Archives For Gerald Gillis

12 Leadership Traits

October 23, 2013

Leadership has often been described as the ability to get others to follow willingly. Political, military, business, and religious leaders have been studied throughout history in an effort to identify the traits that contributed to their huge successes.

Is there a common thread? And if so, what are those traits?

I spent years as a leader in military and business organizations, and I have studied leaders from those with whom I have had direct contact to those past and present leaders about whom so much has been documented.

I encountered a number of truly outstanding leaders in the business world who were highly successful and widely respected, and who provided inspiration for organizations to achieve remarkable results. In the military, I encountered Marine Corps officers and non-commissioned officers who had been highly decorated combat leaders for their performance under the most stressful and terrifying conditions imaginable, and whose troops nevertheless followed them into that dark hole of battle. With political and military leaders, I’ve studied the likes of Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, U.S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, George Patton, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Chester Nimitz, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and Douglas MacArthur, among others.

I’ve made it a point to learn about business leaders such as Jack Welch, Lee Iacocca, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Ted Turner, Herb Kelleher, Warren Buffett, and more recently, Mark Zuckerberg.

I have identified twelve traits that great leaders seem to demonstrate on a highly consistent basis. Some have strong traits that do not appear on this list and still others sometimes reflect attributes that are less than desirable, perhaps even lamentable, yet who succeed anyway. This list is not meant to be all-inclusive, such that every great leader embodies all twelve attributes. Rather, it is meant as a guide as to what I would consider the commonalities which are shared by many leaders who are clearly exceptional.

Please note that in future articles, I will take each of the twelve traits and elaborate further.

My twelve leadership traits are thus:

1. Ability to Communicate

2. Courage

3. Integrity

4. Discipline

5. Fairness

6. Unselfishness

7. Dependability

8. Vision

9. Assertiveness

10. Professional Competence

11. Judgment

12. Creativity

These are the twelve leadership traits that I have identified among the best of the leaders I have seen and studied.

Are you a leader? If so, how do compare your own self-assessed leadership traits to the above list? If you are preparing for a life of leadership, your possession and embrace of the above twelve traits would not guarantee you career success, since there are no such guarantees, but it would put you in good company.

Very good company, indeed.

All the leadership traits I write about in this series of posts are clearly identifiable in my main character, Conor Rafferty, in my novel That Deadly Space. Find it on Amazon by clicking here.

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The Importance of Speaking Skills

October 17, 2013

Why the importance of speaking skills? While a picture may be worth a thousand words, those words will no doubt come in handy if the picture is distorted or poorly understood. After all, the most effective way to communicate is through speech. Thus, speaking skills are a vitally important method of communication.

The four language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing are all interconnected. Proficiency in each skill is necessary to become a well-rounded communicator, but the ability to speak skillfully provides the speaker with several distinct advantages. The capacity to put words together in a meaningful way to reflect thoughts, opinions, and feelings provides the speaker with these important advantages:

Ability to inform, persuade, and direct. Business managers, educators, military leaders, lawyers, and politicians, among others, seek to develop their speaking skills to such a level that they are transformed into master communicators. Speaking clearly and confidently can gain the attention of an audience, providing the golden opportunity for the speaker to make the message known. Wise is the speaker who gains and then holds the attention of an audience, with well-chosen words in a well-delivered presentation, forming a message that is effective, informative, and understood.

Ability to stand out from the rest. When one thinks of speaking skills, one tends to think of it as a common skill. Think again. The ability to stand before others and speak effectively is not an ordinary ability. Many people are deathly afraid of public speaking; others have little ability to form thoughts into sentences and then deliver those words in a believable way. The bad news is that at any given moment the world has precious few with the speaking talents of, say, Winston Churchill or John F. Kennedy. The good news is that a speaker whose skills are honed and developed with constant application and hard work can stand out.

Ability to benefit derivatively. Well-developed verbal skills can increase one’s negotiation skills. Self-confidence is improved. A growing sense of comfort comes from speaking in front of larger and larger audiences. A reputation for excellence in speaking can accrue over time, thereby imparting a certain credibility to the speaker.

Career enhancement. Employers have always valued the ability to speak well. It is, and always will be, an important skill, and well worth the effort in fully developing.

Personal satisfaction. Speakers who have experienced a connection with an appreciative audience through a well-composed and well-delivered presentation often find a deep level of fulfillment that is seldom achieved in other forms of communication. The normal sense of nervous tension can give way to feelings of accomplishment and exuberance when an audience expresses its outward appreciation to a speaker. It’s a reward, of sorts, for all the hard work and preparation that goes into honing your skills.

Speaking skills are important for career success, but certainly not limited to one’s professional aspirations. Speaking skills can enhance one’s personal life and thereby bring about the well-rounded growth that we should all seek.

If you’d like to learn more about becoming a better communicator, both in verbal and written form, here is the link to Amazon https://goo.gl/Agggfe for my $0.99 Kindle eBook HOW TO BECOME A SUCCESSFUL, EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATOR. 

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An Open Letter to President Abraham Lincoln

October 11, 2013

Dear Mr. President:

Since I’ve always considered you the wisest among all American presidents, I respectfully seek your counsel on several troubling matters.

The United States is in the throes of a bitter ideological feud between those who lean toward a more progressive, socialist left and those of a more traditional, conservative right. It involves many things, to include the charge and size of government, the U.S. role as the most powerful nation in an increasingly unstable world, and the likely destructive consequences of years of gross fiscal irresponsibility. Too, we have deep divides on matters of religion, marriage, and the termination of unwanted pregnancies in what is termed, appropriately enough, abortion (or, as some would prefer, the right to choose, not unlike being of age and deciding upon whiskey or beer, except, of course, the difference in consequences).

Mr. Lincoln, since your time the United States has won two world wars, cured polio, given women the vote, enacted legislation to ensure equal rights to all citizens, and sent men to the moon and back (really, we did, and more than once!). We built the most powerful economy in world history, and in the process assimilated countless millions of immigrants from all parts of the globe. Those immigrants came here in the belief that ambitious, hardworking individuals can move from poverty to relative prosperity based upon effort, not birthright. And by the way, we have twice elected a U.S. president of African descent.

But we’re far from perfection. We can quite literally transplant hearts and other vital organs, but we don’t do as well transplanting values. Our prisons are crowded, our young are too often poorly educated, and there is still racial prejudice, just as in your day, though more subtle. We bend over backwards in a near-comical attempt to avoid “offending” anyone, and in the process offend or inconvenience nearly everyone. Our citizens are increasingly suspicious of and alarmed by a federal government in which powerful components have been used to gather highly personal information and to sometimes intimidate or penalize innocent people for purely political reasons.

We seem to be at a crossroads, sir. Thankfully we’re not at war with one another as we were in your day, but we do have counties in some states who feel so ideologically and culturally detached that their citizens now speak of secession. I know you remember (and detest) that word. Our elected representatives seem more concerned about being re-elected than in solving the real problems that threaten our well-being as a nation. There is a certain smallness about Congress, and I’m sure you would recognize much of the pettiness and posturing, even the vitriol. There is also a smallness to the president, who seems aloof and detached from the actual governing and leadership aspects of his role. Like you, he won the job with great skill, but unlike you, he governs with virtually none of it.

Throughout the days of your presidency, would you have avoided engaging members of the opposing party as if they were poisonous reptiles, even if you thought dealing with snakes would be an upgrade? Would you have been able to raise an army and the revenue necessary to fight it without some level of bi-partisan support?  To ensure the abolition of slavery in all of the U.S., didn’t you push for passage of the Thirteenth Amendment which Congress passed by the necessary two-thirds vote in 1865?

Mr. Lincoln, is it conceivable that any sort of budgetary crisis would have ever convinced you to close Gettysburg National Cemetery and turn away veterans and family members from paying their respects?

We need your help here, President Lincoln. What should we do? Change the people? Change the terms under which they serve? It’s not getting better; the divides are becoming deeper.

Is there anyone out there like you who could step in and provide some desperately needed leadership? Can you recommend a person–any person–who could step forward and fill the void? If so, will you send me a text? Oops, sorry, make that a telegram.

And please, sir, hurry.

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Have Americans Lost Confidence in Business Leaders?

September 5, 2013

In a June, 2013 Gallup Poll (Confidence in Institutions), only 9% professed a great deal of confidence in big business, while 13% indicated quite a lot of confidence. In the same poll, 31% expressed very little confidence in big business. Ten years ago the value was the same at 31%. Twenty years ago, 28%; thirty years ago, 26%.

The values for small business were far better by roughly three times in a great deal and quite a lot categories, at 29% and 36% respectively. Only the military polled higher than small business. Americans trust small-business owners in the creation of jobs more than any other entity.

Though the results over thirty years don’t indicate a dramatic shift in the public’s lack of confidence in big business, there is clearly room for improvement. What drives this lack of confidence? What are the sources? Is it the seemingly endless number of highly publicized corporate scandals and criminality? Is it executive compensation? Outsourcing to foreign countries? Mass layoffs? Cutting of or reducing employee benefits? Greed as a primary operating principle?

It is all of the above, and probably more. At the heart of the matter, in my opinion, is executive leadership. Because of the relatively easy access to owners of small businesses, they are known by the public in ways that leaders of big businesses are not. Hence, small business owners are more likely to be accessible, accountable, and admired by the members of their communities when they conduct their activities with integrity and responsibility. If they act otherwise, they’re finished and they darn well know it.

Leaders of large businesses may not be well known to their own employees, much less the general public. They are mostly seen in newspaper or online articles when commenting on quarterly results or gaining millions in stock options or announcing a domestic plant closure or an overseas plant opening. Is it any surprise, then, that the public expresses low levels of confidence in business executives they know very little about, and who they assume know and care very little about them?

Then again, the general public knows little about the military leaders who are entrusted with the nation’s defense, yet they indicate very high levels of trust in those leaders. Why the difference? Why is one group trusted and the other, not so much?

Military leaders are seen as having the public’s well-being at the heart of what they do. They are generally regarded as unselfish, committed to a life of service where the demands are great and the sacrifices are many. Great military leaders are seen as ambitious, sure, but never at the expense of their troops. The American military has long served this nation honorably and skillfully, and its tradition of sacrificial service has earned it a place of special trust with the citizenry.

Business leaders should consider this difference carefully. No, the business profession is not the same as military service. But great leaders are great wherever they are, in whatever capacity they serve. And in all fairness, big business has also unquestionably served this nation well, in peace and war.

So, have Americans lost faith in business leaders? I think not. But public confidence is not improving, which reflects the need for business leaders to think anew how they are perceived by the public, and how that perception can be upgraded. The business leaders in the forefront on this in an honest, ethical, and assertive way will be noticed. And appreciated.

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Free eBook – Paige’s Laws of Business

April 26, 2013

Paige's Laws cover imageIn my latest novel Dare Not Blink, main character Dave Paige keeps a handwritten journal for recording his periodic musings on business situations and business people. Paige is of the energetic, results-driven sort, so he’s usually racing headlong toward some tangible objective. His life seems centered around solving one problem and then quickly moving on to the next. Occasionally, however, the insightful Paige is given to bouts of thoughtfulness and contemplation while in the quiet, after-hours solitude of his office, or in that trancelike state one can easily slip into in the cabin of a commercial airliner.

Thus, when he feels so inclined, he reaches for his Paige’s Laws of Business to chronicle his observations, lessons learned, and unwavering leadership and ethical principles.

Some of my early readers of Dare Not Blink commented on how much these pithy notations from Paige had added to the novel. My publisher, Navigator Books, also saw the potential to excerpt Paige’s Laws into an eBook format. In all honesty, my main purpose in creating the scenes where Paige recorded his thoughts was simply to develop Dave Paige as a character. It must have worked because now it seems Paige is offering something in return. For me, Paige’s Laws of Business is a way to introduce myself and to extend the awareness of my latest novel to prospective readers, as well as offering a gift of thanks to my existing readers; for you, it’s a free eBook that I hope you can find value in reading and sharing with others.

Simply click on the book’s image nearby and then follow the link to download your own free eBook. I’d enjoy hearing from you about this or any of my other books, so feel free to drop me a line on this website.

And if you do find value in Paige’s Laws of Business, thank Dave Paige.

I certainly did.

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10 Ways to Improve Your Communications Skills

March 20, 2013

Webster’s defines communication as “an act or instance of transmitting.” Communication is about effective expression, and is very much a skill that can be acquired and improved. For these purposes, we will concentrate on verbal communications, and specifically the improvement of those particular communications skills.

Communications skills are necessary for success in virtually any endeavor. Those who possess high levels of skill in communicating with others have an advantage in the marketplace of information and ideas. Unlike many other skills, effective communicators can take their expertise anywhere. Like any other skill, it must be practiced diligently to maintain and improve.

While there are numerous methods for improving one’s communications skills, here are 10 suggestions for your consideration:

1. Always design your message to fit your audience. This focuses the use of your words and builds discipline and economy.

2. Always assume a lack of clarity. Whether providing verbal instructions, giving a performance review, or chairing a meeting, always ensure that your communication removes any confusion or ambiguity. Repeat as needed. Repeat as needed. Did I mention repeat as needed?

3. Give verbal presentations. Remember the book reports you used to give in class? The more you did, the better you got, right? Whether it’s a PowerPoint presentation on sales growth or a lecture on foreign affairs, get up in front of an audience and speak. Learn to deal with and overcome the nerves that precede; it’s rarely a fatal condition.

4. Become a better listener. Some of the best communicators are some of the greatest listeners. Conversely, some of the poorest communicators are often some of the worst listeners. Make a conscious effort to become a better listener. Listening is more than an interlude between your own sentences. Hear your audience. I assure you they will notice.

5. Get feedback from others. Ask friends or colleagues to critique your speaking for both content and delivery. Do you show impatience or frustration and thus limit your effectiveness? Are you too condescending or too inhibited? Ask for candid, constructive criticism. And don’t get offended; get better. Put the feedback to good use.

6. Find your voice. Pay attention to the tone of your spoken words. Modulate the pitch and volume of your voice, as appropriate. Choose your words wisely and enunciate them correctly. Develop a style of speaking that fits you.

7. Observe others. Find speakers who impress you with their abilities and study their differing styles. How well do they use humor? Do they show emotion? Are they inspiring? You don’t have to copy them, since you need a style that fits just you. You can certainly borrow, however. And you certainly should.

8. Make good eye contact. Look at your audience, whether an assemblage of hundreds or a single individual across a desk. You can become far more aware of how your message is being received by looking at, rather than looking past, your audience. This is common sense but so very often uncommon practice.

9. Be passionate. This is not to say you should be obnoxious or all-knowing. In fact, it is almost always better to be humble. It is to suggest, however, that your audience should feel your energy and enthusiasm, as appropriate.

10. Keep speaking. Keep developing your skills. Keep building your confidence. You will reap what you sow in this area of your life, as in others.

Good luck and good communicating!

For more on the development of communications skills, both verbal and written, see my Kindle eBook HOW TO BECOME A SUCCESSFUL, EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATOR. Find it on Amazon by clicking on the link.

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What Does Integrity Mean to You?

February 14, 2013

Are you sometimes confused by the meaning of the word integrity? Is it a complicated set of principles that can vary according to a particular moral consideration or a specific set of circumstances? Or is it simply doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do?

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that, “Character is higher than intellect.” What does integrity have to do with character? Can you have one without the other?

Think of integrity as the quality of having high moral principles, of being reliable and trustworthy. It does not mean you are nearing perfection as a human being, but rather that you can be trusted with words and deeds. Doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do? Of course. If you are described by others as a person of integrity, would it also follow that you have high character? Yes, absolutely.

Now think of groups of people who are presumed to have integrity. Judges, doctors, military officers, and ministers come to mind. True, we can point to examples in each of the preceding groups of dishonest, immoral, and perhaps even criminal behavior. As with any group—business, politics, sports, education, journalism, etc.—we don’t need to search far and wide to discover similar failings. Indeed, it is our human nature to err.

Next, think how hard it would be for our society to function if trust and honesty were the exception rather than the rule. Samuel Johnson noted that, “Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.” As a group, our elected leaders are losing the confidence of the American populace precisely because we are becoming conditioned by their saying one thing and doing another, sometimes blatantly and defiantly.

Business leaders who shamelessly enrich themselves at the expense of their customers, stockholders, and employees reflect poorly on their firms and industries. Judges who take bribes and teachers who sexually abuse their students give us all pause, and disappoint us greatly.

Why? Because they failed to do the right thing.

It need not be any more complicated than that.

For you, if integrity means doing the right thing, even if nobody knows or notices, then you understand the concept. If you behave consistently and use moral principles, reliability, and trustworthiness as your guiding lights, you can rightfully be described as a person of integrity.

It is a description that is earned, and one that should be prized. If you have it, guard and nurture it. If you don’t yet have it, pursue it zealously. It’s certainly worth the change in behavior you will have to make to earn it.

Finally, my latest novel That Deadly Space deals with integrity and ethics in a very substantive (yet fictional) way, albeit in wartime. The novel’s main character, Conor Rafferty, struggles with his share of moral and ethical decisions. He does his best to be a leader whose integrity becomes his guiding light, and his example underscores the above comments. You can find the book here.

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A Model For Ethical Leadership

February 1, 2013

Are you a leader who aspires to set an example of ethical leadership in your organization? If so, you are headed in the right direction.

An organization’s leadership is responsible for influencing others to perform an action, complete a task, or behave in a specific manner. Leaders must be people-oriented, decisive, and bold, with a well-developed ability to inspire and motivate. They must also be able to do what is sometimes inconvenient, unpopular, or perhaps even temporarily unprofitable. Leaders must do all of the above, and those leaders who are viewed as ethical and honest will have a far greater chance of gaining and keeping the loyalty of employees and others. To be viewed as otherwise is indeed a slippery slope.

The following steps may be useful in establishing an ethical-leadership model:

  • Set high ethical standards and meet (or exceed) them. Standards should be established and promulgated for both professional and personal conduct. Those standards should be maintained and monitored, with the leadership team always setting the proper example. Drive a culture of ethical behavior by constant reinforcement and demonstration, and clearly establish that partial or non-compliance from anyone is unacceptable.
  • Openly share information. Transparency should be more than a promise or a slogan. Make sure your employees understand that you share information with them because you trust them, and thus you expect them to make the right decisions because of their being well-informed.
  • Be fair in all personnel decisions. Merit and fairness should always factor disproportionately in decisions affecting employees. Never assume that employees can’t detect favoritism or prejudice; they can. Always assume that examples of unfairness will do great damage to the fabric of your organization; it will. Know that fairness will help gain and maintain trust; it does.
  • Keep your word. This should be common sense, right? Often, however, it’s uncommon practice. Your word is truly your bond. The more your employees can count on you to do what you say, the stronger the bond. They can count on you, you can count on them–there is a direct correlation.
  • Treat everyone with respect. An ethical leader leads in a manner that respects the rights and dignity of others, both within and outside the organization. It is critical that this behavioral characteristic starts at the top; it is not a bottom-up process.

The above steps can help establish in everyone’s mind the importance of ethics. It is the leader’s responsibility to build the trust, set the example, and drive a culture of high ethical standards in an organization.

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Huh? A Business Thriller?

September 11, 2012

Have you ever read a thriller about the business world? The what, you say? The business world? Really? Somebody’s done that?

As Thomas Magnum, Private Investigator, so famously observed, “I know what you’re thinking.”

There is no such genre, right? A business thriller? Who in the world would write such a thing?

Well, as Todd Rundgren so famously crooned, “Hello, It’s Me.”

My new novel Dare Not Blink (Navigator Books) is currently scheduled for release in November. It’s a story about an Atlanta-based company who suddenly finds itself in the midst of a vicious internal struggle after the sudden death of its beloved founder and majority owner. For those who have been a part of the rough-and-tumble of corporate America you will find much that is recognizable—from the strengths and flaws of the characters to the cutthroat maneuvering of some of the top executive operators. It’s a fast-paced read with plenty of twists and turns, and the reviews from beta readers (including a CEO) have been excellent. I’m really looking forward to its release into the marketplace.

In the next few weeks we’ll be finalizing the cover and getting everything in place for publication. I’ll give you an early peek at it soon.

So yes, there is such a thing as a business thriller. And I’ve written one. By golly.

As the proper English gentleman (and Magnum antagonist) Jonathan Quail Higgins so famously uttered, “Quite.”

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I Still Miss John Wayne

June 15, 2012

The Duke, John Wayne, died 33 years ago this week. I miss him, still. And I still enjoy his movies, especially those World War II films where he and the good guys would always win. He was greatly popular with U.S. Marines, and there were at least two C-ration items named in his honor: the John Wayne can opener and the John Wayne cookie. Why? Beats me. We Marines didn’t question.

I read a biography about Duke several years ago and discovered the interesting tidbit that he really didn’t like horses. For an actor who arguably did more to popularize the Western film genre than anyone else, not liking horses came as a bit of a surprise. I suppose it would be akin to discovering Mario Andretti’s dislike of fast cars or Bruce Springsteen’s dislike of loud music. Or Bill Clinton’s dislike of a gorgeous, um, bacon cheeseburger. It just didn’t seem to fit.

John Wayne came along at the right time. He was an unabashed American patriot at a time when patriotism was widely understood in simpler terms than is apparent today. He smoked cigarettes, drank whiskey, and killed the bad guys in his films. He was gentle toward women (except Maureen O’Hara, with whom he had an extraordinary on-screen chemistry and off-screen friendship). Occasionally he would die a hero’s noble death at the end of a picture, which was never pleasant. And he would almost always provide a worthwhile life lesson somewhere between the opening and closing credits.

His friends in the entertainment industry spoke often of his loyalty and generosity as a friend. As big an international star as he became over a long career, he could poke as much fun at himself as he could others. Comedian Rich Little did a splendid impersonation of Wayne, from his voice to his gestures to his walk, and I can remember Duke roaring with laughter as he sat with Johnny Carson and watched Little’s hilarious routine. And the laughter was authentic, as was much else with Wayne.

That was then.

Now we’ve got the pretty-boy actors who spend a disproportionate amount of time doing little more in their films than eating. And their causes are rarely conservative anymore. Or often hardly even patriotic. Was John Wayne the greatest film actor ever? Nah, I won’t go that far. But he was darned good, and his screen presence was always infinitely more commanding than these contemporary lightweights.

Thanks, Duke, for all the great work you’ve left for us to enjoy.

Semper Fi, good sir.

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