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Do As I Do, Not As I Say

September 22, 2013 By

Recently, I’ve been following a group discussion about how organizations can reduce the likelihood of someone within their team or organization engaging in unethical behaviors. Interestingly … but not surprisingly … the consensus seems to be that ethical behavior starts at the top of the organization when it is modeled by the leaders of that organization. Great Leaders recognize that their behavior speaks so much louder than their words. Consequently, they keep these points in mind at all times and allow these points of ethical behavior to guide them in all that they do.

  • Remember … wherever you are and whatever you do, you represent your company, your team, and yourself. People will see you and how you deport yourself. They will remember. They will make the logical assumption that what you did is a clear indication of who you are and what you stand for. As an example, I once knew a young man who was a teacher. He made the careless assumption that what he did outside of school hours would neither be noticed nor remembered by his students. One weekend, he went to a flea market wearing a t-shirt with a rather risqué saying on it. He saw no problem with that since he was “an adult” and could do as he pleased. On Monday, one of his students stated that he’d seen the teacher and quoted the saying on the t-shirt. Then, the student shocked the teacher by asking, “How can you tell us in class that we should respect others when that t-shirt tells us that you do not respect the people it makes fun of?” This teacher had forgotten the reality that EVERYTHNG he did, wherever he went, told others his values and his beliefs.
  • If you expect others to maintain confidences, you must maintain them yourself. All leaders, Great Leaders and not-so-great-leaders see and hear things that should not be repeated. The difference is that not-so-great-leaders see these things as fodder for gossip and opportunities to get a laugh by making someone the object of a joke. Great Leaders adhere to the old adage that “What you see here, say here, and hear here must stay here.” They don’t repeat things that were said in confidence and they don’t turn the misfortunes of others into punch lines.
  • If you expect that others respect you as a person, you must demonstrate that you respect other people. Great Leaders understand that respect cannot be demanded nor can it be expected by virtue of the title on one’s door. It must be earned; and, one of the best ways to earn respect is to show it. An actual case witnessed by someone that I consider to be a Great Leader should serve to illustrate this point. The owner of a company expected his employees to respect him. He felt that it was his due. However, he regaled his employees daily with tales of his wife’s ineptitude and what he considered to be her lack of common sense. Rather than finding these stories humorous, his employees could not believe the disrespect that he showed for his spouse and wondered aloud how he talked about them when they weren’t around.

Great Leaders set the example that they want others to emulate. Be it their professionalism, their work ethic, their compassion and understanding for others, Great Leaders model the behavior that they expect of others. They know that actions speak far louder than words and they make sure that their actions set the standard for others to live up to.

What actions have you witnessed by a Great Leader who sets the standard for others to live up to; or, by not-so-great-leaders who lower the bar to the lowest common denominator? Click the comment button and share your experiences 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, Integrity, Lead from strength, Leadership, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Your Actions Speak Far Louder Than Your Words

August 4, 2013 By

It is easy to tell others how to do something. All that must be done is open one’s mouth and let the words come forth. But, that is not true leadership. It is merely the parroting of things previously read or heard. While people may hear the words, they are seldom inspired by them.

Great Leaders, on the other hand, live by the words that they speak. They know that those who choose to follow do so because they KNOW that the words are not mere concepts to the leader. Rather, they are principles by which the Great Leader lives.

Perhaps one of the finest examples of a Great Leader exemplifying the choices and actions that he wanted his followers to emulate was George Washington, Commanding General of the Continental Army at Valley Forge. While many captains, majors, and colonels went home and left their troops to face the brutal winter and starvation, General George Washington remained in camp, on the job every day, living under the same conditions as his troops. He did not keep the army together by saying, “you need to stay here”. Instead, he said, “WE need to stay here” and then did as he asked of them.

Great Leaders do not preach a sermon and expect others to obey. Great Leaders set an example for others to follow.

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, Integrity, Lead from strength, Lead with Integrity, Leadership, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Are You Building a Legacy?

July 21, 2013 By

Greek history tells us that when Odysseus went to fight the Trojan War, he asked his friend Mentor to take charge of his palace and his son, charging Mentor with the responsibility of guiding his son, Telemachus, as he grows into manhood. Over time, the word “mentor” has come to mean one who gives of his or her time, experience, and wisdom in order to help another grow personally and/or professionally. It is through mentoring that Great Leaders build a legacy. But, why do they do this?

District Manager Ray was, undoubtedly, one of the finest mentors I ever met. He measured his success not by the number of dollars on his paycheck, but by the number of people that he was able to help grow and develop into successful agents and managers for the company he worked for. He took great pride whenever he heard about the success of someone who had passed through his tutelage. His pride was not based on “Look what I did!” but rather on “Look how this individual fulfilled his/her potential!” He worked hard every day to build a legacy of people who, through their own efforts, attained the levels of success to which others would only look with longing.

Scoutmaster Duane mentors young men to become the leaders upon whom local businesses, his community, the state, and the nation will depend to help us, as a people, realize the dreams of the founding fathers. He does not do this because he wants to point to a plaque on the wall and say “See what I produced!” He does it because he wishes to repay all those who have helped him become the man he is today; and, to prepare those he has the privilege of mentoring with the tools that will enable them to assist future generations.

Great Leaders subscribe to the “ripples on the pond” theory of life. Just like a pebble tossed into a pond creates ripples that travel out to the shore rebounding to come together again in the center of the pond, mentors build a legacy that travels out from their points of contact with their mentees into a world where those ripples will touch countless lives for generations to come. Great Leaders are great mentors who touch and change lives for the better far beyond their own lifetimes.

Know a great mentor who impacted and changed your life? Share that experience 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

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

Remembering and Honoring Quiet Leadership on this Memorial Day

May 26, 2013 By

In his blog article titled A Purposeful Memorial Day published on 05/25/13, John H. Clark III quotes an anonymous author who wrote:

Remember:
Those we love don’t go away, they walk beside us every day.
Unseen, unheard, but always near; still loved, still missed and very dear.
~ Anonymous

This statement reminds me of my father, a quiet leader who led by example and brought out the very best in those around him.

Dad was a veteran of World War II, a Marine. He rarely talked about his experiences in the Corps; and, when he did, he spoke only of good times; of playing football on the beach of an unnamed Pacific Island; of the people he met while serving in China. That was my Dad, always looking for the good and the happiness … the best.

After his discharge from service, Dad attended college, entered the financial services industry, married, and started a family. He volunteered to help causes he felt were worthy of his support including serving as the Treasurer for the Boy Scout Troop I joined. While he did not particularly enjoy camping (he said he’d done all the camping he ever wanted to do in the Corps), he attended Scout campouts when his help was needed. He served as a merit badge counselor for the topic he knew best, personal finances, and helped many boys grow into financially knowledgeable young men. In all that he did, he exuded a quiet leadership by modeling the behavior that helped rambunctious boys grow into responsible young men.

Later in life, as a banking executive, Dad mentored several young branch managers sharing the experiences of his career and teaching them not only how to do their jobs, but how to manage employees in a compassionate manner and treat customers with courtesy, respect, and empathy. There was no rah! rah! about it. He simply went about his business demonstrating how to do these things … quietly.

In hindsight, I can see that he was not alone in doing these things. I  once overheard one of my Scoutmasters talking about his time in the Army. Again, there was only talk of happy memories. And, again, Mr. Satzke led quietly, expressing faith in our ability to do whatever we set our minds to and pride in our accomplishments.  In fact, the men that I have known who are, or were, members of what journalist Tom Brokaw called “The Greatest Generation” have pretty much fit that mold … quiet leaders who did not see themselves as heroes … or for that matter as anything special at all. They saw themselves only as men who were fortunate to have survived horrible experiences; who found the ability to look at the positive side of anything that happened; and, who had the opportunity to raise the next generation and provide it with the tools that would enable their children to surpass anything which they themselves may have accomplished.

Sadly, many of the men and women of that generation (including my Dad) have now passed on. We have only our memories of them and all that they taught us … and aren’t we incredibly rich for having these things? On this Memorial Day, let us pause and give thanks for the quiet leaders who touched our lives. God bless them all as He has blessed us by allowing us to know them.

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, Integrity, Lead from strength, Lead with Integrity, Leadership, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Do You Accept Responsibility and Give Credit Where it is Due?

May 21, 2013 By

Over 50 years ago, Americans were exhorted to ask not what their country could do for them; but rather, to ask what they can do for their country. Today, there appears to be a sense that people are making every effort to get more than they give. The exception to this, of course, is Great Leaders. They recognize that committing all of their skill, all of their imagination, to the betterment of the team builds success not just for themselves but for all team members.

Weak leaders look at life through the lense of ‘What’s In It For Me?” Their sole concern is their own personal aggrandizement and enrichment. They will do everything within their power to ensure that they receive all of the credit for the team’s successes; and, they will take whatever actions are necessary to deflect blame for the team’s failures away from themselves and onto someone else.

Conversely, Great Leaders attribute the team’s success to the efforts of the team members. In success, they deflect the glory and accolades to their team members and accept only that they were fortunate to have a great team that made the success possible. In failure, they state quickly and without reservation that the fault resides not in the efforts of the followers; but rather, in the leadership that they themselves failed to provide. Everything that they do, every action that they take, is a commitment to the improvement of the team and tangible evidence of their belief in the abilities and capabilities of their team. In the final analysis, by giving credit for success to the team members and accepting responsibility for team failures, Great Leaders sow the seeds of loyalty and gratitude among their followers. These followers will go the extra mile to support the leader … and when the team enjoys greater success, the Great Leader will always attribute that success back to the amazing efforts of the team.

If you have had the luxury of working with a Great Leader, please share a comment here that illustrates what made that person a Great Leader.

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

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

What Is Your Personal Code of Ethics?

May 12, 2013 By

My father, a very wise man in his own way, frequently told me that a man must know what he stands for; otherwise, he’d fall for anything. I know, this was not an original thought that he created. He undoubtedly heard it somewhere and tucked it away with many other bits of wisdom that he would periodically sprinkle into our conversations. That’s the way he went about building character. He never sat down and said, “Here’s what you do.” He dropped these little bread crumb clues into casual conversations and let you discover them for yourself. Then, when you voiced them, he would act surprised and commend you for your great idea and congratulate you for making a fascinating discovery; and, of course, he then encouraged you to “get to work on that.”

I thought of my father when I read an article the other day in which the writer suggested that when a person interviews for a job, when asked if he or she has any questions, the person should ask for a copy of the company’s Code of Ethics in order to determine if the company was a good match for his or her own code of ethical conduct. My first reaction was, “what a remarkable idea! Who would have thought to ask that?” My next thought was, OK, if a person asks for the company’s code, he or she better be prepared to provide a copy of their own code.

Great leaders know what they stand for. They have a very clear understanding of what they feel is right and what they know is wrong. They live by this code of right and wrong and are prepared to walk away from things that they know are unethical and, more importantly, they will walk away from “opportunities” that just don’t pass “the smell test”. They may not see a specific law being broken; but, they recognize that it just isn’t right and they refuse to be a part of it … and they put a stop to it when they can.

Have you written out your own personal Code of Ethics? It’s not as easy as it first sounds. What do you think it should include? Should you have separate codes for your personal life and your business life? I’ve posted my Code on this website at https://eagleoneresources.com/index.php/code-of-ethics/. Please take a look at it and then comment here. Tell Great Leaders what you believe constitutes ethical conduct.

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, Integrity, Lead from strength, Lead with Integrity, Leadership, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Is Integrity Really That Important?

April 15, 2013 By

Not long ago, I overheard a disagreement between an employee and the owner of a company. The basic gist of the dispute was that the owner had directed the employee to take actions that the employee felt were both deceptive and dishonest. The owner of the company brought the disagreement to a close when he said, “Sometimes you take integrity to an extreme!”

Later, I found myself wondering, how can integrity be taken to an extreme? Isn’t integrity a bit like being dead or alive? One is either dead or one is alive. There is no real middle ground. Isn’t integrity something that a person either has or does not have?

Great leaders recognize that cutting corners in matters of right and wrong can quickly become a slippery slope. Once it becomes acceptable to tell a small lie, it becomes acceptable to tell the big lie if it means getting the deal done, making the sale, acquiring the customer. The problem, of course, is that one lie leads to another; and, when the deal doesn’t live up to the promise, the product doesn’t deliver what was promised, the customer loses faith not only in the person who told the lies but also faith in the firm that the person represents.

Great leaders who are employers and managers also know that integrity is paramount when leading their followers, their employees. They know that promises made must become promises kept if they are to retain credibility with their followers. Once promises are broken, future assurances become meaningless. Employees who know that their bosses don’t keep promises have no reason to believe that the promised incentive will actually be delivered. The boss never understands why the worker fails to make the extra effort to earn the promised reward; never realizes that his or her own past failures to honor commitments have forever destroyed the employee’s willingness to make the extra effort. The employee has learned to see the promised reward is just another false pretext to get more work, more production. The employee knows (perhaps rightly, perhaps wrongly) that the reward will never be received; the bonus will never be paid; the extra vacation time will never be approved.

If we are to be great leaders, we must begin by recognizing that integrity really is that important. Without it, are we even worthy of the title “leader”?

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