This session really served as an introduction to the day. Dave did
a great job explaining that his faith shapes how he does business. Here are a few of the thoughts from this session:
How it all started: There were about 10 people reporting to Dave and he couldn’t get anything done. He began to realize that he needed to train people
It
is important for people to be able to complete your sentences.
It must be predictable, duplicatable and scalable.
LEADER
What makes a great leader? (Crow-sourced answers.)
- Integrity
- Vision
- Inspiring
- Decisive
- Pas
sion
- Servant
- Charismatic
- Fearless
- Educator
- Mentor
- Challenging
- Organized
- Role-Model
- Knowledge
- Humble
This better be you! This is not a game! You have to be this! If not, get out of the way!
If you want to hire somebody to be a leader, they better have a lot of these.
You need to have these qualities. Serving does not mean subservient. You serve people by doing the right thing.
We have to work on these qualities when “nobody is looking.” In the dark, who are you? Who are you really?
You can’t read a textbook and read the theories and magically become a leader.
The way you know you are leading is when people are following. You are driving them like cattle. You are not herding cats. Anybody can be a boss.
ENTREPRENEUR
One Word Character Qualities (Crowd-sourced answers.)
- Creative
- Risk-taker
- Determined
- Courageous
- Energetic
- Followthrough
- Persevere
- Open-minded
- Motivated
- Giver
- Forethought
- Focused
- Resourceful
- Driver
This is what you are looking for. Do hire too many of them. It’s like trying to nail jello to a tree. It’s like herding cats. These people are not “yes” people. You have to have people like this or else you have all “yes” people. So you need a balance.
DEFINITIONS
Leader: A person who rules, guilds or inspires others.
Entrepreneur: A person who organizes, operates and assumes risk for a venture.
EntreLeadership: The process of leading the cause a venture to grow and prosper.
This is the kind of person I was trying to duplicate inside of my organization. I wanted someone who served, but served passionately. I wanted a maverick who had integrity. I wanted a risk-taker who was not a gambler:
- Passionately serving
- Mavericks who have integrity
- Disciplined risk-takers
- Courageous while humble
- Motivated visionaries
- Driven while loyal
- Influential learners
Words have the power to change beliefs.
LEADERSHIP BASICS
Organizations are never limited by their opportunity; they are limited by their leader. This economy has shown we have a leadership issue. There are people starting businesses and prospering. It rises and falls on leadership. It’s how you look at things.
(Clip from Braveheart) “Men don’t follow title, they follow courage.”
If you will just lead, step out there, you will look up and be amazed by the warrior poets that decide to walk with you. There is a mindset shift that has to happen.
Your workforces problem is their leader. You hired them. You trained them. You are the leader.
An employee is someone who shows up late and leaves early and steals while they are there.
I didn’t want employees, I wanted team members. They really are part of the team. I may be the QB but I need somebody to guard my blind side. You have to understand that your organization will never outgrow you!
Your education, character, capacity, ability and vision are limiting your organization. The good news is these are all growable!
We are all vessels. We have these things inside of us that we need to get out of us and then grow our capacity.
John Maxwell calls this “The Leadership Lid.” The lid is me. We have to take that lid off and raise it.
Video clip from Benjamin Zander: “My job, to awaken possibility in other people. How do you know? Look at their eyes? If their eyes are shining, then you known you are. If they are not, ask ‘Who am I being that their eyes are not shining?’
Success is about how many shining eyes I have around me.’
Leading by fear and/or anger is not leading. Your message should pull your team together, not apart.
The Bible says the anointing drops from the beard. Our natural strengths and weaknesses will run through the organization.
The quirky brilliance of the founder can take you only so far. When you step out of the room, the organization drops. That’s not scalable or duplicatable. It will only take you so far.
You must have power but rarely use it. Position power does not make you a leader, simply a boss. A lot of people have only been bosses and never been led.
Persuasional leadership is much more effective than positional in the long run. It takes more time. To be a true leader, you must have a servant mentality. To be a true leader, you must have a servant mentality.
PASSION
You cannot lead without passion. This not necessarily high “I” or high “D”. It’s the EntreLeader’s job to insert passion into the organization.
Hire passion over education and talent every time.