Description of the video:

When you work here as the leader of this organization. And the organization has goals and hope for outcomes. Very strategic plan. How do you go about conveying a vision to the people who work for you about how they're going to get there, how they're going to reach those goals. Well, I try to talk about what the vision is and why it is. And I try to talk about, in the spirit of consciousness raising, I try to talk about why it's so important, Here's the benefit of these things happen, here's the problem we're trying to solve. This is why it's so important that we be involved in this. I try to talk about a goal or a benchmark, a target that we're trying to hit that just seems to be motivational needs as the old expression goes. If you aim for nothing, you'll hit it every time. So that's true vision of, I see something. I always use the analogy. You could put a board there and you say, hit the center. Hit the center and the person just thorn darts that trying to hit the center. But then all you have to do oftentimes just take, take some red nail polish and then just wet, take that nail polish and just write a little, put a little dab, paint a little dab in the middle of that board. And then look at how much more closely those darts are getting to that center just because you put a target there. And I think that's what, that's what vision and goals represent for people. And then that combined with why it's necessary and how it helps humanity if we do it and what happens if we don't do it. That's what I try to convey to O, to the people with whom I work. And then it's just, I'm also trying to convey that while this is the goal that we're trying to hit, this is the North star and this is why it should matter to us. I'm also trying to convey that to make this happen, I'm going to do more listening than I am talking. Because again, in my mind, listening and more than just hearing. But listening becomes one of those critical endowments to success. Because I'm apt to say, when we're trying to carry out this mission and when we're trying to achieve our goals, that helps us fulfill this mission. The reason it's so important for me to listen is because I'm trying to find the best idea in the room. That best idea may not come from me. I really just want the best idea that's going to help this go forward. It's important for me to listen, because in listening, I may find that best idea from one of my colleagues, and I typically do. But this is why I have to say, in fact, one of the things I've had to say so often during the time that I've worked at the Center for Leadership Development, different people transition over the years. I've been here 21 years now, but I just over that 21 year period, one of the things I found myself saying on more than a few occasions is where I've interrupted, where there's a conversation, someone is speaking, and then someone else times in, and then I have to interrupt just to say, oh, excuse me. But Kim was not finished, she had not finished her statement. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. That's okay. But I really want to hear what everybody has to say when there's an opportunity to speak. Because what's important to me is that there's the best idea in the room. And it's not important to me that that idea has come from me. So would you say that one of the qualities of effective leadership is to create that environment in which people believe that they can contribute ideas that will be listened to me. Whether or not they're all embraced is different, but. Well, that's right. Yes, I think so. Sure. And then just modeling it, as I said by that, it's like, oh, no, wait, wait, wait. She was to do, and then sometimes it's actually saying, do you realize that you cut her off, are saying to hurt if you realize you cut him off. I just noticed. Oftentimes I noticed, at least in some of the meetings where I've been in, I've noticed that some people do that fairly regularly. It just makes me think about whether or not people are really taking to heart where other people have shared the fact I've actually been in the meetings where I've said in a few of meetings where I've listened to conversation and listen to conversation, listen to the back and forth and I've I'm concerned about talking over other people. And one of the main reason I'm concerned about is because if we're prepared to talk before someone is finished and I'm not convinced that we're actually listening to what people are saying. And I said, and that concerns me because one of the reasons that concerned me was besides the fact that I think it's rude and inconsiderate. But it concerns me because from a very practical standpoint, I guess you all don't even realize that over the last three to 5 minutes, a lot of the things that you are sharing, you're actually saying about the same thing. It may be stated differently framed it, but in essence, you're literally saying the same thing, but because you're not even taking time to really listen to what the other person is saying, you haven't been able to recognize that. How would you describe your style of leadership? I describe my style of leadership this way. When I started working at the Center for Leadership Development in one of our board meetings, I shared with the board, guess I shared a couple of thoughts. One thought was, I didn't come here. So talk about, you know, we can just reach one, it'll be all fine. If we can just reach one, then it would have been all worth the while. I said, well, I didn't leave the practice of law to come and reach one. I said I want to reach thousands. Said if I come into this work, all this faith, all this hard work, all this effort, all this sacrifice and we reach one, then I'm going to go and congratulate the one that we reach. I'm so happy for your success. I'm going to congratulate that person. Then I'm going to immediately tender my resignation. I said I want to reach thousands. But this but the second, I guess, point that I made that I mentioned to our board is talking about style. I said in this work, if this ever becomes just 1% about me, then I have failed. So I think I would if there was a style, it would be that I'm here to carry out the mission. And however little however much that involves me personally, that's that's whatever it is and that's whatever it takes. But the way I see me going about trying to carry out the mission is if there's an ability to carry out that mission and get the work done and no one know it's me doing it, then that's actually just fine, really. It is. Okay. I said in fact, one of the things I noticed about nonprofits is that people are oftentimes leaders are associated with the organization. And the organization of viewed as synonymous as people, not to an extent. I understand that, especially if you have some ten in there. I said, but I've at least try to be considerate enough to say as much as I can. I want to make sure that this is always about the mission of the Center for Leadership Development and not about me. Because at some point, I will not be at the Center for Leadership Development. And I don't want there to be any thought that because Dennis is not at the Center for Leadership Development, then there is a no go at the center. Whereas if it's been all about the mission all along, then hopefully it becomes that much easier for somebody else to come and continue on the mission because it's always been about the mission anyway. Whereas if becomes if you have an organization that is so tied to a leader and everything is about me and everything comes my way and everything must go through me and everything has to be about me. Then I found oftentimes that when that person leaves, then oftentimes that organization and his mission it takes. I've always tried, my style is let me know the mission of the organization. And then what is my responsibility and my role to help bring people together, to help carry out that mission? With that philosophy view, understanding of leadership, how does that influence the types of people that you hired to work for you? What do you look for in the followers? Well, look for people who are like minded. Look for people who were like minded. I always say that's make it a part of our, even a part of our organizational value system and our employee handbook. Let's make it about character competence, stewardship, accountability, and results. So we're looking for character, this is what we're looking for, these character traits. We are looking for people who have yes skill in your work. But first and foremost, is there the integrity is there, the hard work is there, The selflessness is the high regard and respect for young people. I mean, do you have character in the broadest, truest, richest sense? And then, do you have the competency at your job? Can you excel at your job? You commit to being excellent at the work. And then, are you mindful of stewardship and really holding in trust with other people have entrusted to you their children, money resources? Is there? The stewardship is there. The accountability. Hey, I'm wrong, I'm so sorry, but I'll admit that I need to do better. And then, likewise no, that was not. You said you're going to do it by this day, and then being a day off is unacceptable. It's the accountability. We want to be responsible, we want to be accountable. And then I feel like that character competence, stewardship, accountability, then those tend to drive number five. They tend to result in the results and the outcomes and the performance. I'm just looking for those people because I know those are the ones we're going to be in sync with. What do you think has worked well for you when it comes to your style of leadership? Oh, I think what works well is that you get an opportunity to understand and learn. You get an opportunity to know what inform, so that you're ultimately in a position to make the best decision. Are the most prudent decisions, the most sagacious decisions. The wisest decisions because of that style is about listening, observing, reading, studying, and then bringing all that to bear to say, here's a path forward based upon what I'm hearing, what I'm observing, what I've heard from my colleagues, I think I think that and then just not being hasty. I think that that's worked well. So over the years, what has not worked so well about your style of leadership? I guess it depends upon the people, the personalities. I think there are some people, I don't know if it's the leadership that hasn't worked well. I think it's more so the reaction to the leadership where there is some people who may think, because you don't have the domineering slap the table, curse out your coworker, call somebody this and that word, and use expletives or whatever you're saying, that oftentimes people expect that and when they don't have that, maybe they feel like there's somebody then that they don't have to respect or maybe someone they can disregard. Because it's not, it's just not the, the person who's going to, who's going to beat you up. And so sometimes you find people may be challenging because they don't know better because they identify leadership with the table, pomping and yelling and cursing and Yeah. Right. And so maybe they're they're more in time drill sergeant. It sounds like you're more inclined to challenge.

Description of the video:

When you work here as the leader of this organization. And the organization has goals and hope for outcomes. Very strategic plan. How do you go about conveying a vision to the people who work for you about how they're going to get there, how they're going to reach those goals. Well, I try to talk about what the vision is and why it is. And I try to talk about, in the spirit of consciousness raising, I try to talk about why it's so important, Here's the benefit of these things happen, here's the problem we're trying to solve. This is why it's so important that we be involved in this. I try to talk about a goal or a benchmark, a target that we're trying to hit that just seems to be motivational needs as the old expression goes. If you aim for nothing, you'll hit it every time. So that's true vision of, I see something. I always use the analogy. You could put a board there and you say, hit the center. Hit the center and the person just thorn darts that trying to hit the center. But then all you have to do oftentimes just take, take some red nail polish and then just wet, take that nail polish and just write a little, put a little dab, paint a little dab in the middle of that board. And then look at how much more closely those darts are getting to that center just because you put a target there. And I think that's what, that's what vision and goals represent for people. And then that combined with why it's necessary and how it helps humanity if we do it and what happens if we don't do it. That's what I try to convey to O, to the people with whom I work. And then it's just, I'm also trying to convey that while this is the goal that we're trying to hit, this is the North star and this is why it should matter to us. I'm also trying to convey that to make this happen, I'm going to do more listening than I am talking. Because again, in my mind, listening and more than just hearing. But listening becomes one of those critical endowments to success. Because I'm apt to say, when we're trying to carry out this mission and when we're trying to achieve our goals, that helps us fulfill this mission. The reason it's so important for me to listen is because I'm trying to find the best idea in the room. That best idea may not come from me. I really just want the best idea that's going to help this go forward. It's important for me to listen, because in listening, I may find that best idea from one of my colleagues, and I typically do. But this is why I have to say, in fact, one of the things I've had to say so often during the time that I've worked at the Center for Leadership Development, different people transition over the years. I've been here 21 years now, but I just over that 21 year period, one of the things I found myself saying on more than a few occasions is where I've interrupted, where there's a conversation, someone is speaking, and then someone else times in, and then I have to interrupt just to say, oh, excuse me. But Kim was not finished, she had not finished her statement. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. That's okay. But I really want to hear what everybody has to say when there's an opportunity to speak. Because what's important to me is that there's the best idea in the room. And it's not important to me that that idea has come from me. So would you say that one of the qualities of effective leadership is to create that environment in which people believe that they can contribute ideas that will be listened to me. Whether or not they're all embraced is different, but. Well, that's right. Yes, I think so. Sure. And then just modeling it, as I said by that, it's like, oh, no, wait, wait, wait. She was to do, and then sometimes it's actually saying, do you realize that you cut her off, are saying to hurt if you realize you cut him off. I just noticed. Oftentimes I noticed, at least in some of the meetings where I've been in, I've noticed that some people do that fairly regularly. It just makes me think about whether or not people are really taking to heart where other people have shared the fact I've actually been in the meetings where I've said in a few of meetings where I've listened to conversation and listen to conversation, listen to the back and forth and I've I'm concerned about talking over other people. And one of the main reason I'm concerned about is because if we're prepared to talk before someone is finished and I'm not convinced that we're actually listening to what people are saying. And I said, and that concerns me because one of the reasons that concerned me was besides the fact that I think it's rude and inconsiderate. But it concerns me because from a very practical standpoint, I guess you all don't even realize that over the last three to 5 minutes, a lot of the things that you are sharing, you're actually saying about the same thing. It may be stated differently framed it, but in essence, you're literally saying the same thing, but because you're not even taking time to really listen to what the other person is saying, you haven't been able to recognize that. How would you describe your style of leadership? I describe my style of leadership this way. When I started working at the Center for Leadership Development in one of our board meetings, I shared with the board, guess I shared a couple of thoughts. One thought was, I didn't come here. So talk about, you know, we can just reach one, it'll be all fine. If we can just reach one, then it would have been all worth the while. I said, well, I didn't leave the practice of law to come and reach one. I said I want to reach thousands. Said if I come into this work, all this faith, all this hard work, all this effort, all this sacrifice and we reach one, then I'm going to go and congratulate the one that we reach. I'm so happy for your success. I'm going to congratulate that person. Then I'm going to immediately tender my resignation. I said I want to reach thousands. But this but the second, I guess, point that I made that I mentioned to our board is talking about style. I said in this work, if this ever becomes just 1% about me, then I have failed. So I think I would if there was a style, it would be that I'm here to carry out the mission. And however little however much that involves me personally, that's that's whatever it is and that's whatever it takes. But the way I see me going about trying to carry out the mission is if there's an ability to carry out that mission and get the work done and no one know it's me doing it, then that's actually just fine, really. It is. Okay. I said in fact, one of the things I noticed about nonprofits is that people are oftentimes leaders are associated with the organization. And the organization of viewed as synonymous as people, not to an extent. I understand that, especially if you have some ten in there. I said, but I've at least try to be considerate enough to say as much as I can. I want to make sure that this is always about the mission of the Center for Leadership Development and not about me. Because at some point, I will not be at the Center for Leadership Development. And I don't want there to be any thought that because Dennis is not at the Center for Leadership Development, then there is a no go at the center. Whereas if it's been all about the mission all along, then hopefully it becomes that much easier for somebody else to come and continue on the mission because it's always been about the mission anyway. Whereas if becomes if you have an organization that is so tied to a leader and everything is about me and everything comes my way and everything must go through me and everything has to be about me. Then I found oftentimes that when that person leaves, then oftentimes that organization and his mission it takes. I've always tried, my style is let me know the mission of the organization. And then what is my responsibility and my role to help bring people together, to help carry out that mission? With that philosophy view, understanding of leadership, how does that influence the types of people that you hired to work for you? What do you look for in the followers? Well, look for people who are like minded. Look for people who were like minded. I always say that's make it a part of our, even a part of our organizational value system and our employee handbook. Let's make it about character competence, stewardship, accountability, and results. So we're looking for character, this is what we're looking for, these character traits. We are looking for people who have yes skill in your work. But first and foremost, is there the integrity is there, the hard work is there, The selflessness is the high regard and respect for young people. I mean, do you have character in the broadest, truest, richest sense? And then, do you have the competency at your job? Can you excel at your job? You commit to being excellent at the work. And then, are you mindful of stewardship and really holding in trust with other people have entrusted to you their children, money resources? Is there? The stewardship is there. The accountability. Hey, I'm wrong, I'm so sorry, but I'll admit that I need to do better. And then, likewise no, that was not. You said you're going to do it by this day, and then being a day off is unacceptable. It's the accountability. We want to be responsible, we want to be accountable. And then I feel like that character competence, stewardship, accountability, then those tend to drive number five. They tend to result in the results and the outcomes and the performance. I'm just looking for those people because I know those are the ones we're going to be in sync with. What do you think has worked well for you when it comes to your style of leadership? Oh, I think what works well is that you get an opportunity to understand and learn. You get an opportunity to know what inform, so that you're ultimately in a position to make the best decision. Are the most prudent decisions, the most sagacious decisions. The wisest decisions because of that style is about listening, observing, reading, studying, and then bringing all that to bear to say, here's a path forward based upon what I'm hearing, what I'm observing, what I've heard from my colleagues, I think I think that and then just not being hasty. I think that that's worked well. So over the years, what has not worked so well about your style of leadership? I guess it depends upon the people, the personalities. I think there are some people, I don't know if it's the leadership that hasn't worked well. I think it's more so the reaction to the leadership where there is some people who may think, because you don't have the domineering slap the table, curse out your coworker, call somebody this and that word, and use expletives or whatever you're saying, that oftentimes people expect that and when they don't have that, maybe they feel like there's somebody then that they don't have to respect or maybe someone they can disregard. Because it's not, it's just not the, the person who's going to, who's going to beat you up. And so sometimes you find people may be challenging because they don't know better because they identify leadership with the table, pomping and yelling and cursing and Yeah. Right. And so maybe they're they're more in time drill sergeant. It sounds like you're more inclined to challenge.

Description of the video:

When you work here as the leader of this organization. And the organization has goals and hope for outcomes. Very strategic plan. How do you go about conveying a vision to the people who work for you about how they're going to get there, how they're going to reach those goals. Well, I try to talk about what the vision is and why it is. And I try to talk about, in the spirit of consciousness raising, I try to talk about why it's so important, Here's the benefit of these things happen, here's the problem we're trying to solve. This is why it's so important that we be involved in this. I try to talk about a goal or a benchmark, a target that we're trying to hit that just seems to be motivational needs as the old expression goes. If you aim for nothing, you'll hit it every time. So that's true vision of, I see something. I always use the analogy. You could put a board there and you say, hit the center. Hit the center and the person just thorn darts that trying to hit the center. But then all you have to do oftentimes just take, take some red nail polish and then just wet, take that nail polish and just write a little, put a little dab, paint a little dab in the middle of that board. And then look at how much more closely those darts are getting to that center just because you put a target there. And I think that's what, that's what vision and goals represent for people. And then that combined with why it's necessary and how it helps humanity if we do it and what happens if we don't do it. That's what I try to convey to O, to the people with whom I work. And then it's just, I'm also trying to convey that while this is the goal that we're trying to hit, this is the North star and this is why it should matter to us. I'm also trying to convey that to make this happen, I'm going to do more listening than I am talking. Because again, in my mind, listening and more than just hearing. But listening becomes one of those critical endowments to success. Because I'm apt to say, when we're trying to carry out this mission and when we're trying to achieve our goals, that helps us fulfill this mission. The reason it's so important for me to listen is because I'm trying to find the best idea in the room. That best idea may not come from me. I really just want the best idea that's going to help this go forward. It's important for me to listen, because in listening, I may find that best idea from one of my colleagues, and I typically do. But this is why I have to say, in fact, one of the things I've had to say so often during the time that I've worked at the Center for Leadership Development, different people transition over the years. I've been here 21 years now, but I just over that 21 year period, one of the things I found myself saying on more than a few occasions is where I've interrupted, where there's a conversation, someone is speaking, and then someone else times in, and then I have to interrupt just to say, oh, excuse me. But Kim was not finished, she had not finished her statement. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. That's okay. But I really want to hear what everybody has to say when there's an opportunity to speak. Because what's important to me is that there's the best idea in the room. And it's not important to me that that idea has come from me. So would you say that one of the qualities of effective leadership is to create that environment in which people believe that they can contribute ideas that will be listened to me. Whether or not they're all embraced is different, but. Well, that's right. Yes, I think so. Sure. And then just modeling it, as I said by that, it's like, oh, no, wait, wait, wait. She was to do, and then sometimes it's actually saying, do you realize that you cut her off, are saying to hurt if you realize you cut him off. I just noticed. Oftentimes I noticed, at least in some of the meetings where I've been in, I've noticed that some people do that fairly regularly. It just makes me think about whether or not people are really taking to heart where other people have shared the fact I've actually been in the meetings where I've said in a few of meetings where I've listened to conversation and listen to conversation, listen to the back and forth and I've I'm concerned about talking over other people. And one of the main reason I'm concerned about is because if we're prepared to talk before someone is finished and I'm not convinced that we're actually listening to what people are saying. And I said, and that concerns me because one of the reasons that concerned me was besides the fact that I think it's rude and inconsiderate. But it concerns me because from a very practical standpoint, I guess you all don't even realize that over the last three to 5 minutes, a lot of the things that you are sharing, you're actually saying about the same thing. It may be stated differently framed it, but in essence, you're literally saying the same thing, but because you're not even taking time to really listen to what the other person is saying, you haven't been able to recognize that. How would you describe your style of leadership? I describe my style of leadership this way. When I started working at the Center for Leadership Development in one of our board meetings, I shared with the board, guess I shared a couple of thoughts. One thought was, I didn't come here. So talk about, you know, we can just reach one, it'll be all fine. If we can just reach one, then it would have been all worth the while. I said, well, I didn't leave the practice of law to come and reach one. I said I want to reach thousands. Said if I come into this work, all this faith, all this hard work, all this effort, all this sacrifice and we reach one, then I'm going to go and congratulate the one that we reach. I'm so happy for your success. I'm going to congratulate that person. Then I'm going to immediately tender my resignation. I said I want to reach thousands. But this but the second, I guess, point that I made that I mentioned to our board is talking about style. I said in this work, if this ever becomes just 1% about me, then I have failed. So I think I would if there was a style, it would be that I'm here to carry out the mission. And however little however much that involves me personally, that's that's whatever it is and that's whatever it takes. But the way I see me going about trying to carry out the mission is if there's an ability to carry out that mission and get the work done and no one know it's me doing it, then that's actually just fine, really. It is. Okay. I said in fact, one of the things I noticed about nonprofits is that people are oftentimes leaders are associated with the organization. And the organization of viewed as synonymous as people, not to an extent. I understand that, especially if you have some ten in there. I said, but I've at least try to be considerate enough to say as much as I can. I want to make sure that this is always about the mission of the Center for Leadership Development and not about me. Because at some point, I will not be at the Center for Leadership Development. And I don't want there to be any thought that because Dennis is not at the Center for Leadership Development, then there is a no go at the center. Whereas if it's been all about the mission all along, then hopefully it becomes that much easier for somebody else to come and continue on the mission because it's always been about the mission anyway. Whereas if becomes if you have an organization that is so tied to a leader and everything is about me and everything comes my way and everything must go through me and everything has to be about me. Then I found oftentimes that when that person leaves, then oftentimes that organization and his mission it takes. I've always tried, my style is let me know the mission of the organization. And then what is my responsibility and my role to help bring people together, to help carry out that mission? With that philosophy view, understanding of leadership, how does that influence the types of people that you hired to work for you? What do you look for in the followers? Well, look for people who are like minded. Look for people who were like minded. I always say that's make it a part of our, even a part of our organizational value system and our employee handbook. Let's make it about character competence, stewardship, accountability, and results. So we're looking for character, this is what we're looking for, these character traits. We are looking for people who have yes skill in your work. But first and foremost, is there the integrity is there, the hard work is there, The selflessness is the high regard and respect for young people. I mean, do you have character in the broadest, truest, richest sense? And then, do you have the competency at your job? Can you excel at your job? You commit to being excellent at the work. And then, are you mindful of stewardship and really holding in trust with other people have entrusted to you their children, money resources? Is there? The stewardship is there. The accountability. Hey, I'm wrong, I'm so sorry, but I'll admit that I need to do better. And then, likewise no, that was not. You said you're going to do it by this day, and then being a day off is unacceptable. It's the accountability. We want to be responsible, we want to be accountable. And then I feel like that character competence, stewardship, accountability, then those tend to drive number five. They tend to result in the results and the outcomes and the performance. I'm just looking for those people because I know those are the ones we're going to be in sync with. What do you think has worked well for you when it comes to your style of leadership? Oh, I think what works well is that you get an opportunity to understand and learn. You get an opportunity to know what inform, so that you're ultimately in a position to make the best decision. Are the most prudent decisions, the most sagacious decisions. The wisest decisions because of that style is about listening, observing, reading, studying, and then bringing all that to bear to say, here's a path forward based upon what I'm hearing, what I'm observing, what I've heard from my colleagues, I think I think that and then just not being hasty. I think that that's worked well. So over the years, what has not worked so well about your style of leadership? I guess it depends upon the people, the personalities. I think there are some people, I don't know if it's the leadership that hasn't worked well. I think it's more so the reaction to the leadership where there is some people who may think, because you don't have the domineering slap the table, curse out your coworker, call somebody this and that word, and use expletives or whatever you're saying, that oftentimes people expect that and when they don't have that, maybe they feel like there's somebody then that they don't have to respect or maybe someone they can disregard. Because it's not, it's just not the, the person who's going to, who's going to beat you up. And so sometimes you find people may be challenging because they don't know better because they identify leadership with the table, pomping and yelling and cursing and Yeah. Right. And so maybe they're they're more in time drill sergeant. It sounds like you're more inclined to challenge.

Description of the video:

When you work here as the leader of this organization. And the organization has goals and hope for outcomes. Very strategic plan. How do you go about conveying a vision to the people who work for you about how they're going to get there, how they're going to reach those goals. Well, I try to talk about what the vision is and why it is. And I try to talk about, in the spirit of consciousness raising, I try to talk about why it's so important, Here's the benefit of these things happen, here's the problem we're trying to solve. This is why it's so important that we be involved in this. I try to talk about a goal or a benchmark, a target that we're trying to hit that just seems to be motivational needs as the old expression goes. If you aim for nothing, you'll hit it every time. So that's true vision of, I see something. I always use the analogy. You could put a board there and you say, hit the center. Hit the center and the person just thorn darts that trying to hit the center. But then all you have to do oftentimes just take, take some red nail polish and then just wet, take that nail polish and just write a little, put a little dab, paint a little dab in the middle of that board. And then look at how much more closely those darts are getting to that center just because you put a target there. And I think that's what, that's what vision and goals represent for people. And then that combined with why it's necessary and how it helps humanity if we do it and what happens if we don't do it. That's what I try to convey to O, to the people with whom I work. And then it's just, I'm also trying to convey that while this is the goal that we're trying to hit, this is the North star and this is why it should matter to us. I'm also trying to convey that to make this happen, I'm going to do more listening than I am talking. Because again, in my mind, listening and more than just hearing. But listening becomes one of those critical endowments to success. Because I'm apt to say, when we're trying to carry out this mission and when we're trying to achieve our goals, that helps us fulfill this mission. The reason it's so important for me to listen is because I'm trying to find the best idea in the room. That best idea may not come from me. I really just want the best idea that's going to help this go forward. It's important for me to listen, because in listening, I may find that best idea from one of my colleagues, and I typically do. But this is why I have to say, in fact, one of the things I've had to say so often during the time that I've worked at the Center for Leadership Development, different people transition over the years. I've been here 21 years now, but I just over that 21 year period, one of the things I found myself saying on more than a few occasions is where I've interrupted, where there's a conversation, someone is speaking, and then someone else times in, and then I have to interrupt just to say, oh, excuse me. But Kim was not finished, she had not finished her statement. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. That's okay. But I really want to hear what everybody has to say when there's an opportunity to speak. Because what's important to me is that there's the best idea in the room. And it's not important to me that that idea has come from me. So would you say that one of the qualities of effective leadership is to create that environment in which people believe that they can contribute ideas that will be listened to me. Whether or not they're all embraced is different, but. Well, that's right. Yes, I think so. Sure. And then just modeling it, as I said by that, it's like, oh, no, wait, wait, wait. She was to do, and then sometimes it's actually saying, do you realize that you cut her off, are saying to hurt if you realize you cut him off. I just noticed. Oftentimes I noticed, at least in some of the meetings where I've been in, I've noticed that some people do that fairly regularly. It just makes me think about whether or not people are really taking to heart where other people have shared the fact I've actually been in the meetings where I've said in a few of meetings where I've listened to conversation and listen to conversation, listen to the back and forth and I've I'm concerned about talking over other people. And one of the main reason I'm concerned about is because if we're prepared to talk before someone is finished and I'm not convinced that we're actually listening to what people are saying. And I said, and that concerns me because one of the reasons that concerned me was besides the fact that I think it's rude and inconsiderate. But it concerns me because from a very practical standpoint, I guess you all don't even realize that over the last three to 5 minutes, a lot of the things that you are sharing, you're actually saying about the same thing. It may be stated differently framed it, but in essence, you're literally saying the same thing, but because you're not even taking time to really listen to what the other person is saying, you haven't been able to recognize that. How would you describe your style of leadership? I describe my style of leadership this way. When I started working at the Center for Leadership Development in one of our board meetings, I shared with the board, guess I shared a couple of thoughts. One thought was, I didn't come here. So talk about, you know, we can just reach one, it'll be all fine. If we can just reach one, then it would have been all worth the while. I said, well, I didn't leave the practice of law to come and reach one. I said I want to reach thousands. Said if I come into this work, all this faith, all this hard work, all this effort, all this sacrifice and we reach one, then I'm going to go and congratulate the one that we reach. I'm so happy for your success. I'm going to congratulate that person. Then I'm going to immediately tender my resignation. I said I want to reach thousands. But this but the second, I guess, point that I made that I mentioned to our board is talking about style. I said in this work, if this ever becomes just 1% about me, then I have failed. So I think I would if there was a style, it would be that I'm here to carry out the mission. And however little however much that involves me personally, that's that's whatever it is and that's whatever it takes. But the way I see me going about trying to carry out the mission is if there's an ability to carry out that mission and get the work done and no one know it's me doing it, then that's actually just fine, really. It is. Okay. I said in fact, one of the things I noticed about nonprofits is that people are oftentimes leaders are associated with the organization. And the organization of viewed as synonymous as people, not to an extent. I understand that, especially if you have some ten in there. I said, but I've at least try to be considerate enough to say as much as I can. I want to make sure that this is always about the mission of the Center for Leadership Development and not about me. Because at some point, I will not be at the Center for Leadership Development. And I don't want there to be any thought that because Dennis is not at the Center for Leadership Development, then there is a no go at the center. Whereas if it's been all about the mission all along, then hopefully it becomes that much easier for somebody else to come and continue on the mission because it's always been about the mission anyway. Whereas if becomes if you have an organization that is so tied to a leader and everything is about me and everything comes my way and everything must go through me and everything has to be about me. Then I found oftentimes that when that person leaves, then oftentimes that organization and his mission it takes. I've always tried, my style is let me know the mission of the organization. And then what is my responsibility and my role to help bring people together, to help carry out that mission? With that philosophy view, understanding of leadership, how does that influence the types of people that you hired to work for you? What do you look for in the followers? Well, look for people who are like minded. Look for people who were like minded. I always say that's make it a part of our, even a part of our organizational value system and our employee handbook. Let's make it about character competence, stewardship, accountability, and results. So we're looking for character, this is what we're looking for, these character traits. We are looking for people who have yes skill in your work. But first and foremost, is there the integrity is there, the hard work is there, The selflessness is the high regard and respect for young people. I mean, do you have character in the broadest, truest, richest sense? And then, do you have the competency at your job? Can you excel at your job? You commit to being excellent at the work. And then, are you mindful of stewardship and really holding in trust with other people have entrusted to you their children, money resources? Is there? The stewardship is there. The accountability. Hey, I'm wrong, I'm so sorry, but I'll admit that I need to do better. And then, likewise no, that was not. You said you're going to do it by this day, and then being a day off is unacceptable. It's the accountability. We want to be responsible, we want to be accountable. And then I feel like that character competence, stewardship, accountability, then those tend to drive number five. They tend to result in the results and the outcomes and the performance. I'm just looking for those people because I know those are the ones we're going to be in sync with. What do you think has worked well for you when it comes to your style of leadership? Oh, I think what works well is that you get an opportunity to understand and learn. You get an opportunity to know what inform, so that you're ultimately in a position to make the best decision. Are the most prudent decisions, the most sagacious decisions. The wisest decisions because of that style is about listening, observing, reading, studying, and then bringing all that to bear to say, here's a path forward based upon what I'm hearing, what I'm observing, what I've heard from my colleagues, I think I think that and then just not being hasty. I think that that's worked well. So over the years, what has not worked so well about your style of leadership? I guess it depends upon the people, the personalities. I think there are some people, I don't know if it's the leadership that hasn't worked well. I think it's more so the reaction to the leadership where there is some people who may think, because you don't have the domineering slap the table, curse out your coworker, call somebody this and that word, and use expletives or whatever you're saying, that oftentimes people expect that and when they don't have that, maybe they feel like there's somebody then that they don't have to respect or maybe someone they can disregard. Because it's not, it's just not the, the person who's going to, who's going to beat you up. And so sometimes you find people may be challenging because they don't know better because they identify leadership with the table, pomping and yelling and cursing and Yeah. Right. And so maybe they're they're more in time drill sergeant. It sounds like you're more inclined to challenge.

Description of the video:

When you work here as the leader of this organization. And the organization has goals and hope for outcomes. Very strategic plan. How do you go about conveying a vision to the people who work for you about how they're going to get there, how they're going to reach those goals. Well, I try to talk about what the vision is and why it is. And I try to talk about, in the spirit of consciousness raising, I try to talk about why it's so important, Here's the benefit of these things happen, here's the problem we're trying to solve. This is why it's so important that we be involved in this. I try to talk about a goal or a benchmark, a target that we're trying to hit that just seems to be motivational needs as the old expression goes. If you aim for nothing, you'll hit it every time. So that's true vision of, I see something. I always use the analogy. You could put a board there and you say, hit the center. Hit the center and the person just thorn darts that trying to hit the center. But then all you have to do oftentimes just take, take some red nail polish and then just wet, take that nail polish and just write a little, put a little dab, paint a little dab in the middle of that board. And then look at how much more closely those darts are getting to that center just because you put a target there. And I think that's what, that's what vision and goals represent for people. And then that combined with why it's necessary and how it helps humanity if we do it and what happens if we don't do it. That's what I try to convey to O, to the people with whom I work. And then it's just, I'm also trying to convey that while this is the goal that we're trying to hit, this is the North star and this is why it should matter to us. I'm also trying to convey that to make this happen, I'm going to do more listening than I am talking. Because again, in my mind, listening and more than just hearing. But listening becomes one of those critical endowments to success. Because I'm apt to say, when we're trying to carry out this mission and when we're trying to achieve our goals, that helps us fulfill this mission. The reason it's so important for me to listen is because I'm trying to find the best idea in the room. That best idea may not come from me. I really just want the best idea that's going to help this go forward. It's important for me to listen, because in listening, I may find that best idea from one of my colleagues, and I typically do. But this is why I have to say, in fact, one of the things I've had to say so often during the time that I've worked at the Center for Leadership Development, different people transition over the years. I've been here 21 years now, but I just over that 21 year period, one of the things I found myself saying on more than a few occasions is where I've interrupted, where there's a conversation, someone is speaking, and then someone else times in, and then I have to interrupt just to say, oh, excuse me. But Kim was not finished, she had not finished her statement. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. That's okay. But I really want to hear what everybody has to say when there's an opportunity to speak. Because what's important to me is that there's the best idea in the room. And it's not important to me that that idea has come from me. So would you say that one of the qualities of effective leadership is to create that environment in which people believe that they can contribute ideas that will be listened to me. Whether or not they're all embraced is different, but. Well, that's right. Yes, I think so. Sure. And then just modeling it, as I said by that, it's like, oh, no, wait, wait, wait. She was to do, and then sometimes it's actually saying, do you realize that you cut her off, are saying to hurt if you realize you cut him off. I just noticed. Oftentimes I noticed, at least in some of the meetings where I've been in, I've noticed that some people do that fairly regularly. It just makes me think about whether or not people are really taking to heart where other people have shared the fact I've actually been in the meetings where I've said in a few of meetings where I've listened to conversation and listen to conversation, listen to the back and forth and I've I'm concerned about talking over other people. And one of the main reason I'm concerned about is because if we're prepared to talk before someone is finished and I'm not convinced that we're actually listening to what people are saying. And I said, and that concerns me because one of the reasons that concerned me was besides the fact that I think it's rude and inconsiderate. But it concerns me because from a very practical standpoint, I guess you all don't even realize that over the last three to 5 minutes, a lot of the things that you are sharing, you're actually saying about the same thing. It may be stated differently framed it, but in essence, you're literally saying the same thing, but because you're not even taking time to really listen to what the other person is saying, you haven't been able to recognize that. How would you describe your style of leadership? I describe my style of leadership this way. When I started working at the Center for Leadership Development in one of our board meetings, I shared with the board, guess I shared a couple of thoughts. One thought was, I didn't come here. So talk about, you know, we can just reach one, it'll be all fine. If we can just reach one, then it would have been all worth the while. I said, well, I didn't leave the practice of law to come and reach one. I said I want to reach thousands. Said if I come into this work, all this faith, all this hard work, all this effort, all this sacrifice and we reach one, then I'm going to go and congratulate the one that we reach. I'm so happy for your success. I'm going to congratulate that person. Then I'm going to immediately tender my resignation. I said I want to reach thousands. But this but the second, I guess, point that I made that I mentioned to our board is talking about style. I said in this work, if this ever becomes just 1% about me, then I have failed. So I think I would if there was a style, it would be that I'm here to carry out the mission. And however little however much that involves me personally, that's that's whatever it is and that's whatever it takes. But the way I see me going about trying to carry out the mission is if there's an ability to carry out that mission and get the work done and no one know it's me doing it, then that's actually just fine, really. It is. Okay. I said in fact, one of the things I noticed about nonprofits is that people are oftentimes leaders are associated with the organization. And the organization of viewed as synonymous as people, not to an extent. I understand that, especially if you have some ten in there. I said, but I've at least try to be considerate enough to say as much as I can. I want to make sure that this is always about the mission of the Center for Leadership Development and not about me. Because at some point, I will not be at the Center for Leadership Development. And I don't want there to be any thought that because Dennis is not at the Center for Leadership Development, then there is a no go at the center. Whereas if it's been all about the mission all along, then hopefully it becomes that much easier for somebody else to come and continue on the mission because it's always been about the mission anyway. Whereas if becomes if you have an organization that is so tied to a leader and everything is about me and everything comes my way and everything must go through me and everything has to be about me. Then I found oftentimes that when that person leaves, then oftentimes that organization and his mission it takes. I've always tried, my style is let me know the mission of the organization. And then what is my responsibility and my role to help bring people together, to help carry out that mission? With that philosophy view, understanding of leadership, how does that influence the types of people that you hired to work for you? What do you look for in the followers? Well, look for people who are like minded. Look for people who were like minded. I always say that's make it a part of our, even a part of our organizational value system and our employee handbook. Let's make it about character competence, stewardship, accountability, and results. So we're looking for character, this is what we're looking for, these character traits. We are looking for people who have yes skill in your work. But first and foremost, is there the integrity is there, the hard work is there, The selflessness is the high regard and respect for young people. I mean, do you have character in the broadest, truest, richest sense? And then, do you have the competency at your job? Can you excel at your job? You commit to being excellent at the work. And then, are you mindful of stewardship and really holding in trust with other people have entrusted to you their children, money resources? Is there? The stewardship is there. The accountability. Hey, I'm wrong, I'm so sorry, but I'll admit that I need to do better. And then, likewise no, that was not. You said you're going to do it by this day, and then being a day off is unacceptable. It's the accountability. We want to be responsible, we want to be accountable. And then I feel like that character competence, stewardship, accountability, then those tend to drive number five. They tend to result in the results and the outcomes and the performance. I'm just looking for those people because I know those are the ones we're going to be in sync with. What do you think has worked well for you when it comes to your style of leadership? Oh, I think what works well is that you get an opportunity to understand and learn. You get an opportunity to know what inform, so that you're ultimately in a position to make the best decision. Are the most prudent decisions, the most sagacious decisions. The wisest decisions because of that style is about listening, observing, reading, studying, and then bringing all that to bear to say, here's a path forward based upon what I'm hearing, what I'm observing, what I've heard from my colleagues, I think I think that and then just not being hasty. I think that that's worked well. So over the years, what has not worked so well about your style of leadership? I guess it depends upon the people, the personalities. I think there are some people, I don't know if it's the leadership that hasn't worked well. I think it's more so the reaction to the leadership where there is some people who may think, because you don't have the domineering slap the table, curse out your coworker, call somebody this and that word, and use expletives or whatever you're saying, that oftentimes people expect that and when they don't have that, maybe they feel like there's somebody then that they don't have to respect or maybe someone they can disregard. Because it's not, it's just not the, the person who's going to, who's going to beat you up. And so sometimes you find people may be challenging because they don't know better because they identify leadership with the table, pomping and yelling and cursing and Yeah. Right. And so maybe they're they're more in time drill sergeant. It sounds like you're more inclined to challenge.

Description of the video:

When you work here as the leader of this organization. And the organization has goals and hope for outcomes. Very strategic plan. How do you go about conveying a vision to the people who work for you about how they're going to get there, how they're going to reach those goals. Well, I try to talk about what the vision is and why it is. And I try to talk about, in the spirit of consciousness raising, I try to talk about why it's so important, Here's the benefit of these things happen, here's the problem we're trying to solve. This is why it's so important that we be involved in this. I try to talk about a goal or a benchmark, a target that we're trying to hit that just seems to be motivational needs as the old expression goes. If you aim for nothing, you'll hit it every time. So that's true vision of, I see something. I always use the analogy. You could put a board there and you say, hit the center. Hit the center and the person just thorn darts that trying to hit the center. But then all you have to do oftentimes just take, take some red nail polish and then just wet, take that nail polish and just write a little, put a little dab, paint a little dab in the middle of that board. And then look at how much more closely those darts are getting to that center just because you put a target there. And I think that's what, that's what vision and goals represent for people. And then that combined with why it's necessary and how it helps humanity if we do it and what happens if we don't do it. That's what I try to convey to O, to the people with whom I work. And then it's just, I'm also trying to convey that while this is the goal that we're trying to hit, this is the North star and this is why it should matter to us. I'm also trying to convey that to make this happen, I'm going to do more listening than I am talking. Because again, in my mind, listening and more than just hearing. But listening becomes one of those critical endowments to success. Because I'm apt to say, when we're trying to carry out this mission and when we're trying to achieve our goals, that helps us fulfill this mission. The reason it's so important for me to listen is because I'm trying to find the best idea in the room. That best idea may not come from me. I really just want the best idea that's going to help this go forward. It's important for me to listen, because in listening, I may find that best idea from one of my colleagues, and I typically do. But this is why I have to say, in fact, one of the things I've had to say so often during the time that I've worked at the Center for Leadership Development, different people transition over the years. I've been here 21 years now, but I just over that 21 year period, one of the things I found myself saying on more than a few occasions is where I've interrupted, where there's a conversation, someone is speaking, and then someone else times in, and then I have to interrupt just to say, oh, excuse me. But Kim was not finished, she had not finished her statement. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. That's okay. But I really want to hear what everybody has to say when there's an opportunity to speak. Because what's important to me is that there's the best idea in the room. And it's not important to me that that idea has come from me. So would you say that one of the qualities of effective leadership is to create that environment in which people believe that they can contribute ideas that will be listened to me. Whether or not they're all embraced is different, but. Well, that's right. Yes, I think so. Sure. And then just modeling it, as I said by that, it's like, oh, no, wait, wait, wait. She was to do, and then sometimes it's actually saying, do you realize that you cut her off, are saying to hurt if you realize you cut him off. I just noticed. Oftentimes I noticed, at least in some of the meetings where I've been in, I've noticed that some people do that fairly regularly. It just makes me think about whether or not people are really taking to heart where other people have shared the fact I've actually been in the meetings where I've said in a few of meetings where I've listened to conversation and listen to conversation, listen to the back and forth and I've I'm concerned about talking over other people. And one of the main reason I'm concerned about is because if we're prepared to talk before someone is finished and I'm not convinced that we're actually listening to what people are saying. And I said, and that concerns me because one of the reasons that concerned me was besides the fact that I think it's rude and inconsiderate. But it concerns me because from a very practical standpoint, I guess you all don't even realize that over the last three to 5 minutes, a lot of the things that you are sharing, you're actually saying about the same thing. It may be stated differently framed it, but in essence, you're literally saying the same thing, but because you're not even taking time to really listen to what the other person is saying, you haven't been able to recognize that. How would you describe your style of leadership? I describe my style of leadership this way. When I started working at the Center for Leadership Development in one of our board meetings, I shared with the board, guess I shared a couple of thoughts. One thought was, I didn't come here. So talk about, you know, we can just reach one, it'll be all fine. If we can just reach one, then it would have been all worth the while. I said, well, I didn't leave the practice of law to come and reach one. I said I want to reach thousands. Said if I come into this work, all this faith, all this hard work, all this effort, all this sacrifice and we reach one, then I'm going to go and congratulate the one that we reach. I'm so happy for your success. I'm going to congratulate that person. Then I'm going to immediately tender my resignation. I said I want to reach thousands. But this but the second, I guess, point that I made that I mentioned to our board is talking about style. I said in this work, if this ever becomes just 1% about me, then I have failed. So I think I would if there was a style, it would be that I'm here to carry out the mission. And however little however much that involves me personally, that's that's whatever it is and that's whatever it takes. But the way I see me going about trying to carry out the mission is if there's an ability to carry out that mission and get the work done and no one know it's me doing it, then that's actually just fine, really. It is. Okay. I said in fact, one of the things I noticed about nonprofits is that people are oftentimes leaders are associated with the organization. And the organization of viewed as synonymous as people, not to an extent. I understand that, especially if you have some ten in there. I said, but I've at least try to be considerate enough to say as much as I can. I want to make sure that this is always about the mission of the Center for Leadership Development and not about me. Because at some point, I will not be at the Center for Leadership Development. And I don't want there to be any thought that because Dennis is not at the Center for Leadership Development, then there is a no go at the center. Whereas if it's been all about the mission all along, then hopefully it becomes that much easier for somebody else to come and continue on the mission because it's always been about the mission anyway. Whereas if becomes if you have an organization that is so tied to a leader and everything is about me and everything comes my way and everything must go through me and everything has to be about me. Then I found oftentimes that when that person leaves, then oftentimes that organization and his mission it takes. I've always tried, my style is let me know the mission of the organization. And then what is my responsibility and my role to help bring people together, to help carry out that mission? With that philosophy view, understanding of leadership, how does that influence the types of people that you hired to work for you? What do you look for in the followers? Well, look for people who are like minded. Look for people who were like minded. I always say that's make it a part of our, even a part of our organizational value system and our employee handbook. Let's make it about character competence, stewardship, accountability, and results. So we're looking for character, this is what we're looking for, these character traits. We are looking for people who have yes skill in your work. But first and foremost, is there the integrity is there, the hard work is there, The selflessness is the high regard and respect for young people. I mean, do you have character in the broadest, truest, richest sense? And then, do you have the competency at your job? Can you excel at your job? You commit to being excellent at the work. And then, are you mindful of stewardship and really holding in trust with other people have entrusted to you their children, money resources? Is there? The stewardship is there. The accountability. Hey, I'm wrong, I'm so sorry, but I'll admit that I need to do better. And then, likewise no, that was not. You said you're going to do it by this day, and then being a day off is unacceptable. It's the accountability. We want to be responsible, we want to be accountable. And then I feel like that character competence, stewardship, accountability, then those tend to drive number five. They tend to result in the results and the outcomes and the performance. I'm just looking for those people because I know those are the ones we're going to be in sync with. What do you think has worked well for you when it comes to your style of leadership? Oh, I think what works well is that you get an opportunity to understand and learn. You get an opportunity to know what inform, so that you're ultimately in a position to make the best decision. Are the most prudent decisions, the most sagacious decisions. The wisest decisions because of that style is about listening, observing, reading, studying, and then bringing all that to bear to say, here's a path forward based upon what I'm hearing, what I'm observing, what I've heard from my colleagues, I think I think that and then just not being hasty. I think that that's worked well. So over the years, what has not worked so well about your style of leadership? I guess it depends upon the people, the personalities. I think there are some people, I don't know if it's the leadership that hasn't worked well. I think it's more so the reaction to the leadership where there is some people who may think, because you don't have the domineering slap the table, curse out your coworker, call somebody this and that word, and use expletives or whatever you're saying, that oftentimes people expect that and when they don't have that, maybe they feel like there's somebody then that they don't have to respect or maybe someone they can disregard. Because it's not, it's just not the, the person who's going to, who's going to beat you up. And so sometimes you find people may be challenging because they don't know better because they identify leadership with the table, pomping and yelling and cursing and Yeah. Right. And so maybe they're they're more in time drill sergeant. It sounds like you're more inclined to challenge.

Description of the video:

When you work here as the leader of this organization. And the organization has goals and hope for outcomes. Very strategic plan. How do you go about conveying a vision to the people who work for you about how they're going to get there, how they're going to reach those goals. Well, I try to talk about what the vision is and why it is. And I try to talk about, in the spirit of consciousness raising, I try to talk about why it's so important, Here's the benefit of these things happen, here's the problem we're trying to solve. This is why it's so important that we be involved in this. I try to talk about a goal or a benchmark, a target that we're trying to hit that just seems to be motivational needs as the old expression goes. If you aim for nothing, you'll hit it every time. So that's true vision of, I see something. I always use the analogy. You could put a board there and you say, hit the center. Hit the center and the person just thorn darts that trying to hit the center. But then all you have to do oftentimes just take, take some red nail polish and then just wet, take that nail polish and just write a little, put a little dab, paint a little dab in the middle of that board. And then look at how much more closely those darts are getting to that center just because you put a target there. And I think that's what, that's what vision and goals represent for people. And then that combined with why it's necessary and how it helps humanity if we do it and what happens if we don't do it. That's what I try to convey to O, to the people with whom I work. And then it's just, I'm also trying to convey that while this is the goal that we're trying to hit, this is the North star and this is why it should matter to us. I'm also trying to convey that to make this happen, I'm going to do more listening than I am talking. Because again, in my mind, listening and more than just hearing. But listening becomes one of those critical endowments to success. Because I'm apt to say, when we're trying to carry out this mission and when we're trying to achieve our goals, that helps us fulfill this mission. The reason it's so important for me to listen is because I'm trying to find the best idea in the room. That best idea may not come from me. I really just want the best idea that's going to help this go forward. It's important for me to listen, because in listening, I may find that best idea from one of my colleagues, and I typically do. But this is why I have to say, in fact, one of the things I've had to say so often during the time that I've worked at the Center for Leadership Development, different people transition over the years. I've been here 21 years now, but I just over that 21 year period, one of the things I found myself saying on more than a few occasions is where I've interrupted, where there's a conversation, someone is speaking, and then someone else times in, and then I have to interrupt just to say, oh, excuse me. But Kim was not finished, she had not finished her statement. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. That's okay. But I really want to hear what everybody has to say when there's an opportunity to speak. Because what's important to me is that there's the best idea in the room. And it's not important to me that that idea has come from me. So would you say that one of the qualities of effective leadership is to create that environment in which people believe that they can contribute ideas that will be listened to me. Whether or not they're all embraced is different, but. Well, that's right. Yes, I think so. Sure. And then just modeling it, as I said by that, it's like, oh, no, wait, wait, wait. She was to do, and then sometimes it's actually saying, do you realize that you cut her off, are saying to hurt if you realize you cut him off. I just noticed. Oftentimes I noticed, at least in some of the meetings where I've been in, I've noticed that some people do that fairly regularly. It just makes me think about whether or not people are really taking to heart where other people have shared the fact I've actually been in the meetings where I've said in a few of meetings where I've listened to conversation and listen to conversation, listen to the back and forth and I've I'm concerned about talking over other people. And one of the main reason I'm concerned about is because if we're prepared to talk before someone is finished and I'm not convinced that we're actually listening to what people are saying. And I said, and that concerns me because one of the reasons that concerned me was besides the fact that I think it's rude and inconsiderate. But it concerns me because from a very practical standpoint, I guess you all don't even realize that over the last three to 5 minutes, a lot of the things that you are sharing, you're actually saying about the same thing. It may be stated differently framed it, but in essence, you're literally saying the same thing, but because you're not even taking time to really listen to what the other person is saying, you haven't been able to recognize that. How would you describe your style of leadership? I describe my style of leadership this way. When I started working at the Center for Leadership Development in one of our board meetings, I shared with the board, guess I shared a couple of thoughts. One thought was, I didn't come here. So talk about, you know, we can just reach one, it'll be all fine. If we can just reach one, then it would have been all worth the while. I said, well, I didn't leave the practice of law to come and reach one. I said I want to reach thousands. Said if I come into this work, all this faith, all this hard work, all this effort, all this sacrifice and we reach one, then I'm going to go and congratulate the one that we reach. I'm so happy for your success. I'm going to congratulate that person. Then I'm going to immediately tender my resignation. I said I want to reach thousands. But this but the second, I guess, point that I made that I mentioned to our board is talking about style. I said in this work, if this ever becomes just 1% about me, then I have failed. So I think I would if there was a style, it would be that I'm here to carry out the mission. And however little however much that involves me personally, that's that's whatever it is and that's whatever it takes. But the way I see me going about trying to carry out the mission is if there's an ability to carry out that mission and get the work done and no one know it's me doing it, then that's actually just fine, really. It is. Okay. I said in fact, one of the things I noticed about nonprofits is that people are oftentimes leaders are associated with the organization. And the organization of viewed as synonymous as people, not to an extent. I understand that, especially if you have some ten in there. I said, but I've at least try to be considerate enough to say as much as I can. I want to make sure that this is always about the mission of the Center for Leadership Development and not about me. Because at some point, I will not be at the Center for Leadership Development. And I don't want there to be any thought that because Dennis is not at the Center for Leadership Development, then there is a no go at the center. Whereas if it's been all about the mission all along, then hopefully it becomes that much easier for somebody else to come and continue on the mission because it's always been about the mission anyway. Whereas if becomes if you have an organization that is so tied to a leader and everything is about me and everything comes my way and everything must go through me and everything has to be about me. Then I found oftentimes that when that person leaves, then oftentimes that organization and his mission it takes. I've always tried, my style is let me know the mission of the organization. And then what is my responsibility and my role to help bring people together, to help carry out that mission? With that philosophy view, understanding of leadership, how does that influence the types of people that you hired to work for you? What do you look for in the followers? Well, look for people who are like minded. Look for people who were like minded. I always say that's make it a part of our, even a part of our organizational value system and our employee handbook. Let's make it about character competence, stewardship, accountability, and results. So we're looking for character, this is what we're looking for, these character traits. We are looking for people who have yes skill in your work. But first and foremost, is there the integrity is there, the hard work is there, The selflessness is the high regard and respect for young people. I mean, do you have character in the broadest, truest, richest sense? And then, do you have the competency at your job? Can you excel at your job? You commit to being excellent at the work. And then, are you mindful of stewardship and really holding in trust with other people have entrusted to you their children, money resources? Is there? The stewardship is there. The accountability. Hey, I'm wrong, I'm so sorry, but I'll admit that I need to do better. And then, likewise no, that was not. You said you're going to do it by this day, and then being a day off is unacceptable. It's the accountability. We want to be responsible, we want to be accountable. And then I feel like that character competence, stewardship, accountability, then those tend to drive number five. They tend to result in the results and the outcomes and the performance. I'm just looking for those people because I know those are the ones we're going to be in sync with. What do you think has worked well for you when it comes to your style of leadership? Oh, I think what works well is that you get an opportunity to understand and learn. You get an opportunity to know what inform, so that you're ultimately in a position to make the best decision. Are the most prudent decisions, the most sagacious decisions. The wisest decisions because of that style is about listening, observing, reading, studying, and then bringing all that to bear to say, here's a path forward based upon what I'm hearing, what I'm observing, what I've heard from my colleagues, I think I think that and then just not being hasty. I think that that's worked well. So over the years, what has not worked so well about your style of leadership? I guess it depends upon the people, the personalities. I think there are some people, I don't know if it's the leadership that hasn't worked well. I think it's more so the reaction to the leadership where there is some people who may think, because you don't have the domineering slap the table, curse out your coworker, call somebody this and that word, and use expletives or whatever you're saying, that oftentimes people expect that and when they don't have that, maybe they feel like there's somebody then that they don't have to respect or maybe someone they can disregard. Because it's not, it's just not the, the person who's going to, who's going to beat you up. And so sometimes you find people may be challenging because they don't know better because they identify leadership with the table, pomping and yelling and cursing and Yeah. Right. And so maybe they're they're more in time drill sergeant. It sounds like you're more inclined to challenge.

Description of the video:

When you work here as the leader of this organization. And the organization has goals and hope for outcomes. Very strategic plan. How do you go about conveying a vision to the people who work for you about how they're going to get there, how they're going to reach those goals. Well, I try to talk about what the vision is and why it is. And I try to talk about, in the spirit of consciousness raising, I try to talk about why it's so important, Here's the benefit of these things happen, here's the problem we're trying to solve. This is why it's so important that we be involved in this. I try to talk about a goal or a benchmark, a target that we're trying to hit that just seems to be motivational needs as the old expression goes. If you aim for nothing, you'll hit it every time. So that's true vision of, I see something. I always use the analogy. You could put a board there and you say, hit the center. Hit the center and the person just thorn darts that trying to hit the center. But then all you have to do oftentimes just take, take some red nail polish and then just wet, take that nail polish and just write a little, put a little dab, paint a little dab in the middle of that board. And then look at how much more closely those darts are getting to that center just because you put a target there. And I think that's what, that's what vision and goals represent for people. And then that combined with why it's necessary and how it helps humanity if we do it and what happens if we don't do it. That's what I try to convey to O, to the people with whom I work. And then it's just, I'm also trying to convey that while this is the goal that we're trying to hit, this is the North star and this is why it should matter to us. I'm also trying to convey that to make this happen, I'm going to do more listening than I am talking. Because again, in my mind, listening and more than just hearing. But listening becomes one of those critical endowments to success. Because I'm apt to say, when we're trying to carry out this mission and when we're trying to achieve our goals, that helps us fulfill this mission. The reason it's so important for me to listen is because I'm trying to find the best idea in the room. That best idea may not come from me. I really just want the best idea that's going to help this go forward. It's important for me to listen, because in listening, I may find that best idea from one of my colleagues, and I typically do. But this is why I have to say, in fact, one of the things I've had to say so often during the time that I've worked at the Center for Leadership Development, different people transition over the years. I've been here 21 years now, but I just over that 21 year period, one of the things I found myself saying on more than a few occasions is where I've interrupted, where there's a conversation, someone is speaking, and then someone else times in, and then I have to interrupt just to say, oh, excuse me. But Kim was not finished, she had not finished her statement. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. That's okay. But I really want to hear what everybody has to say when there's an opportunity to speak. Because what's important to me is that there's the best idea in the room. And it's not important to me that that idea has come from me. So would you say that one of the qualities of effective leadership is to create that environment in which people believe that they can contribute ideas that will be listened to me. Whether or not they're all embraced is different, but. Well, that's right. Yes, I think so. Sure. And then just modeling it, as I said by that, it's like, oh, no, wait, wait, wait. She was to do, and then sometimes it's actually saying, do you realize that you cut her off, are saying to hurt if you realize you cut him off. I just noticed. Oftentimes I noticed, at least in some of the meetings where I've been in, I've noticed that some people do that fairly regularly. It just makes me think about whether or not people are really taking to heart where other people have shared the fact I've actually been in the meetings where I've said in a few of meetings where I've listened to conversation and listen to conversation, listen to the back and forth and I've I'm concerned about talking over other people. And one of the main reason I'm concerned about is because if we're prepared to talk before someone is finished and I'm not convinced that we're actually listening to what people are saying. And I said, and that concerns me because one of the reasons that concerned me was besides the fact that I think it's rude and inconsiderate. But it concerns me because from a very practical standpoint, I guess you all don't even realize that over the last three to 5 minutes, a lot of the things that you are sharing, you're actually saying about the same thing. It may be stated differently framed it, but in essence, you're literally saying the same thing, but because you're not even taking time to really listen to what the other person is saying, you haven't been able to recognize that. How would you describe your style of leadership? I describe my style of leadership this way. When I started working at the Center for Leadership Development in one of our board meetings, I shared with the board, guess I shared a couple of thoughts. One thought was, I didn't come here. So talk about, you know, we can just reach one, it'll be all fine. If we can just reach one, then it would have been all worth the while. I said, well, I didn't leave the practice of law to come and reach one. I said I want to reach thousands. Said if I come into this work, all this faith, all this hard work, all this effort, all this sacrifice and we reach one, then I'm going to go and congratulate the one that we reach. I'm so happy for your success. I'm going to congratulate that person. Then I'm going to immediately tender my resignation. I said I want to reach thousands. But this but the second, I guess, point that I made that I mentioned to our board is talking about style. I said in this work, if this ever becomes just 1% about me, then I have failed. So I think I would if there was a style, it would be that I'm here to carry out the mission. And however little however much that involves me personally, that's that's whatever it is and that's whatever it takes. But the way I see me going about trying to carry out the mission is if there's an ability to carry out that mission and get the work done and no one know it's me doing it, then that's actually just fine, really. It is. Okay. I said in fact, one of the things I noticed about nonprofits is that people are oftentimes leaders are associated with the organization. And the organization of viewed as synonymous as people, not to an extent. I understand that, especially if you have some ten in there. I said, but I've at least try to be considerate enough to say as much as I can. I want to make sure that this is always about the mission of the Center for Leadership Development and not about me. Because at some point, I will not be at the Center for Leadership Development. And I don't want there to be any thought that because Dennis is not at the Center for Leadership Development, then there is a no go at the center. Whereas if it's been all about the mission all along, then hopefully it becomes that much easier for somebody else to come and continue on the mission because it's always been about the mission anyway. Whereas if becomes if you have an organization that is so tied to a leader and everything is about me and everything comes my way and everything must go through me and everything has to be about me. Then I found oftentimes that when that person leaves, then oftentimes that organization and his mission it takes. I've always tried, my style is let me know the mission of the organization. And then what is my responsibility and my role to help bring people together, to help carry out that mission? With that philosophy view, understanding of leadership, how does that influence the types of people that you hired to work for you? What do you look for in the followers? Well, look for people who are like minded. Look for people who were like minded. I always say that's make it a part of our, even a part of our organizational value system and our employee handbook. Let's make it about character competence, stewardship, accountability, and results. So we're looking for character, this is what we're looking for, these character traits. We are looking for people who have yes skill in your work. But first and foremost, is there the integrity is there, the hard work is there, The selflessness is the high regard and respect for young people. I mean, do you have character in the broadest, truest, richest sense? And then, do you have the competency at your job? Can you excel at your job? You commit to being excellent at the work. And then, are you mindful of stewardship and really holding in trust with other people have entrusted to you their children, money resources? Is there? The stewardship is there. The accountability. Hey, I'm wrong, I'm so sorry, but I'll admit that I need to do better. And then, likewise no, that was not. You said you're going to do it by this day, and then being a day off is unacceptable. It's the accountability. We want to be responsible, we want to be accountable. And then I feel like that character competence, stewardship, accountability, then those tend to drive number five. They tend to result in the results and the outcomes and the performance. I'm just looking for those people because I know those are the ones we're going to be in sync with. What do you think has worked well for you when it comes to your style of leadership? Oh, I think what works well is that you get an opportunity to understand and learn. You get an opportunity to know what inform, so that you're ultimately in a position to make the best decision. Are the most prudent decisions, the most sagacious decisions. The wisest decisions because of that style is about listening, observing, reading, studying, and then bringing all that to bear to say, here's a path forward based upon what I'm hearing, what I'm observing, what I've heard from my colleagues, I think I think that and then just not being hasty. I think that that's worked well. So over the years, what has not worked so well about your style of leadership? I guess it depends upon the people, the personalities. I think there are some people, I don't know if it's the leadership that hasn't worked well. I think it's more so the reaction to the leadership where there is some people who may think, because you don't have the domineering slap the table, curse out your coworker, call somebody this and that word, and use expletives or whatever you're saying, that oftentimes people expect that and when they don't have that, maybe they feel like there's somebody then that they don't have to respect or maybe someone they can disregard. Because it's not, it's just not the, the person who's going to, who's going to beat you up. And so sometimes you find people may be challenging because they don't know better because they identify leadership with the table, pomping and yelling and cursing and Yeah. Right. And so maybe they're they're more in time drill sergeant. It sounds like you're more inclined to challenge.