Leaders succeed by identifying important goals, and they articulate powerful reasons for pursuing those goals. They set high expectations and take the actions necessary to accomplish them. Finally, they track results intensely.
Erik Therwanger, an author and leadership consultant, shared insights last week during a general session conducted at the annual convention of the Independent Community Bankers of Minnesota. The meeting took place at the Mystic Lake Center near Prior Lake, Minn.
Therwanger, a former Marine, encouraged bankers to make goals and follow through. He said every New Year, about half of the people in the country set goals for themselves. “Within two weeks, half have dropped the goal,” he said. “Within three weeks 90 percent of stopped and by the fourth week most have forgotten what the original goal was.”
A good leader identifies goals that the group adopts. Millennials, in particular, he said, want to follow leaders with clear goals. This is important, Therwanger said, because so many people in the workforce are working at only a fraction of their capacity. He said only 13 percent of the workforce is actively engaged in their work; 72 percent are not engaged in their work at all. In fact, he said, 18 percent of the workforce is actively working to undermine their co-workers. Furthermore, one in four is looking for a new job.
Engaged teams, Therwanger said, are more productive, have higher sales, and are much more creative than disengaged teams. And it all starts with a good leader. The No. 1 reason people leave their job, he said, is poor management.
Therwanger offered this definition of a leader: “A person who clearly outlines a specified destination and guides people there by course correcting and adhering to a greater purpose behind the goals necessary for success.”
Therwanger shared 14 characteristics of leaders identified by the U.S. Marine Corp: justice, judgment, dependability, initiative, decisiveness, tact, integrity, enthusiasm, bearing, unselfishness, courage, knowledge, loyalty and endurance.
The convention, which took place August 9-11, encouraged participants to: “Focus to the Future.” Lon Rylander, First State Bank of Ashby, was named ICBM Chairman for 2018-19.