The one thing 3Strands leaders do
As we approach our third semester of Certified LEADER training where I train people who have never been mentored on leadership how to hire, manage, develop, and retain great people as a 3strands LEADER... I am struck by this question:
What is the one thing a 3strands LEADER does that average leaders do not? What is the one behavior that cannot be bought somewhere else or provided by another person - it has to be the leader who delivers it?
Stay with me now... Consider two examples. First, think of a marriage. What is the one thing that holds the marriage together?
Love. True love motivates every other blessing of the union. Everything else you have in a marriage, such as cooking, cleaning, paying bills, etc. can be purchased and the quality of the service is about the same as you get from a spouse. However, you cannot buy true love that adores you, forgives you, and continues to hope with you no matter how long the "tough times" last.
Second, there is one leader who has more followers than any other in history. It does not matter whether you agree with his teachings or how people apply their logo to their personal lives or business, and then violate the core essence of what he taught. The bottom line is this guy blows away the competition every time.
Did he achieve this greatness through force, by threatening people, or achieving great wealth? No. He taught many things, but when it came down to how people will recognize leaders who fully comprehend his wisdom he said, "... love one another. By this, people will know you are my students, if you love one another."
So again, it is love. True love cannot be bought. It can only be given. The impact of sincere love is everlasting, in friendship, marriage, and in business (love properly expressed at work).
Does this mean love is the #1 behavior of a 3strands LEADER? Not necessarily.
You can be the most loving leader ever and fail miserably at hiring, managing, developing, and retaining great people on your team. Love is great and proper "love" is part of the third strand of 3strands LEADERs - Sincere Gratitude, but it is not the top requirement.
GREAT people, who are truly 3strands LEADERs have one behavior in common: They consistently demonstrate good character. Here are 7 aspects of good character based on our Dave's Charm School training on it:
- Integrity - 3strands LEADERs take their responsibility of being a role model for others seriously, and thus make decisions with a degree of caution so they do not violate their standards.
- Follow-up - 3strands LEADERs consistently follow-up and follow-through as promised.
- Wisdom - Did you know that all character is learned? 3strands LEADERS are active learners who carefully evaluate information and apply what is consistent with their life standards.
- Humilty - 3strands LEADERs may be confident, but they are not egotistical. They balance a healthy self-esteem with a good understanding of their weaknesses to serve others.
- Energy - 3strands LEADERs demonstrate good character by doing whatever it takes, within reason, to achieve top results. They work 50-60 hours weekly with great energy and focus.
- Inspiration - 3strands LEADERs with good character inspire others to be their best and enjoy what they do.
- Courage - 3strands LEADERs have the courage to make the difficult decisions. We all get tempted. Sensing and acting upon promptings of warning is a powerful habit to develop.
Why did I write a training on Character as part of the soft skills program, Dave's Charm School? Because your employees need it. By the way, this month only we have a special price for Charm School for Ingram Micro Community members, contact us for details.
In closing, please focus on your character when making decisions. Long term this creates the most opportunities for meaningful work and joy.
