Amazing Leaders

I’ve had the opportunity to work for some amazing leaders throughout my career. (What TO DO.)

As time has gone on, I’ve also found value in learning from the leaders who were not so amazing… (What NOT TO DO.)

The characteristics I’m going to list will not capture everything that makes an amazing leader, but I hope they will serve as a map to how to lead more effectively. I’m trying to be an amazing leader, and I know I’m far from it… but daggumit I’m trying. First, though…

Why do you want to be an Amazing Leader?

This is the first characteristic - Leading effectively isn’t about ME, it’s about WE, and most definitely about THEM. If you are leading for only your self interest, then you will suck. Plain & simple. At the same time, you do need to find fulfillment & joy in helping others reach their full potential and to help contribute to grow whatever it is you’re growing (revenue, a congregation, family relationships, etc.). Don’t worry, I won’t interject my Objectivist/Randian philosophy here… maybe later.

Amazing Leaders serve instead of seeking to be served.

I hate the term “servant leadership” because I think it’s a phrase tossed around casually without context. Many, not all, of the leaders I’ve heard talk about THEIR servant leadership are honestly full of it. The most amazing leaders I’ve observed don’t talk about serving others… they do it.

Amazing Leaders are responsive.

I had one leader I worked for who led a 40 bank branch network and multi-billion dollar portfolio. If I ever needed anything, he was there. He answered the phone. He returned calls, emails, text messages swiftly - even if it was just to acknowledge that he saw my note or listened to my voicemail. He modeled to me what responsiveness looked like, even though he was incredibly busy. On the other hand, I’ve worked for leaders who had less responsibility but struggled with being responsive. I believe an Amazing Leader creates, adds, and builds long-lasting value by being responsive to the people they serve. Want to lose the respect of your team, peers, and others - Ignore people. Make them wait to long. Sometimes waiting is necessary but the “sun-down rule” is a good principle to follow; even if you don’t have an answer or if you’ve run out of time, let the person you will be in touch. It should be rare that someone on your team has to wait 24 hours+ for acknowledgment - Amazing Leaders have that figured out.

Amazing Leaders care.

This goes back to serving, caring is why leaders feel compelled to serve their people. Caring leaders are responsive (see above). Caring leaders don’t wait for issues to arise to engage with people, they are there before, during, and after. There’s the overused but true saying, “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”. I’ve worked with Amazing Leaders who were kind & gentle and others who were drivers & blunt - both sets of personality traits in those Amazing Leaders helped me accomplish great things because in the end I knew they cared. The driving Amazing Leader can sometimes make you wonder whether they care, but throughout my career I’ve learned that it was normally the driving personality type that cared about me the most. They pushed me to be better because they saw potential and they wanted for me what I could not see.

Amazing Leaders create accountability.

One of the biggest mistakes a leader can make is to all amiability to cripple accountability. Amazing Leaders create accountability around the goals set for the team. What is accountability? Accountability is setting achievable but stretching expectations and then consistently inspecting whether the expectations are being met. When expectations are not being met, the Amazing Leader provides feedback, coaching, and mentorship. Is the expectation achievable? If the associate is struggling to meet the goal, an Amazing Leader will question themselves FIRST before questioning their team. In the end, if the expectation is achievable and the associate is not hitting the mark, the leader will shoot straight and be honest with the team mate: This role/job may not be for you.

Amazing Leaders listen.

Stephen Covey captures this well in his 5th habit of highly effective people: “Seek first to understand before being understood.” Amazing Leaders can not create healthy accountability without first actively listening. You have to ask open-ended questions that get for people talking, and then as a leader, shut up & listen. I talk a lot… I coach & counsel by telling stories, but I also understand that the greatest leaders I’ve had knew when to listen. I had a leader who was fantastic at asking questions that forced me to explore my soul & processes. She was prepared when we would meet for one-on-ones and she’d ask probing questions, no doubt prepared in advance based on my performance. She was a driver & blunt, but one thing I observed from her was that she listened to see how she could help me reach my and our team’s goals. She is one of the big reasons why banking became my career, at least for the first half of my career.

Amazing Leaders have tough conversations.

My brother is a fire fighter and a good one. He has been recognized many times for his bravery in the face of danger. One instance was when he was off duty but early one morning saw smoke on the horizon. He pulled up to the apartment complex to see if he could help - it turned out he was the first fire fighter on scene. He quickly learned no one had called 911 yet and many people were still asleep! Even though he had no turnout gear, he began pounding on doors, kicking doors in, and alerting the residents. One couple were standing in front of their home and in a panic; their home was on fire and both of them thought the other one had gotten their daughter. My brother, one of my heroes, ran into their home and attempted to rescue her. Unfortunately, he was unable to get to the little girl in time and she passed away. He was awarded his municipalities’ medal of honor for his actions, but he’s an Amazing Leader who didn’t care about the accolade. He carries the burden today of the one he couldn’t save, and many of us have reminded him of the dozens of people he did save… (I told y’all I like to tell stories…)

An Amazing Leader is not afraid of tough conversations. When they see the smoke, they don’t wait on others to tackle it, they go engage it. Tough conversations come from an Amazing Leader because they care. Where there is smoke, there could be fire, and the Amazing Leader seeks to help swiftly. There is wisdom in waiting some, seeking guidance from others, and percolating on how to tackle whatever the situation is, but an Amazing Leader will not wait for the house to burn down. I’ve observed bad… terrible leadership at times… come from someone with a title who didn’t have the guts to wrestle the bear. Want to lose the respect of your top performers & peers, your parishioners, or family & friends? Ignore bad behavior.

FYI: If you’re going to be an Amazing Leader who is not afraid of tough conversations, be prepared for slander. I’ve watched Amazing Leaders be attacked and I’ve learned personally if you run into the fire, sometimes you will get burned. Excellence ain’t free. An Amazing Leader must have the hide of rhinoceros but also maintain the heart of an elephant. (Here’s your biology lesson: Rhino hides are thick & Elephant hearts are big.)

Amazing Leaders never stop learning.

Back to Stephen Covey… Covey’s 7th Habit tells us to “Sharpen the Saw”. One guy said, Leaders are readers. In a world where we have so much, maybe too much, information at our fingertips, an Amazing Leader will continually be learning from others. I love biographies because I can learn from other folks - Steve Jobs, Bob Iger, Alexander Hamilton, Ben Franklin, & John Adams… those are just a few that if you haven’t read their stories, you need too. Amazing Leaders don’t learn for learning sake, they also pour it out to others. Imagine a sponge in your kitchen sink. If you let that water sit in the sponge and never wring it out, it will spoil & mildew. Guess what - so will your soul if you ain’t giving out what you’re taking in. Be learning to help others - your team, your client, your church, and your community.

Amazing Leaders are humble.

I was in a bank branch in North Charleston, SC and a client walked in with a hoodie that had a great quote: “The Humble Don’t Stumble”. It’s so true. Never forget where you came and understand that you don’t have all the answers. If you think you’ve arrived, you are probably about to crash. I’ve worked with Amazing Leaders who were quick to admit they made a mistake and even quicker to make it right. If you’re in leadership, don’t be afraid to apologize and ask how you can make it right. It’s not weakness - it’s honesty lived out loud. Remember… the humble don’t stumble.

Amazing Leaders keep their word.

I’ve had Amazing Leaders because they were hitting on all the attributes above, but in the end, what made them great was that they kept their word. They had integrity. The live life honestly. If they said they would do something, they followed through. I’ve had some leaders who, on the other hand, manipulated me through deceit to do get what they wanted. Trust takes a long time to build and short time to lose. I’ve had leaders promise me more money, more help, additional education, and/or a better environment and in the end walk it back without remorse. It’s hard to come back from that - but not impossible. Do yourself a favor, leader: Do what you say you are going to do. This goes along with setting expectations, as mentioned above, and expectation is only as good as the inspection - follow through. There will be pivots when necessary on goals or meeting agendas, but don’t make it often. Don’t over promise or you may under deliver. Keep your word.

Amazing Leaders are not afraid of work.

The most Amazing Leaders I’ve met modeled to me a strong work ethic. They follow the principle of “First one in; Last one out”. They don’t ask their team to do something they wouldn’t do. I’ve had leaders come to me for advice on how to lead more effectively, and one of my first questions is “What time do you start your day and when do you end it?”. People notice. If you’re a leader and not visible, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Most Amazing Leaders rarely work from home. They go into the office or are in the field.

My grandpa was a Baptist pastor, and he started a church over 50 years ago that is still going strong. I spent a lot of time with him, and he modeled to me many of the attributes above, but one thing he did do… He worked hard. We would get up at 6 AM, get ready and be out the door by 7 AM. We’d go meet with other church leaders in the area for coffee/breakfast, go to the hospital, go see shut-ins, stop by the church to knock out some paperwork, go back out to see someone at the nursing home, make a family visit, then stop by the grocery store on the way home to grab milk so grandma could cook us biscuits & gravy in the morning… so we could do it all over again. He’d take Monday’s “off” but spend it in the yard sweating, digging, cutting and just working. The man worked 6 days a week and he showed others that he was not afraid to do hard things. Leader: show up to work. In this digital age of virtual meetings, for goodness’ sake turn on your camera. Be engaged. Hustle. Don’t be afraid of work.

Last thing about this… At 9 AM the world is already in motion. If you’re going to be an Amazing Leader, get your tail in the office early. Sure there will be late evenings (I had 2 days this week where I got home around 9 PM!), make up for it during the day if you need to, but don’t sacrifice responsiveness, caring, engaging and hard work to find the balance.

Amazing Leaders are courageous.

I could go on with more characteristics, but here’s one to wrap up this article… Have guts. Care for people, even when its inconvenient. Make tough decisions. Deal with problems, quickly. Lift others up - don’t worry about your status. Your title ain’t nothing but curl on the pig’s tail, your character is the ham. You can only live courageously if you have integrity. Take chances. Amazing Leaders are praised AND pummeled… and they keep going because they care. I had someone tell me to “be careful” about a banking leader. Why? Because the leader did the hard work, held people accountable, and made decisions even when it was not popular. After I got to know the leader, I soon found myself being encouraged & inspired because I found a like-minded person who cared deeply about others. He wasn’t afraid to look you in the eyes, ask you tough questions, and encourage you to do more… because he saw my potential. He didn’t care about being popular with me; he cared about getting it, life & the work, right. He is a courageous, and Amazing Leader.

“He’s still working on me…”

I’m by no means an Amazing Leader, but man… I’m trying. I hope you’ll try too. We used to sing a song at church as a kid, “He’s (God) still working on me…” - I’ve taken that into adulthood and I’m confident I’ll take it to the grave. We are all just people trying to live this complex existence called life. If you suck as a leader, you can change. If you are succeeding as a leader, stay humble. In the end, the greatest example of leadership is Jesus Christ.

Jesus humbled Himself, left His Father, and came to earth to do so much including model Amazing Leadership. The world still crucified Him - Leader, don’t give up, keep loving people, even when it hurts you. Do right and, in the end, it will all work out.

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

God bless you, leader.