His question started me thinking about the Great Leaders that I have had the privilege to follow and learn from … and the moral compasses that I believe they used to navigate moral dilemmas and life. I believe that these compasses were aligned with the following points.

  • They knew the difference between right and wrong – I’m not talking about the difference between legal and illegal behavior (although this distinction is certainly important). I’m talking about behaviors that, while technically may be legal, are morally wrong. As my father would ask me, “Just because it is legal to do something, does that mean it’s the right thing to do?”
  • They consider the impact that their actions may have on the lives of others – Great Leaders ask if their decisions, their actions, will improve the lives of those they have the privilege of leading; or, will their actions and decisions harm those around them.
  • They think about how their behavior will impact not only their own reputations but also the reputation of the firm they represent and the reputations of those who follow them – My father used the expression “guilty by association” and Great Leaders understand that, fairly or unfairly, the reputations of both their firms and their followers are tinted (or tainted) by their own behavior and reputation. When they behave morally and ethically, those they represent and those who follow them are perceived to be ethical and moral. When they behave improperly, the firms they represent are perceived to be tolerant of unethical behavior; and, it is anticipated that their followers will follow the example that the unethical leader set.

Great Leaders possess a moral compass and they have it oriented to the “true north” of doing the right things for the right reasons. Think about the Great Leaders that you have known and followed. What were the key points on their moral compasses? Please share those points by commenting 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

Why Do People Choose to Follow a Great Leader?

I recently had an opportunity to tour the Mighty 8th Air Force Museum in Pooler, Georgia. At one stage of the tour, I joined the Mission Experience exhibit. Through the use of lighting, sound, and video, the exhibit creates a simulation of serving as a crew member on board a B-17. The docent in the  exhibit was a 92 year old veteran who served as a ball turret gunner on one of these Flying Fortresses. As he spoke about his experiences, I was struck by his description of their pilot; the leader of the crew.

Our docent told us how the crew captain was also the youngest member of the crew, a 19 year old officer charged with taking his crew members into harm’s way and returning them safely to base. He spoke of how the crew would follow this man anywhere; how they trusted him completely to do what was best for the entire crew.

His story reminded me of another story I’d read about the Marines who raised the flag on Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima. Their squad leader was a sergeant who told them that if they followed him, he would do all he could to get them home safely.

As I thought about both of these leaders, I was struck by the similarity. Great Leaders genuinely care for those who follow them. Great Leaders do all they can to avoid needlessly putting their followers at risk; and, when putting them at risk is unavoidable, they do all they can to lead them through the experience safely and prevent needless injury. Preventing injury does not refer solely to physical injury, but to mental, emotional, spiritual, and career health as well. Great Leaders protect their followers from being harmed as a result of their choice to follow.

Why do people choose to follow Great Leaders? Because they trust them and know that those Great Leaders will do everything possible to advance them, to promote them, to help them grow, and to do everything possible to shield them from harm.

Have you had the privilege of knowing a Great Leader who exemplified these traits? Click comment 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 tom.hoisington@eagleoneresources.com

Do You Trust Your Team … Really Trust Them?

A number of articles have recently been written about the difference between leaders and bosses. They all offer valid points of comparison; and yet, I can’t help but feel that they’ve missed a key difference … TRUST.

Managers tend not to trust their associates. They may say that they do but their behavior is not congruent with their words. Let me give you an example by comparison.

Manager A, we’ll call him Andrew, says he trusts his people. He gives them assignments and expects that they’ll get them done. Then, Andrew proceeds to micromanage every detail of the job. He constantly holds meetings and demands updates on progress made. He insists that each part of the job be done exactly as he dictates it will be done and then he wants to hear DETAILED explanations of who is doing what and exactly how each job is being done. He often insists that parts of jobs that have been completed be redone “his way” even if the finished product accomplished what it was meant to do.

Manager B, we’ll call him Ben, also says that he trusts his people. He, too, gives them assignments and expects that the team will get them done. So far, Andrew and Ben sound like they do things the same way. But, it is at this point that their techniques begin to diverge. Ben does not micromanage. He holds his people accountable and, of course, he periodically asks for updates on progress being made. But he does this by asking if his team members are encountering any difficulties that he can help them resolve. He gives his associates the room and the opportunity to be creative and find innovative ways to solve problems and complete components of the assignment.

Which Manager truly trusts his people? Which Manager would you rather work for … or better yet, work with?

Great Leaders trust their people and provide them with the opportunity to innovate and create. When those innovations result in new efficiencies and savings, the Great Leader gives credit to the person(s) who discovered the innovation. If the innovations don’t work, the Great Leader protects the team members that he has the privilege of leading by accepting responsibility for the actions, both good and bad, of the team.

Which person are you? Are you Manager Adam who does not trust his team; or, Great Leader Ben who demonstrates the faith and trust that he has in the team on a daily basis? Click the “COMMENT” button and tell how you show that you truly trust the team that you lead.

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

What Could Possibly Make an Introverted Relater a Great Leader?

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