Leader's Attitude Guest Blog | Coach Pat Sullivan

30 Jul

Listening to the Other Guy

Henry Ford wrote: “If there is any secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from that person’s angle as well as your own.”

The best leaders I have known do this very well.

I served on two cabinets in my educational career. One was led by our high school principal, Bishop Roger Kaffer and the other by our college president, Dr. Jack Orr. Both were exceptional leaders who did not push their respective points of view. They wanted to hear from everyone on the cabinet. They knew they had to make the final decision, but they strived to find the best solution.

Both the Bishop and Jack were much like Coach John Wooden who put it this way. He would tell his assistants the following. “Joe, I am not interested that we do it your way; Tom I am not interested that we do it your way; and equal to that, I am not interested that we do it my way. But among the three of us, can we find the best way.”

I know I always respected the Bishop and Jack for their willingness to really listen to the other guy’s point of view and I think there is the great value in giving others the opportunity to give their insights. That value is that the leader gains the genuine respect of the people on his/her team.

I may not have agreed with the final decision the Bishop or Jack made, but I never had any problem supporting it when we left the meeting because I had every opportunity to give my thoughts and I always respected that as the leaders, they had to make final decision.

I found the same thing in my coaching. At halftime of games, I would go off by myself to make decisions on the adjustments we could make for the second half while my assistants got together to do the same thing. We would then come together and give our opinions. There were times when I felt their thinking was better than mine and I went their way, just as there were times when I overruled them and went my way.

The bottom line was that never once after a game was over and we lost do I remember my assistants telling me how wrong my decision was or me saying that to them. I believe they knew how much I respected them and their decision-making and they knew I had to make the final decision.

Respect. Quality organizations develop respect between the leader and his / her team.

And they do that by seeing things from the other person’s point of view.

07 Jul

Can leadership be sustainable?

Guest Blog by Bonnie J. Covelli and Jeanne Washburn

“Sustainability” is one of those modern day words that is often overused and abused. Every business proposal, grant opportunity, reorganization plan contains the word sustainable. After all, why would you make a change or receive funding if you cannot prove sustainability?

Despite the word’s bad reputation, we propose viewing sustainability through the lens of leadership. It is difficult to lead in any situation, and it is even more difficult when barriers occur. How then, does a leader sustain momentum? How does a leader maintain continued process improvement? Can leadership be truly sustainable?

The answers to these questions are more personal than you might think. It is the leader’s inner passion and motivation that drives sustainability. It is less about the leader’s decisions and more about how the leader views his or her followers. The lasting effects of leadership, the sustainability of leadership, is centered within the follower.

Three theories of leadership showcase our point:

According to Bill George (2003) in his book, Authentic Leadership: Rediscovering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value, authentic leaders understand their purpose, practice a value system, establish relationships, demonstrate self-discipline and most importantly, lead with heart. Authentic leaders “genuinely desire to serve others through their leadership. They are more interested in empowering the people they lead to make a difference than they are in power, money, or prestige for themselves” (George, 2003, chapter 1, para. 4). Several models of authentic leadership exist, including one presented by Avolio et. al. (2004) that encourages leaders to be self-aware, to self-regulate themselves, to be open to balanced processing of information from multiple sources, and to be transparent in all relationships.
Similarly, in the theory of transformational leadership, leaders “broaden and elevate the interests of their employees when they generate awareness and acceptance of the purposes and mission of the group, and when they stir their employees to look beyond their own self-interest for the good of the group” (Bass, 1990, para. 7). Transformational leaders inspire their followers to feel like they can accomplish great things when they exert more effort, ultimately building followers’ sense of purpose (Bass, 1990; Shriberg, D. & Shriberg, A., 2011). This sense of purpose, then, links to the sustainability of the organization or unit.
Finally, many of you are familiar with the theory of servant leadership which ultimately places emphasis on developing, respecting and encouraging followers. According to Kent Keith, CEO of Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, if servant leaders listen to their “colleagues and figure out how to get them what they need, they will perform at a higher level, which improves customer experience, which affects business results” (Johnson, n.d., para 2). The followers become the leaders.

Can leadership be truly sustainable? We think so.

The authors are honored to passionately serve the University of St. Francis:

Bonnie J. Covelli, Director School of Professional Studies
Jeanne Washburn, Executive Director, College of Business and Health Administration

References:

Avolio, B., Gardner, W., Walumbwa, F. Luthans, F., & May, D. (2004). Unlocking the mask: A look at the process by which authentic leaders impact followers attitudes and behaviors. The Leadership Quarterly, 15, 801-823.
Bass, B. M. (1990). From transactional to transformational leadership: Learning to share the vision. Organizational Dynamics, 18, 19-31.
George, B. (2003). Authentic leadership: Rediscovering the secrets to creating lasting value. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. [Kindle paperwhite version]. Retrieved from Amazon.com
Johnson, E. (n.d.) How to: Become a servant leader. Success.com. Retrieved from: http://www.success.com/article/how-to-become-a-servant-leader
Shriberg, D. & Shriberg, A. (2011). Practicing leadership: Principles and applications. Hoboken, N. J.: Wiley and Sons, Inc.

31 May

Analyzing Leaders and Success

The study of William J. O’Neil, founder- Investor’s Business Daily

Over my 35 years in Sales I have been exposed to many varied, yet successful leadership styles in both the corporate world and also in my avocation, sports officiating.

For me the most consistent message of great leadership and successful people is contained in a daily publication delivered to my doorstep: Investor’s Business Daily. Founded in 1984, the creator of the paper, Mr. William J. O’Neil, saw the need for financial investors to make better investment decisions more quickly. He saw a need in the market: business publications at the time were not formatted in a way that was “investor-friendly.”

Existing sources made it difficult to find the information about stocks needed for an investor to make focused decisions. During Mr. O’Neil’s years of stock research he created a formula for successful investing called CAN SLIM, a strategy based on the historical facts of a stock’s performance. This formula is detailed on the company website, through the “IBD University” drop-down icon.

Among my favorite features of the paper that appear every day is a column emphasizing IBD’s “10 Secrets to Success,” always located on the “Leaders and Success” page. As IBD writer David Saito-Chung suggests, these 10 characteristics form an “action plan” for those who wish to create a better life for themselves and others.

What are these secrets of great Leaders? According to IDB, they are:

How you think is everything: “Think success, not failure.”
Decide upon your true dreams and goals: “Write ‘em down…”
Take Action: “Don’t be afraid- just DO it!”
Never stop learning: “More schooling, training, skills…”
Be persistent and work hard: “Never give up…”
Learn to analyze details: “Learn from your mistakes…”
Focus your time and money: “Don’t let others distract you…”
Don’t be afraid to innovate; be different: “Fear mediocrity…”
Deal and communicate with people effectively: “Learn to understand others so as to motivate…”
Be honest and dependable; take responsibility: “Otherwise, #1-#9 don’t matter…”

All of the successful people I’ve known over the course of my life have had some combination of these traits. Interacting with these living examples of leadership – as well as being exposed to them in my daily dose of the IBD – have helped me successfully navigate through challenging business and officiating situations. My hope is that by including the list here, they might benefit you in a similar way.

-Guest Blog by Dennis Bracco

Dennis Bracco is president of DMB Ventures, Ltd., a manufacturer’s representative serving customers with Packaging and Point of Purchase display needs. He is a former Big Ten basketball official. Dennis can be reached via LinkedIn.

29 Apr

Pyramid of Success and the One-Day Contract

By Marty Gaughan

Each and every year I have had the honor of being asked to speak to the senior class at my high school on leadership. This year, my talk was based on the concepts and ideas of two great coaches, John Wooden and Rick Pitino.

Using the “Pyramid of Success,” I talk about three elements from Coach Wooden’s Model. The first two characteristics are the cornerstones of the pyramid. One cornerstone is industriousness and the other is enthusiasm. Nothing great has been accomplished without enthusiasm and hard work.

The third segment of the pyramid is the definition of success. According to Coach Wooden: “Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.”

In Coach Pitino’s book, “The One-Day Contract: How to Add Value to Every Minute of Your Life,” I conveyed his message of passion. Life is about passion and you need to become passionate about something to become great and to make a difference.

Passion is a hard thing to have on a daily basis, but by putting yourself on a “one-day” contract, it is possible.

These two great coaches have taught me that success is knowing you did your best, and doing your best requires industriousness, enthusiasm and passion.

-Guest Blog by Marty Gaughan

Based in Naperville, Ill., Marty Gaughan is a basketball trainer for teams, individuals and small groups. He works with college, high school and grade school players. He coached for 25 years at the high school basketball level and has also guided AAU teams. You can find him on the web at http://drill4skill.weebly.com/index.html or follow him on Twitter at @d4straining.

02 Apr

Communication and the “Gushy Ball”

By Michael Bone

Perhaps nothing is more discussed as a topic in business than communication. As an almost obvious tenet of effective leadership, it’s a wonder why the world needs hundreds of thousands of books on the topic. Perhaps George Bernard Shaw summed it up best when he wrote, “the single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” (Source)

I’ve certainly witnessed and have been guilty of poor communication. For our purposes here, though, I want to share an example of highly effective communication from a business leader. When I was just starting my career, I worked for a manufacturer. The president, Jim Tiffany, was a fiery guy and a passionate leader. As I reflect back on those early days of my career, I see that it was Jim’s ability to effectively communicate that set him apart.

There was never a question of what Jim wanted to do with the business or what we needed to do to accomplish our objectives. The entire office staff of 80 people met weekly on Friday mornings to get updates on the customers, the production issues, expectations and a regular reminder of the vision, purpose and strategy. As I liked to say, you knew where the bus was headed and you could either get on board or get out of the way.

Even though it’s been 16 years since I worked for the late Jim Tiffany, I still remember his vivid description of the “gushy ball.” He used this metaphor to illustrate how each of us was interdependent on the rest of the business. If production “pushes” on one side of the ball, then the planning department is pushed out on the other side of the ball.

Do you realize how your work affects your organization’s gushy ball? When you make a decision as a marketing manager, how are you affecting the sales team’s side of the ball? It’s a simple visual but that’s what makes it so valuable.

Remember the gushy ball. I’ll never forget it.

Michael Bone is the Management Controller for the Global Biology Unit of Ceva Sante Animale, a top 10 global animal health company. He earned a bachelor’s in accounting from the University of St. Francis and a MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Management. Feel free to connect with Michael on LinkedIn.

30 Jan

Leadership Lessons from Spin Class

“Finish strong!” hollers the spin class instructor.

I ask myself: “Finish strong? Heck, I didn’t know we were close to the finish line.”

Facilitated by a good leader, spin classes can be a great, low-impact cardio workout. Good instructors take class members on a journey that transcends peddling a stationary bike in a dark room. A class lacking a game plan and good communication certainly creates a less inspiring experience.

I am certainly not qualified to teach a spin class but my experience as a participant for the past 10 years at various fitness clubs has provided me with some thoughts on what works and what doesn’t. The experience has also provided an interesting comparison to other team training environments, such as basketball. Like coaches in other sports, I believe exercise instructors are more effective when they communicate clearly about where they want to take the team.

So, if I were asked to speak at a “coach-the-coaches” clinic for spin class instructors (not likely anytime soon, by the way), here are two pieces of advice I’d impart:

Start and finish the class on time. Attendees are making a point to be in your class and prepared prior to the start time. The instructor should have the respect and professionalism to follow suit.
Inform your participants about the journey before it starts. Will it be a series of intervals and hills or a long, heavy endurance ride? Athletes are inspired by leaders with a vision. Where are we going and how are we going to get there? Spin instructors without a game plan for each session are likely to be perceived as uncommitted and ineffective.

Each segment of the imaginary ride should be telegraphed. For instance, if we will be starting a 5-minute gradual hill climb, let the cyclists know. Providing periodic progress reports during the segment (“Two minutes down, three to go!”) is also a good thing. Barking out “Gear up!” every 20 seconds does not qualify as good communication.

Good coaches share their vision with their respective teams. Whether that vision relates to season-long goals (Ex: “advance to the playoffs for the first time in school history”), individual practice sessions (Ex: “focus on ball-handling fundamentals, individual defense and our fast-break offense”), or the segments within the practice session (Ex: “the next 10 minutes will be dedicated to strong- and weak-hand ball-handling before we take a 2-minute break and then move on to our press break), good coaches communicate early and often.

I had the good fortune of playing college basketball for an excellent leader, Pat Sullivan. He set the bar high in terms of communicating goals and objectives for our teams. Each season and individual practices were meticulously planned in advance. Each player on the team had a strong sense of what we were doing and why, and the length of time required to work hard in a particular area of the game. We were actively engaged because we knew where we were headed and could clearly see the pathway to get there.

In sum, leadership that expects to drive teams to achieve common goals, and individuals to achieve personal goals, requires solid planning and frequent communication.

-Guest Blog by Tom Kennedy

Tom Kennedy is the Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Republic Financial Corporation, a Denver-based private investment firm.