Reflections – Written By Roger Boetger, Trainer and Leader at Tiburon Financial.
As a leader, I am keenly aware of my strengths and weaknesses. It is this reason that I approach growing my leadership abilities like I do tending for my physical needs. Making an investment into my personal growth and development has allowed me to stay sharp in my thinking and progressive in my ideas to develop the teams I serve.
As a professional trainer, I am also aware that I am only as good as my current level of thinking. This means that I must continue to expose myself to great thought leaders so that I can challenge my thinking and grow. Adding value to others through the training process is one of my greatest passions. (That…and watching Duck Dynasty.) This is why I chose to attend the Chick-Fil-A Leadercast hosted by the CBMC organization at Westside Church in Omaha, Nebraska.
I’m also very excited to share my highlights and offer my thoughts to you on Mark’s coaching blog. The following are my personal list of “big” ideas. I hope they add value to your leadership life and encourages you to invest in your own personal growth and development.
Reflections From Leadercast 2013
- Communication Develops the Atmosphere.
For Coach K., this is paramount to how he coaches our USA Olympic teams consisting of superstars earning millions of dollars. Navy Seal trainer Rorke Denver also pointed out that people mimic your communications and amplify them. He believes that our communications are contagious.
This made me aware that my company’s atmosphere is tremendously impacted by my positive or negative communication style. I will take full responsibility for my communications.
- People Should Tell the Truth and Expect the Truth From Others.
Why? Because the powerful result is Trust. Coach K. found trust a powerful element that needs to be in place to set a positive mood. Navy Seal trainer Denver found trust very important as well, as did UNO Professor Paul Bryant. Professor Bryant called it integrity.
I have learned, over the years, that truth is actually more powerful than sugar-coating something. Specifically, when the truth is hard or unpopular news. Truth also equals team unity. As a leader, I’ll continue to improve on delivering hard truth and fostering a healthy team atmosphere.
- Serving Others and Putting Them First is Paramount to Successful Leadership.
Navy Seal Trainer Denver stated that serving others creates a certain clarity of action. Renowned business leader John Maxwell stated that putting others first actually adds value to our own life. He emphasized the Ziglar principle, “You can get everything you want in life if you just help enough other people get what they want in life.”
For me, adding value to others creates trust. My intention is to be less sporadic and more intentional about adding value. Simple things like talking to people and taking a sincere interest in them adds value. Asking people if they need help with something is another key way I intend to add value to others, and thereby create trust.
- John C Maxwell Emphasized That Influence is Leadership.
He stated that by adding value to others lives we are increasing our own influence on others. This is almost a self-serving plan to multiply our leadership. I loved how Professor Bryant called this point influence that inspires integrity.
Pouring into others by showing interest in what is important to them is the easiest way I can add value. At home, it’s expressing interest and asking questions about what interests my wife, my son, and my daughter, while balancing this with time to focus on my own interests. At work, it’s simple. I talk to people, give instruction (with plenty of truth while incorporating grace), and provide completely new concepts in a high impact learning environment.
- Confidence and Excitement are Key Leadership Qualities.
Professor Bryant called this inspiration, Coach K. called it enthusiasm, and leader of the century Jack Welch called it self-confidence with resiliency. These ingredients are a must for a thriving leader to own.
At Tiburon Financial, our Company Vision statement calls it, “humble yet driven”. I call it, “eager humility”. I try to set a good example, keep my personal values and ethics in mind at all times, and keep things fun whenever possible.
- Leaders Should Focus on Creating a Culture of Success and Not Just the Small Wins and Losses.
This concept sounded a lot like changing a habit cycle, with the reward being a success (The Power of Habit by Award-winning New York Times Reporter and Author Charles Duhigg). Coach K. says we should focus on creating a culture of success and not focus on winning. Professor Bryant says that success or prosperity does not equal materialism.
I want to see people sweat the big things. Often people sweat the little things too much. These folks seem to have a case of toxic stress. My goal is to change the things I can and have enough wisdom to recognize the “big” things and act.
- Being a Good Communicator by Simplifying Every Process so Others Can Follow Easily.
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice mentioned that we should strive to be a river and not a reservoir when it comes to dispensing information. Leader of the Century Welch called these “teaching moments” that resulted in clarity and action. Coach K. called this communicating. Last but not least, Psychologist Henry Cloud called this simplifying for easy focus and reduced confusion.
My job as a trainer forces me to seek alignment of actions across multiple service offerings. My task is to simplify the way we all communicate while not missing any important client standards of operations. In this, there is less confusion, and more clarity.
The Chick-Fil-A Leadercast proved to be a great investment to me personally and professionally. It challenged me to simplify and reflect on the “whys” behind the “whats” that we do in business and life. I hope to see you next year, and until we meet again, Lead Well!
What was your favorite speaker at the Chick-Fil-A Leadercast 2013…or episode of Duck Dynasty? (talk to me in the comment section below.)
