Team Orrin Woodward

Orrin Woodward: You Don't Need A Title To Be A Leader

Go to any book store in America and chances are you will find a large business section filled with books on leadership giving advice on how to lead in the business world, achieve objectives, and motivate employees. There seems to be no shortage of ideas and concepts on this subject and by the fact that there are new releases almost every month in this genre, one has to assume that the populace has not found the secret formula for leadership success and continues to yearn for that proverbial “fountain of knowledge” on this subject.

An aspect of my job that I enjoy greatly is reviewing leadership books that are recommended by Orrin Woodward or that are sent to our office by publishing companies as a new release hits the market. One such book I that recently reviewed is You Don’t Need A Title To Be A Leader by Mark Sanborn. I was really amazed at how this book encapsulates many of the leadership principles that have been taught by Orrin Woodard at our events across the nation. At 104 pages it is a quick read but it contains great commentary on every page.

What Mark says resonates with me as I have found that far too often people are preoccupied with title, thinking that this bequeaths some type of magical leadership elixir that allows them to lead people and accomplish tasks. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have known people who had so called “leadership titles” but at the end of the day they could no more lead their people than they could turn water into wine. Titles are meaningless, influence is everything.

For example, in the military a leader may have a title which gives him or her “positional” leadership which is leadership based on rank or title. Their subordinates do not have any choice but to follow and obey orders. Therefore a bad leader can command the actions of their troops but that does not mean they will win their hearts and minds. By controlling someone’s actions you can control the sweat of their brow but not having their heart and mind, you lose the greatest productivity from that person. Given the chance, those under that type of dictatorial leadership style will not follow you, therefore you really are not leading.

In the business world the leadership dynamic becomes more complex as people have choices, they can follow you or they can quit. Rule with “positional” leadership only and a heavy hand and most likely you will find that you are leading yourself on a long walk with no one following. However, if you lead with influence and create an environment of respect and collaboration, you will not only find yourself leading a highly motivated group of people working hard to achieve objectives but they will be following your leadership with their heart and mind. That is true leadership!

Mark Sanborn says it best when he says “Despite popular myth, leaders – whether titled or untitled- aren’t born. They learn how to lead. The real test is: If you had no title or ability to reward or penalize others could you still get them to follow you?” He goes on to state that, “In today’s world, much is made of a person’s title. Yet little actual power exists in a title alone…..The bottom line is influence and inspiration comes from the person, not the position.”

I have always admired how Orrin Woodward leads with integrity and influence and does not rely on positional authority. His mastery of this concept is amazing. It should come as no surprise that he has been teaching these principles and leading by example as he has conducted business around the country. The Team is first and foremost a leadership development company and he continues to set the pace. Everything rises and falls on leadership and the success of any business plan is determined by the leaders leading the charge. Therefore, the meteoric rise of our company is due in large part to Orrin Woodward and the leaders he has helped develop over the years.

Another book that came highly recommended from Orrin is Primal Leadership and I will discuss this in my next post. I highly encourage you to pick up a copy of book by Daniel Goldeman, Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee. The authors give compelling insight into the emotional aspect of leadership. They state, “At its root, then, the primal job of leadership is emotional….great leadership works through emotions…no matter what leaders set out to do – whether it’s creating strategy or mobilizing teams to action – their success depends on how they do it….driving the collective emotions in a positive direction and clearing the smog created by toxic emotions.” This is an incredible book and one that I believe should be in the library of every leader.

Orrin Woodward's Favorite Quotes

What does it take to be successful in life? Some of the most successful men in the history of our country have been good enough to tell us in their words their thoughts on this very subject. It has been said that the difference between and leader and a boss is that a leader leads and a boss drives. One of the finest qualities of Orrin Woodward is in determined instinct to lead from the front by setting the example for others to follow. He has accomplished a great deal in life and there is more in store because he follows that simple principle. Below are a few quotes from some successful men and quotes which I believe personify the very attitude of Orrin Woodward.

"I would rather lose in a cause that will someday win, that win in a cause that will someday lose."

Woodrow Wilson

“Energy and persistence conqueror all things!"

Ben Franklin

"You have got to get to the stage in life where going for it is more important than winning or losing."

Arthur Ashe

I don’t think Orrin Woodward has ever been in a point in his life where going for it all was not something he was going to do. he just has that built into his genetic identity. Those who know him understand this to be true. This is why Orrin Woodward will make a great politician someday. He has no fear and he winning or losing is not important to him. The only thing that matters is doing what is right and putting it all on the line in pursuit of his end objective.

Orrin Woodward: The Starbucks Experience

I just finished reading The Starbucks Experience by Joesph Michelli and think this would be an excellent book to read for anyone in a leadership role supporting customers in any fashion. I have picked out a few quotes from within the book that I feel will give the reader a better insight into the culture of Starbucks and how they have developed a service first attitude with their staff around the world.

"Starbucks management understands that a competitive advantage occurs when everyone in a company appreciates that nothing is trival and that the customers notice everything....Managers have to constantly put themselves in the shoes of their customers, seeing everything from the other side of the counter.

"Commitment to detail is critical in all businesses. If you ignore the smaller things that are important to those you serve, you'll fail to create the experience they crave. This inattention will be a surefire way to drive those customers straight to your competitors.

"We are not in the coffee business serving people, but in the people business serving coffee."

"The trick for management, therefore, is to get employees to see the bigger picture and understand that small components of their day to day tasks can actually have a transformational impact on customers and the people with whom they work, not to mention on the company's overall mission and reputation."

I love that last quote. Some companies are so obsessed with reputation that they will spend millions of dollars on advertising to help their "public perception" but this basically amounts to a white wash of rotting wood. The real issue continues to be the poor customer service and support given to their customers. A better use of those advertising dollars would be to fire the non-qualified managers running the company into the ground and bring in a new leadership team that is connected to the customers needs. There is nothing worse than a company disconnected from its customers with managers ignoring facts, not addressing issues, and blindly making decisions without any thought of the end result. History is littered with companies where management operated from their "ivory towers" and drove once profitable companies into the ground.

I have nothing against good advertising campaigns. However, one must perform due diligence first and ensure the proper management team is in place and that customers needs are being addressed. If managers are making poor operational decisions in a "black box" without proper insight and buy-in from feedback groups, your business will fail no matter how much money you spend on advertising and "reputation building."

Orrin Woodward always teaches to start with the end in mind. If you are in business, the bottom line is to serve the customer and respond to their needs. If you don't, someone else will. Starbucks has built an international company by responding to the customers needs and always going above and beyond to provide a positive world class experience during the purchase of a cup of coffee! There is no doubt that these principles can be used in many other industries.