Blog

Is That a Stumbling Block or a Stepping Stone?

March 25, 2013 By Soaring_Eagle_One

No one has ever made life’s journey without encountering obstacles. There will always be unexpected “bumps in the road” and how we deal with them will determine if they are stumbling blocks or stepping stones.

Several months ago, I shared with you the wisdom of an Eagle Scout candidate who stated that leaders inspire you to accomplish things you never thought yourself capable of doing. This morning I read something said by Sir Winston Churchill that gave me another view of inspiration.

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficultly.”

I believe the same can be said for inadequate leaders and great leaders. Consider…

The mediocre or poor leader encounters an obstacle and sees a problem. This problem quickly becomes an overwhelming roadblock to success; an impediment that makes it impossible to reach a goal. In other words, a ready-made excuse for failure. While he or she may not accept the excuse from his or her followers, it is expected that superiors will not only accept it from him/her; but, will acknowledge its validity and support the failure to achieve the objective.

Conversely, great leaders see the obstacle for what it is; an opportunity to excel; a chance to do something that lesser men and women have failed to accomplish. The great leader sees the opportunity to demonstrate the “can do” attitude of the team and highlights the contributions of each team member in finding the solution to the difficulty.

Great leaders inspire their followers to closely examine the stumbling block and find ways to convert it into a stepping stone to ongoing success!

Filed Under: Building a Legacy, Dynamic Leadership, Great Leaders, Lead from strength, Leadership, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: Building a Legacy, dynamic leadership, lead by example, lead from strength, Leadership

Do You Choose to Be a Great Leader or Will You Settle for Mediocrity?

March 18, 2013 By Soaring_Eagle_One

When I first entered the financial services arena a number of years ago, I was encouraged to be on the lookout for people who I felt could become successful sales people. Not sure what to look for, I asked my agency manager, Ray, for some suggestions as to what traits or skills I should be looking for. Rather than list specific “bullet point” characteristics, he offered a two sentence answer. Later in my career, when it became my job to identify such people and recruit them to work for the company I represented, I realized that his initial guidance was, by far, the best advice I would ever get and I believe that truly great leaders follow it to this day. Here is what he said,

“First class people seek out and surround themselves with first class people. Second class people look for third class people.”

Those who are less than great leaders surround themselves with sycophants and “yes men” who will tell them how right they are, how perfect their ideas are, how brilliant their thinking is. They fear those who are more knowledgeable, more creative, than themselves. They fear competition from those who have the abilities to excel and could be promoted ahead of them.

Great leaders are not intimidated by people who know more about a subject than they do. They do not fear competition from their co-workers and team members. Rather, they seek out and recruit the finest minds and best workers available knowing that by forging a team of such individuals, they create a team that has the greatest chance for success, whatever the endeavor.

When he was elected as the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln could easily have nominated lesser men to serve in his cabinet; men who would have told him what he wanted to hear. Instead, he persuaded those who had been his greatest competitors for his party’s nomination to serve in his cabinet; men who were far more educated than him; men who disagreed with him and were not afraid to say so. Together, Lincoln and his cabinet led this nation through its darkest hours and I would contend that this was possible solely because Lincoln surrounded himself with the greatest talent and most knowledgeable people he could find.

As a leader, you have the ability to choose those who will advise you and help lead your team. Do you choose to be a great leader or will you settle for mediocrity?

Filed Under: Building a Legacy, Dynamic Leadership, Great Leaders, Lead from strength, Leadership

When It Comes to People, Perhaps You Can Judge the Book by its Cover

March 9, 2013 By Soaring_Eagle_One

In a touch of irony, I read two quotations this week that lead me to believe that some books can be judged by their covers … if the “books” are the people we meet. I’m not talking about the clothes they wear, the cars they drive, or the titles on their doors. Rather, I’m talking about the way they treat others. Consider this …

The Greek Orator, Demosthenes, wrote that a person “cannot have a proud and chivalrous spirit if (his) conduct is mean and paltry; for whatever a man’s actions are, such must be his spirit.”

Think for a moment about the leaders you have known. How did they treat others. In all probability, those that you consider to be great leaders are most likely those that you believe treated others fairly. They played no favorites. Every person received the same consideration and attention. The ones for whom you have little regard for their leadership skills are very probably the ones who you believe treated some of their followers unfairly. They could not be counted on to be impartial. They only gave favorable treatment to those that they perceived to be in a position to provide some benefit to them.

Great leaders have the unique ability to set aside personal feelings and consider the well-being of ALL those that they lead, not just the favored few. While we may not always like the decisions that these leaders make, we respect them and are confident that their verdicts are rendered with an eye toward the impact of their decisions on everyone. Great leaders do not make decisions based on the preferences of “yes men”; the whims of those whose support they seek; the desires of those from whom they wish to curry favor. Great leaders do what is best for all concerned; what is right.

This leads to the second quotation, attributed to Malcolm S. Forbes, that I read. “You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”

Every action each of us takes is viewed by someone and we are judged by it. Will you be seen as a person of great character or as weak and self-important?

Filed Under: Building a Legacy, Dynamic Leadership, Lead from strength, Leadership, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: Building a Legacy, dynamic leadership, lead by example, lead from strength, Leadership

Can You Respect the Person in the Mirror?

February 24, 2013 By Soaring_Eagle_One

I recently read a quote from Abraham Lincoln in which he stated his intention to conduct his administration in a manner such that, when it ended, he could like and respect the man he saw in the mirror. This determination to do what is right is one of the hallmarks of a great leader.

Weak leaders and weaker followers do what is easy, what is expedient, that which is popular. They are willing to compromise their ethics, their values, and their own sense of right and wrong simply to maintain their position. They will go along to get along with no thought as to whether their actions will benefit or harm others. In the end, they lose the respect of those who follow them and have no respect for themselves.

Strong leaders, on the other hand, know what they stand for and recognize an inviolate code of conduct that governs all that they do. While they acknowledge the value of compromise when working for the common good, they also adhere to moral precepts that cannot be sacrificed without harming the world around them. For these leaders, there is the proverbial “line in the sand” which cannot be crossed; principles that cannot be violated.

These leaders uphold their personal integrity so that, on any given day, they can look in the mirror and like the person that they see and respect the person that they are.

“People who know you love you as you are. Mentors love you too much to leave you where you are.”

February 19, 2013 By Soaring_Eagle_One

This past Saturday, I had the privilege of hearing my good friend, Delatorro McNeal II, CSP, speak to the National Speakers Association of Central Florida Speakers Academy class where he made this profound statement, “People who know you love you as you are. Mentors love you too much to leave you where you are.”

Great leaders/mentors recognize that one of the greatest measures of their effectiveness will be the legacy that they create and how they pass the baton to their successors. Thus, they are always looking for opportunities to share what they know and help their followers grow and prepare for their own leadership opportunities. Rather than always telling their followers what to do, they ask the subordinate “what do you think you should do?”. Rather than mandating every step to be followed, the great leader/mentor provides the opportunity for their followers to chart their own course and, at times, to fail so that they can learn from their mistakes.

Making mistakes, stumbling, and failing are painful. However, the great leader/mentor knows that those who will become the great leaders of the future must, occasionally, suffer these setbacks in order to reach their full potential. When they occur, the great leader/mentor is there to help the person regain their footing and asks, “OK…what can be learned from this experience and what can be done differently next time?”

Great leaders/mentors love their student/followers too much to protect them from every bump and boo-boo that provide the opportunities to learn and grow. As another great leader/mentor once said, “No man who gets knocked down by life and gets back up has failed. He only fails when he fails to get back up or insists that someone or something won’t let him get back up.” Great leaders and mentors build their legacy one person at a time and measure their success by the success of those that they have nurtured.

Filed Under: Building a Legacy, Dynamic Leadership, Lead from strength, Leadership, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: Building a Legacy, lead from strength, Leadership

Do You Have the Courage to Lead?

February 10, 2013 By Soaring_Eagle_One

Several months ago, we met Michael, who had just been promoted into a leadership position, and Jake, his mentor. Michael had been required to make a difficult decision, one that he knew would not be popular. Leadership often requires that the leader make those tough calls. The leader can make the popular decision or the right decision … they are seldom both right and popular. Often, those decisions require that the leader deal with individuals who will feel hurt and betrayed.

Consider two managers, both of whom were informed that they would have to let one employee go. In both cases, the employee had been with the company for many years and was considered to be very good at his job. In both cases, there was no option of finding another position within the company. And, in both cases, the employee was traveling on business when the decision was made. Now, let’s look at how each manager handled the situation.

Manager A knew that the employee would be angry and he, the manager, did not like confrontation. So, in order to avoid confrontation, Manager A sent the employee an e-mail stating that his employment was being terminated at the conclusion of the trip; that there was no need for the employee to come into the office as his final paycheck would be mailed to his home and his personal belongings would be brought to him by a co-worker who lived nearby.

Manager B also knew that the employee would be angry and also would have preferred to avoid confrontation. However, Manager B also recognized that he and the employee had worked together for over a decade and that the employee’s long service and commitment to the company demanded that the employee be treated with dignity and respect. So, Manager B scheduled a face-to-face meeting with the employee as soon as the trip ended. In that meeting, Manager B explained the reasons behind the downsizing and expressed regret that the employee would be leaving. Finally, Manager B gave the employee a letter of reference citing the employee’s contributions to the company and notable accomplishments that had benefited the company. This letter could be used in the employee’s search for new employment and explained how the new employer would be gaining a valuable, contributing member to their workforce.

As a leader, you may someday be called upon to make a difficult decision; to handle a difficult or unpleasant situation. You can choose to lead with courage; or, you can opt for cowardice. Choose wisely as your decision will determine how followers perceive you and your leadership; and, whether they choose to follow at all.

Filed Under: Dynamic Leadership, Lead from strength, Leadership, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: dynamic leadership, lead from strength, Leadership

Do Have to be a Boss to be a Leader?

February 2, 2013 By Soaring_Eagle_One

Last week, my friend Nick shared a story with me about an individual (we’ll call him “Larry”) with whom he had worked. He called the individual a true example of leadership even though Larry’s job was never thought of as a leadership position.

“Larry and I were on a jobsite when there was a lightning strike nearby and there were people in the area of the strike. While it wasn’t really his job, Larry immediately ran to where the people were and began checking on the condition of the people. Who was injured? How badly were they hurt? Who had called the EMT’s?

“Larry took the initiative and dug right in, making sure everyone was OK, everyone was safe. He took the initiative when he saw something that needed to be done and made sure it was done and done right.”

Nick concluded that Larry’s willingness to respond to a need and get to work made Larry a real leader. As Nick said, “Larry didn’t want to stand on the sidelines and direct traffic; tell everybody else what to do. He was willing to get his hands dirty and do what needed to be done, confident that others would follow his example.”

Filed Under: Dynamic Leadership, Lead from strength, Leadership, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: dynamic leadership, lead by example, lead from strength, Leadership

Is Flexibility a Sign of Wishy-Washy Leadership?

January 25, 2013 By Soaring_Eagle_One

This past week, I met a gentleman who was thrust into a position of leadership at a young age. Over the years, he has held a variety of leadership positions and, by all accounts, has acquitted himself very well in each of those positions. As we talked about the qualities of a great leader, he suggested a trait which many would find surprising … flexibility. I asked him to explain what he meant. Here is his answer.

“If a leader wants to be a great leader, he or she can’t assume that his or her way is the only way to do something. A leader needs to listen to the followers … the people that he or she leads. When they’re the ones on the front line, they often have insights that the leader can benefit from. They see changes in the marketplace … they see how situations and circumstances change … how some actions might have unanticipated consequences. The leader needs to be willing and able to adjust when changes have occurred or can be foreseen.

“Think of it this way. When a hurricane comes, we often see houses blown down and trees still standing. Why? Because the house is inflexible. It was designed and built to stay right where it is; unchanged; unbending. On the other hand, the tree bends with the wind. It flexes. It usually sheds leaves. It may occasionally lose a limb. But, in the end, it is still standing when the storm passes.

“The real leader is the same way. The leader may see some preconceived ideas blown away; may have to give up a pet project or an idea that is shown to be impractical or unsuccessful; may find that those he or she leads have great ideas that can make the team, the project, the endeavor more effective, efficient, successful. When the leader demonstrates this kind of flexibility, everyone on the team wins and the project is successfully completed.”

Great leaders will study the tree in the hurricane and benefit from the lessons it teaches. The boss will see the house; fail to heed its lessons; and, in the end, be overwhelmed and swept away.

Filed Under: Dynamic Leadership, Lead from strength, Leadership, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: lead from strength, Leadership, management

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT’S ALREADY 2013?

January 11, 2013 By Soaring_Eagle_One

It’s hard to believe, but not only is 2013 already here, nearly two full weeks are already gone! Do you have goals for the new year; a plan for reaching those goals? If you haven’t already done so, now would be a good time to …

• Write down your goals – Write down what the goal is, what it looks like, how it will feel to achieve it. Be specific. The more specific the goal, the easier it will be to see where you stand as you work toward it and know when you’ve reached it.

• Tell others what your goals are – This is not about “bragging rights”. Rather, it is about accountability. In the Speakers’ Academy, we have accountability partners; someone who will help us hold ourselves accountable for working toward and ultimately attaining the goals that we have set for ourselves. Your accountability partner can be a single individual or a group of people who support you and want to see you succeed; your personal “board of directors”.

• Believe that you can reach your goals – You’ve got to believe in yourself and in your ability to achieve the goals that you have set for yourself. The great W. Clement Stone wrote that, “Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve”. When you believe in yourself, really believe, your brain has the capacity to focus like a laser on the goal and the actions that must be taken to reach it. Without belief, there can be no focus.

• Make the goals measurable – Earlier, I said “be specific”. Specificity makes it easy to measure your progress. A vague goal such as “I’m going to make more sales this year” has no real power, no real motivation, and no clearly defined actions that must be taken. A specific goal, “I’m going to increase sales by 10%” leads to specific action steps such as, “To increase sales by 10%, I must make three additional sales presentations every week, which means I must add ten additional qualified prospects to my sales pipeline every week.” With these specific action steps, you can measure your progress every day.

• Challenge yourself – While it may feel good to reach the same easy goal every year, it’s not possible to grow by pursuing this strategy. A wise man once told me that “when you’re green, you grow … when you’re ripe, you rot”. Goals that do not challenge us do not empower us to grow. Many performance reviews are based on a three step model … Base Acceptable Minimum Performance (BAM), Desired Goal, and Stretch Goal. BAM may allow you to keep your job (for now), but it probably puts you #1 on the list of people to cut if the company decides it needs to reduce personnel. Dare to dream … dream big … it’s impossible to soar with the eagles if you’re not willing to reach for the stars. Make your goals big enough to inspire you to strive for greatness; to motivate you to “go the extra mile”.

• Set a deadline for reaching each of your goals – my first agency manager constantly reminded the new and veteran agents in the office that “goals are simply dreams with deadlines”. Without a “due date”, goals are little more than dreams that are seldom achieved. When you commit to reaching the goal by a specific date, you have committed yourself to doing what is needed to reach the goal by that date.

Now is the time to map out the goals, the destinations, that you want to reach in 2013. The goals you set and the actions that you take to reach them will determine how you see this year when you look back at it from some future date. The future is in your hands. Make it a great one!

Filed Under: Goal Setting, Personal Coaching Tagged With: Goal Setting, Leadership

You’re Being Watched … What Do Your Followers See?

October 28, 2012 By Soaring_Eagle_One

Lord Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts, is often credited with saying that, “As the leader does, so do the boys.” This is just as true in business as it is in scouting.

When people choose to follow a leader, they do so for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, they perceive that the leader possesses qualities that they value. Often, they choose to follow because they are seeking a guide who will show them how to navigate within the business, culture, or environment in which they find themselves.

Followers look to the leader for an example that they can emulate. What they see is usually what they do.

I recently had lunch with a young man who was working for a leader he respected. I asked him what that leader had done to earn his respect. He answered,

“The company that I work for recently changed its calendar of recognized holidays and not everyone has the day after Thanksgiving off like we used to. Being one of the low men on the totem pole, I had to work on that Friday after Thanksgiving. I knew it was necessary and I knew why it was necessary. I didn’t especially like it; but, I understood it. When I got to the office on Friday morning, the first person I saw was my boss. I guess my face showed my surprise at seeing her because she greeted me with a smile and told me it was a workday for her just like for me. While she could have taken the day off, she did not do so and that enabled someone else on the team to spend the day with their family. She didn’t see herself as someone who was better than the rest of the team members. That earned my respect.”

When leaders walk their talk; when they demonstrate in all that they do the same level of commitment, dedication, and ethical behavior that they expect from their followers, they inspire those followers to commit, dedicate, and behave in the same manner.

The ones that you lead are watching you. They always do. What will they see; and, is it the behavior that you expect from them?