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Do Great Leaders Eliminate Negativity?

January 5, 2014 By

It’s a fact of life. There is an element of negativity in the world. We are exposed to it every day by some of the people we encounter in our daily lives. As the great platform speaker Cavett Robert once remarked,

“Some people brighten a room the moment they walk into it; others brighten the room when they leave it.”

The importance of attitude was driven home recently when a friend shared a poster with me that she had seen at a school where she was sent to work as a substitute teacher. It read,

“Entire water of the sea can’t sink a ship unless it gets inside the ship. Similarly, negativity of the world can’t put you down unless you allow it to get inside of you.”

Great Leaders know that they cannot eliminate the negativity that exists. Rather, they choose to look for and always find a way to identify the positives that surround us. They choose to embrace the positives and reject the negatives. Great Leaders recognize that, while negativity exists, it cannot bring anyone down who refuses to embrace it.

Great Leaders also inspire their followers to do the same thing. They encourage followers to share good news with one another; to celebrate each other’s victories; to encourage one another to build on strengths. At the same time, Great Leaders discourage complaining, whining, and the PLOM’s (Poor Little Old Me). Great Leaders inspire followers to look for the teachable moments when things don’t go according to plan; to identify the new opportunities that setbacks reveal.

In the final analysis, Great Leaders do not eliminate negatives. Rather, they choose to reject the negatives; to keep them on the outside where they cannot bring down the great ship “I Can Reach My Potential”.

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

How Can You Create A Legacy by Sending People Out Into the World?

December 16, 2013 By

The privilege of leadership brings responsibility … the responsibility of helping those that you lead to grow and develop so that they can become leaders as well. Consider …

Some managers see themselves as being responsible for assembling a staff of people who can meet the needs of their customers. Once they put that staff together, their primary concern is to keep the staff intact so that it is not necessary to identify new talent and develop it. For these managers, the status quo is the ideal that they strive to maintain.

Other managers, however, recognize that they have been given the privilege of leadership. With that privilege comes the responsibility of helping people improve their skills and cultivate new talents so that they can advance in their chosen careers. These managers have the potential to become Great Leaders. Attaining this status, though, requires that they adopt a new mindset; a mindset that measures success against a standard that involves the number of people they send out into the world to accept new challenges and opportunities. I had the privilege of working with a Great Leader who had adopted this standard.

My first agency manager, Ray, realized very early in his career that he was helped by those around him who recognized his ability to recruit, hire, and develop new agents who had the ability to advance into agency management; and, they encouraged him to use this talent and helped him increase his skills in this area. He saw the help he received as a debt that he could only repay by doing the same for others.

As he grew his agency, Ray sought out talented people and exposed them to the possibility of career growth and the opportunities that agency management could offer them. Even though promoting people out of his agency reduced his income (at least temporarily), Ray began measuring his own success in terms of the number of new agency managers he developed and allowed to leave to develop new agencies. He never begrudged them the chance to grow their careers in new directions. In fact, he encouraged them to do so if that is where their ambitions led them. At the time of his death, Ray counted 29 new agency managers as one of this greatest legacies. Ray was a Great Leader. He accepted the responsibilities that being a Great Leader entail and he thrived on those responsibilities.

Have you had the privilege of working such a Great Leader? Share your story by commenting below.

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: , , , , , , , ,

Let Us Give Thanks For the Great Leaders We’ve Known

November 25, 2013 By

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of knowing some truly great leaders. Some I knew in professional relationships; others through my avocations.

Looking back, I see them and the impact that they had on my life with far greater clarity than I did when I was within their circles of influence.

  • First and foremost, there was my father who taught me that leadership need not be loud and boisterous. Rather, it could be quiet while setting an example for others to emulate; that the example would speak more loudly and clearly than words could ever do. He taught me that it required patience, honor, integrity, and honesty … honesty in one’s dealings with others and when seeing one’s own talents and shortcomings.
  • There was Mr. Knapp, my Cub Scout Leader who made it a point to ensure that every one of “his” boys had a ride to den and pack meetings. He made it his mission to send us to Boy Scouts with the tools we needed to continue on the Trail to Eagle Scout.
  • Mr. Satzke was my Scoutmaster. I doubt that he ever knew the impact of the example that he set when he came to the pool at summer camp to find me. It had gotten dark and cold and dinner had already been cooked and served in camp; but, one of “his boys” was still trying to pass a canoeing merit badge requirement at the pool. He brought a jacket to keep me warm and made sure that a generous serving of Mulligan Stew was kept hot for me to eat when he brought me back to the campsite.
  • Then there was my first agency manager, Ray, who introduced us to Napoleon Hill’s statement that, “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve”. For Ray, this wasn’t simply a memorable quote, it was a credo that he taught to each of us and repeated it daily until we truly believed in its truth. He was committed to helping each of his followers grow and become leaders … without ever voicing these words, he was committed to replicating the best qualities in him and shaping the lives of those who would replace him and become the leaders of the future.
  • More recently, I met the owner of a company who, at the end of a very trying and exhausting week, brought a refreshment cart through the office and served cold drinks to his employees, as he personally thanked each of them for all that they had done to bring a critical project to a successful conclusion.
  • Finally, there are my fellow Scouting volunteers who give so generously of their time and talent to shape the character of the next generation of leaders.

This week, we gather with family and friends to give thanks for the many gifts that we have been given. Please join me in giving thanks for the Great Leaders who have influenced each of our lives.

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: , , , , , , , ,

Do Great Leaders Follow A Moral Compass?

November 17, 2013 By

I recently read an article written by Frank Bucaro, a regular contributor to a LinkedIn group for Ethics and Compliance Officers. In this article, Frank asked, “How Does One Set A Moral Compass?” (http://www.linkedin.com/groups/How-does-one-set-moral-50939.S.5793914936249827331?view=&gid=50939&type=member&item=5793914936249827331&trk=eml-anet_dig-b_nd-pst_ttle-cn) His question started me thinking about the Great Leaders that I have had the privilege to follow and learn from … and the moral compasses that I believe they used to navigate moral dilemmas and life. I believe that these compasses were aligned with the following points.

  • They knew the difference between right and wrong – I’m not talking about the difference between legal and illegal behavior (although this distinction is certainly important). I’m talking about behaviors that, while technically may be legal, are morally wrong. As my father would ask me, “Just because it is legal to do something, does that mean it’s the right thing to do?”
  • They consider the impact that their actions may have on the lives of others – Great Leaders ask if their decisions, their actions, will improve the lives of those they have the privilege of leading; or, will their actions and decisions harm those around them.
  • They think about how their behavior will impact not only their own reputations but also the reputation of the firm they represent and the reputations of those who follow them – My father used the expression “guilty by association” and Great Leaders understand that, fairly or unfairly, the reputations of both their firms and their followers are tinted (or tainted) by their own behavior and reputation. When they behave morally and ethically, those they represent and those who follow them are perceived to be ethical and moral. When they behave improperly, the firms they represent are perceived to be tolerant of unethical behavior; and, it is anticipated that their followers will follow the example that the unethical leader set.

Great Leaders possess a moral compass and they have it oriented to the “true north” of doing the right things for the right reasons. Think about the Great Leaders that you have known and followed. What were the key points on their moral compasses? Please share those points by commenting 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, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

DO GREAT LEADERS PAINT THEMSELVES INTO INESCAPABLE CORNERS?

October 13, 2013 By

This is an open letter to those who would call themselves “leaders”.

It’s time to look at how current leadership strategies are working. All too often, we hear those who would call themselves “leaders” stating that they will not negotiate; that proposals from those who hold different views are “dead on arrival”; that differences must be resolved “my way or the highway”. In the vernacular of personality assessments, these behaviors are examples of negative personality styles wherein …

  • the Negative Commander declares that “it’s my way or the highway” and that the only acceptable behavior is conformity with exactly what he/she declares;
  • the Negative Organizer seeks refuge in the unbending adherence to perfect detail; the perfect dotting of the i’s and the perfectly balanced crossing of the t’s;
  • the Negative Relater stops seeking consensus so that “we can all get along” and takes on a martyr mentality that we are not worthy of solutions;
  • the Negative Entertainer ceases caring about making life good for everyone around him/her and begins believing that he/she must be the focal point of everyone’s attention and adoration.

These negative leadership styles are not working!  It’s time to try something else. To provide a historical example of finding workable solutions that benefit everyone …

In 1787, the Founding Fathers found themselves at a crossroads while writing the Constitution. The question centered on the nature of the legislative branch of the government.

Large states favored proportional representation wherein each state would have representation based on population; i.e., one representative for each xx number of people. This was a key component of what was referred to as the “Virginia Plan” and would give large, more populous states, more representatives than would be given to small states. Small, less populated, states feared that this form of legislature would make their opinions and wishes irrelevant; that the large states could overwhelm their smaller representation and do only what was in the interests of the large states.

Conversely, small states endorsed a legislature that would provide each state with the same number of representatives so that each state would carry the same weight in any vote; essentially, one state, one vote. This was a key component of the “New Jersey Plan” that would have kept the Articles of Confederation in place.

After a period of extended debate, Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth … both representatives from Connecticut … offered a compromise solution. Combining both proposals, their compromise created a bicameral legislative branch; a Congress with two houses. One chamber, the House of Representatives would have a membership based on population; the Virginia Plan’s one representative for each xx number of people. The second chamber, the Senate, would give equal representation to each state; the New Jersey Plan’s “one state, one vote”. In proposing this compromise solution, these men demonstrated true leadership … they actively sought and found a solution that was in the best interest of the country and that the majority of the representatives could support.

Great Leaders not only talk the talk of wanting to do what is best for the nation, they work together to find solutions that accomplish the goal of doing what is right and what is best for the country. Great Leaders recognize that when they find themselves in a hole, it’s best to stop digging deeper and start digging out of the hole; to find common ground that can lead to solutions based on a consensus of what is best for the majority. Great Leaders understand that, in the immortal words of Star Trek’s Mr. Spock, “The needs of the many (the nation) outweigh the needs of the few.”

As stated above, negative leadership styles are not working!  It’s time to try something else. It’s time to seek out and find compromises that, while not giving everyone everything that they want, offer solutions that most can accept as being in the best interests of the nation. Set aside the negative leadership behaviors. It’s time to become true leaders; Great Leaders, who act in the best interests of those that they have been given the privilege of leading.

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, How personality type impacts leadership, Integrity, Lead from strength, Lead with Integrity, Leadership, Personality Assessment, Personality types, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Are You Building a Legacy?

July 21, 2013 By

Greek history tells us that when Odysseus went to fight the Trojan War, he asked his friend Mentor to take charge of his palace and his son, charging Mentor with the responsibility of guiding his son, Telemachus, as he grows into manhood. Over time, the word “mentor” has come to mean one who gives of his or her time, experience, and wisdom in order to help another grow personally and/or professionally. It is through mentoring that Great Leaders build a legacy. But, why do they do this?

District Manager Ray was, undoubtedly, one of the finest mentors I ever met. He measured his success not by the number of dollars on his paycheck, but by the number of people that he was able to help grow and develop into successful agents and managers for the company he worked for. He took great pride whenever he heard about the success of someone who had passed through his tutelage. His pride was not based on “Look what I did!” but rather on “Look how this individual fulfilled his/her potential!” He worked hard every day to build a legacy of people who, through their own efforts, attained the levels of success to which others would only look with longing.

Scoutmaster Duane mentors young men to become the leaders upon whom local businesses, his community, the state, and the nation will depend to help us, as a people, realize the dreams of the founding fathers. He does not do this because he wants to point to a plaque on the wall and say “See what I produced!” He does it because he wishes to repay all those who have helped him become the man he is today; and, to prepare those he has the privilege of mentoring with the tools that will enable them to assist future generations.

Great Leaders subscribe to the “ripples on the pond” theory of life. Just like a pebble tossed into a pond creates ripples that travel out to the shore rebounding to come together again in the center of the pond, mentors build a legacy that travels out from their points of contact with their mentees into a world where those ripples will touch countless lives for generations to come. Great Leaders are great mentors who touch and change lives for the better far beyond their own lifetimes.

Know a great mentor who impacted and changed your life? Share that experience by commenting 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, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Great Leaders Care!

June 9, 2013 By

I recently had the privilege of attending an Eagle Court of Honor for seven (yes, I said 7) Scouts who had earned the highest rank that Scouting offers. To understand how special this Court of Honor was, it’s important to know two very important facts. 1) Less than 4% of all boys who join the Boy Scouts of America will ever earn this rank. 2) All seven of these young men were members of the same patrol in the same troop. And, they all had something else in common … a Great Leader.

That Great Leader was a man I’ll call Mr. Bill. Mr. Bill joined this group of young men on the day that their patrol formed. His son was a member of the patrol; but, from the first day, he saw himself as having seven sons in that patrol … they were all his boys and he would do everything he could to help each of them grow to become the men they were destined to be.

In the early days, he stood in front of them and showed them how to perform tasks both basic and complex. As the boys learned and then mastered the skills, Bill began to step back and let the boys lead themselves, always with the knowledge that he was there to help them if they ran into a problem. As the boys matured and undertook high adventure treks, Bill accompanied them; but now, he watched them as each took a turn leading the others and he answered their questions with the question, “what do you think you should do?”

Knowing that rank advancement was important to building a young man’s self-esteem, Mr. Bill constantly monitored their progress. If one of his charges fell behind, he provided encouragement and, when needed, gave the Scout a nudge to keep him moving forward. As the boys neared their 18th birthdays, he made sure that each was fulfilling the requirements to attain the rank of Eagle Scout. He genuinely cared about the success of each of these young men and could not envision an outcome other than each of them attaining the pinnacle of Scouting.

As the Court of Honor wound down to its conclusion, each of these outstanding these young men stepped up to the microphone to provide encouragement to those younger Scouts in attendance; and, to express his gratitude to those who had helped him along the way. Each Scout expressed the customary gratitude to parents, relatives, and friends. Each also thanked various volunteer leaders for things that the young man felt had helped him. All thanked Mr. Bill … for his guidance; for his support; and most of all, for caring.

Great Leaders care about those they lead. Great Leaders care enough to do whatever is needed to ensure that their followers have the tools and resources necessary for success.

“Like” if you appreciate all that Great Leaders do to help their followers succeed.

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, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , , ,

Leaders Find A Way To Do That Which Cannot Be Done

June 2, 2013 By

Roman emperor and stoic philosopher, Marcus Aurelius wrote that something that appears difficult to one person should not be considered to be impossible for someone else to accomplish. Herein lies one of the secrets of Great Leaders, the recognition that leadership carries with it the responsibility for finding a way to get things done.

While weak leaders give up and make excuses for not completing what they set out to do, Great Leaders see the opportunities that are presented by difficult challenges. Great Leaders

  • acknowledge what has not worked in the past without dwelling on the past
  • embrace non-traditional thinking and the possibilities that this offers
  • recognize that just because something does not work, the effort does not represent a failure, it simply moves everything one step closer to success
  • continue to search for solutions until they find the one that leads to success

My first agency manager, Ray, repeatedly told us that getting knocked down did not mean you had failed. Failure only occurred when you refused to get back up and try again. Great Leaders know this; and, because they know and BELIEVE this, they do not fear setbacks; they do not fear trying something that is not a “guaranteed sure thing”; they do not hesitate to try something new. They know that hard work and effort will result in success. They instill this belief in those who follow them. They encourage renewed effort in the face of adversity and they recognize and reward that continuing effort when it occurs.

In the end, Great Leaders find ways to do what everyone else says cannot be done. If you have had the advantage of following a Great Leader, comment here to share how that person inspired your 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 [email protected]

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

The Easy Way Out = The Road to Failure

April 8, 2013 By

Sometimes things jump out at you when you aren’t even looking for them. Case in point – I was searching on-line for information regarding banking relationships when a pop-up appeared that included a statement from President Theodore Roosevelt to the effect that there were only five things that would destroy this country; prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living, and a get rich quick attitude toward life. As I examined these five attitudes, I realized that each one indicated a person who was looking for the easy way rather than the right way.

Great leaders know that survival as an individual and as a nation is often dependent on foregoing the easy way and deliberately choosing to take the more difficult path. Great leaders recognize that doing the right thing is not easy; that standing up for core values and beliefs is not easy; that demanding integrity from yourself and those you lead is not easy. More importantly, great leaders inspire those around them to choose the more difficult path to success because it is not only the right thing to do, it also builds long-term relationships that benefit all concerned.

As people who aspire to be great leaders, each of us accepts the responsibility that great leadership carries; to do what is right and to inspire those who follow our lead to do likewise. A living example is far stronger and much more memorable than a well spoken lecture. Choose to do what is right; know the values and beliefs that you will not compromise; recognize and perform your duties; live in a manner that clearly demonstrates your integrity and your honor so that no one will ever question your motives. Be an example that others choose to follow and aspire to become.

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

Who Is the Most Important Person You’ll Ever Meet?

April 1, 2013 By

Several years ago, I attended the funeral for a friend named Scott whose father had been my first agency manager. Many of us who were at the service had worked with Scott when he was an agent in his father’s agency. As is wont to happen at the wake after the memorial service, a group of us were standing and talking about “the old days” when we had all been newly minted agents in Ray’s office.

A young man I did not know walked up to the group and waited patiently for a break in the conversation. When it came, he introduced himself and said, “Everyone tells me that my grandfather was the best that ever was at what he did. Since you all worked for him, I was hoping you could tell me, what was it that made him the best at what he did?”

After a few moments of quiet contemplation, each of us offered our views. When all opinions had been voiced, the young man summed it up in one sentence. “My grandfather made each of you feel like you were the most important person in the entire world.” There it was in the proverbial nutshell!

No matter who Ray was with, he made that person believe that no one, no thing, could ever be more important than he or she was at that moment. Ray gave you his undivided attention. His focus was entirely on you.

Great leaders know that every person has a genuine need to feel important; needs to know that what they say and what they do is important; and, that the leader recognizes, respects, and appreciates their contributions.  If we are to be great leaders, we should take a moment to look in the mirror and carefully examine how we treat others. Do we treat them as the important people they are; or, do we pay lip service to their unique abilities and lose their respect and their loyalty?

Who is the most important person you’ll ever meet? I would suggest that it’s the person you are with at the moment and that they deserve to be treated accordingly.

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