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Remembering Great Leaders on this Memorial Day

May 26, 2014 By

In the darkest days of the first half of the twentieth century, as desperation, tyranny, and brutality ran rampant in the world, Great Leaders came to the fore and shared their visions of a better world; a world in which desperation was overcome by hope and prosperity; a world in which tyranny was defeated and the forces of democracy were victorious; a world in which brutality gave way to kindness and a spirit of sharing. Great Leaders such as …

  • Franklin Roosevelt – In the darkest days of the Depression, President Roosevelt stood before the American People and acknowledged the truths and economic realities of the times. He then reminded them of all the blessings this country enjoyed and shared with them his vision of a better country, a better economy, and a plan to achieve these results. Nine years later, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, this same President stood before the Congress and the American People and shared his vision of victory declaring, “No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people, in their righteous might, will win through to absolute victory … With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph.” In both cases, the American People responded and gained the victories he foresaw.
  • Winston Churchill – As the island nation of Great Britain stood alone against the Nazi onslaught, Prime Minister Churchill boldly told the British People that he had “nothing to offer but blood, sweat, and tears.” When asked what his wartime policy would be, he stated plainly, “You ask, What is our aim? I can answer with one word: Victory—victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival.” Churchill shared his vision of ultimate victory clearly, concisely, and inspired his nation and its empire to persevere against all odds; and, in the end, the people responded with dedication, determination, and shared sacrifice until the ultimate victory was won.

The visions articulated by these Great Leaders inspired the people of their nations. Many citizens stepped forward to serve in the various branches of the military; and, many of these citizens made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the survival of our way of life and the rights that we hold dear. As we celebrate this Memorial Day, let us pause to remember those who have sacrificed so much over the centuries to protect and preserve the freedoms that we enjoy. May God bless them and comfort them and their families.

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]

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Which Leader Would You Rather Follow?

May 18, 2014 By

Two individuals, Joe and Mary, were hired into sales positions for the same company. They had different sales managers, Travis and Ray, who also served as their sales trainers. They completed the basic sales training courses in the classroom which taught them all about the company’s products and the company’s basic sales presentation. They received the same scores on their product knowledge tests. Now, it was time to venture out “into the field” where they would be meeting with real customers under the watchful eyes of their respective sales managers. Joe and Mary agreed to meet for a light dinner after their first day of “field work” to compare notes. When they met for dinner, they found that they had experienced very different days.

Joe had worked with Travis. After each customer meeting, Travis pointed out everything that Joe had done wrong. Travis told Joe everything he had to “fix” before they went out on more sales calls the next day. Joe concluded by stating that he had made no sales, was disappointed and frustrated, and was questioning his future in sales.

Mary, on the other hand, had spent the day working with Ray. After each customer meeting, Ray asked Mary to identify the things that she felt she had done well. Ray then pointed out things that he felt Mary had done well but she had not mentioned. Ray then asked Mary what she felt she could improve on and, through a series of questions, guided her as to how she could make those improvements. Mary concluded with the statement that, while she had not made a sale either, she was eager to make more calls the next day and was confident that would make sales.

Great Leaders understand that a major part of their role is to help team members discover their skills, their competencies, and what they do especially well. Rather than tearing down team members, they help build the team member’s confidence while building their skill sets as well. This does not mean that Great Leaders ignore those things that need to be changed and improved; but, Great Leaders help the team member identify those things for themselves and discover, for themselves, what must be done to become better every day.

If you will be a Great Leader, ask yourself who you would rather work with … Travis or Ray; then, model the behaviors of the leader you prefer and build the people you have been given the privilege of leading.

Click “Comment” and share your experiences of working with a “Travis” or a “Ray” type of 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 [email protected]

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

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

April 15, 2014 By

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 [email protected]

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

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

April 6, 2014 By

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 [email protected]

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Do Great Leaders Always Inherit Great Followers; or, Do They Provide Great Training?

March 23, 2014 By

While visiting my mother in Arizona recently, I had the opportunity to have dinner in the dining room at the Independent Living Facility where she resides. Now, don’t get me wrong … they do a lot of things right at this facility and Mom appears to be very happy there. But, I saw a lot of things in the dining room that, in my mind, were like dragging fingernails across a chalkboard.

I watched the server hand one of the residents a spoon with her thumb squarely in the middle of the “business end” of the spoon; saw another server cover a soiled and stained table cloth with napkins rather than replacing it with a clean one. At a table designed to accommodate six people, I witnessed a party of three being served their dinner while dirty dishes from the six diners who had previously been served at the table were stacked at the far end of the table. Having worked in the restaurant industry while I attended college, I knew that these behaviors were not proper food service etiquette. Some discreet inquiries revealed the underlying problem … new servers received minimal training. Basically, they were assigned to a “veteran” who was told to “show ’em how we do things”.

Great Leaders recognize that in order to have those who follow them provide great customer service, they must make certain that those followers know what great service looks like. This requires training! How do Great Leaders provide great training?

  • When classroom training is delivered, Great Leaders make sure the training is fun, interactive, and memorable – No one wants to sit in a chair all day and listen to the teacher drone on and on. They want to be on their feet doing something. They want to be a part of the program, not an attendee but rather a participant. At the end of the day, they want to walk out the door thinking, “I’m glad I came … I learned things I can really use to make my customer/client happy; and, I had fun doing it.
  • Great Leaders include what has been called “Field Training” – While classroom training may provide the textbook “how to’s”, practical application is where the new skills become ingrained habits. This is also where mentoring comes into play. The person who is being trained works closely with, or “shadows”, a person who can demonstrate the proper execution of the skills; then, the field trainer watches the person who is being trained perform the same skills and coaches him/her in techniques that enable him/her to become more skillful.
  • Finally, they make certain that those who are doing the training are the best at what they do – The trainers do the job right and provide the best examples for others to emulate. They pass along the “best practices” of whatever skill they are teaching. They are professional and are lifelong learners who are always working at upgrading their own skills in order to continue to be “the best of the best”.

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

Whose Brain Power Do You Use?

March 9, 2014 By

I once worked with a man named Jack who, when asked for his opinion of something, had the habit of asking “do you want me to tell you what I really think or what you really want to hear?” Personally, I found this habit annoying because I felt one who would be a Great Leader would only want the benefit of this veteran’s experience. My feeling was confirmed one day when I heard the District Manager respond, “Jack, I don’t need a ‘yes man’, I need the opinion of a man who has your experiences and has learned something from those experiences”.

Great Leaders are smart enough to recognize that they cannot possibly have seen it all, heard it all, or done it all. They look to others whose experiences are different from their own and ask for input based on those different experiences. As someone once said, “I use all the brainpower I’ve got and all that I can borrow”.

Great Leaders are willing to learn. They make no pretense of having all the answers. They value diverse opinions and experiences and are willing to benefit from what the great Cavett Robert called “O.P.E.” … Other Peoples’ Experience.

Great Leaders are inclusive. They seek out individuals whose backgrounds and experiences are different from their own. They surround themselves with people who will bring different points of view to any discussion. They encourage those individuals to “speak up” and offer their perspectives; and, they actively listen to those perspectives in order to obtain new ideas and improve plans.

Will you be a Great Leader? If so, open your eyes, your ears, and most importantly your mind. There is a wealth of knowledge and wisdom available to those who will listen for what they need to hear.

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

What Makes You Think You’re Not a Leader?

March 2, 2014 By

History provides us with some interesting perspectives regarding what makes a leader. John Quincy Adams, sixth President of the United States and the first former President to be elected to Congress after having served in the Presidency, wrote,

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

With these words, Adams clearly articulated that any person could be a leader. It was not necessary that the individual hold a specific job, complete a specific course of study, or hold an elected office. Rather, any individual who, through his or her actions, words or thoughts, caused another individual to become more than he or she was, had in fact become a leader who had earned a follower.

Interestingly, not all leaders embrace their leadership roles. Many downplay the leadership role that they have played in the lives of others. Some do this out of modesty. Others do it because they truly believe that the “follower” would have taken those actions on their own.

Great Leaders influence those around them; at times they do so knowingly and at other times with no conscious thought or effort. They exert their leadership through their words and deeds; by the examples and lessons that they provide. Think back on those who have influenced your life. Did they do so deliberately; or, was it simply by the way they lived their lives that caused you to think, “I want to be like them” or “I want to change the way I am or what I do”?

Are you a Great Leader? Do you have the potential to be a Great Leader? The answer may surprise you.

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

An Eagle’s Eye View of Mentoring

February 23, 2014 By

Not every boy who joins Boy Scouts becomes an Eagle Scout. In fact, statistics tells us that fewer than 5% of Scouts will attain this rank. What I find especially interesting is the fact that every Eagle Scout I’ve ever met has stated that there was always at least one individual who played a key role in helping them attain the highest rank that Scouting offers; someone who served as a mentor and helped the young man achieve his goal.

In recent conversations with three gentlemen who, as youths, earned the rank of Eagle Scout, I asked them to talk about their mentors and what made those individuals Great Leaders and Great Mentors. Here are the characteristics that they cited. Unsurprisingly, each of the young men cited the same trait first …

  • They lead by example – The way great mentors live their lives and conduct themselves in all that they do constantly reinforces the values that they preach and the desire to achieve the goals that they set.
  • They want to be a mentor – Mentoring is a lot of work and the truly great mentors know it. Mentoring is not something that is done for a few minutes every now and then. It’s a full-time job because the mentor never knows when he/she is going to say or do something that rocks the mentee’s world and changes that world.
  • They are great listeners – Oftentimes, the mentee will tell the mentor what he/she needs at that point in time. It seldom is an outright statement of, “what I need today is…” Rather, the need is usually buried between the lines and the great mentor sees/hears it and determines how best to meet that need.
  • They are supportive and want to help the mentee grow – When a great mentor sees someone struggling or doing a job incorrectly, they do not criticize or make fun of the person’s struggles. Rather, great mentors see the mentee’s struggle as an opportunity to help that person grow, to become more proficient, and help is given in an encouraging way. The great mentor “catches the mentee doing something right” and then builds on that foundation to foster improvement.
  • They hold themselves and others accountable – Great mentors accept their responsibility as a mentor and hold themselves accountable for their own actions or inactions. Likewise, they hold the mentee accountable and guide the mentee to the desired outcomes by holding up a mirror of self-evaluation and asking the mentee, “what did you do well; what can you do to improve; when will you make the improvements?”
  • They often ask; they seldom tell – The truly great mentors seldom tell the person that they are mentoring what to do or how to do it. Instead, they guide them through the use of questions. They help the person discover the answers for themselves. The great mentor knows that it is not necessary for the mentee to always answer every question correctly; but instead, knowing that there is a better answer, asks more questions that lead to the better answer, the more effective solution, the best decision.

These Eagles also pointed out that Great Leaders are often great mentors, but not always. They observed that Great Leaders seek out those who have the potential to become great mentors and provide them with the opportunity to fulfill their promise and potential.

Have you had a great mentor; or, have you been a great mentor? Click “comment” and share your story of mentorship 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, Integrity, Lead from strength, Lead with Integrity, Leadership, Leadership Qualities, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Will the Leader You Follow Nurture Your Talents and Help You Grow?

February 9, 2014 By

The great entrepreneur, author, and speaker Jim Rohn remarked, “If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan.  And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.”

Normally, I agree with nearly everything Jim Rohn says. But, in this case, I believe that someone who is working for a Great Leader may be able to take exception to this quote.

Great Leaders have the unique ability to implement their plans for the attainment of their goals in ways that promote the growth and advancement of their followers. They recognize that with the privilege of leadership comes the responsibility to nurture the talents of those that they lead and to help the individuals on their teams grow both personally and professionally.

A Great Leader of my acquaintance used a method he called “Demonstrate/Alternate” to nurture and cultivate the skills of those he lead. He would first demonstrate how to handle a situation, encouraging the person that he was training to ask questions when they later reviewed the situation and how it was handled. Then, he would have the person he had trained deal with that situation the next time it arose. When he critiqued how the person had dealt with the situation, he would begin by asking “what do you feel you did well?”; “what would you do differently if you could do it all over again?” Only then would he offer his comments of what went well and what might be done differently.

If you want to be a Great Leader, seek out opportunities to help the members of your team grow. Provide those who choose to follow your lead with opportunities to learn by doing and promote their achievements to others who can help them grow and advance.

If you are one who follows the lead of another, you are not absolved of responsibility for your own career growth and advancement. Help your leader become a Great Leader by asking for chances to learn; first, by watching and then by doing. Take the initiative, set your goals, and create a plan that will help you reach those goals. If you do … and if you help your leader become a Great Leader … you just might find that, together, you accomplish far more than either of you thought possible.

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

Leadership Through the Eyes of An Eagle

January 26, 2014 By

I recently had lunch with a young man, Joshua, who became Eagle Scout a little more than a decade ago. Knowing that he had earned this prestigious award, I asked him to tell me about the traits and skills that inspired him to say, “I choose to follow this leader.” Unsurprisingly, he told me that it was more a combination of things that would cause him to make this commitment. Here are a few of the things he cited.

  • The person is willing to lead – As a team member, Joshua looks at his co-members and asks, “who is willing to lead?”. It’s not always the person who was appointed by management. It is often another member of the team who is quietly guiding the group, offering suggestions and steering the group toward the desired outcome.
  • The person is knowledgeable – Joshua asks if the leader has knowledge of the concept; an understanding of the big picture and how the team’s undertakings fit into the ultimate goal? Is the individual able to acknowledge what he/she does not know? This last point captured my interest and Joshua elaborated by explaining that the leader does not have to be an expert; rather, must have a working knowledge and a willingness to ask for help in areas where he/she recognizes that another team member is more knowledgeable than he/she might be. When these characteristics are present, Joshua told me that he is comfortable following that individual’s lead.
  • The person seeks out and implements input from the entire group – When team members feel that they’ve had an opportunity to help shape the direction and course of a project, they have a sense of ownership. It is now their project and they want to see it through to a successful conclusion. “When I see a leader taking my input and placing it in the project,” said Joshua, “I double my efforts and willingly follow.”
  • The person communicates clearly – While recognizing that some information cannot be shared if confidentiality is to be maintained, the leader that Joshua follows never “keeps him in the dark” or withholds information that he needs to effectively do his job.
  • The person anticipates problems and points of conflict and steers a course to avoid them – Why deliberately walk into troubles? The leader that Joshua follows does his/her best to navigate a course that avoids the things that can tear a team apart. However, when the unexpected problems arise, and we all know they will, this leader efficiently and effectively shepherds the group through the problem and helps it keep its eyes on the ultimate goal. The leader does this with tact and diplomacy when possible; with determination and assertiveness when necessary. The Great Leader ensures that nothing is allowed to derail either the group or the project.

Whether these leadership roles are performed from the front of the group or the back of the room, the Great Leader, in Joshua’s mind, displays these traits and performs these acts to ensure the successful completion of the project and gives credit for success to the group as a whole.

Thanks for sharing these thoughts, Joshua!

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