Lead and Feed Your Flock

Welcome to day 3 of 5 getting to know my friend Joshua Adams, founder and CEO of Perspective Approach, and creator of The Ultimate Employee.

Did you know that nearly half of all leaders admit to not knowing how to grow or develop themselves, their people, or their organization? And 73% of change efforts fail in business. But a recent study from Gallup shows that 70% of all organizational success results from actions and directions by supervisors and front-line leadership.

How would you define a good leader? Joshua believes that former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower's definition of leadership says it best:

"Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done, because he wants to do it." - President Dwight D. Eisenhower

Joshua, who has been awarded numerous medals for leadership and valor in combat, shares a personal story that speaks perfectly to Eisenhower's definition of leadership.

The Leadership Difference A Sheepherder vs. A Shepherd While driving on the I-15 about an hour north of Salt Lake City, I saw a man riding a horse driving a couple hundred sheep. He was sitting up high in the back of the herd with his three or four dogs nipping at the heels of any stragglers and sheep who started going a bit too wide. His sheep looked no worse for the wear, and he certainly wasn't abusive to them, but I could sense their anxiety, frustration and desire for it to be over; to get to wherever they were headed. The herder looked as though he was performing more of a chore than taking any sort of pleasure in moving these sheep to where they needed to go, even if it was for their own benefit, as well as his. Contrast that with the shepherd that my grandfather was. When I was just a teenager, I witnessed my grandfather walk amongst his livestock on foot. He didn't sit on his 'high horse' but was down at their level. He had a single dog whose only real job was to keep the wolves and coyotes at bay, never to nip at the sheep. He spoke to his animals like friends, or even loved ones. They responded to his voice and were calm, even when the situation was tough, like during a storm or being herded into shoots for medicine. He also walked in front of them, leading them with confidence. I followed this same pattern in the Marines. Sure, in the middle of a firefight or a particularly intense training session, we yell and get very physical. But the rest of the time, I led as a shepherd. I always went first. I always took the time to explain myself when I was able, either before or after the training or mission. I strove to show empathy to my Marines - and it worked. I was promoted faster than any other Marine since Korea. It was the success of my Marines that I ultimately viewed as the true measure of my success. Contrast this with many supervisors and managers today. Frequently they use positions of power or authority (high horse) to send others (riding from behind and inspiring little to no confidence in their people) to accomplish a task. (doing chores instead of inspiring the heart of another human being) Effective leaders care for their people and can be direct when necessary, but always out of a desire to see their people and their organization succeed.

Joshua is offering some of his leadership development tools and training at a steep discount to you as a Leadership Tools subscriber. You all know what a fan of low-cost leadership tools I am! In his program, The Ultimate Employee, you will get:

• A very low-cost tool for yourself and your team (One-time purchase for $19 or $2/month/person).
• A pre-sale discount on his other Tactical Leadership Courses (Coming in February and March 2019).
• Compelling personal stories, business studies, and quotations in the form of 4-minute training videos for your people.
• Attached tools for each lesson to turn education into training (Two VERY different things).
• A built-in evaluation system that can be incorporated into any existing performance review system or used as a stand-alone system!
• Entrance into a collaborative community of 12,000+ leaders who use this simple, yet incredibly effective tool.

Click here for the Free Preview

All the best,

Richard