Welcome to Leadership | No BS Coaching Advice
By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
SUMMARY
I had a delightful moment today, where I watched a TED Ted TEDx talk that was done in Holland, in October 2018 by my friend, Alain Hunkins. The title of the talk, “The Basic Truth Most Leaders Neglect.” It was fun for me because Alain quoted something back to me that I told him some years ago.
To set a context, we’d gotten together for lunch one day, after he had finally gotten certified for this difficult, comprehensive training that we both
gotten approved to run. I brought him a gift afterwards and the gift was a T shirt.
On the front of the T shirt, Alain reports, he shows it very proudly in the talk is the word, “Leader” across his chest. He says I was so happy to receive it from you and he felt approved and seen. He then reports how I had an impish grin on my face and said “Turn it around.” What I had printed on the back, was a bull’s eye. It was a target on his back. The audience just breaks up laughing. Then he reports back and I don’t think I quite said it as well as he did. But what I said is, he reports it is “Welcome to leadership. As a leader, you are always a target. If you’re a good leader, you’re the target of people’s trust, their respect, and their admiration. But if you’re a lousy leader, you’re the target of people’s disappointment, their criticism and your blame.”
As a leader, you’re always a target. What type of leader . . . that’s your choice and will ultimately depend upon the quality of your connection with the other person.
Folks, whether I said it exactly that way or not doesn’t matter. It is true. You have a choice because, as a leader, you’re always in a situation where people are evaluating you and critiquing you and looking at you to see whether or not you meet their standards. You won’t always do it. That’s a given. But, to set out and try and do it all the time is a worthy goal, not because you’re trying to receive their approval, but because you will get their admiration, their trust and their best from them from that point on.
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a career and leadership coach who worked as a recruiter for more than 40 years. He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with more than 2400 episodes. He also hosts Job Search TV on YouTube, and Amazon, as well as on BingeNetworks.tv for Apple TV and 90+ smart sets.
I do a livestream on LinkedIn, YouTube (on the JobSearchTV.com account) and on Facebook (on the Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter page) Tuesdays and Fridays at 1 PM Eastern. You can send your questions about job search, hiring better, management, leadership or to get advice about a workplace issue to me through LinkedIn’s messaging .You can also message me through chat during the approximately 30 minute show.
Are you interested in 1:1 coaching? People hire me to provide No BS career advice whether that is about a job search, hiring better, leadership, management or support with a workplace issue. Please click here to see my schedule to book a free discovery call or schedule time for coaching.
My courses are available on my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us/courses The courses include ones about Informational Interviews, Interviewing, final interview preparation, salary negotiation mistakes to avoid, the top 10 questions to prepare for on any job interview, and starting a new job.
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