Trustworthy Leaders
Trustworthy Leaders is a short study in the characteristics and skills shared by effective leaders in business, sports,
government, and military endeavors. It draws upon the thoughts of proven leaders, past and present, to identify the attitudes
and actions which underlie the development of trust between leaders and team members. The objective of this book is to
help bridge the gap for those who have not had the advantage of careful study. The focus of this work is on age-old
leadership principles, traits, and skills rather than some avant-garde view of leading.
Includes TechStar Personality Profile worksheet and analysis.
This textbook is used for TechStar's leadership courses.
Introduction
In 1931, a young Army major by the name of George S. Patton, Jr., intrigued with the study of humans in conflict and the effect of leadership on their behavior, authored a text entitled Success in War. Within its pages, he wrote:
Our means of studying war have increased as much as have our tools for waging it, but it is an open question whether this increase in means has not perhaps obscured or obliterated one essential detail, namely, the necessity for personal leadership.
Patton applied his leadership skills in building the Third Army, a formidable fighting force whose WWII exploits were feared by the enemy and cheered by Americans at home and overseas.
Patton's experience is not unique, nor is the military in sole possession of Patton's wisdom. Pat Riley, former head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knickerbockers, and the Miami Heat, made a career of transforming professional basketball teams from disconnected underperforming stars into arguably the best basketball teams of a generation. In his book The Winner Within, he wrote:
My driving belief is this: great teamwork is the only way to reach our ultimate moments, to create the breakthroughs that define our careers, to fulfill our lives with a sense of lasting significance.
These are not new words. Any student of leadership reads them again and again, in historical studies as well as modern day recitations of the art called leading.
If leadership is so important in building teams, you would assume that leadership development would be a central objective in our industrial enterprises. However, all too often, leadership development is an afterthought, especially for the front-line leaders.
Having demonstrated expertise as technicians or engineers, front-line leaders are frequently thrust into leadership roles in a "sink or swim" fashion which, all too often, results in a drowning. Not only is a team damaged in the process, but a potentially good leader may be set back years in development.
Trustworthy Leaders is a short study in the characteristics and skills shared by effective leaders in business, sports, government, and military endeavors. It draws upon the thoughts of proven leaders, past and present, to identify the attitudes and actions which underlie the development of trust between leaders and team members. The objective of the work is to help bridge the gap for those who have not had the advantage of careful, organized study. The focus of this work is on age-old leadership principles, traits, and skills.
CONTENTS
- Introduction iii
- The Nature of Leading 1
- 1. A Matter of Trust 3
- 2. Character: A Foundation for Trust 11
- 3. Adversity: The Forge of Character 15
- Trust-Building Characteristics 19
- 4. Honesty: The Cornerstone of Character 21
- 5. Technical Competence: A Qualification for Coaching 23
- 6. Inspiration: Breathing Life into the Team 27
- 7. Visibility: A Leader I Can See 29
- 8. Unselfishness: A Team-Serving Attitude 31
- 9. Humility: Modesty of Spirit 37
- 10. Communication: Painting Clear Pictures 41
- 11. Justness: A Fair and Objective View 45
- 12. Consistency: Walking the Talk 47
- 13. Respect: A Two-Way Street 51
- 14. Decisiveness: Someone Has to Make Choices 53
- 15. Loyalty: Keeping Faith with the Team55
- 16. Courage: Commitment to Do Right 57
- Trust-Building Skills 59
- 17. Understanding Your Role 61
- 18. Knowing Yourself 73
- 19. Motivating the Team 85
- 20. Balancing People and Production 93
- 21. Caring for the Team 99
- 22. Using Power and Influence 105
- 23. Navigating the Corporate Terrain 115
- 24. Disciplining the Team 125
- 25. Encouraging Criticism 133
- Building Trustworthy Teams 141
- 26. A Team Approach 143
- 27. Ingredients of a Team 147
- 28. Steps in Building a Team 151
- 29. Characteristics of Good Team Members 157
- 30. The Team Feeling 159
- Conclusion 161
Appendix A
- TechStar Personality Types 163
- Temperament Questionnaire Instructions 165
- Temperament Questionnaire 167
- TechStar Personality Scorecard 171
Appendix B
- Leading Principles Summary 173
Appendix C
- Trust-Breaker Summary 181
- End Notes 183
- Helpful Books 187
- Helpful Films 189
- Index 191
- About the Author Inside Back Cover
LIST OF FIGURES
- 1-1 Credibility 5
- 1-2 Earning and Losing Trust 7
- 1-3 Total Trustworthiness 9
- 8-1 Whom Do I Serve? 32
- 17-1 Functions of a Leader 62
- 18-1 Task vs. People 77
- 18-2 Rationalvs. Emotional 78
- 18-3 Four Basic Quadrants 79
- 18-4 Quadrant Characteristics 80
- 18-5 TechStar Personality Types 81
- 18-6 TechStar Personality Map 83
- 18-7 TechStar Personality Scorecard 84
- 20-1 Coaching for Superior Performance 94
- 20-2 The Managerial Grid® 96
- 23-1 Triangulation 117
- 23-2 Tactical Midpoints 119
- 24-1 The Discipline Cycle 127
- 28-1 The Ten P's of Project Management 156
- A-1 TechStar Personality Types 163
- A-2 TechStar Personality Scorecard 171