What Do You Mean, Introverts Can Be Leaders?

Hello, type casting? I’d like to order a leader … you know, someone who is outgoing, a back-slapper, a hail good fellow well met type of person; a “take charge” guy or gal. That’s what leaders look like, isn’t it? Or is it?

COREMAP tells us that there are four personality types; Commanders, Organizers, Relaters, and Entertainers. Commanders and Entertainers are extroverts … outgoing; never saw a stranger, only a friend as yet unmet. Organizers and Relaters tend to be introverts who value their “alone” time; who are happy to be in the back of the room observing rather than at the front of the crowd drawing attention to themselves.

Call type casting for a leader and the odds are that they will send over a Commander or an Entertainer; usually the former. But, Organizers and Relaters can be Great Leaders because of the talents and skills that they bring to the table. Consider …

  • Organizers and Relaters use their alone time to re-energize themselves; and, this often includes taking time to bring clarity to their motives and values. By using their alone time to determine what truly motivates and excites them; what actions they will take in the pursuit of their goals (as well as what actions they will NOT take because those actions would violate their own personal code of ethical conduct), these introverted personalities are able to clearly set a course that they can explain to their followers and the vision that they have for the future … a vision that their team members can see and choose to be a part of.
  • While Organizers and Relaters may shun the limelight, they are often at their very best in one-on-one conversations. They use these personal conversations to convey their core message; their core values; their vision as they personalize the conversation to the individual needs of their listeners.
  • As people who choose to avoid the spotlight, introverts can be more observant of the actions of others. Organizers and Relaters watch what others say and do. They are able to see and hear those who quietly have an impact on the thoughts and actions of others. They are adept at drawing those quiet leaders into the conversation; and, they allow those people to guide the thoughts and actions of others. Equally important, they are able to identify those things that they want to change and improve … both in their environment and in themselves.

Hello, type-casting? I need a leader. Let’s not limit ourselves to the usual suspects. Great Leaders come in from all personality types and each personality type brings very specific and valuable skills to the leadership table. Let’s find the candidate who brings the needed skills to the role.

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 As I Do, Not As I Say

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

Do As I Do, Not As I Say

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

Being Busy Doesn’t Mean You’re Accomplishing Anything!

When I first entered the insurance industry, my agency manager held weekly telephone sessions at which agents were to make calls and schedule appointments for the coming week. Some agents enjoyed success at these sessions and scheduled a full week of appointments. Others left the sessions exhausted but with few or no appointments set. As a new agent, I wanted to know why these sessions worked for some agents and not for others. Ray challenged me to find out for myself … to look back at sessions where I personally enjoyed success and at those sessions where I was exhausted with no tangible results to show for all of my work. He also challenged me to keep track of how many times I dialed the phone (okay, the phones were push-button phones but we still referred to making the call as dialing), how many people I got to talk to, and how many appointments I set. Here is what I learned.

When I made a lot of calls (100 dials was the goal), I was energized at the end of the day. Typically, I had scheduled all of the appointments I needed. Those appointments were usually with highly qualified prospects; and, I could not wait for the week to begin. I was excited because I knew that it was going to be a great week!

When I spent most of my time shuffling papers, looking for the “hot lead” to call; searching for the “perfect prospect” to set an appointment with, I ended the day exhausted. I had very few appointments with qualified prospects. I viewed the coming week with trepidation; and, I “knew” it was going to be a horrible, unproductive week.

Great Leaders recognize that being busy alone does not make them productive nor does it make their team members productive and successful. It just makes them busy. The activity may or may not lead to successful outcomes. Great Leaders help their associates focus on those activities that lead to successful outcomes. By just changing the perspective from which activities are viewed, Great Leaders help their followers focus on those actions that drive the success of the team and the individuals who comprise the team.

Click the comment button and share how you have learned to focus on productive activities in order to make your “work time” an investment in your personal success.

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