So You Want To Be A Leader
Many Financial Services Professionals aspirants have the idea that they want to be leaders i.e. the movers and shakers in their companies. Ah!..Ambition is good…you will need more that that to make it thru your first winter as a star producer or manager.
Leaders understand that in this business, your only true currencies are your time and skill sets. Leaders are not born. You must become very good at what you do and always be keenly aware of those whose waste your time.
"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other" – John F. Kennedy: 35th President of the United States
Leaders understand that they must be results oriented. Popularity is not the catalyst…you being highly visible and setting examples is the key.
"When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world." – George Washington Carver
"If a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will pause and say…here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well." –Dr. Martin Luther King
Leaders understand that they must be accountable and responsible.
"The price of greatness is responsibility." –-Winston Churchill
Leaders understand that the desire to success is not enough…it is the discipline that get you there! "My philosophy of life is that if we make up our minds what we are going to make of our lives, then work hard toward that goal, we never lose.” –Ronald Reagan: 35th President of the United States
Leaders understand that they must have the courage and vision to sell the idea and concept first. I believe it was Henry Ford who said “If we had asked the public what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." Henry Ford realized his dream of producing an automobile that was reasonably priced, reliable, and efficient with the introduction of the Model T in 1908. This vehicle initiated a new era in personal transportation.
Leaders understand that they must protect America’s wealth from things that go bump in the night. I am speaking of bad debt, bad divorces, bad financial planning. Sometimes things go wrong in a client life. Leaders are the ones who make life right again.
"Money is like a sixth sense without which you cannot make a complete use of the other five." –. Somerset Maugham
Leaders understand that it is ok to give compliment and give credit to other people, as leaders love to build people.
"The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor." –Vince Lombardi
"Giving people a little more than they expect is a good way to get back a lot more than you'd expect." –-Robert Half
Leaders have vision and courage to sail into the sea of change knowing that open mindness and the abililty to allow others to contribute can take you upriver ..even in a strong headwind.
"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination." –~Jimmy Dean
Leaders know when they are in good company and they know when they are surrounded by losers.
There is a Hindu saying that goes like this; “Speaking to an audience of understanding men…Is like watering a bed of growing plants. Those who speak good things to good and learned gatherings…Should never say them to ignorant groups, even forgetfully. Speaking before men of alien mind…Is like pouring sweet nectar down a drain.”
Leaders have the courage to speak out even when it is unpopular to do so…for the good of the client, their families and our America!
The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing –Albert Einstein
Shared Leadership –The Power Of V
In the book, Changing Faces –America Wealth Advsiors, I discuss Shared Leadership in detail. I will end this article with a brief discussion of Shared Leadership.
The V Flying Formation of Ducks Helps Us To Understand Shared Leadership
I recently saw a squadron of at least 30 geese flying in a perfect “V” formation. The V Flying Formation of Geese and Ducks helps us to understand and appreciate the transitions that are occurring among the Financial Services Professionals and Wealth Advisor communities. Geese and Ducks fly in “V” formation as they migrate across thousand of miles. For example, Canadian Geese migrate from Canada to the lower US states as far as Georgia. They can reach up to 60 mph during their flights, and can climb to an altitude of 8,000 feet. They can fly through storms and navigate at night. Canadian Geese can fly for up to 15-16 hours per flight segments before requiring a resting place.
The “V” flying formation of Geese and Ducks
How do they do this? It called SHARED LEADERSHIP! . The “V” flying formation of Geese and Ducks help conserve their energy during migrations. Lets use the 30 geese I saw earlier in our example. The lead duck or goose is feeling the greatest wind resistance. The other 29 geese fly slightly above the bird in front of them. This results in a reduction of wind resistance. A recent study revealed that the heart rates of the geese were lower when flying in a “V” than when flying solo. This enables the geese to fly 70 percent farther than flying alone. The leader will eventually get weary and tired. The leader HONKS ! and drops back to the rear of the “V” formation where the wind drag is lowest. The Group HONKS… HONK! HONK! … and a goose who is rested takes the lead. Each bird has a chance at leadership. This SHARED LEADERSHIP results in increased endurance and expediency during the migration. The birds take turns being in the front, falling back when they get tired. In this way, this SHARED LEADERSHIP insures the survival of the group. The geese can fly for a long time before they must stop for rest. The leadership rotates constantly. The “V” flying formation maintains it course and accuracy, as it is the oldest, experienced individuals who are responsible for navigational coordinates. The young geese look to the more experienced geese for guidance and use the sun and the stars at night to orient themselves to the given coordinates and stay on course.
So you want to be a leader!
Based on our discussion here today…do you have what it takes?