I had the honour of being interviewed on the SuccessQuest podcast.
From their show notes we discuss the following topics:
In this episode we dive DEEP into how to improve our leadership skills! Scott has been in the military from the moment he was graduating high school. Having served 18 years in the military he joins us to speak from his life experience as a veteran and a leadership coach.
Enjoy!
About Scott
- First mission is serving his country and secondary is helping people become better leaders. Last job was a squadron commander of 200 soldiers. 36 years old. Rank of Major. Army logistics Officer.
- Why did he join the army? – He had always known since he was little, hometown of 400 people, that he was going to join the military. He wanted to do something different from his family and from his hometown.
- What do we do about changing the mindset from becoming money hungry bosses to people loving leaders?
Can everyone become a leader?
- YES! Does this mean everyone can become a leader of a country or a nation? Not really, but being a leader at any level is important
What can we do first and foremost to become better leaders?
- Communication!
- Don’t assume people understand you
- Better to over-communicate then to under communicate
What is the difference between good and bad communication?
- Information is power, but only if it gets shared. Information is POTENTIAL power. The ability to share it, and share it effectively makes or breaks good leadership.
- Make sure that it isn’t something solely relayed but UNDERSTOOD.
- Being a leader isn’t a self-imposed title. It’s given through pure action.
How big of a role does trust play in effective communication?
- HUGE! But who deserves it? You’ll be better off giving a certain level of trust from the beginning or things can easily spiral out of control.
- Key Characteristic of being a leader is looking for the good in people
What are some of the leadership skills you’ve obtained from the military?
- Spreading the vision
- Motivating
- Having a plan
How to become an efficient Co-Leader?
- Servant Leadership
- Making sure needs are being met, understanding those needs, not determining those on your own.
- Being someone who desires to serve others which translates to good leadership.
- Leadership is something that can applied in your daily lives.
Can I be a good communicator without being able to be super articulate?
- Double Down on your strengths
- Continue to work on your weaknesses
- Great leaders don’t necessarily need to be great speakers. Good communication doesn’t necessarily equate to great public speaking
Opportunities to improve leadership are there! Seek them out!
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About the Host
Scott McCarthy
Scott McCarthy is a leadership coach who works with executives, senior leaders and organizations to lead themselves, their teams and their organizations more effectively. A retired Canadian Armed Forces Lieutenant-Colonel, he brings 25+ years of leadership experience, including command of 25 Canadian Forces Supply Depot and responsibility for $8.6 billion in assets.
Scott hosts the Peak Performance Leadership podcast, with more than 300 conversations with leaders, authors and experts, and is the author of You Don’t Know Sh*t About Leadership: And Neither Do I.
You Don’t Need Another Leadership Book. You Need This One.
Built from two decades in uniform and 300+ leadership interviews. Leadership doesn’t start with your team. It starts with you.