Some in this world will take classes to become leaders, studying business models, Sun Tzu, and titans of industry—others may attend a university or military academy to that same end. Then, once in a while, you have a natural leader, someone who inexplicably possesses the same qualities and characteristics that other people go to school for without formal training or education. From a young age, that’s where I fit in; whether it be by natural charisma and charm or pure chance, I was someone that others looked up to, followed, and often imitated.
There are leaders in every corner of industry, politics, military, and life. Just as diverse as the places where you will find leaders, so are the types of leaders and their leadership styles. You have strong leaders and weak leaders, good leaders and bad. You don’t have to be forceful in getting your message across, and damn sure don’t always have to take credit or stand in the spotlight. A good leader knows how to get in front of a situation before they get under it. They need to lead from the front and be willing to get their hands dirty. Someone who will empower others to grow and to learn from them, their knowledge and strengths. A good leader will not only admit to their faults and mistakes but will learn from them.
So, what kind of leader have I been through the years? The kind who proved others wrong by doing what they said was impossible. When I was first elected as a team leader at Ford, I was the least senior team leader in one of the most senior departments in a plant of just over 8,300 people by 26 years of seniority. I worked tirelessly to improve my people’s workload and looked after those on even the teams surrounding my own.
When a neighboring team had a member whose father passed away, our supervisor wanted to be the one to tell him. He did not know this person, and I had been in those same shoes when my mother passed away, so not only would I not let him be the one to break the news to him, but I covered the man’s job so he could be with his family instead of at work grieving. I didn’t ask for recognition; I did what was right by this person and his family because it was the right thing to do. For every operator I had who retired, I would make sure to get them a card and have a nice meal put together for them as a sendoff, mostly out of my pocket, not because I had to, but because they deserved to be treated with respect after a lifetime of service.
For every award I have received, there were at least 3-4 times as many that I recommended for others to get for their actions. I made sure that people who had worked 25-30 years and never once gotten recognition for their contributions felt appreciated and valued for the first time in their careers, having been told by several individuals in my own career that I was the best team leader they ever had.
I even had an old boss offer a job to leave Ford to be his assistant plant manager at a company with over 350 employees, but I turned him down. Not because it wasn’t a good offer but because it was helping a business and not helping people.
Sometimes a self-proclaimed leader will be loud and boisterous, touting their achievements and never admitting their faults. That’s not what leadership is. Leadership is speaking calmly, uplifting others, showing empathy and compassion, and acting with courage, dignity, and morality. Leadership is about bringing people together, bringing out the best in them, and pushing them to new heights. That is the kind of leadership we need in this world, and what I plan to bring to Frankfort.
Respectfully,
