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Read Any Good Books Lately?

August 3, 2014 By

My first agency manager, Ray, always encouraged us to be readers. Two of my favorite “Ray Sayings” are “Readers are Leaders and Leaders are Readers” and “When you’re green you grow. When you’re ripe you rot.” While I’ve always been a reader, his encouragements have often steered me to books that can help me grow professionally. I recently finished reading such a book.

A Leaders Gift: How to Earn the Right to be Followed is one of the best leadership books I have read. Barry Banther uses just the right mix of how he had to learn about the 5 Gifts of Leadership the hard way along with real world examples where the 5 Gifts have helped leaders succeed and earn the right to be followed.

Looking back at the Great Leaders I have had the privilege of knowing, I find that each practiced the 5 Gifts, perhaps knowingly, perhaps unwittingly; but, practice them they did. This is what made them Great Leaders.

If you have any desire to become a Great Leader, this book is a must read!

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

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

Must a Great Leader Have Humility?

July 22, 2014 By

This past week, I had the chance to talk with a man who I knew and respected; but, I had never considered him to be a leader. Our conversation changed my mind on this point.

He shared a story about a situation in which he had recently found himself; a situation in which he disagreed with an associate. As he recounted the incident, it became clear that, while the disagreement had been resolved, it still bothered him … a lot. When he finished his story, I told him that I sensed the incident was still bothering him even though, by his own admission, the disagreement had been resolved and the incident had been put behind them. It was his response that changed my opinion of him as a leader. He said,

“I was put in charge of this project because my judgment was trusted; because people believed that I could separate my personal feelings from the position and its authority and do what was right and best for the group. In this case, I failed … I allowed my personal feelings to override my judgment and create conflict where I should have been preventing it. I handled the whole thing badly.”

I asked him what he thought he should have done; or, were he to find himself in that situation again, what would he do differently. After a few minutes of silence, he shared with me what he thought he should have done; what he would do differently; how he should have responded to his associate.

Great Leaders recognize that they are imperfect human beings; that they will sometimes make mistakes. Rather than ignoring their imperfections, they review the event that they feel could have been better handled, they reflect on it and look at the options that they did not initially consider. Great Leaders have the humility to acknowledge that they can still improve their leadership skills. They see these errors in judgment as opportunities to learn and to grow, to become better leaders. This conversation made me realize that this gentleman was, in fact, a leader who was well on his way to becoming a Great Leader.

The odds are that you, too, have had this kind of opportunity to improve your leadership skills; to become a better leader, perhaps a Great Leader. Click comment and share your experience.

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

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

Is Never Making a Wrong Decision a Sign That You Are Not Making Enough Decisions?

June 30, 2014 By

Helen was recently promoted into a leadership position. She was happy with her new job and new title and recognized that she was going to be making decisions in situations that she had never had to face before. She also knew that her new supervisor, Victoria, was going to be judged by her bosses since she had promoted Helen ahead of more senior and experienced people. In fact, Helen’s old manager would now be reporting to Helen.

When facing situations requiring a decision during the first few weeks, Helen would analyze the facts and personalities involved; consider all of the options that were available to her; and then, she would sit down with Victoria to review all of the facts, the options, what she thought her decision should be and why. In most cases, Victoria would endorse the course of action that Helen proposed. But, occasionally, Victoria would point out facts or background considerations that Helen was not aware of that needed to be considered.

Victoria understood that Helen wanted to make the right decision. However, she also knew that vacillation and delays in decision making made Helen look indecisive and weak; like a follower rather than a leader. So Victoria had a heart-to-heart talk with Helen, telling her

“Helen, I chose you for this job because I believe you are intelligent and have the ability to reach logical conclusions based on facts and the personalities involved; to examine evidence and available options and reach the best possible decision. Make decisions. Right or wrong, I’ll back you in public. If you make a poor decision, we’ll talk privately and determine what might have been considered and what might have been done differently. Be decisive and understand that if you don’t make a wrong decision from time to time, you aren’t making enough decisions.”

As a result of this “pep-talk”, Helen became more decisive. She made good decisions for the most part and, in the end, she became a Great Leader who mentors others to become the Great Leaders of the future.

Have you had the privilege of working with someone like Victoria who helped you to become a better leader? Share your story here by clicking “comment”.

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

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

Do Actions Speak Louder Than Words?

June 15, 2014 By

Over the years, I’ve listened to many individuals talk about the type of leader that they would prefer to follow. While they cite many different leadership traits, they usually come back to one trait that seems to be almost universally desired. They want a leader who “walks the talk”.

Perhaps this was best expressed by one of the great entrepreneurs of the late 19th century, Andrew Carnegie, who stated, “As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do.”

Make no mistake. People can and do listen with their eyes. All of the well spoken platitudes from someone whose plan is to “fake it ’til you make it” vanish like a puff of smoke in a breeze when the behavior of the speaker is at odds with the spoken word.

Great Leaders know this and live their lives in such a way as to make certain that their behavior and their words are congruent.

  • When asking that they be treated with respect, Great Leaders treat others respectfully.
  • Desiring to be treated courteously, Great Leaders treat others with the same courtesy that they desire.
  • When speaking, they want others to listen. Thus, when others speak, Great Leaders give the speaker their undivided attention and actively listen, asking questions to better understand the speaker’s intent and meaning.
  • Asking others to arrive on time, Great Leaders arrive early and stay late.
  • Wanting a 100% effort from others, they devote their entire being and effort to the task at hand.

Great Leaders know that their actions will speak far more loudly than their words. They lead by example and demonstrate the character and traits that they desire from others. Who are the Great Leaders in your life that set the examples that you choose to emulate? 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 [email protected]

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

How Does a Great Leader Earn the Undying Loyalty of Others?

June 1, 2014 By

It is the winter of 1777-78 and the Continental Army has fought one losing battle after another. The seat of the Continental Congress and largest city in the Colonies, Philadelphia, has fallen and is now occupied by the Redcoats. There, the British Army rests while dining bountifully in warm colonial homes.

Meanwhile, the Continental Army has made its winter encampment at Valley Forge. There, they face shortages of everything; food, medicine, warm clothing, shoes. The soldiers sleep in cold, drafty, log cabins that they have hastily built. The soldiers witness the departure of many officers who request, and are granted, leave to go home to sleep in their own beds and eat well with their families. They also note that one officer does not leave. Promising to share their every hardship, Washington stays with the army at Valley Forge.

Great Leaders lead by example and do not ask those that they have the privilege of leading to do things that they would be unwilling to do themselves. They share the work, the good times, and the bad times. They know and understand what their teams know and have experienced because they, too, have shared the experiences of the team.

In the spring of 1778, the Continental Army marched out of Valley Forge led by a Great Leader who had earned their undying loyalty by remaining with them; by sharing their experience, their privations, their hardships. In June of that year, the Continental Army defeated the British at Monmouth Courthouse, the last major engagement in the Northern Theater of the Revolutionary War. Following the battle at Monmouth Courthouse, the British withdrew to New York City and shifted the focus of their campaigns to the Southern colonies. Ultimately, the British would surrender at Yorktown and a new nation, The United States of America, would take its place among the nations of the world … in large part because a Great Leader stood shoulder to shoulder with the troops and led them to victory.

If you have had the privilege of following a Great Leader who has earned your undying loyalty, click “Comment” and share your story 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 [email protected]

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