| Here is my Test of True Leadership - a leader must | | | | TENACITY |
| embrace my Four T's. | | | | Louis Pasteur, the famous microbiologist and chemist, |
| TRUTH | | | | once said, "Let me tell you the secret that has led me |
| A leader must tell the truth; even when it is painful. Not | | | | to my goal: my strength lies solely in my tenacity." |
| every situation is a perfect scenario. There will always | | | | (Kerry Gleason, The Personal Efficiency Program: |
| be challenges and distractions. Followers assume that. | | | | How to Get More Organized to Do More Work in |
| But what they don't want is somehow who won't be | | | | Less Time, 3rd ed. (2004) p. 125) |
| straight up with them. It's important to "accentuate the | | | | Tenacity is not being hard-headed and stubborn, but it |
| positive" without "puffing the goods." It's simply | | | | is having the resolve to stay the course, meet your |
| communicating truthfully a vision. | | | | goals, and pursue your vision. |
| Great leaders communicate a vision that captures the | | | | It is also having no fear. Oftentimes, we face paralysis |
| imagination and fires the hearts and minds of those | | | | by analysis because we are afraid to make a mistake. |
| around them. Average leaders inspire people to punch | | | | One Far East proverb says, "fall down seven times; |
| a time clock. Great leaders inspire industry and passion. | | | | get up eight." |
| It is the way to get followers to give there all in the | | | | The reality is that we learn much more from our |
| pursuit of a great cause. (Joseph B. Wirthlin, address, | | | | failures than our successes. Wisdom comes from |
| June 26, 2006.) | | | | minimizing those mistakes and realizing that things are |
| I spent a summer working as an intern/press aide to a | | | | never as good, nor as bad, as you may think. |
| U.S. congressman. It was an exhilarating job and one | | | | A coach once told me, "if you are afraid to fail, you |
| where I learned many important things about | | | | are not ready to win." Sometimes the best course of |
| government and life. One day a scandal erupted that | | | | action is the road less traveled. And to go on that road |
| threatened this congressman's political career. When | | | | requires faith and tenacity in pursuing the vision, |
| asked if what had been alleged was true, he said, it is | | | | overcoming the obstacles, correcting the mistakes and |
| not recorded. I immediately thought, "Well where there | | | | carrying on. |
| is smoke, there is fire." I knew that there were legal | | | | The Apostle Paul told Timothy that "God hath not |
| consequences that prohibited an accurate answer, but | | | | given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love |
| after that experience, I wasn't sure about the | | | | and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7) |
| accuracy of the vision he espoused. | | | | We have nothing to fear as long as we follow a |
| Truthful communications are always two-way. | | | | simple formula - Plan, Act, Check, Do. Plan out what |
| One-sided communications are dictatorial and | | | | and how you will pursue your goal, act upon that plan, |
| uninspiring. The best way to empower people is to get | | | | check the outcome and correct deficiencies and the |
| them to buy into the leader's vision. And the best way | | | | do the plan, with modifications, again. |
| to do that is to get them to participate by having a say, | | | | TEAMWORK |
| or a vote. It's simple two-way communications. Some | | | | A wise leader knows that each member of the team |
| may not want to participate, but at least they are | | | | or organization is valuable. Although the smallest |
| given the opportunity to do so. | | | | instrument in size in a marching band, the sound of the |
| The basic communications model is the basis for | | | | march is not complete without the piccolo. Don't forget |
| truthful communications -- sender sends, receiver | | | | the piccolo player. Not everyone is a tuba, or a |
| receives, receiver feedbacks to sender. | | | | trumpet, or saxophone; some are piccolos -- but all are |
| TRUST | | | | important to the overall sound of the band. |
| As a high school junior, I spent a summer harvesting - | | | | The same is true in any organization, business or team. |
| the fancy term for picking -- pineapples in Hawaii. My | | | | Everyone is important, regardless of the function they |
| brother and I were two of 14 on the crew of so-called | | | | perform. When one member of the group thinks they |
| "misfits and non-draft choices," and lead by my Dad. | | | | are better than another that is when the organization |
| You see, we were late additions to a 200-person | | | | begins to falter. A wise leader corrects that action |
| group of pineapple harvesters. We were not chosen | | | | immediately and creates a level paying field so that all |
| by other team leaders - "no hopers" some had called | | | | members of the group realize and know their |
| us. | | | | importance and dependence upon the others. One of |
| What we did though was to do what we only knew | | | | the greatest professional basket players of all time |
| how to do best -- we knew how to work hard. We | | | | Michael Jordan did not win a championship until he first |
| left a little early to the fields, we were worked a little | | | | learned the importance and value of each and every |
| longer, took a little shorter lunch break and we | | | | member of his team. It was poetry in motion to see on |
| harvested more pineapples than the other crews. In | | | | the last play of the deciding game that all five players |
| the end, that hard worked gained us some respect | | | | on the court touched the ball before the winning shot |
| and that respect forged trust in us by our crew mates, | | | | was taken - and it was not taken by Michael. |
| and a desire by the other crews to want to join us in | | | | In essence, leadership comes down to truth, trust, |
| the other activities we participated in during the | | | | tenacity and teamwork. A leader is one who inspires |
| summer. We had become "leaders" because of our | | | | others to become the best they can be. A leader is |
| willingness to work harder than the other crews, and | | | | humble. He or she realizes that the work is never |
| as a result of our ability to pick more pineapples, we | | | | complete and they realize that they have never really |
| bonused more money. | | | | "arrived" but that they can always do more to reach |
| Although not the oldest of the group, my brother and I | | | | the vision. |
| were respected by our crewmates because they | | | | When legendary football coach Vince Lombardi first |
| trusted us and knew we would always work hard. | | | | coached the Green Bay Packers, he began by |
| They wanted to work side by side with us and came | | | | thanking the Packers for the opportunity to coach. |
| to genuinely like us for who we were, not because we | | | | Then he said something to the effect that, "Gentlemen, |
| were the sons of the crew leader. | | | | we will pursue perfection, knowing that perfection is |
| Another point to consider in leadership is charisma. It's | | | | not possible, but that by pursuing it, we will capture |
| not being flashy or a loud mouth. It's actually a quiet | | | | excellence. That is leadership. Inspiring a vision around a |
| confidence that makes people want to follow you | | | | great cause and empowering others to pursue that |
| because they trust you, like you and know you will be | | | | vision with imagination, and passion. |
| straight up with them. | | | | |