Two-Time USA Memory Champion; memory-training expert and Ron White memory guy shares fundamentals of leadership from TC Cummings Mind of a US Navy SEAL program
“Virtually every company will be going out and empowering their workers with a certain set of tools, and the big difference in how much value is received from that will be how much the company steps back and really thinks through their business processes…thinking through how their business can change, how their project management, their customer feedback, their planning cycles can be quite different than they ever were before.†– Bill Gates
No matter whether you are working construction, or the head of a billion dollar empire, you must first know that you have to get the basics down first before you can start to move on from there. In construction you lay a solid foundation so the building won’t fall down. In business, if you are not able to lead you can’t lead others, and your business will not fail.
Our “Mind of a U.S. Navy SEAL†Leadership workshops, conducted with former Navy SEAL, T.C. Cummings, he teaches us a number of basic fundamentals in order help us achieve leadership, and enable others to be leaders as well.
Navy SEAL lesson – Communicate Your Vision.
Don’t keep your plan to yourself. In order for your employees to carry out their mission they must know what that your goal is. Be specific, and remember that in order for a team to work it must work together – everyone must be on the same track, and that requires information exchange. “No man is an island,†and no business can become bigger or successful if only one person is trying to do it all.
Communication is the key to any organization, and if there is a breakdown in communication – the business is in chaos.
“The way we communicate with others and with ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives†– Anthony Robbins
Navy SEAL lesson – Empower Your People To Lead
Everyone on your team must be dependable enough for you to trust. If you lack the confidence in any one member you must do one of three things – teach them what they need to know, move them to another position where they are more apt to succeed, or let them go. You’ve heard the phrase, “We are only as strong as our weakest link.†The biggest key to a successful business is training the right people for the right job.
“The real leader has no need to lead – he is content to point the way.†– Henry Miller
Each person is a potential leader. Each team member must be taught to take over the reins and be the leader, confident in his own abilities and anxious to pass his knowledge on. Building a successful business means each member of the team is able to lead the others and allow them to grow with the company. What would happen to your company if something happens to you? Have you empowered others to take over so the business will not fail?
“There’s a basic philosophy here that by empowering…workers you’ll make their jobs far more interesting, and they’ll be able to work at a higher level than they would have without all that information just a few clicks away.†– Bill Gates
Navy SEAL lesson – Be a great listener
What happens if your doctor doesn’t listen to you when you tell him your symptoms? He could make the wrong diagnosis. So, if you don’t listen to those around you how are you able to know when something needs to be taken care of? You could even miss out on a million dollar idea!
Being a good listener is not a passive skill. It is difficult, requires extra time and effort, and INTERACTION. A skillful listener is open minded, does not interrupt, and asks questions. If you are in a leadership role, and not being a great listener, how can you lead? This skill can save your marriage, advance your career, boost your profits, and get people to literally follow you anywhere.
“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.†– Epictitus
Navy SEAL lesson – Show and Teach Accountability
A leader is accountable for all the actions of his followers, whether he is aware of them or not. He accepts his responsibility, does not quit when the going gets tough, and assumes consequences if things go wrong.
A leader also holds his team members accountable for their actions. He does not react to a situation, but gets all the facts and makes a determination of the consequences based on information and not conjecture. He does not admonish in public, or demean, but privately discusses the situation with the subject and goes from there, without being an enabler.
A leader practices “professional humility†and “tough love,†knowing that holding the individual responsible for their actions does not diminish the fact that the leader is ultimately held accountable.
“The only real training for leadership is leadership.†– Antony Jay
T.C. Cummings does personal coaching one on one, and conducts seminars to organizations. His knowledge is incredible and you can learn so much from him, and our “Mind of a Navy SEAL†series.
Resources:
ThinkExist.com – http://thinkexist.com/quotations/