Leaders are believers.
Leaders are connectors.
Leaders initiate.
Leaders are believers. Of course, this requires you to know your deepest held beliefs and continually align behaviors against bolted on, nearly immovable beliefs. Leaders are connectors. You must repeat the dream ad infinitum. Humans don’t hear well. Leaders put it on repeat with passion and purpose. Leaders initiate. Leaders don’t wait for the right time. Leaders know now is the only time we’ve got. Leaders are believers. Leaders are connectors. Leaders initiate. You?
Live hard. Love harder. STOP waiting…
BUILT TO LEAD 
I’m a Unicorn. Big Foot and an Outlier .. all rolled into One. I’m a lone wolf it seems. I lead a team of one – me. Even though I was a very high achieving sales professional, even had my own sales training company — but it was me. Employer and employee. I was, before CNS, asked to lead an entire US based sales team. I still remember the lunch I had with the President and CEO. He wanted me to lead his sales team. I’d be VP of Sales, stock options, deferred comp… et.al. I turned him down. He was so disappointed. Everyone else wanted management. I wanted a sales territory. It was 1982.
Over the next 20 years, I’d be offered many sales leadership positions. Said no every time. Actually, I’d say, “I’ll think about it”… and then say ‘no’. Fear and the words of Bruce Willis would ring in my head .. “a man’s got to know his limitations’. Truth is, my OPUS is sales. I have many books on ‘leadership – never read even one. No interest.
I’m OK with my choices. No regrets. Truth is — I’m just not that good at leading, with a few exceptions. My Faith and a few ‘nuggets’ that I toss my grandkids.
Grumdelagrum
The BEST salesperson, Grumdelagrum…Sent from my iPad
it was Clint Eastwood, not Bruce Willis.
Thanks Chet:
A final sales story and then I’ll watch from the sidelines. I was about to join another sales company in 1990. Crawford and Associates, big consulting company. I guy named John Robinson, had been hired by Chet to find sales talent in Chicago. John was a head hunter. He made money only if he placed someone at CompuServe Network. He was batting 0.0%. John, the head hunter, believed that the hiring manager in Chicago, Mike Quinn, was being ‘too picky’ about the sales people John was sending over. Then John made a bad decision. He went around Mike Quinn and contacted Chet. Mike Quinn ‘worked’ for Chet. Mike found out. He wasn’t happy. He called John out on his behavior and announced that John’s services would no longer be needed. John pleaded with Mike Quinn, that he interview — just ‘one more’ candidate. That person was me. Mike said this … “I’ll interview him out of RESPECT for the candidate, not for you’! John met me for coffee and ‘prepared’ me for the Mike Quinn/CompuServe Interview. Things were about to get even goofier. John and I had talked, but never had met face to face. We met for coffee. John was a strange cat … I paid for the coffee as John had forgotten his wallet. Classic. John and I talked. I agreed to the CompuServe Network interview. Then John made another bad decision. He called Mike Quinn, to say .. ‘this guy James Grummer, only has one arm…. he wears a hook’. Mike replied on the phone, and I quote, “I don’t care if he has no arms, I just need him to sell’! Mike is a CLASS act. He liked John even less after the one arm comment, if that was possible. Quinnerman, as we call him, meet with met me in December of 1990 in Chicago. Quinnerman’s first question was … “what do you think of John Robinson’? LOL. Speak the Truth to Power, Grum. No BS. I said, ‘not very good’… Quinnerman said, “I agree.” That’s how it began. CompuServe Network and me. It was a marriage made in Heaven. I took the gig, and my entire professional career changed forever. That’s Mike Quinn.. leader, character, straight moral compass and a damn funny guy. I’m blessed. The tears roll as I type this. Tears of Joy.
But for the Grace of God, there go I.. More tears.
Grumdelagrum
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