How Do Great Leaders Set An Example for Others to Follow?

Two weeks ago, we saw how a Great Leader can influence the life of a person without ever realizing that he/she had done so. Shortly thereafter, I ran across an article which began with the premise that a leader is anyone that other people choose to emulate; and, is someone who embraces the role.

Great Leaders want to be given the opportunity to lead; in fact, they thrive in leadership roles. They recognize that their behavior, their habits, their mindset serve as examples that others will choose to aspire to. How do they do this?

  • They maintain a positive attitude – While some see the glass as half empty, Great Leaders see the glass to be half full; and, they know that they got the very best in the glass.
  • They work toward a common goal with confidence – Great Leaders believe in the goals that have been set. They work toward those goals with confidence that the goal will be reached
  • They have faith in the team that they have the privilege of leading – Great Leaders have as much faith in the team as they believe in the goal. For the Great Leader, there is no doubt that the team can work together and achieve outstanding results. Great Leaders believe in the team and know that it will reach and surpass the goal.
  • They inspire the team – through their own confidence and faith, Great Leaders inspire others to reach for the moon and the stars; to believe that they can reach the goal, no matter how lofty it might be.

Aware that others are always watching them, Great Leaders are mindful of their own behaviors and attitudes seeking always to ensure that they are worthy of emulation. They make certain that they project only the positive traits so that others will choose to follow in their footsteps.

Who are the Great Leaders who have inspired you? Think back and you will recognize them. Click “Comment” to 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 tom.hoisington@eagleoneresources.com

Can You Impact the Life of Another and Not Even Know It?

I recently attended an Eagle Scout’s Court of Honor and heard the Eagle Scout give credit to those who had helped him along the way. He presented what is known as an “Eagle Mentor Pin” to several individuals, citing what each had done to help him reach Scouting’s highest rank.

As the young man talked about one of his Mentors, he related how, when he was only 11 years old, this individual had made a comment to the effect that the young man really had no choice but to become one of the few who attain this honor, that it was his destiny to become an Eagle Scout. The young man went on to tell that whenever he thought about quitting, he would remember this comment and it kept him working toward the goal.

Later that evening, I got to talk with the Mentor and I asked him about that comment. Had he really told the young man that he was destined to become an Eagle; that he had no choice; that it was something he had to do? The Mentor smiled and shook his head from side-to-side saying, “You know, I have no memory of that conversation. I don’t remember telling him that. Clearly though, it made a big impression on him.”

Great Leaders often say and do things without really thinking about the positive impacts they are making on others. They may offer encouragement when it is needed most; guidance without realizing that the recipient is feeling lost; an encouraging word to someone who is feeling down; and, they don’t even realize that what they’ve done could be making all the difference in the world to that person.

Perhaps what is most encouraging about this is that the impact the Great Leader has made does not stop there. Like the ripples on a pond spreading out from where a tossed pebble breaks the surface, that impact is passed from its original recipient to others with whom that original recipient interacts for the rest of his or her life. Someday, somewhere, that original recipient will recall how his or her life was changed for the better by someone who took the time to care and will pass along that encouragement to another. Great Leaders make the lives of others better and oftentimes don’t even know that they’ve done it.

Who was the Great Leader that made your life better? Have you passed it along to someone else yet? Perhaps the opportunity to make a life changing impact is still in your future. Perhaps you have already made it. There are many opportunities in the world for you to do this.  Look around and you will find 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

Does a Great Leader Take a Little More or a Little Less?

Who gets the credit when a project goes well; is completed on time; comes in under budget; exceeds the client’s expectations?

Who gets blamed when things don’t go well; are not done on time; experience cost overruns; result in dissatisfied customers?

The answer depends on the leader.

The mediocre leader basks in the glory of the job well done and takes credit for the results. The mediocre leader is convinced that his/her leadership made all the difference in the world and, therefore, is deserving of all the credit. Of course, when things go badly, the mediocre leader seems to either melt into the shadows and cannot be found when accountability comes into play; OR, the mediocre leader, the poor leader, looks for the person or persons at whom the finger of blame can be pointed. This poor excuse for a leader makes statements like, “It’s not my fault” or “I couldn’t help it” or “What do you expect with the losers assigned to my team?” “They wouldn’t listen” and “They did not follow my instructions”. “It’s their fault”.

Great Leaders, on the other hand, share the congratulatory limelight with team members when the “attaboy points” are being handed out. They make comments like, “The team was great. They did the work. My biggest job was staying out their way and letting them do what they do best”. Conversely, when the customer is unhappy, the budget limit has been busted, a deadline is missed, the Great Leader shields the team from blame and retribution. The Great Leader takes responsibility and is held accountable. The Great Leader says, “I could have provided clearer direction. I could have watched costs more closely.”

Great Leaders have the privilege of leading great teams; and, they earn the respect and loyalty of team members by taking more than their share of the blame and giving the credit for a job well done to the team they have the privilege of leading.

Have you had the privilege of working with a Great Leader? Click comment to share your experiences and tell us what made that leader great.

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