The Non-Negotiable Attribute of All Great Leaders with Mike Erwin [Podcast]
In this episode of Work That Matters by WorqIQ, Mike Erwin joins us to discuss the role of solitude in the every day lives of great leaders…
As a leader you have responsibility for your people. And today that requires an intentional investment of time: one-on-ones, coaching, removing impediments, communicating and re-communicating and re-re-communicating.
And yet, for many great leaders time is a most precious commodity.
So, it’s no surprise when leaders tell us they have no time to think. And certainly there hardly seems time enough to pause, grab a notebook and pen, and reflect on the day, week, month, or quarter.
However, reflection is a non-negotiable attribute for all great leaders. It’s a way to re-energize yourself. It’s also vital if you want to make sense of what is and needs to happen in your company and team. Warren Buffett said, “I do more reading and thinking, and make less impulse decisions than most people in business.” Reading and thinking, from Buffett’s vantage point, is “uncommon in American business.”
Leadership and Solitude: Non-negotiable for Great Leaders
Buffett isn’t alone in his advocacy for solitude. Mike Erwin, West Point graduate, CEO of one company, president of another, and Founder and Chairman of Team Red, White and Blue, a veteran support non-profit literally wrote the book on leadership and solitude.
Erwin’s book, Lead Yourself First: Inspiring Leadership through Solitude, opens with a forward from his friend and colleague, Jim Collins: “If leadership begins not with what you do but with who you are, then when and how do you escape the noise to find your purpose and summon the strength to pursue it?”
Leadership and solitude is the focus of today’s episode of Work That Matters by WorqIQ. Enjoy the listen!
About This Week’s Episode
Not only is Mike a well accomplished leader in business and in the military, he is also an assistant professor in leadership and psychology at West Point. We believe if there is a teacher to show us the value of solitude Mike is it.
Mike will share how solitude influences your sense of self, an essential exploration for all great, influential leaders. Perhaps you’re resistant to spending time alone and thinking? Mike also has some thoughts on this common response to solitude.
Relationships and communication improve, too, when you sort out your thoughts. Action follows thoughts. Thoughts come from your beliefs and mindset. I bet you can guess what helps make sense of our biases and related thinking…solitude.
Important links
Be sure to check out these links mentioned in today’s podcast episode:
- Website: Character & Leadership Center
- Mike’s thoughts featured in a Harvard Business Review post
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