June 27, 2025 • 25 mins
Are you already a leader without realizing it? The journey toward leadership often begins long before you receive a formal title or position.
In this enlightening episode of Success Secrets and Stories, hosts John Wandolowski and Greg Powell unpack the subtle yet powerful indicators that suggest you're ready to step into a leadership role.
Leadership isn't confined to management positions or executive suites. As the hosts explore, true leadership qualities manifest in everyday behaviors: colleagues seeking your guidance, your natural tendency to facilitate discussions, or your willingness to speak up when problems arise. These signs, alongside effective communication skills and a drive to contribute beyond your job description, mark you as someone with leadership potential waiting to be unleashed.
The conversation delves into five essential pillars of exceptional leadership - integrity, empathy, enthusiasm, ethics, and honor. Through compelling examples including Nelson Mandela, Howard Schultz, Richard Branson, and Abraham Lincoln, John and Greg illustrate how these qualities create leaders who inspire rather than intimidate, who unite rather than divide, and who elevate everyone around them. Whether it's Mandela's unwavering principles through adversity, Branson's contagious enthusiasm, or Lincoln's moral compass during America's most divided time, these leaders demonstrate that character fundamentally shapes leadership effectiveness.
Ready to recognize the leader within yourself? This episode offers the insights you need to identify your leadership readiness and take that crucial next step. Whether you're considering a formal leadership role or simply want to enhance your influence regardless of title, the wisdom shared here will guide your development as a leader who makes a lasting difference. Listen now and discover how you might already be leading - you just don't know it yet.
Presented by John Wandolowski and Greg Powell
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Well, hello and welcome to Success Secrets and
Stories.
I'm your host, John Wendoloski,and I'm here with my co-host
and friend, Greg Powell, Greg.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Hey, everybody yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
So today we're going to talk about leadership and let
me put it more appropriately soyou want to be a leader.
When do you think it's a goodtime to be a leader?
It's a good time to be a leaderwhen your work is consistent
(00:47):
and demonstrates qualities suchas inspiring your colleagues or
recognizing the people in termsof guidance that you've done on
your team Things that you wouldnormally want to see as far as
indications that you areexhibiting those skills and you
want to do something beyond justthe individual's roles.
You're exhibiting communicationin terms of being able to talk
(01:11):
to executives or leadership orcoworkers, and you have problem
solving skills.
All those things are whatyou're looking for in terms of
am I ready for that leadershipmove?
Do I have the capacity to takethat next step?
So, to help you with some ofthe signs that you're looking
(01:35):
for to make that step when doyou make that transition?
Colleagues are actually askingyou in terms of help, or other
individuals are asking youbecause you're the most
responsible person on the shift.
Those are strong indicationsthat you have the leadership
(01:58):
potential.
That, again, if you're a strongcommunicator, you're also a
very good active listener.
Effective listening skills isreally hard for a lot of people
to understand and to be able toarticulate your vision or your
responses.
That's also another sign thatyou have those skill sets.
Another element to understandthat you're ready for leadership
is you're seeking opportunitiesto contribute, you want to take
(02:21):
on projects, you're intriguedwith the idea of working on
solutions and you'revolunteering to help.
Those are all indications, greg.
I think you have a few more.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Thanks, john.
Yeah, a couple of other signsthat you're ready to lead.
One you're able to delegate andempower others, just kind of
naturally.
Good leaders know how todistribute tasks effectively and
trust their team members tocomplete them, fostering a nice
sense of ownership andresponsibility.
Another sign you are committedto the development of others,
(02:53):
just naturally that way.
Leadership developmentresources emphasize the
importance of mentoring,coaching and providing
constructive feedback to helpyour colleagues grow.
A third sign you are able tohandle difficult conversation
and feedback and yes, there willbe times where there will be
difficult conversations andtough feedback and difficult
(03:14):
conversations.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
arguments is another term.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Absolutely, absolutely so.
A leadership blog on Mediumsays a key aspect of leadership
is being able to addresschallenges and provide feedback
in a constructive and a veryprofessional manner.
How about a few other signs?
You have a clear vision for theteam or organization.
You see it in your head, right?
Articles on leadership mentionleaders need to be able to
(03:40):
articulate a clear vision forthe future and inspire others to
work towards it.
So it's not just having it inyour head, but it's conveying
that message, that image, thatvision to people on your team.
Need to be able to articulate aclear vision for the future and
inspire others to work towardsit.
So it's not just having it inyour head, but it's conveying
that message, that image, thatvision to the people on your
team.
Also, you're willing to learnand adapt.
We've said it before ongoinglearning, lifelong learning.
Leadership is a continuousjourney of learning and growth,
and good leaders always seekways to improve themselves and
(04:03):
their team.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
John, yeah and well, examples of leadership in action
.
Not only are you on a projectteam, but you're taking the
initiative to start a new team,to start a new project and that
leaning out and trying to lookat being an asset to the company
and you're going beyond yourcurrent responsibilities.
(04:26):
One of the things we used tocall it was you're managing up.
So if you're doing those kindsof things, it's a sign You're
mentoring junior colleagues oryour supervision is bringing new
hires in for them to learn fromsomeone who they want the
organization to emulate.
That says a lot about yourskill set at the same time, and
(04:49):
it also talks about thepotential of advancement.
To keep that in mind, thatyou're their resource in
management, facilitating teammeetings, and really what that
means to me is you're guidingthe discussion or sometimes
you're trying to redirect thediscussion.
For me, one of my tricks is thewhat if?
Game of well, what if we dothis?
(05:10):
What if we just trying tochallenge the people that are in
that room or that team and getout of maybe the argument and
talk about solutions?
You're also the person thatspeaks up when there's a problem
.
You're also the person thatspeaks up when there's a problem
, and usually that's not theeasiest thing to do is to admit
(05:30):
that there's a problem,especially if you're saying it
might be something that you'redoing yourself.
That means a lot to managementbecause they can see that you're
taking responsibility.
That's also a sign of that youhave a little bit more of a
hierarchy of understanding yourresponsibility within the
working environment.
That means a lot to the workersand it means a lot to
(05:50):
leadership, and you also find away to celebrate the
accomplishments of your team, torecognize your coworkers, most
importantly, to foster thatpositive work environment.
All those things talk about howyou're ready to take that next
step and if you can bring joy tothe job, believe me, it means a
(06:11):
lot to the entire organization,because there's enough
naysayers that are out therethat can talk about how it's
horrible, but those that can seethe light or are part of the
process to make it a positive,that's where you're finding your
leadership or are part of theprocess to make it a positive,
that's where you're finding yourleadership.
So, in the process of lookingat the research, I wanted to
(06:33):
also talk about an article thatI thought was kind of
interesting because it mirroredsome of those exact ideas and it
was an article by Michael Henryand he's a human resource
professional and it was anarticle on my favorite, linkedin
they do a lot in terms oftraining that I found really
interesting as a resource.
This was from an article fromJuly of 2020.
(06:54):
So Michael starts off withThroughout my life and working
career, I have observed specifictraits that make up what I
would consider a leader.
I have noted, and you may haveas well, leaders that are not
always managers or top-levelemployees.
Rather, leadership takes placeregardless of the organization's
level or job title.
(07:16):
This article will discuss thefive traits in which Michael
believes to be the importantelements of leadership in
various situations andorganizational structures.
First, leadership showsintegrity through their deeds
and their actions.
Second, they show empathy toothers and their situation.
(07:38):
Next, they bring a positiveenergy and enthusiasm to their
work, to their personal livesand to the lives of others.
In addition, they do what isright and think of what others,
not just for the good ofthemselves, but think of others
first.
Finally, they live with honor.
(07:59):
They may not be perfect, butthey live a code and strive to
be the best and to help others.
Over the past couple years, wehave seen the erosion of traits
mentioned above.
There have been significantrise in false information,
questionable statements,deceptions and information
(08:22):
sharing that creates fear.
Regardless of either of theseapproaches that are meant to
sway or manipulate us, it is notleadership, greg.
Maybe you can start us off withexamples of what he considered
leadership.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Thank you, john.
So the first one is leadersshow integrity by their deeds
and actions.
In the book the Four Agreements, don Miguel Ruiz states the
first agreement is to beimpeccable with your word.
What you say and how you say itmatters.
Words can be used to createharmony, it can convey strength
(09:00):
or to voice kindness.
It can also be used to createfear, division and to promote
hatred.
We accomplish integrity throughsharing truthful and accurate
information with others.
The same goes for our actions.
When I was in middle school,there was a group of students
that managed to get the answersto a test in a particular class.
(09:22):
There was one student thatchose not to cheat.
Later, a student that did cheatspoke with a student that did
not cheat.
The first student stated thathe wished he could have taken
the test without cheating, buthe felt he had to do it to keep
his high grade point average.
It was something he had to do.
He could have studied more orasked for help from a fellow
(09:43):
student Instead.
This was a missed opportunityto show integrity.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
And you know, when you think about it, people who
have integrity.
The first name that came to mymind was Nelson Mandela and his
integrity, not only because ofwhat he went through, but how he
changed the nation and as aleader.
I can't think of a greaterexample and, greg, you and I had
talked about it and I stoleyour example, but truly there's
(10:12):
an individual that could havehad a miserable life and could
have made it horrible in termsof how he handled his diversity
and the opportunity to try tomake a change, and he really did
create an example for others tounderstand integrity.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
So John, after you stole Nelson Mandela from me, I
decided to go out a little biton a limb.
I'm predicting, that's right,predicting Pope Leo Robert
Francis Provost will be a greatworld leader with integrity,
Because integrity literallycomes from the territory.
For his job and over the courseof his career, Pope Leo has
(10:52):
taught canon law, patristics andmoral law.
We need a world leader of PopeLeo's caliber, probably now more
than ever.
Yeah, All right, let's talkabout leaders showing empathy
for others.
Right now, it seems likethere's a lot of leaders who are
lacking in empathy and concernfor others.
(11:12):
Leaders should seek tounderstand the situation of
others, including people who aredifferent or share different
viewpoints than they do.
We do not have to agree witheverything people say or do, but
we should be able to listen anddo our best to understand.
By doing so, we createopportunity for diversity,
creativity and growth withinourselves and for society as a
(11:35):
whole.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Yeah.
So when I heard this one I cameup with a TV program, which I
know it's like reality TV 101,but there's this gentleman by
the name of Robert Irving and hehas a TV show that really works
on the concepts of helpingbusiness owners to foster
strength and develop their teamsand help them understand what
(12:00):
it means to be a performanceteam.
But mostly he has a heart and asoul when he goes through this
process and he brings the peoplealong in the show.
I don't know if you've everseen any of this program, greg,
but you have, and it's kind ofengaging in terms of how he
(12:21):
brings it down to their leveland wants them to basically take
take the reins and help thepeople that are around them so
that they as an organization cango and move ahead.
I really did find that as anengaging individual.
Some of this is hard to come upwith good examples because I
(12:42):
have a lot of examples of who Iwould not want to list and
finding very good examples.
You can see that we're kind ofstretching for the people that
really have done a body of workthat you can tell that other
people would recognize.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Greg.
So, john, it's interesting.
Most people know me as a teadrinker, but there's a gentleman
by the name of Howard Schultz,the former CEO of Starbucks, and
he is well known for hisempathetic style.
He believed in treatingemployees and actually he
referred to them as partners.
He treated them with respectand with care because he saw
them as an integral need for thecompany's success.
(13:18):
So I'm going to throw HowardSchultz out there, okay.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Good business reference.
The next category that was inthe article was positive energy
and enthusiasm.
When you're thinking aboutleaders and whether you're
capable, that subject should beone of the first things that
comes up From his article.
He talks about real leaderslight up a room.
(13:42):
They are positive and theirenergy generates light and
enthusiasm not fear, notdivisiveness.
They do not bully others ordenigrate others, nor their
competition nor otherorganizations.
They are confident in who theyare and are always seeking to
(14:06):
rise up those that are aroundthem, not tear them down.
When these people are around,people feel lighter.
They feel like they're workingtogether.
They get along better withothers.
He gives an example of when heworked at DeVry University.
There was a math professor whogot to know very well.
He had a thick accent so myboss usually directed him to
(14:28):
work with me.
I was glad she did.
I learned about his passion formath and his students.
He was always positive andhelped more students than I can
recall being as successful inhis classroom.
His example, I thought, waspretty interesting, because the
first thing that flashed in mymind was Richard Branson and he
(14:50):
always seems like he's got asmile on his face.
I mean, he's a knight, he has aCaribbean island, he's into
rockets, he's a billionaire andhe still thinks of himself as a
rebel.
The other part that I think isnot lost is that he started off
his airline by having a planeflight canceled and he was
(15:14):
determined to go on the trip.
He asked the other passengershey, if I rent a plane, would
you go on it with me?
And they said yes.
And he starts Virgin Airlineswith the whole concept that he
was told no and he found a wayto make it a yes.
And imagine the joy that was onthat plane that this canceled
(15:36):
flight was still going to takeplace, they weren't spending any
more money and he had basicallybrainstormed a new idea of how
he wanted to start a new airline.
What fun that really shouldhave been, and I think of the
enthusiasm that was involved inthat.
Greg, do you have anotherexample of enthusiasm?
Speaker 1 (15:58):
I do, john, probably not expressed in the same way as
Mr Branson, but there was agentleman by name of Jeff Bezos.
I think most people know him asone of the richest men in the
world.
Oh, yeah, right.
Well, he started off withAmazon as just an online
bookseller.
That's all they did, right?
But they are selling a wholelot more than books now.
Jeff Bezos is known forpositivity.
(16:19):
He exemplifies a positivemindset by fostering a culture
of innovation and continuousexperimentation.
That's how you grow abookseller in what is known as a
big organization today, withthat positive energy, john.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Yeah, and just to go back, I remember when they first
, when he was first beinginterviewed and he had his first
successes with Amazon, hecouldn't stop smiling while the
interviewer was going throughthe interview.
It was hilarious because helooked at the camera at one
point going I can't believe howwell this book sales is working
(16:57):
out.
Well, this book sales isworking out.
So, yeah, he was the joy youcould see in him and the
surprise of him being successfulwas clearly contagious.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
And John we can actually say he is literally
laughing his way to the bank.
Oh that's so true.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
So the other one that I think is interesting and when
I say this title, they do theright thing I keep on thinking
about spike and and his movie,but really the the best way to
describe it was dr king's thetime is always right to do the
right thing.
So when you're talking aboutleadership that you're going to
(17:39):
personalize it from his article.
When no one is looking, they dothe right thing.
They speak the truth and theytreat others with respect.
They do not cheat or act as ifthey are above others.
Leaders work to help others andto ensure that things are done
in a moral and ethical way.
(18:00):
Leaders do not seek constantgain or adulation from those
around them.
The goal is to enhance thelives of others.
That's probably key.
In my world.
It could be as simple as a fewwords of encouragement.
In an episode of Star Trek, theNext Generation Commander Riker
(18:22):
explains that humans now workto better themselves and society
versus competition and personalgain.
Basically, they do what isright for others and society as
a whole, for others and societyas a whole.
When I think about that exampleit may not be very well known,
(18:48):
but I keep on thinking of PaulMcCartney and all the things
that he tried to do for the bandto try to keep them together.
There was a special that theyhad about Abbey Road and they
talked about the things thatwere going on with the studio
and he was trying to keep thestudio, the Apple Studios,
trying to tell the other Beatlesyou know, this is something
that we've done, something thatwe've accomplished.
Don't give it up, keep it.
(19:08):
You know, the only thing thatthey're looking for is we need
to be involved.
We can't just give it to otherpeople to run.
After the band broke up and hewent through all the things that
he needed to do, he was stillinvolved in leadership and
helping his family and stilltrying to be active.
Now he's really engaged interms of his charity work and I
(19:34):
think his daughter is also aheadof his charity work, but it's
all of somebody taking thatresponsibility.
Even though they have more thanenough money to not just sit
back and really not engage, hestays engaged.
Greg, do you have anotherexample?
Speaker 1 (19:48):
I do, john, but this is a very old example, so you
have to kind of dial ourselvesback to the 1860s.
There was a gentleman by thename of Abraham Lincoln.
Yeah, there was a gentleman bythe name of Abraham Lincoln.
(20:15):
He was the 16th president ofthe United States and he led the
country through civil war andplayed a crucial role in
preserving the nation andabolishing slavery.
To say the least, it was adifficult time, with the nation
divided.
Yet Lincoln the high road,doing what is right, especially
in the face of adversity,criticism or pressure to change
their course of action, as wejust talked about.
They have a code of honor whichthey endeavor to live and act
on every single day.
They are willing to sacrificetheir own needs for the good of
(20:37):
others.
Leaders display superiorconduct and bring out the best
in those people around them.
Now, while we may fall short ofthese traits, we can still
strive each day to makeimprovements that help us to do
better as leaders in ourorganizations.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
And when I'm trying to think of an example in my
life of somebody who fits thatbill, somebody who served with
honor.
I'll be honest, one of mypersonal heroes was my uncle,
who was a Franciscan father.
His life to his faith and topoverty, and he was always my
(21:21):
North Star on what makes sensein terms of leadership and
someone that I really admiredwhen he spoke.
It was so interesting that mymom and my mom's family listened
to his words and not justresponded to it but understood
the meaning behind it.
When he talked to me as a kid,there was always that message of
(21:47):
like a father's kind of advice.
My dad always looked up toFather Tim, but it was that
respect across the board that hecommanded him.
But it was that respect acrossthe board that he commanded.
And he was also at one point incharge of the seminary for the
Franciscans in West Chicago,illinois, and that respect was
(22:11):
there for the brothers, for thestudents, for the priests, to
(22:32):
understand what leadership means.
In that application he did amarvelous job of bringing joy,
having that enthusiasm, allthose things at the same time,
but with respect and the honorof the level of responsibility
he was given.
Greg, I think you have anotherperson who has done a marvelous
job of creating that environmentof honor.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Thank you, john.
I do and I did like you.
I kind of dove down into thefamily just to see where I had a
what I thought would be a goodexample.
So my brother Michael would bemy example of leading with honor
.
And we're not talking about acorporate VP officer, but over
the course of his life, whetherit was leading team projects or
in his Eagle Scout, taking aresponsible role in contributing
(23:02):
to his church family, hisapproach to leading large and
complex architecture endeavorsand his team attitude to chase
his lifelong passion for acting,he overcame adversity and
hardships along the way andemerged as an honorable leader
in his own right, and he's donethat from day one.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Yeah, and really, when we've started this podcast,
we talked about how we wantedto help leaders and help them
understand what's involved andtry to share a little bit of
ourselves.
I think this article did apretty good job of talking about
those core requirements, thosethings that are expected, but
(23:44):
mostly for you to step back andsay is it time, do I show these
skills in terms of leadership,if you have these tendencies
that we're talking about, you'realready there.
It's a matter of taking thatnext step.
Look at the environment thatyou're in, see whether there's a
reception to you taking thatnext step, or prepare to move
(24:04):
and take that next step to yournext position.
All those things are on yourplate to make those decisions.
If it's time, then and you'vedone some of these things that
we're talking about you'realready there it's time to take
that move.
So, if you like what you'veheard, yeah, I have a book
(24:27):
called Building your LeadershipToolbox and it's available on
Amazon and Barnes, noble andothers.
You're listening to our podcast.
Thank you so much.
It's also available on Appleand Google and Spotify and other
formats.
A lot of what we talk about isabout Dr Dirksen, his MBR
program.
It's available onsuccessgrowthacademycom, if Greg
(24:57):
, I can be reached at G Powellthree 74 at gmailcom.
Yeah, and the music has beenbrought to you by my grandson,
so we want to hear from you.
We have learned a lot in termsof subjects and the things that
you have found interesting, andwe have modified our program to
try to accommodate some of thoserequests.
So, yeah, keep us informed.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
Thanks Greg, thanks John, as always next time yeah.
Well, hello and welcome to Success Secrets and
Stories.
I'm your host, John Wendoloski,and I'm here with my co-host
and friend, Greg Powell, Greg.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Hey, everybody yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
So today we're going to talk about leadership and let
me put it more appropriately soyou want to be a leader.
When do you think it's a goodtime to be a leader?
It's a good time to be a leaderwhen your work is consistent
(00:47):
and demonstrates qualities suchas inspiring your colleagues or
recognizing the people in termsof guidance that you've done on
your team Things that you wouldnormally want to see as far as
indications that you areexhibiting those skills and you
want to do something beyond justthe individual's roles.
You're exhibiting communicationin terms of being able to talk
(01:11):
to executives or leadership orcoworkers, and you have problem
solving skills.
All those things are whatyou're looking for in terms of
am I ready for that leadershipmove?
Do I have the capacity to takethat next step?
So, to help you with some ofthe signs that you're looking
(01:35):
for to make that step when doyou make that transition?
Colleagues are actually askingyou in terms of help, or other
individuals are asking youbecause you're the most
responsible person on the shift.
Those are strong indicationsthat you have the leadership
(01:58):
potential.
That, again, if you're a strongcommunicator, you're also a
very good active listener.
Effective listening skills isreally hard for a lot of people
to understand and to be able toarticulate your vision or your
responses.
That's also another sign thatyou have those skill sets.
Another element to understandthat you're ready for leadership
is you're seeking opportunitiesto contribute, you want to take
(02:21):
on projects, you're intriguedwith the idea of working on
solutions and you'revolunteering to help.
Those are all indications, greg.
I think you have a few more.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Thanks, john.
Yeah, a couple of other signsthat you're ready to lead.
One you're able to delegate andempower others, just kind of
naturally.
Good leaders know how todistribute tasks effectively and
trust their team members tocomplete them, fostering a nice
sense of ownership andresponsibility.
Another sign you are committedto the development of others,
(02:53):
just naturally that way.
Leadership developmentresources emphasize the
importance of mentoring,coaching and providing
constructive feedback to helpyour colleagues grow.
A third sign you are able tohandle difficult conversation
and feedback and yes, there willbe times where there will be
difficult conversations andtough feedback and difficult
(03:14):
conversations.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
arguments is another term.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Absolutely, absolutely so.
A leadership blog on Mediumsays a key aspect of leadership
is being able to addresschallenges and provide feedback
in a constructive and a veryprofessional manner.
How about a few other signs?
You have a clear vision for theteam or organization.
You see it in your head, right?
Articles on leadership mentionleaders need to be able to
(03:40):
articulate a clear vision forthe future and inspire others to
work towards it.
So it's not just having it inyour head, but it's conveying
that message, that image, thatvision to people on your team.
Need to be able to articulate aclear vision for the future and
inspire others to work towardsit.
So it's not just having it inyour head, but it's conveying
that message, that image, thatvision to the people on your
team.
Also, you're willing to learnand adapt.
We've said it before ongoinglearning, lifelong learning.
Leadership is a continuousjourney of learning and growth,
and good leaders always seekways to improve themselves and
(04:03):
their team.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
John, yeah and well, examples of leadership in action
.
Not only are you on a projectteam, but you're taking the
initiative to start a new team,to start a new project and that
leaning out and trying to lookat being an asset to the company
and you're going beyond yourcurrent responsibilities.
(04:26):
One of the things we used tocall it was you're managing up.
So if you're doing those kindsof things, it's a sign You're
mentoring junior colleagues oryour supervision is bringing new
hires in for them to learn fromsomeone who they want the
organization to emulate.
That says a lot about yourskill set at the same time, and
(04:49):
it also talks about thepotential of advancement.
To keep that in mind, thatyou're their resource in
management, facilitating teammeetings, and really what that
means to me is you're guidingthe discussion or sometimes
you're trying to redirect thediscussion.
For me, one of my tricks is thewhat if?
Game of well, what if we dothis?
(05:10):
What if we just trying tochallenge the people that are in
that room or that team and getout of maybe the argument and
talk about solutions?
You're also the person thatspeaks up when there's a problem
.
You're also the person thatspeaks up when there's a problem
, and usually that's not theeasiest thing to do is to admit
(05:30):
that there's a problem,especially if you're saying it
might be something that you'redoing yourself.
That means a lot to managementbecause they can see that you're
taking responsibility.
That's also a sign of that youhave a little bit more of a
hierarchy of understanding yourresponsibility within the
working environment.
That means a lot to the workersand it means a lot to
(05:50):
leadership, and you also find away to celebrate the
accomplishments of your team, torecognize your coworkers, most
importantly, to foster thatpositive work environment.
All those things talk about howyou're ready to take that next
step and if you can bring joy tothe job, believe me, it means a
(06:11):
lot to the entire organization,because there's enough
naysayers that are out therethat can talk about how it's
horrible, but those that can seethe light or are part of the
process to make it a positive,that's where you're finding your
leadership or are part of theprocess to make it a positive,
that's where you're finding yourleadership.
So, in the process of lookingat the research, I wanted to
(06:33):
also talk about an article thatI thought was kind of
interesting because it mirroredsome of those exact ideas and it
was an article by Michael Henryand he's a human resource
professional and it was anarticle on my favorite, linkedin
they do a lot in terms oftraining that I found really
interesting as a resource.
This was from an article fromJuly of 2020.
(06:54):
So Michael starts off withThroughout my life and working
career, I have observed specifictraits that make up what I
would consider a leader.
I have noted, and you may haveas well, leaders that are not
always managers or top-levelemployees.
Rather, leadership takes placeregardless of the organization's
level or job title.
(07:16):
This article will discuss thefive traits in which Michael
believes to be the importantelements of leadership in
various situations andorganizational structures.
First, leadership showsintegrity through their deeds
and their actions.
Second, they show empathy toothers and their situation.
(07:38):
Next, they bring a positiveenergy and enthusiasm to their
work, to their personal livesand to the lives of others.
In addition, they do what isright and think of what others,
not just for the good ofthemselves, but think of others
first.
Finally, they live with honor.
(07:59):
They may not be perfect, butthey live a code and strive to
be the best and to help others.
Over the past couple years, wehave seen the erosion of traits
mentioned above.
There have been significantrise in false information,
questionable statements,deceptions and information
(08:22):
sharing that creates fear.
Regardless of either of theseapproaches that are meant to
sway or manipulate us, it is notleadership, greg.
Maybe you can start us off withexamples of what he considered
leadership.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Thank you, john.
So the first one is leadersshow integrity by their deeds
and actions.
In the book the Four Agreements, don Miguel Ruiz states the
first agreement is to beimpeccable with your word.
What you say and how you say itmatters.
Words can be used to createharmony, it can convey strength
(09:00):
or to voice kindness.
It can also be used to createfear, division and to promote
hatred.
We accomplish integrity throughsharing truthful and accurate
information with others.
The same goes for our actions.
When I was in middle school,there was a group of students
that managed to get the answersto a test in a particular class.
(09:22):
There was one student thatchose not to cheat.
Later, a student that did cheatspoke with a student that did
not cheat.
The first student stated thathe wished he could have taken
the test without cheating, buthe felt he had to do it to keep
his high grade point average.
It was something he had to do.
He could have studied more orasked for help from a fellow
(09:43):
student Instead.
This was a missed opportunityto show integrity.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
And you know, when you think about it, people who
have integrity.
The first name that came to mymind was Nelson Mandela and his
integrity, not only because ofwhat he went through, but how he
changed the nation and as aleader.
I can't think of a greaterexample and, greg, you and I had
talked about it and I stoleyour example, but truly there's
(10:12):
an individual that could havehad a miserable life and could
have made it horrible in termsof how he handled his diversity
and the opportunity to try tomake a change, and he really did
create an example for others tounderstand integrity.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
So John, after you stole Nelson Mandela from me, I
decided to go out a little biton a limb.
I'm predicting, that's right,predicting Pope Leo Robert
Francis Provost will be a greatworld leader with integrity,
Because integrity literallycomes from the territory.
For his job and over the courseof his career, Pope Leo has
(10:52):
taught canon law, patristics andmoral law.
We need a world leader of PopeLeo's caliber, probably now more
than ever.
Yeah, All right, let's talkabout leaders showing empathy
for others.
Right now, it seems likethere's a lot of leaders who are
lacking in empathy and concernfor others.
(11:12):
Leaders should seek tounderstand the situation of
others, including people who aredifferent or share different
viewpoints than they do.
We do not have to agree witheverything people say or do, but
we should be able to listen anddo our best to understand.
By doing so, we createopportunity for diversity,
creativity and growth withinourselves and for society as a
(11:35):
whole.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Yeah.
So when I heard this one I cameup with a TV program, which I
know it's like reality TV 101,but there's this gentleman by
the name of Robert Irving and hehas a TV show that really works
on the concepts of helpingbusiness owners to foster
strength and develop their teamsand help them understand what
(12:00):
it means to be a performanceteam.
But mostly he has a heart and asoul when he goes through this
process and he brings the peoplealong in the show.
I don't know if you've everseen any of this program, greg,
but you have, and it's kind ofengaging in terms of how he
(12:21):
brings it down to their leveland wants them to basically take
take the reins and help thepeople that are around them so
that they as an organization cango and move ahead.
I really did find that as anengaging individual.
Some of this is hard to come upwith good examples because I
(12:42):
have a lot of examples of who Iwould not want to list and
finding very good examples.
You can see that we're kind ofstretching for the people that
really have done a body of workthat you can tell that other
people would recognize.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Greg.
So, john, it's interesting.
Most people know me as a teadrinker, but there's a gentleman
by the name of Howard Schultz,the former CEO of Starbucks, and
he is well known for hisempathetic style.
He believed in treatingemployees and actually he
referred to them as partners.
He treated them with respectand with care because he saw
them as an integral need for thecompany's success.
(13:18):
So I'm going to throw HowardSchultz out there, okay.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Good business reference.
The next category that was inthe article was positive energy
and enthusiasm.
When you're thinking aboutleaders and whether you're
capable, that subject should beone of the first things that
comes up From his article.
He talks about real leaderslight up a room.
(13:42):
They are positive and theirenergy generates light and
enthusiasm not fear, notdivisiveness.
They do not bully others ordenigrate others, nor their
competition nor otherorganizations.
They are confident in who theyare and are always seeking to
(14:06):
rise up those that are aroundthem, not tear them down.
When these people are around,people feel lighter.
They feel like they're workingtogether.
They get along better withothers.
He gives an example of when heworked at DeVry University.
There was a math professor whogot to know very well.
He had a thick accent so myboss usually directed him to
(14:28):
work with me.
I was glad she did.
I learned about his passion formath and his students.
He was always positive andhelped more students than I can
recall being as successful inhis classroom.
His example, I thought, waspretty interesting, because the
first thing that flashed in mymind was Richard Branson and he
(14:50):
always seems like he's got asmile on his face.
I mean, he's a knight, he has aCaribbean island, he's into
rockets, he's a billionaire andhe still thinks of himself as a
rebel.
The other part that I think isnot lost is that he started off
his airline by having a planeflight canceled and he was
(15:14):
determined to go on the trip.
He asked the other passengershey, if I rent a plane, would
you go on it with me?
And they said yes.
And he starts Virgin Airlineswith the whole concept that he
was told no and he found a wayto make it a yes.
And imagine the joy that was onthat plane that this canceled
(15:36):
flight was still going to takeplace, they weren't spending any
more money and he had basicallybrainstormed a new idea of how
he wanted to start a new airline.
What fun that really shouldhave been, and I think of the
enthusiasm that was involved inthat.
Greg, do you have anotherexample of enthusiasm?
Speaker 1 (15:58):
I do, john, probably not expressed in the same way as
Mr Branson, but there was agentleman by name of Jeff Bezos.
I think most people know him asone of the richest men in the
world.
Oh, yeah, right.
Well, he started off withAmazon as just an online
bookseller.
That's all they did, right?
But they are selling a wholelot more than books now.
Jeff Bezos is known forpositivity.
(16:19):
He exemplifies a positivemindset by fostering a culture
of innovation and continuousexperimentation.
That's how you grow abookseller in what is known as a
big organization today, withthat positive energy, john.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Yeah, and just to go back, I remember when they first
, when he was first beinginterviewed and he had his first
successes with Amazon, hecouldn't stop smiling while the
interviewer was going throughthe interview.
It was hilarious because helooked at the camera at one
point going I can't believe howwell this book sales is working
(16:57):
out.
Well, this book sales isworking out.
So, yeah, he was the joy youcould see in him and the
surprise of him being successfulwas clearly contagious.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
And John we can actually say he is literally
laughing his way to the bank.
Oh that's so true.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
So the other one that I think is interesting and when
I say this title, they do theright thing I keep on thinking
about spike and and his movie,but really the the best way to
describe it was dr king's thetime is always right to do the
right thing.
So when you're talking aboutleadership that you're going to
(17:39):
personalize it from his article.
When no one is looking, they dothe right thing.
They speak the truth and theytreat others with respect.
They do not cheat or act as ifthey are above others.
Leaders work to help others andto ensure that things are done
in a moral and ethical way.
(18:00):
Leaders do not seek constantgain or adulation from those
around them.
The goal is to enhance thelives of others.
That's probably key.
In my world.
It could be as simple as a fewwords of encouragement.
In an episode of Star Trek, theNext Generation Commander Riker
(18:22):
explains that humans now workto better themselves and society
versus competition and personalgain.
Basically, they do what isright for others and society as
a whole, for others and societyas a whole.
When I think about that exampleit may not be very well known,
(18:48):
but I keep on thinking of PaulMcCartney and all the things
that he tried to do for the bandto try to keep them together.
There was a special that theyhad about Abbey Road and they
talked about the things thatwere going on with the studio
and he was trying to keep thestudio, the Apple Studios,
trying to tell the other Beatlesyou know, this is something
that we've done, something thatwe've accomplished.
Don't give it up, keep it.
(19:08):
You know, the only thing thatthey're looking for is we need
to be involved.
We can't just give it to otherpeople to run.
After the band broke up and hewent through all the things that
he needed to do, he was stillinvolved in leadership and
helping his family and stilltrying to be active.
Now he's really engaged interms of his charity work and I
(19:34):
think his daughter is also aheadof his charity work, but it's
all of somebody taking thatresponsibility.
Even though they have more thanenough money to not just sit
back and really not engage, hestays engaged.
Greg, do you have anotherexample?
Speaker 1 (19:48):
I do, john, but this is a very old example, so you
have to kind of dial ourselvesback to the 1860s.
There was a gentleman by thename of Abraham Lincoln.
Yeah, there was a gentleman bythe name of Abraham Lincoln.
(20:15):
He was the 16th president ofthe United States and he led the
country through civil war andplayed a crucial role in
preserving the nation andabolishing slavery.
To say the least, it was adifficult time, with the nation
divided.
Yet Lincoln the high road,doing what is right, especially
in the face of adversity,criticism or pressure to change
their course of action, as wejust talked about.
They have a code of honor whichthey endeavor to live and act
on every single day.
They are willing to sacrificetheir own needs for the good of
(20:37):
others.
Leaders display superiorconduct and bring out the best
in those people around them.
Now, while we may fall short ofthese traits, we can still
strive each day to makeimprovements that help us to do
better as leaders in ourorganizations.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
And when I'm trying to think of an example in my
life of somebody who fits thatbill, somebody who served with
honor.
I'll be honest, one of mypersonal heroes was my uncle,
who was a Franciscan father.
His life to his faith and topoverty, and he was always my
(21:21):
North Star on what makes sensein terms of leadership and
someone that I really admiredwhen he spoke.
It was so interesting that mymom and my mom's family listened
to his words and not justresponded to it but understood
the meaning behind it.
When he talked to me as a kid,there was always that message of
(21:47):
like a father's kind of advice.
My dad always looked up toFather Tim, but it was that
respect across the board that hecommanded him.
But it was that respect acrossthe board that he commanded.
And he was also at one point incharge of the seminary for the
Franciscans in West Chicago,illinois, and that respect was
(22:11):
there for the brothers, for thestudents, for the priests, to
(22:32):
understand what leadership means.
In that application he did amarvelous job of bringing joy,
having that enthusiasm, allthose things at the same time,
but with respect and the honorof the level of responsibility
he was given.
Greg, I think you have anotherperson who has done a marvelous
job of creating that environmentof honor.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Thank you, john.
I do and I did like you.
I kind of dove down into thefamily just to see where I had a
what I thought would be a goodexample.
So my brother Michael would bemy example of leading with honor
.
And we're not talking about acorporate VP officer, but over
the course of his life, whetherit was leading team projects or
in his Eagle Scout, taking aresponsible role in contributing
(23:02):
to his church family, hisapproach to leading large and
complex architecture endeavorsand his team attitude to chase
his lifelong passion for acting,he overcame adversity and
hardships along the way andemerged as an honorable leader
in his own right, and he's donethat from day one.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Yeah, and really, when we've started this podcast,
we talked about how we wantedto help leaders and help them
understand what's involved andtry to share a little bit of
ourselves.
I think this article did apretty good job of talking about
those core requirements, thosethings that are expected, but
(23:44):
mostly for you to step back andsay is it time, do I show these
skills in terms of leadership,if you have these tendencies
that we're talking about, you'realready there.
It's a matter of taking thatnext step.
Look at the environment thatyou're in, see whether there's a
reception to you taking thatnext step, or prepare to move
(24:04):
and take that next step to yournext position.
All those things are on yourplate to make those decisions.
If it's time, then and you'vedone some of these things that
we're talking about you'realready there it's time to take
that move.
So, if you like what you'veheard, yeah, I have a book
(24:27):
called Building your LeadershipToolbox and it's available on
Amazon and Barnes, noble andothers.
You're listening to our podcast.
Thank you so much.
It's also available on Appleand Google and Spotify and other
formats.
A lot of what we talk about isabout Dr Dirksen, his MBR
program.
It's available onsuccessgrowthacademycom, if Greg
(24:57):
, I can be reached at G Powellthree 74 at gmailcom.
Yeah, and the music has beenbrought to you by my grandson,
so we want to hear from you.
We have learned a lot in termsof subjects and the things that
you have found interesting, andwe have modified our program to
try to accommodate some of thoserequests.
So, yeah, keep us informed.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
Thanks Greg, thanks John, as always next time yeah.
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