I froze as soon as I heard the words "Let's go!" It was my second day on the job as a salesperson. Baltimore was the location. It was the year 2002. The corporate trainer had told us to split up into small groups and do the standard role-plays that most rational people despise in order to get more comfortable on the phone.
“Mike!” From across the room, I heard my name yelled. “Mike!”
I walked up to my manager in a condition of complete fear after regaining control of my legs. The fact that he was over six feet tall and was compared to Bill Clinton in terms of charisma didn't help to ease my worries.
He commented, "You don't look very well." “How are you?”
The only words I managed to speak before his catcher-mitt-sized palm devoured my shoulder were, "I stammer and I accepted this job to get some confidence."
He inquired, "What do you want to do?"
“Run!” I retaliated.
“I've come up with a better concept. “Come with me.”
My boss just told the corporate trainer that he was stealing me for the day instead of explaining the circumstances.
On his approach to my desk, he added, "I detest that garbage too." “I've got a bunch of dead leads and a couple scripts here. Make your way through the list and let me know if you run across any problems.”
“Are you not going to sit next to me?”
“No. The fact that you showed up tells me that you'll be alright. Furthermore, most people who do not want to come to work do not survive long. Make an effort to relax. I'm going to my office.”
The most effective managers have "supervision."
My career has brought me all around the world since that day, some twenty years ago. I've held numerous leadership positions in the corporate, entrepreneurial, and artistic sectors over this period.
To this day, when I consider the traits of a leader worth following, I recall my first boss's acts.
If he hadn't been flexible, I wouldn't have lasted a week.
If he hadn't been ready to break the rules, I wouldn't have survived a week.
If he hadn't had "supervision" and taken the time to recognize me as a person, I wouldn't have survived a week.
Great leaders come in a variety of sizes and forms. Some individuals take the initiative. They pick a goal and then get others to join them. Others sit back and wait to see what happens, or they try to figure out where their people want to go, and then set out to assist them get there.
The finest leaders, like my previous boss, work hard to gain the awareness needed to recognize when and how to combine various leadership styles.
“Confident!” “Decisive!” “Tough!” This is how half of my sales staff would characterize my previous boss if you asked them. The other half, on the other hand, would create a totally different image, beginning with words like “Patient!” as I did. “Empathetic!” “Kind!”
This is what a leader that is not just respected but also loved by his or her followers looks like.
They work hard to develop the ability to not only read each place they enter but also to realize that each face is distinct and requires various circumstances to thrive.
They put in a lot of effort to make sure everyone is okay and to come up with new strategies to help them progress.
They strive to be firm when necessary and flexible when necessary.
I once heard that once you move into a leadership role, your personal career dies since your sole duty is to ensure that others beneath you grow.
I was lucky enough to witness those words in action early in my career. My first employer was a living example of this, and his coworkers adored him.
When the corporate trainer stated, "Time for role-plays!" several individuals screamed, "Let's do this!" Let's get started!” Others, on the other hand, were petrified by the prospect of practicing their pitch in front of an audience.
Six months later, if you walked into the sales pit, it would be difficult to tell which persons were in the first group from those who belonged in the second.
Introvert vs. extrovert Tall, short, white, black, young, old, tall, short, white, black, young, old, tall, short, short, short It didn't make a difference. He got us all where we needed to be by going quick and loud with some and calm and steady with others.
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