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Let Great Leaders Pause to Give Thanks

November 23, 2014 By

Leaders who would be Great Leaders know that few become who and what they are alone; with no help. It is only fitting then that we as a people, and especially those among us who are leaders, should pause this week to give thanks for the many blessings we have received; and, for those individuals who have shared the knowledge and experiences that helped shape who we are today. Here are a few of the people and things for which I am thankful this year.

  • The love, encouragement, and support of my family – For me, it all starts here. Without the love and support of my family, I could not do what I do. I am especially thankful for my wife, Lin, who supports and encourages the work I do in the Scouting Community to help shape the character and values of the next generation of leaders.
  • The examples set by my parents – Without a doubt, my mother and father set an example of unconditional love and acceptance; honor and integrity; justice and fairness. I recognize today that they did not “preach” these values but rather provided the example by living them every day of their lives.
  • Friends and associates I call “Talent Scouts” – I have been blessed with a number of friends and business associates who have seen talents in me that I never suspected were there; and, they encouraged me to use those; to let them “come out and play”. Even when I questioned my own ability, they were steadfast and encouraged me to exercise and grow those talents. They are far too numerous to mention each by name; but, you know who you are and I hope you know how much I appreciate the encouragement and support you have provided.
  • The selfless men and women of Scouting – A standard and running joke among Boy Scout Volunteers is that “it’s only an hour a week”. For most of these dedicated leaders, volunteering entails far more than a single hour a week; yet, they continue to give of their time and talents … some for many years after their sons graduate from high school and even college.
  • The country in which I live – I am thankful that I live in the United States of America, a country in which I am free to make my own choices and succeed or fail on my own merit and effort. Ours is a country in which a person’s opportunities are not governed by the class into which they were born; not limited by a government that determines the education that they will be allowed to obtain or what job they will enter. I pray that the people of this nation will not cast aside these freedoms to pursue the mirage of “safety and security” wherein someone else makes these choices for them.
  • Finally – I am thankful that I am free to write what I believe and to give thanks for the blessings I enjoy without fear of reprisal from someone who does not agree with what I believe or how I offer up my thanksgiving. May God Bless the USA and all who reside here.

Those who are Great Leaders and those who would choose to become Great Leaders will take time this week to look around them, see how blessed they are, and offer up thanks. For what are you thankful? If you care to share, click “Comment” and tell others what you are thankful for.

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, Lead by Example, Lead from strength, Lead with Integrity, Leadership, Leadership Qualities, Uncategorized, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , ,

Great Leadership Requires Teamwork, Right?

November 16, 2014 By

It’s a funny thing about Great Leaders. Their alphabet seems to be missing a letter. The alphabets of Great Leaders also seem to have a letter or character that appears to be missing from the alphabets that many people use. Have you figured out what letter is missing and what letter has replaced it?

Great Leaders seldom use the letter “I”. Listen carefully and you soon realize that you seldom hear, “I did this” or “I did that”. In fact, Great Leaders use the letter “I” so seldom that it is only natural to assume that it has been removed from their alphabet. Instead, they’ve added the letter (character?) “we”, as in “we did this” and “we did that”.

Assembling and using the talents of a team is one of the great talents of true leadership. It is the abandonment of the concept that one must do everything oneself in order to have it done right. It is the mark of a Great Leader to embrace the realization that together, we can do so much more that we could ever hope to accomplish individually.

I remember, as a child, hearing a story told by the great singer Tennessee Ernie Ford. He told of a father watching his son try to move a large rock. The boy tried pushing, pulling, rolling … everything he could think of. Still, the rock remained unmoved. Finally, the boy stepped away from the rock and declared that he could not move it. The father asked if he’d tried everything that could be done and the boy responded “yes”. The father thought a minute and then asked, “are you sure you’ve tried everything?”  Exasperated, the boy affirmed that he’d tried everything. The father waited a moment and then suggested that there was one more thing the boy could do. “What is that?”, asked the son. The father replied, “You could ask me to help.”

Great Leaders do not believe that they must be capable of doing all things well. Great Leaders recognize that there are people who have talents and strengths that they themselves do not possess. Great Leaders willingly accept this fact and ask those others to join a team that, together, will accomplish so much more than any one individual can achieve. And, in the end, when the goal has been met, the Great Leader gives credit where credit is due … to The Team.

Have you had the joy of being part of a team that accomplished more than its individual members could have done individually? Click “Comment” and share what made the leader of that team 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, Lead by Example, Lead from strength, Lead with Integrity, Leadership, Leadership Qualities, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Leaders See Greatness All Around Them

November 9, 2014 By

Do Great Leaders instill greatness in their followers; or, is the greatness already there and the Great Leaders find ways to draw the skills, talents, and greatness out of the team members for all the world to see? I would suggest that it is the latter and here is how they do it.

  • They believe – Great Leaders believe in the members of their teams. They have faith that the team can rise to any occasion and any challenge.
  • They demonstrate confidence – Great Leaders allow their faith in the team to be evident for all to see; especially for the members of the team.
  • They encourage – Great Leaders provide encouragement. If they can see that something is not working, or is not going to work, they do not discourage effort. Rather, they provide encouragement and guidance that leads the team in a direction that will work.
  • They provide praise – Great Leaders deflect credit for success away from themselves and direct credit to the members of the team that made the success possible.

Great Leaders see talent and potential greatness all around them. They attract that greatness in others. These people choose to follow someone who expresses faith, confidence, encouragement, and praise. Great Leaders do not fear that surrounding themselves with talented people will diminish them. Rather, Great Leaders know that their own star will reflect the brilliance of the teams they assemble … and they give credit to the team for making them look good.

Have you experienced the joy of following a Great Leader? Click “Comment” and share that 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

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

Does Great Leadership Requires Foresight?

November 2, 2014 By

You seldom hear a Great Leader say, “I never saw that coming.” Why is that?

Foresight … Great Leaders have foresight. They do not focus so closely on the immediate here and now alone. Rather, they have the ability to keep today in focus while simultaneously looking down the road and foreseeing the likely effects of today’s actions on tomorrow.

When making decisions and taking actions, Great Leaders do not solely ask “will this solve my problem today?”.  They also ask “what are the possible consequences of this decision; this action?” They anticipate and plan for those possibilities. They develop, in advance, what we often call “Plan B”; sometimes, they develop “Plan C” as well.

Looking ahead and planning potential courses of action enable Great Leaders to see and recognize problems before they become emergencies. By anticipating what might happen and developing contingency plans, Great Leaders are able to adapt quickly to changing needs or circumstances. It’s why things usually appear to go smoothly for them. They did not need to “scramble” and look for solutions to problems or difficulties that arose … they’d already thought about what to do.

Does this mean that Great Leaders are never caught off-guard? Not at all. But, when it happens, the Great Leader has developed the talent for being able to identify the cause of the difficulty and quickly weigh each possible solution.

Have you had an experience where planning ahead and considering potential courses of action has made it possible for you to adapt “on the fly” when things did not go exactly as planned? Click “Comment” and share how having a contingency plan made your life easier.

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