EP. 42 Makings Of A Great Leader

Joseph talks with Alex Santiago- West Point Grad, Combat Leader and Past Podcast Guest about Leaders in their careers, that made a difference and why.  What makes the best Leaders great are often the intangible things, which is why this profession and craft is an art.  Joseph and Alex share their experiences about folks who successfully Led with their heart and character first.  Even though these Leaders were often firm in their style, it was always complemented with fairness.  "Leader Presence" is also an aspect of Leadership that can be tough to quantify, but matters.  How a Leader talks, stands or conducts themselves (personally and professionally), impacts how their followers view them.  Joseph and Alex, also dive into the right way to empower your Team and embrace the burns that will come along the way.  A pitfall of many managers is to temporarily empower their employees and unintentionally retract that empowerment, but hovering over them as they march toward their objective/goal.  After time, employees become deflated and will only do the minimum to keep managers off their back.  On the other hand, great Leaders give trust to their Teammates and accept that the bumps along the way, are worth the growth of their Teams.  Joseph and Alex also share some simple ways to become better in the craft of Leadership- From active listening to owning your Teammate's growth, you can move one step closer to being the Leaders your Team deserves.