Leadership Talk

Today’s organizations need to be able to trust in Leadership more than ever. With all the uncertainties of the economy, personal health within organizations, creativity to stay competitive and meeting the demands of how we need to change to be able to keep employees safe and our customers employees want to know that the Leaders can be trusted and care for them.

Values you need to build trust

Consistent

• do not waver from your principles and integrity through adversity and challenges. I start every young unbroke horse the same. And consistently ride and signal communication to my horse the same daily. The character you possess during the drought is what your team will remember during the harvest!
• Have passion in your role as a Leader. Horses are just like people and can feel and sense if you belief in what you want to accomplish or if you’re not sure of yourself but will attempt going forward because you need to do something.
• Stay humble; this is the biggest disease I witness daily in organizations and with people showing horses and having success. No one has achieved anything without someone helping you. Your team is a reflection of your success and any achievements accomplish they deserve much credit.

Communicate

• Communicate with your team as a whole and individually. Certain messages should always come from the right leader in the organization.
• Where there is a void in communication, negativity will fill it.
• Communication builds trust. Trust generates commitment. Commitment fosters teamwork and teamwork delivers results. This is the process and foundation that I build with my horses while training and riding. I want my horses to know I trust them, and they can trust me. Without strong relationships you cannot have a strong team.

Commit

• Does your team know you are committed to them? If so, they will be committed to you.
• Look for opportunities to serve your team. Let them know you are putting them first.
• Commitment starts at home.
• Be committed to help your team grow and reach their goals.

Care

• Create a culture that cares. People will work harder and go farther when they know their leader cares about them.
• Value each person on your team.
• Find ways to acknowledge each one on your team with sincerity. Not because that is what a leader needs to do. Trust me they know the difference.

One of the best things I ever done as a Leader is that I took about 12 guys on my team one Friday night to a church in Houston, Tx. to listen to Tony Dungy, speak. I paid for the tickets myself and it was the best and most rewarding time I can ever remember as a leader. The individuals that went that night spoke about this for weeks and the changes it made in their lives. It also showed them the care I had for them personally more than just what my expectations were at work.