The following contains excerpts from the book I Have the Watch (Jon S. Rennie).
At our Find the Best Music School Odessa Texas we believe that music is not only sound, rather, it is relationships. We endeavor to instill life-habits and moral character in our students, based upon sound leadership principles.
In this book, Naval Officer, Jon Rennie shares his thoughts on leadership from a ‘servant-leadership’ approach. His ‘people-first’ ideologies are presented in contrast to the typical authoritarian-style commonly found in the military.
Why Do You Want to Be a Leader?
The author asserts that many people seeking to be in leadership positions are doing so for the wrong reasons. “They are choosing to become leaders to get recognition, more money, or to help advance their careers…It attracts those who are motivated by the spotlight rather than by the ideas and people they serve.” The key ingredient to being an effective leader is to love people. “Your job is to see past the flaws, love your people, and motivate them to do great things. You can’t be a great leader if you don’t love people.”
At our Find the Best Music School Odessa Texas we endeavor to express genuine care and love for each student, believing in their potential.
The Absent Leader
“Leadership is about being present. It’s about setting the direction for your team and accomplishing goals. It’s also about resolving issues and conflicts when they arise. Absent leaders create a situation where employees each do what they thing is best for the organization.”
Three ways to avoid becoming an absent leader:
Be present.
Lead the organization. Set the vision and the objectives. Establish clear boundaries and expectations.
Don’t stand for chaos. Chaos should always be the exception and not the rule.
“If there is chaos and confusion, you are probably not doing your job; you might be an absent leader.”
Stop Being a Jerk
“Amy Osmond Cook wrote about this in an article called ‘Are You a Jerk? 10 Questions to Ask Yourself.’
“Here are 10 characteristics of bosses who are jerks:
- They won’t give others their full attention.
- They make promises with no intention to keep them.
- They keep all information close to the vest.
- They stay isolated.
- They care more about their careers than the company.
- They don’t show respect for other’s time.
- They don’t trust you to make decisions.
- They don’t five you unfiltered access to senior management.
- They use words like ‘I’ more than ‘We.’
- They rarely provide praise but they carefully document all criticism.
“Listening to and taking action on constructive criticism from your employees is a sure sign you are on the road to recovery.”
One of the greatest lesson that can be learned from studying music at our Find the Best Music School Odessa Texas is the discipline of learning to listen attentively. This is foundational to any wholesome relationship.
Building an Unstoppable Team
“Select individuals who have complementary skill sets. This is especially important in small teams.
Select individuals who have achieved a high level of competency.
Select individuals who have proved themselves under adversity. Persistent people are extremely valuable to the success of any team. Look for those special employees who can step up and deliver results regardless of the adverse circumstances. Look for people who don’t quit and have a proven history of perseverance. Select individuals who are unselfish and have a ‘mission first’ mindset.”
Our goal at our Find the Best Music School Odessa Texas is to provide our students the competencies they need to achieve future success in any endeavor they may face.
Getting the Most from Your Team
Give them:
- “Challenging assignments.
- Professional development.
- A forgiving culture.
- Recognition for high achievement. Excellence should be recognized.”
At Find the Best Music School Odessa Texas, we have high expectations for each student, setting the bar, at a level we know they are capable of achieving, in a way that causes them to stretch and grow to their potential.
Recognizing and Developing Leaders
“Four areas:
- Look for leadership talents and abilities in your employees.
- Give potential leaders opportunities to lead. Give them an opportunity to run a small project or lead an activity.
- Promote leaders based on leadership talents and abilities, not seniority.
- Train your leaders like any other discipline. Employees with leadership talent still need coaching and training to become great leaders. Leadership skills are like any other skill. They must be taught, trained, and practices to reach a high level of proficiency.”
Finding the Right Leadership Balance
If a leader is too emotional, there is unnecessary drama in the office. If a leader is emotionless, the organization feels cold and callous.
If a leader is too optimistic, the company is overly aggressive and misses targets. If a leader is too pessimistic, the organization never pushes to new levels of performance.
If a leader is too aggressive, the organization might cut corners and take too many risks. If a leader is overcautious, the company may miss out on important opportunities for fear of failure.
If a leader is too nice, poor performers are rarely disciplined. If the leader is too mean, a toxic environment can exist that affects overall morale.
If a leader is too knowledgeable, the team depends on him or her for all the answers. If a leader has only a limited understanding of the business, there is a lack of respect and the possibility that people could take advantage of the situation.
The Paradox of Leadership
“Leadership is at its best when a team is so intrinsically motivated to complete a goal that they forget where the objective actually originated. In the end, employees feel they did it themselves and they didn’t even need a leader.”
Don’t tell people how to do things; tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results. (General George Patton)
“Patton…cast the vision, set the goals, established the boundaries, motivated his team, and got out of the way.”
If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea. (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
“Too often, leaders think they need to know everything, direct every activity, and be involved in every decision. When you do that, the vision becomes yours, not theirs. In the end, you are limiting the success of the team.”
“Leaders need to establish boundaries and set priorities. People need to know what is expected of them. Great leaders establish the norms and rules of the organization. They set expectations so everyone understands what to do.”
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. (John Quincy Adams)
One of the greatest life-lessons we try to demonstrate to students at Find the Best Music School Odessa Texas is the value gained by respecting people enough to give them autonomy. And, although while a student is developing they need coaching and guidance, our ultimate goal is that they gain enough confidence to continue their musical, artistic, and life-journey through self-directed continued growth.
Conclusion
“Leadership is a people business and if we ever forget that, we become less effective in our roles as leaders. When you have the watch, you are responsible for your team. Your actions have a deep impact on their lives and careers.”
“Leaders who focus on leading people well will be more effective in the long run. Their teams will continue to be successful long after the leader is gone because they have become intrinsically motivated and don’t need the external motivation of a larger-than-life leader.”
“As Kevin Kruse reminds us, leadership is about how you influence people to achieve a goal. By his definition and my experience, leadership comes down to just three elements – people, influence, and a goal. Great leaders learn to coordinate and balance these elements effectively.”