How Do You Measure Success?

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

Giving Thanks For the Great Leaders We’ve Known

Two years ago, I wrote that I had had the privilege of knowing some truly great leaders; some professionally, others socially. In the ensuing years, I’ve been repeatedly reminded of the role these individuals have played in my life and in the lives of others.

  • My father taught me that leadership need not be loud and boisterous. He demonstrated that it could be quiet while setting an example for others to emulate; that the example would speak more loudly and more clearly than words ever could. 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.
  • My first agency manager, Ray, introduced me 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 everyone and repeated 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.
  • The individuals who serve on Eagle Scout Boards of Review. These men and women not only donate two nights a month to serve on Eagle BOR’s but also serve as unit leaders, unit committee members, and unit commissioners.
  • The Scoutmasters, Assistant Scoutmasters, and Committee Chairs who make the local troops possible and empower them to function as the training grounds for future leaders.

This week, we gathered with family and friends to give thanks for the many gifts that we have been given. Please join me in giving thanks; not only this week, but in all the days and weeks to come, for the Great Leaders who have influenced each of our lives and the lives of so many others.

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 Would You Answer This Question

“What are the characteristics of a leader you would choose to follow?” is a question I like to ask Eagle Scout candidates during their Boards of Review. The answers are as diverse as the individuals providing the answer.

In the early days of Boy Scouting, Sir Robert Baden Powell wrote extensively on the qualities of leadership and I had the good fortune to read one of those articles this past weekend. He cited four valuable characteristics of great leadership. They appear below along with my interpretations of these points as they relate to Great Leaders. They are …

  • The leader must believe wholeheartedly in the rightness of the cause – Great Leaders have a vision of the future they want to create; the goal they want to attain. They believe that the goal is attainable and the importance of turning the vision into reality that they become passionate about it. They convey that passion to their followers and team members. They lead those individuals into an irrefutable belief as well.
  • The leader has a personality that is likeable – Great Leaders are likeable. They tend to be cheerful, optimistic, uplifting. People like being around them. They have empathy for those who experience difficulties and help others work through those difficulties by being supportive and encouraging. When people are not experiencing trouble, Great Leaders provide an optimistic vision of a future that people want to be a part of.
  • The leader knows his/her job and has confidence in his/her ability to do it – Great Leaders believe that they are the “right person” in the “right place” at the “right time”. They see the course of action that should be taken and they feel compelled to do so. They believe, not only in the rectitude of what they do but in the rightness of why they do it. They believe that they have the ability to make a difference for the better and that they cannot idly sit by and do nothing.
  • The leader practices what he/she preaches – Great Leaders do not say one thing and do another. They lead by example.

The writings of Sir Robert Baden Powell are as valuable today as they were nearly a century ago. Great Leaders are willing to learn from others.

Have you thought about the characteristics of the leader you would choose to follow? Click “Comment” and share those characteristics.

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

Great Leaders Under-Sell and Over-Deliver

Have you ever followed a leader who “promised the moon” and delivered nothing more than a “Moon Pie”? How much did you trust that leader the next time a promise was made? Believe me, I had no trouble hearing your answer to that question; and, while each of you had a slightly different way of expressing it, it was resoundingly negative.

Great Leaders know that they have been given the privilege of leading teams of highly talented, extremely capable, individuals. They also know that their own credibility is going to be key in helping the team deliver its very best efforts. The Great Leader knows that he/she must be honest and tell the team the truth. Here are three rules that Great Leaders abide by …

  • Don’t make promises you can’t keep – Nothing undermines a leader’s credibility than failing to keep promises. Great Leaders don’t make promises unless they are in a position to make sure the promise is kept. Great Leaders don’t say, “I promise you it will happen”. Rather, the Great Leader says, “I won’t promise you that this will happen; but, I DO promise you that I will do everything in my power to make it happen.”
  • Always tell the truth – A leader’s credibility will be destroyed when he/she is caught telling lies. Telling the truth can be uncomfortable, particularly when it shows culpability in failure; failure to deliver a product; failure to develop and implement a project; failure to keep a promise. Great Leaders know that making excuses and trying to shift the blame won’t work. They understand that they must tell the truth and accept full responsibility for their actions … or inactions.
  • Deliver more than “just enough” – Great Leaders know that “good enough” is never good enough. They understand that “squeaking by” is bound to disappoint even the most ardent supporter. Great Leaders advocate delivering “above and beyond” expectations; and, they go out of their way to make sure that they do go above and beyond what others expect from them.

How do you go “above and beyond” in the performance of your leadership duties? Click “Comment” to share your thoughts.

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

My Effectiveness as a Leader is Judged When You Disappear Over the Next Hill

How easy is it to say you are a successful leader when everyone you lead is within your field of vision? Pretty easy. You can see everything your team does and they know that you are watching. But, it’s what they do once they are out of sight, over the next hill if you will, that determines if you as the leader have done a good job of imparting skills. I learned this lesson from a Scoutmaster who was a Great Leader in the eyes of the young men he had been given the privilege of leading.

The patrol his son was a member of had decided to go backpacking in the Pisgah National Forest to Shining Rock. All members of the patrol were teenagers between 14 and 16 years of age. As the Scoutmaster said, “they were young and hiked fast; he was not young and hiked slow”. Knowing that the young men would become impatient if they had to wait for the older adult leaders, he made a deal with them. They could hike as fast as they wanted to; but, whenever they came to a fork in the trail, they had to wait until everyone was there before anyone could proceed further. He told them that he knew he could trust them when they were in sight of him. It was how they behaved when they crossed over the next hill and he could not see them that would tell him if they were ready for the deal he had just made with them. He reported after the excursion that, whenever there was a fork in the trail, everyone was there, waiting for him and the other slow hikers. Sometimes they had begun pumping and filtering water from a nearby stream; other times, they had begun preparing an appropriate trail snack or meal. Always, they were waiting for everyone to arrive.

I was reminded of this lesson when I met a lady who had built a very large and successful team of sales professionals in one state and had to move to another state. She had been with her team constantly, encouraging, training, mentoring; always right there with them. When she moved, she was still their immediate supervisor and leader; but, she was not physically there. For some leaders, leaving the team unsupervised would be a recipe for team disintegration and ultimate dissolution. However, her team had learned valuable lessons in self-discipline, self-motivation, self-empowerment from her and continued to perform at a very high level. While she was still available to them by telephone and Skype, the team members had learned the business and life skills that enabled them to continue doing all the right things when she could not physically see them.

Great Leaders empower individuals and teams to find the very best within themselves and set examples that other individuals and teams can emulate and aspire to. They develop the mindset and skill set that make it possible for team members to lead themselves and succeed.

Have you had the privilege of knowing or working with a Great Leader who helped you identify the best within you and succeed when that leader was not present? Click “Comment” and share your experience with that 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 tom.hoisington@eagleoneresources.com

Lessons I’ve Learned from Terrible Leaders

When talking about leaders we’ve followed, the tendency is to talk about the good things that were learned; the habits developed; the techniques emulated. But, from time to time, we see or hear things that remind us of the worst behaviors we’ve witnessed from those who purported to be leaders. Here are a few lessons I’ve learned from terrible leaders … the lessons that tell Great Leaders what they NEVER want to be like.

  • Don’t keep promises you’ve made – Nothing will kill employee loyalty and morale faster than broken promises. When the person who claims to be the leader (in reality, “The Boss”) cannot be trusted to keep his/her word, those who are required to follow may do so; but, they will follow reluctantly and with little faith that they will receive what has been promised. Many years ago, I met “Joe”, the owner of a company, who promised nearly every person working in his company that, when the firm moved to larger facilities, each employee would have a private office. When the “offices” turned out to be 7’ x 7’ cubicles, while “Joe” felt that he had delivered on his promise of private space, the employees felt that they had been lied to and several left the firm. LESSON LEARNED: Only promise what you know you can deliver; and, be clear what the promise will deliver.
  • Berate people who want to take vacations At a meeting with an employee who is considering a career change, the coach/mentor learned that when the employee had requested time off so that he could take his wife and kids on a one week vacation. The employee told “The Boss” a story about a contest between two lumberjacks to see who could chop the most wood in a day. At the end of the story, the lumberjack who took breaks and sharpened his axe was the winner. “The Boss” replied, “Well, you better figure out how to sharpen your axe while you work.” LESSON LEARNED: Recognize that people need breaks to refresh their minds and restore their creativity. Encourage them to take vacations and unwind. In the long-run, those breaks pay great dividends.
  • Get an overinflated opinion of your worth and wisdom – When a person is moved into a leadership position, there can be the temptation to believe that it is because “I’m the best that’s ever been … this proves that I’ve got the right to tell others what to do, to order them around, without any consideration for their feelings, talents, skills, and accomplishments.” This belief can be the shortest route to failure as a leader because it assumes that the newly promoted leader has all the answers and no one else can have a good idea. “Stephanie” shared a story with me about an encounter she had had with “The Boss” where she worked. Whenever “The Boss” disagreed with something she said, they had an honest difference of opinion. But, if she disagreed with something “The Boss” said, “The Boss” told her she was wrong. Consequently, she stopped offering ideas and feedback, ultimately taking a position at another company where her creativity could be implemented and was appreciated. LESSON LEARNED: Everyone has an opinion and ideas that can make a project more successful; a company more profitable. Listen and learn.
  • Assume that your promotion has given you license to take it easy The view of the top always looks like there is no real work being done, right? Now that you occupy that top rung of the ladder, you can sit back, tell others what to do, and watch it happen. Your job is to be “The Boss”, not to actually do the work. This was the opinion of Erin when she was promoted to a supervisory position and her actions reflected it. LESSON LEARNED: Being placed in a leadership position does not mean less work, it means more work and more responsibility. Sometimes it means being on-call 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Do it right and those you lead will follow your example.
  • Don’t ask for input unless you really want it – I once attended a meeting where the CEO invited the field managers to ask him about anything that was on their minds. For several years the company had experienced declining sales and decreased revenues. Several of the field managers felt that they had some good ideas for reversing these trends and took the CEO’s assurances that the meeting was a “Safe Zone” where anything could be asked or said without fear of retribution. The first person to ask a question concluded his question with the words, “Could we try something like this and see how it works?” As soon as the manager finished his question, the CEO began a profanity laced tirade that concluded with the words, “Why don’t you concentrate on running your $#@%& office and let me worry about running this company!” Needless to say, no one else asked any questions and the CEO walked out of the room clearly saying that he knew this idea had been a total waste of his time from the beginning. LESSON LEARNED: Don’t ask members of your team for their ideas unless you are truly willing to listen to them and give them a fair hearing.

Great Leaders learn from the best and from the worst. Being willing and able to learn from both empowers them to embrace and build upon the lessons of the best; and, to develop skills that avoid the mistakes of the worst.

Have you learned lessons from poor leaders? Click “Comment” and share what you learned.

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

Is This a Great Leader in the Making?

I recently had the honor and privilege of serving on an Eagle Scout Board of Review for a young man about to enter college. As part of the application process, the young man had written his “Life Ambition Statement” in which he stated that, after finishing college, he wanted to form his own company. One of the reasons that he stated for wanting to do so caught my attention. He wrote,

“As the head of my own company, I see it as my responsibility to inspire others as others have inspired me.”

One of the characteristics of a Great Leader is an ability to inspire. Recall, if you will, the Eagle Candidate who stated that a leader is someone “who inspires you to accomplish things you never thought you were capable of doing.” In both of these examples, these young men have focused on the critical element of inspiration.

Great Leaders see not only the current state of affairs. They also have a vision of what can be. They believe in this vision so strongly that they are able to inspire others to share the vision; and then, having shared the vision, they identify those who have the capability to help turn that vision into a reality and inspire them to join in a common effort to do so. They turn the vision of one individual into the vision of many. When many share a vision of the future, there is no limit to the power of that group to change the world.

Working with bright and talented individuals who have great dreams for the future, the vision to see them, and the will to make those dreams come true gives me great hope for the future. These are the leaders of the future and those of us who have been given the privilege of working with them today have been given the honor of helping create the Great Leaders of the future. We must do our very best. We dare not fail them.

Do you have ideas that will help develop the Great Leaders of the future? Click “Comment” and share them 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

Saying Goodbye to a Good Friend and Great Leader

Working with a Great Leader is a wonderful experience. It affords the opportunity to study a leadership style; to see how it works in real life; to identify traits and techniques that can help you grow as a leader; and, if you are fortunate, benefit from the mentoring of that individual.

Sadly, though, each of us is born with only a set number of years or days to walk this earth and then we are called home. I recently had to say goodbye to a friend who was, in my opinion, a Great Leader because he lived the traits of great leadership.

  • Commitment: When Steve accepted a responsibility, he committed himself to doing the job well. When he became the Outdoor Committee Chairman for his son’s Boy Scout Troop, he promised that the scouts would have good, safe, outings. When it was time to leave on a camping trip, he had pre-planned the transportation ensuring that every scout had a seat and a seat belt. His was always the last vehicle to leave the meeting place so that he could make certain that no one was left behind. He did the same thing when it was time to leave the campground. At the end of the outing, he did not leave the parking lot until every scout had been picked up by a parent.
  • Lead by Example: Wanting to go backpacking at the Philmont Scout Reservation with his son, he began a physical conditioning/exercise plan and lost a significant amount of weight to make certain that he would be able to make the trek and support the scouts without becoming a burden on them. At monthly campouts, he firmly believed that those who prepared the meals should not have to clean afterwards; and, he made sure that his vision was reality … not by telling others to clean or wash dishes but by standing and announcing that he was going to start the clean up process and asking who would help him.
  • Caring: Steve cared about the boys and his fellow adult leaders. Noting that one of the adults was terribly overheated, Steve took a cold drink to that individual and had him sit in a car with the air conditioning running to cool him down. During that time, he educated that individual about outdoor clothing, helping him to see the value in wearing clothing that wicked moisture away from the body and helping it evaporate quickly in order to keep the body cooler.
  • Knowing How and When to Relax: When circumstances required a serious attitude and focus, he knew how to be both and how to bring others to that same level of concentration. Steve also knew that relaxation was also needed. He had a great sense of humor that never tore anyone down or belittled others. His joyous, heartfelt laugh could be heard throughout the campground and he told jokes, good clean jokes, that brought smiles and laughter to those around him.

At times, Steve was my student. At other times, he was my teacher. Always, he was my friend. I and those he lead will miss him. We say goodbye, for now, with this prayer …

May the trail rise up to meet you;
May the wind always be at your back;
May the sun shine warmly on your face;
When you come to the river, may you cross over gently
and rest in the shade of the trees;

And, until we meet again, may the Great Scoutmaster
of all Scouts hold you in the palm of his hand and give you peace.

Rest In Peace, my friend.

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

Great Leaders Lead from the Front

June 6, 1944 — D-Day — soldiers from the United States, Canada, England, France, and other allied nations stormed ashore at Normandy Beach. The initial landings were led by Captains, Majors, and Colonels; and, one lone General accompanied those first troops. He did so because he believed that a leader leads from the front and he was determined to do so.

Initially, this General’s requests to lead the initial landings were declined. The reasons, no doubt, ranged from the fact that he was not a healthy man; to his age (he was nearly 57 years old); and, to his family lineage. But, he persevered, requesting the opportunity to lead his troops ashore in the first wave not once; not twice; but, three times. Finally, on the third request, his request was reluctantly approved. His commanding officer did not expect him to survive the landing! When asked why he was determined to land in the first wave, the General stated that it would be good for morale, adding, “They’ll figure that if a general is going in, it can’t be that rough.”

Despite the fact that he limped as a result of crippling wounds suffered in World War I and required the aid of a walking stick; despite the fact that he suffered from a serious heart condition that would end his life a mere 5 weeks after the D-Day landings, Brigadier General Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, Jr. led his 4th Infantry Division ashore at Utah Beach, encouraging them to fight and to fight hard to secure the beachhead. When he learned that the troops had been landed 2 kilometers away from their intended landing zone, General Roosevelt stated firmly, “We’ll start the war from right here!” General Omar Bradley described Roosevelt’s actions on June 6, 1944 as the “single greatest act of courage” he witnessed in the entire war. General Roosevelt was a Great Leader. He did not tell others to “go there … do that”. He said “follow me” and lead by example.

As we begin the month of May and look ahead to the Memorial Day Weekend when we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice on the altar of liberty, let us look at those who led from the front … the mark of truly Great Leaders. Click “Comment” and tell us who you believe were the greatest leaders of the “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 tom.hoisington@eagleoneresources.com

How Do You Compliment and Recognize Introverted Personalities?

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