Four Disciplines of Extraordinary Leaders
Doyle Slayton | Mar 19, 2008 | Comments 8
“The best leaders are great because of the way they think. Extraordinary leaders separate themselves by the way they communicate what they are thinking. They have, the ‘Universal Edge’, in that they understand their audience, and know how to make a connection.” -Doyle Slayton
Four Disciplines of Extraordinary Leaders:
1. Read Books - Read at least one book per month. You will be amazed by the impact this will make on your communication skills and your ability to generate new thoughts and ideas!
2. Carry a book of BIG Ideas – Every time you have an idea, write it down. Big or small, write it down. Once it’s written down, you don’t have to work to remember it. Your brain can relax and move on to creating new ideas!
3. Conversation Mapping – One of my mentors taught me to “have the conversation before you have the conversation.” Map out the conversation in your mind, and think of every possible response. “If I say this, what are the possible responses?… and how would I respond to each of those responses?”
4. Self-Reflection - Usually on my drive home from work, my mind begins to reflect on my daily conversations and interactions. I think about the impact my thoughts, words, and behaviors made on the people around me. What did I do well? What will I do next time to make it even better? Are there issues where I might need to see things from a different perspective?
What are you doing to elevate your thinking? What steps are you taking to communicate more effectively?
PDF Check Out These Related Articles!
Filed Under: Blog • Leadership • SalesTaxi
You open this article with one of the best quotes I have ever heard. “Great leaders are great because of how they think and also because of how they communicate what they think.” Powerful. I like the four disciplines, especially the book of big ideas. I do this but I use 3×5 cards which I find very useful and very standardized. they fit in your chest pocket or wallet. Just can’t seem to find time to read a book a month but agree how it will change my life. I just need to do it.
This is a great article. Can you have your blog follow up on these 4 disciplines. Can we have a list where people put books they have read with a brief comment about the most important thing they gathered from the book. Then after many books have been gathered we can take a poll of the most popular books and then add all the brief comments of the book onto one list. Same thing goes for conversation mapping. Can we gather up internet articles or post links to great sites to find information on improving people skills.
I agree – the opening quote is fantastic! The four disciplines are very true. I like numbers three and four the most. My commute home (as well as to and from my appointments) is filled with thoughts related to how I feel about my performance that day and what I’m going to do to make tomorrow more effective. Critical thinking, when taken internally, can be a very powerful thing. For Mr. Gilmore – I also had trouble finding time to read a book each month. I found it helpful to download excerpts from books or business, leadership, and sales podcasts and listen to them in the car on my way to and from work. You never know when that next big idea is going to hit!
These are terrific ideas Grady! They fit right in to the overall concept of the blog (listed below). Please put together a draft of the concept and we’ll get it going!
The Vision:
SalesBlogcast.com is a community where sales and business development professionals can network, share best practices, and just get better! Subscribers receive 2-3 sales, leadership, and business articles/interviews every week. In addition to your blog email subscription, you can create a professional profile and join the LinkedIn Group SalesBlogcast.com.
Doyle, this blog topic not only applies to the sales profession, but to all! Every industry is in perpetual state of change. Keeping up with changes is a vital part of success. As you stated, keeping a book of BIG (& small) IDEAS is worth every penny, especially when you reach a dry spell. Use it for inspiration to recharge by looking at and acting on these ideas. When I read #3 and #4 I knew that you had it right! These two steps should be second nature to everyone. It sure has helped to earn me recognition in my field. Thanks for this very insightful blog! Keep writing and I’ll keep reading. I really enjoy reading comments from others as well! I wish you tons of SUCCESS!
Doyle,
Your ideas are great and are not hard to accomplish. The first book I plan to read is called Developing the Leader Within You. I think I will follow in Shane’s footsteps and create the index cards.
I also liked the idea of preparing the conversation ahead of time and playing out so the person is better prepared.
Thanks for this great tool,
Rania
I would add a 5th and perhaps the most important Discipline: Keeping one’s word.
I like this one. Keeping your word is about strength of character. Sales professionals with high integrity gain a huge advantage… along with the ability to be successful over a long period of time!