Mountain State University LeaderTalk

Guest Post | Perseverance

Today's post is from Robin Holstein, a 2009 graduate of Mountain State University's Bachelor of Science/Organizational Leadership program. She owns her own company, Robin’s Desktop LLC and currently serves as a Conservation District Supervisor for the Capitol Conservation District and as an appointed member of the West Virginia Interagency Council on Homelessness. Follow her on Twitter or check out her blog.

We welcome guest posts from current students or alumni of Mountain State University's leadership program. For details and writers' guidelines, email brobinson@mountainstate.edu.

There are times in life when you must decide whether to take a stand. Sometimes, the outcome of your decision may affect people you will never meet.

In 2003, a man was in a life threatening auto accident, at a place well known for serious and sometimes fatal accidents. The increasing east-west traffic on the four-lane interstate frustrated area residents and small business customers. Motorists crossing the intersection met with oncoming traffic oftentimes surpassing the posted 55 mile per hour speed limit. In a ten-year period there were 50 accidents resulting in 40 injuries and 6 deaths on-scene.

Over the course of 20 years, members of the community contacted their county and state representatives for relief. With each new accident, they made calls and sent letters but nothing changed. The community became increasingly jaded. Then, in 2004, a leader stepped forward determined to make a difference.

The data was in place to prove need. The community members supported action. However, they lacked the endurance to stay with the project. So, the leader called a community meeting. Business owners, community leaders and members, politicians, and representatives from various governmental bodies came together to discuss the problems and options. Four years later, the community celebrated the installation of a $375,000 traffic signal.

Why did it work this time after 20 years? In one word: perseverance. The reluctant leader knew there would be no turning back once the project began. The leader knew that it would take months or years to exhaust all possibilities. The leader also knew the community members would become distracted and needed regular updates.

The leader teamed up with experts from the local volunteer fire department, who maintained accident response data. An engineer who grew-up in the area provided diagrams of options for traffic control. County Commissioners helped advance the cause through the bureaucratic thickets. And every so often, as the issue drifted to the island of forgotten projects, the leader made a call or wrote a letter, dragging it back to the collective conscious until it became a reality.

Perseverance.

It is easy to be a leader when people are supportive of what you wish to achieve. However, when the battle turns ugly, when your ideals are challenged, when you seem to be at a standstill, your commitment is challenged. How you handle these challenges makes all the difference.

Not every project  will be successful. There may be new information that exposes a flaw in your previous understanding. Or you may simply be voted down. In the above case, once the community had the support of the County Commission, the Department of Transportation refused. Once the Governor instructed the Department of Transportation to work with the community, the Federal Highway Administration presented roadblocks. Even with the support of the Congressional Delegation, state and county law enforcement agencies had to hand review records to satisfy accident data requirements.

How do I know all this? Because it took nearly losing my father, plus four years of my life to get that traffic signal installed.

Two Posts for Your Weekend Reading

In his most recent post, Mountain State's president, Charles H. Polk, writes:

Leaders must recognize that there are few things they do that do not impact the lives of those around them, particularly family and close friends.

This post is a great reminder to people in prominent positions that every choice and decison is important. 

Miki Saxon addresses a similar topic in her recent post "Leadership's Future: Hypocrisy Reigns". She expresses her disillusionment with leaders whose actions do not meet up with their words. To anyone aspiring to leadership, she gives this advice:

So before you become a ‘leader’ for any cause or attitude, do make sure that your own actions conform to what’s expected of those who follow you.

Be sure to read both these posts and weigh in with your thoughts about this important topic.

Leadership at all Levels: Continental Airlines

Last Friday night, I arrived at the Charlotte/Douglas International Airport with my three young daughters. A friend had called me earlier in the day to alert me to bad weather at home in Chicago. After two weeks away from home, I was only slightly discouraged to find out that my flight had been delayed. Traveling alone with kids is never easy, but the girls and I settled in at the gate, shared a smoothie, and waited to see what the evening would bring.

A twenty minute delay turned into an hour. My littlest daughter spilled the remains of the smoothie on the carpet and I approached the nearest gate agent to let her know about the spill. A few minutes later, she came to our seats to talk.

Her name: Brookie Dakake. Brookie is an agent for Continental Airlines, where she has worked for the past 20 years, starting as a junior mechanic.

Before I tell you what Brookie said and did, I want to tell you three things. First: I am using Brookie's name with her permission. Next: my daughters and I were not flying Continental Airlines. Last: more important and remarkable, Brookie's shift had ended. She could have walked away, gone home. But she didn't.

Instead, she stopped to ask me if I needed any help. She gave me information that had not been announced to passengers — that there was a ground stop for all flights going to Chicago/O'Hare. She encouraged me to try to rebook my flights for the next day, something I hadn't even considered.

Then, Brookie waited with our belongings while I took my daughters to the bathroom, waited while I talked with the agents from my airline about rebooking my flight. When I learned the next flight with four seats available was two days away, I had no idea what to do. Brookie encouraged me to wait it out, and brought blankets and pillows for my yawning daughters. She even showed us a way to make the pillows softer by turning the case inside out.

All of this, when she could have just gone home for the weekend.

According to a letter on a Customer Care comment card signed by Larry Kellner, the Chairman and CEO of Continental Airlines,

The members of the Continental Airlines team have made a strong commitment to becoming the airline industry's leader in quality customer service... our employees are always expected to deliver the highest level of service possible. They have been authorized to act in your best interest and to solve problems on the spot.

In my opinion, Brookie Dakake exemplifies the quality customer service Mr. Kellner is promising.

Here's a story about another Continental executive, from Mark Lipton's book, Guiding Growth: How Vision Keeps Companies on Course:

Gordon Bethune did some brilliant things to get everyone on board with his vision when he took over at Continental Airlines. First, to communicate that people should always be thinking of ways to improve the customer experience, he dumped one of the huge, official rulebooks into a fifty-five-gallon drum, doused it with gasoline, and lit it afire. It was a symbol that screamed out: You run this airline, not a rulebook that prevents you from being creative.

Undoubtedly, the leadership of Gordon Bethune and now Larry Kellner has influenced the success of Continental Airline in achieving its stated goal to provide excellent customer service. However, it takes an entire team of people who share a vision to accomplish it. An organization needs leaders at all levels, people willing to give their whole-hearted effort to the success of their company's objectives.

Last Friday night in Charlotte, NC, Brookie Dakake's actions proved that leadership is not just for CEOs; leadership is for anyone who wants to make a difference. Her kindness and helpfulness may seem like a small thing to you. It wasn't to me. And a thousand small actions by leaders at every level of an organization have a combined effect of making that organization great.

by Rebecca Robinson

Veterans, Active Duty Military, and Online Studies

My favorite column in Newsweek is "My Turn". This weeks column is written by Paul Reickhoff, the executive director and founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). In it, Reickhoff works to dispel the myths that veterans are dangerous or damaged. He quotes a statistic that didn't surprise me: 11% of post 9/11 vets are unemployed. 

Although I wasn't surprised by the fact that veterans are struggling to re-enter the work force after serving overseas, I do feel sad for their struggle. Veterans are brave and dedicated individuals who have given so much for our country.

Mountain State University hopes to ease the transition for both returning veterans and active duty military who are still serving by participating in programs designed to help military members complete their college degrees. We also offer college credit for documented learning and career experiences, enabling adult learners to receive credit for life experiences, including some military training.

We are proud participants in the Yellow Ribbon program, a program that provides tuition assistance to veterans as a provision of the Post 9/11 GI Bill.  Through participation with this program, MSU is helping students avoid out-of-pocket expenses for tuition and fees that exceed the benefits of the GI Bill by waiving a percentage of these expenses.  The VA matches MSU's contribution, lowering the students' overall costs.

Additionally, we offer a reduced tuition rate for many of our degree programs to members of the active duty military and National Guard as well as their immediate families. This discounted rate applies to both online and in seat programs.

 

For more information about these and other MSU programs, visit  http://military.mountainstate.edu or call 866.FOR.MSU1.

One Last Thing

Online study is increasingly popular among students of all ages because it is a convenient way to study from wherever you are. Check out our cool new video about our online studies program on YouTube:

Dads as Leaders | A Daughter's View: Christin Roesler

For a man, there’s no better career move

  in the world than earning the title of Father. 

Joe Kelly from Dads and Daughters

The idea that fathering is the most important avenue for a dad's leadership and influence has been repeated throughout this Father's Day series. Coincidentally, dads and daughters have been another theme. Steve Roesler described his relationship with his daughter, Christin; I shared about my daughter Cami's relationship with her dad and my relationship with my own father.

Dads and daughters.

To continue both themes, I emailed Christin Roesler to hear her perspective on the influence her father has had on her life. Christin says, "My dad’s influence on me is arguably immeasurable, and he has doubtlessly shaped the way I look at life, people, and the world."

What ways did your dad show his love for you throughout your childhood?

My dad illustrated his love for me as I was growing up through his proactive involvement. It is obviously important for a parent to be physically present in a child’s life. But “face time” is only a part of parenting, and a different and deeper level of engagement, and even effort, is required to truly know your child. My dad took the time to know me and to clearly communicate to me that I am uniquely, invariably, and unquestionably important in his life.

Your dad has traveled around the world for his work. What effect has that had on your life? 

My dad impressed upon me the fact that the world is bigger than just America. Because frequent travel was a reality in my dad’s work during various periods, we always made it a point to stay in touch while he was away. I was fortunate enough, however, to join him on several of these overseas business trips and, from quite a young age, I was provided with the opportunity to experience different cultures and environments for myself. This has probably shaped my life the most from a tangible standpoint, and has inspired me to learn three languages, work at an international company, and given me the desire to one day live abroad.

In what ways is your dad involved in your life now?

Although we now reside a couple hours apart, my dad’s involvement in my life has remained constant. From small things such as e-mailing every day, to asking for professional and financial guidance, to making time for father-daughter “bonding moments” such as going to concerts together, my dad continues to incorporate me into his life and make the time to learn more about mine.

What are the most important lessons you have learned from your dad?

Two points that my dad emphasized over the year stand out to me the most: life is about the relationships you build, not knowing ‘things’ or having ‘stuff’; and, to be a person of wisdom and integrity are paramount, especially in an age where these two qualities are lost on a daily basis.

How has your dad's involvement in your life shaped your life as a leader?

Leadership through example and character, rather than words alone, is something my dad has been able to show me, and I aim to and hope that I may also lead others in this way.

Thanks, Christin, for sharing your thoughts with us.

Dads as Leaders | Life Without Dad

My oldest daughter, Cami, will be eight next month. She loves her Dad.

Sometimes they go out together for a run/bike ride: he runs, she rides. They go out on special Daddy/daughter dates to his favorite flea market, to the book store, or on simple errands. She has a collection of ball caps from their trips to baseball games and during football season, she puts on her Bears cheerleader dress and joins him in the TV room. Each weekend, she and her sisters exercise with him in our basement gym.

When I was eight, my parents divorced and my father virtually disappeared from my life. I have been fortunate to have others — including a loving stepdad— fill that gap in my life, but I have never stopped longing for my father.

According to a US Census report, one of every three children in America live in a home without their biological father. Statistics show that kids who grow up without a dad are more likely to have mental health problems, more likely to struggle in school or drop out, more likely to commit suicide, more likely to run away from home, more likely to abuse drugs or alcohol, and more likely to commit crimes. Teen girls are more likely to have sex at an early age and have a pregnancy rate twice the national average.

Even kids in two parent homes sometimes lack the attention from dad that they need. According to the National Center for Fathering fewer than 25% of young boys and girls in two parent households experience an average of at least one hour a day of relatively individualized contact with their fathers.

Not every child who grows up without their father's presence or involvement will become part of the startling statistics. (I didn't.) Many will achieve great things despite early difficulties.

Several US Presidents, including current President Barack Obama — whose father spent only a few weeks with him after separating from Obama's mother when he was two years old — grew up in dysfunctional families, according to Wall Street Journal author Sue Shellenbarger. Bill Clinton's father died before his birth; his stepfather was an alcoholic who physically abused Clinton's mother. Both Clinton and Obama overcame troubling circumstances, changing not only their own personal histories but world history as well.

Still, living without a father is painful in any circumstance. One of the most profound things that I have heard anyone say recently regarding the influence of fathers in their childrens' lives is this:

Be there. If you aren't there, the only lesson you can teach your child is how empty it feels when you're not there.

It seems so simple, yet so many kids lack a father who is there for them.

True leadership begins in the home. The investment a father makes in his children's lives is far more valuable than any stock options or 401K contributions. Although leadership in politics, government, business, and education are valuable and worthwhile pursuits, a father's primary responsibility is to intentional involvement with his children.

As you celebrate Father's Day this year, consider the impact you might have in the coming year by being intentionally involved with the kids in your life.

by Rebecca Robinson

Dads as Leaders | Steve Roesler

 

Steve Roesler has spent his adult life leading and influencing others. After his days as a drill sergeant in the Army, the years he spent as a manager at Pfizer, and his extensive graduate studies, Steve decided start his own company. For the past 30 years, he has helped develop thousands of leaders in hundreds of organizations.

Yet in talking to Steve, it was clear that in all of his accomplishments, there is not a single one that comes close fatherhood. Steve says, "Being a dad has no equivalent experience."

Steve described the moment he met his daughter:

Christin came to us from Korea. I can still remember the moment in time when the door to the plane opened and the lady from Holt International walked off and handed her to me. I will tell you without any exaggeration at all, at that very moment the thought that I had was "This is the child that God gave me; it's my job to make sure that she is cared for as long as I am alive." It was such a moment that there was never any doubt in my mind what the priorities in my life would be from then on.

Steve's greatest priority in fatherhood: being available to and involved with his daughter. He and his wife, Barbara worked hard during Christin's growing up years to ensure that one of them was always present. 

In the early years, that meant Steve fit his business and work around Christin's needs and schedule. When Christin was three, a phone call from a client interrupted Steve's playtime at home with her. Steve had been helping the client, American Express, finalize a design and materials for a training program that was to launch in L.A. the following week. So Steve scooped Christin up into his arms and went to meet the client. Steve said "That was in 1985, not the norm, but we found out that decent people don't really care about the norm." I am sure his actions made quite a statement about his values. 

Steve is unequivocal about his priorities: parenting trumps work every time. Period. To dads, Steve says,

Be there, don't be someplace else when it isn't mandatory. Be accessible, even if you are doing your executive homework. If you're not there, kids begin to wonder about just how much you care. Words don't make up for that. Only physical presence. 

Every father influences his child's life, but in order to influence a child in a positive way, a father must be actively involved.

Whether you are engaged or not, you are going to have an influence on your child's life. The choice is, do you want to do it purposefully and in a way that influences your child positively or do you want to do it in a way that allows the child to simply guess at what life is like?

So, how did a dad who was busy traveling for his business manage to be there for his daughter? He brought her along. From Bermuda to Germany, Finland to Italy, Steve and his family traveled together.

As a result, Christin's "eyes were opened to other people and how others live. Her travels led to an entire lifestyle that she embraced." 

Now that Christin is an adult, living and working in Manhattan for an international bank, she and Steve exchange frequent emails and text messages and have dinner at least once a week.

Steve's position and priorities are unwavering. He is always available to and involved with Christin — as he has been from the moment they met.

Dads as Leaders | Introduction

Recently on Twitter, several people linked to the same article on BusinessWeek, "Leadership: Intentional Influence." The author, Joseph Grenny, outlined the difficulty that some leaders have both defining leadership and understanding and exerting their influence. One leader he works with has a ready definition for leadership, the best one I've heard.

Tim Tassopoulos, chief operating officer of Chik-fil-A, says it this way: Leadership is intentional influence.

Tassopoulus also speaks for an Atlanta based organization called Growing Leaders, Inc.. And he is the father of two sons.

With Father's Day approaching, I have been thinking about the influence and leadership of dads in their children's lives. By Tassopoulus' definition, fathers who are intentional about influencing their children are leaders.

In honor of dads everywhere, I am going to write a series of posts about dads as leaders. In the first post, I am going to share a dad's perspective — insights taken from my interview with Steve Roesler from All Things Workplace ; in the second post, I am going to talk about the unintentional influence of absent fathers; and in the final post I am going to share a view of fatherhood from an adult child's perspective. Be sure to come back frequently over the next few days so you don't miss a single post.

Great Expectations Video Yearbook

Mountain State University's 2009 Commencement Video Yearbook, Great Expectations, is now available for view on YouTube. We are proud of our graduates from all walks of life, and hope you enjoy this glimpse into their experiences at MSU.

In Review | Why Should Anyone Be Led By You

Several weeks ago Dr. Ruth Wylie, one of the associate deans of Mountain State University's School of Leadership and Professional Development, recommended that I read the book Why Should Anyone Be Led by You by Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones. Published in 2006, it is already a classic, required reading for anyone wishing to enhance their leadership skills. If you haven't read it recently, consider this your refresher.

Here are a few excerpts from the book, and my reactions:

The search for authenticity is ever more pressing... Authentic leadership has become the most prized organizational and individual asset. One of my goals here is to be real, revealing more of who I am over time to give people a connecting point with me, with this blog, and with Mountain State University. The most successful blogs on any topic seem to be the ones in which a person's true thoughts and identity are uncovered.

Followers want to be led by a person, not a role holder or a position filler or a bureaucrat... What is special about you that means I should follow you? The question I have been asking myself is: Why should anyone read LeaderTalk? Mountain State University is developing new leaders to influence organizations at all levels. All across America, on various campuses and online, students are learning to lead their organizations to greater effectiveness. The thoughts I present on LeaderTalk represent the collective knowledge and insights of our students and faculty. To be the voice of LeaderTalk, I spend time listening to what our faculty and students are learning about and thinking about leadership.

Effective leaders know those individual differences that might help them in a leadership role — whatever they might be — and use them to their advantage. As I have talked with other leadership bloggers by phone and gotten to know some via Twitter and email, I have discovered a few key differences between them and me. Part of being authentic is recognizing the differences, and letting who I am influence everything I do.

Leadership is not achieved by riding into town — cowboy fashion — and shooting it up. Skillful leaders... need to get a sense of the town, to conform enough at they are seen to be acting in the best interest of the townspeople, so they can lead change without being shot early on in the proceedings. Neither can a blogger take the blogosphere by a storm. In becoming thought leaders, we need to take the time to get to know what others are thinking, saying, and writing about leadership. I want to get to know our readers and hear from you. Whether you post a comment, send me an email, direct message on Twitter, or we talk on the phone, I value your involvement and input.

Unless you are clear about your purpose and your values and are doing something that you really care about, it is difficult to act as a leader. You are unlikely to possess the will and the resilience that are needed to carry you through the uncertainties and setbacks. In a recent post, Penelope Trunk referenced Seth Godin's book The Dip. The idea of a dip is this: when people start new ventures, they face setbacks or roadblocks. At that point, unless you have a strong sense of purpose, you may give up. Leaders are people who are so consumed with their idea or project that they press on through the difficulties. It is too early in the evolution of LeaderTalk know for sure, but I feel confident that I have what it takes to carry this vision long-term.

The point (of authentic leadership) is to be more like yourself, not more like someone else. No one can write this particular recipe other than you. Life as a leader is a lifelong journey, discovered word by word, decision by decision, day by day.

As you reflect on these thoughts, I hope you are encouraged in your leadership journey to be authentic. Celebrate what makes you different from others, instead of trying to conform to some phantom image of an ideal leader.

by Rebecca Robinson