Are you qualified to lead?
It’s not a simple question to answer. There are no universal certificates for “leadership” and no graduation ceremonies for incoming “leaders.” How, then, can one become an effective and respected leader?
Randy Nelson, CEO of Dolphin LLC and former U.S. Naval officer, authored The Second Decision: The Qualified Entrepreneur two years ago to dive deep into leadership qualification. The book quickly became a No. 1 USA and International Amazon Bestseller, prompting entrepreneurs around the world to ask themselves, “Am I committed to becoming the leader my company needs me to be?”
Nelson will be a featured speaker at the upcoming 2018 BSCAI CEO Seminar in Los Cabos, Mexico, sharing his insights on self-awareness, personal capacity and continual growth.
We spoke with Nelson about why he wrote his bestselling book, what he learned from serving in the U.S. Navy, and what people can gain from his session at the 2018 BSCAI CEO Seminar.
Contractor Connections: Your book is titled The Second Decision: The Qualified Entrepreneur. What is the “Second Decision?” And what drove you to write this book?
Nelson: In the Navy, before I was allowed to lead the submarine on behalf of the captain, I had to become qualified through a rigorous set of written and oral examinations that took many months to complete.
In the business world, and especially with entrepreneurial leaders, it works the opposite. We have an idea, we start a company and we are off to the races ― no qualifications needed!
The Second Decision is two-fold. First, I challenge the leader to commit to becoming a qualified leader, and then to choose the role they want in the next three to five years in the company, between The Leader, The Role-Player and The Creator.
I was driven to write the book for two reasons: I realized how unqualified I was to build and lead my own organization when I first started out, and I also observed many entrepreneurial leaders who found themselves in the “wrong seat on the bus” for the future. Not all leaders want to stay leaders, and not all entrepreneurs want to become leaders!
Self-awareness is something you focus on quite a bit. When and why did you decide to intentionally focus on this leadership tool? How have your own self-awareness efforts made you a better leader?
My turning point came in 1999 during an entrepreneurial program at MIT called The Birthing of Giants. At the time, our company had grown 50 percent per year for eight straight years. I thought I knew everything! When the program ended, I was humbled, embarrassed and surprised at how little I knew about business and about my own leadership at that point. From that moment on, self-awareness became a critical component in my leadership journey. In addition, I have had a firm commitment to lifelong learning and have always surrounded myself with other leaders in peer groups from whom I could learn, and who were able to point out my areas for continued growth, including my own self-awareness.
One of my favorite phrases is, “The fatal flaw of a leader is their lack of self-awareness.” When I learned in 1999 that I was indeed part of the problem, I committed that I would never ask anyone in my organization to do something unless I was prepared to do everything I was supposed to do as the leader first.
People can often be so fixed on their goals and aspirations that they neglect to focus on where they are now. Why is it critical to examine the present while keeping goals on the horizon?
Vision without execution is hallucination! I am a big fan of the “ands.” You can have the greatest vision and be a horrible failure if you can’t execute your plans. Nick Saban is one of the greatest coaches to ever coach in college football, and he reminds his team to not simply focus on the desire to win a national championship, but rather to focus today on what they can do well, and to follow the process.
Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is coming, but today you can make a difference!
What is one lesson for success you learned from your six and a half years serving as an officer in the U.S. Navy?
As an officer, my rank came with a certain amount of respect. The enlisted members of the Navy had to salute me; that was tradition. What they didn’t have to do was to respect me as a leader. I had to earn that. When I joined my submarine, the No. 2 in command in my division was a senior enlisted “senior chief” who had been in the Navy for 20 years. He had to salute me, but I had to earn his respect. The lesson works exactly the same in the working world outside of the military. The CEO title comes with a certain respect, but leadership is indeed a privilege for those of us in these positions, and we must continue to earn the respect of our employees for them to stay with us for the long-term.
For more information on Nelson’s session at the 2018 BSCAI CEO Seminar, watch this short video from Nelson himself:
To learn more about leadership qualification and hear directly from Randy Nelson, register for the upcoming 2018 BSCAI CEO Seminar, taking place in Los Cabos, Mexico, on Feb. 1-3, 2018. The BSCAI CEO Seminar is your opportunity to connect with fellow building service industry leaders for three days filled with success-driven education designed to meet your needs and help you succeed regardless of the size of your organization. Secure the greatest savings by registering by Friday, Dec. 22.