My “Eureka Moment” came like a bolt of light when the Congressman called the President a liar during his State of the Union Address. Personally, I’ve never voted for the man but the majority that did,earned his office and with that the respect that comes with it. From that moment on, I made a choice, to stop making excuses for my high standards and to only surround myself with the very best quality individuals… hundreds of names were deleted that day.
That faithful choice flowered an environment of creativity and collaboration, more than a lifestyle, a brilliant long-term strategic plan. Seven years later as our collective culture sinks further into incivility, my lofty creative idealism has gathered an international audience. For me the answer is simple as our “old school” American Brand had the clean and bright optimism of a Culture of Exceptionalism which still enlivens and excites our global audience today.
In developing our Talent Types System, I sought to place that Relational Trust as a primary leadership metric. The Relationship Mindset presents an introspective peak into the unconscious psyche to a place that is the foundation of all talent develop as it defines the interactional space in which we view others. The simple answer to the question, Who Wins? tells me more about the individual than a ninety question test that measures so many useless concepts that have nothing to do with the times in which we live.
This Trust Leadership is more important than an impressive resume, first impression, well-spoken interview as it is the hard-wired unconscious Emotional Intelligencethat is the real person without the mask. This is the person that will have the greatest impact on the culture of your organization. So if this is the case why do Talent Managers or Talent Assessment Instruments spend so little time focusing on this primal energy?
In the midst of our complex, rough and tumble 365 24/7 business environment I would gladly hire someone of greater character and sincerity than some slickly crafted pedigree. It’s not a matter of my idealism or high standards.
No, it is just good business to have someone that you don’t ever have to look over your right shoulder to question their motivation. Those type of people are dime a dozen and are part of the collective angry pathology of our times. They are expensive in terms of time and resources to manage. Still worse their questionable ethical thought process is representing your hard won and esteemed brand. These relationships are the sustainable foundation of your business that have taken years develop. What does it take to repair a breach of confidence with a client or to replace a client due to your “high flyer’s” egocentric behavior?
Individuals of low trust are toxic to the collaborative environment of your team. So far beyond the list of their superlative talents and skills if these people cannot work well with others what is the deficit on the Return on Investment of all the lost moments and opportunities? It is impossible to quantitatively measure their impact but also foolish to put your head in the sand and say that it does not exist.
This Relational Leadership is the “sine qua non” of the Digital Age as we are all so interconnected on an instant global basis. There is no hiding today and for the business that does not ascribe to lofty objectives I can guarantee you that your competitor’s belief in them will cost you market share and dollars on the table.
Nothing can replace the Appeal of Integrity as its solid foundation of predictable trust is reassuring to both employees and clients who will gladly in the midst of these uncivil times will partner to those who put the extra effort forward to create a culture and brand that is not ashamed to say they aspire to be Exceptional.
Our Talent Types Relational Trust Indicator in ten simple questions shift through all the nonsense to reveal the unvarnished image of the candidate that you are going to grant entrance into your business family. Its validity only further solidifies your own deep listening and acute observation skills or puts a big red flag up that you might have missed in the sparkle of a candidate’s bright smile.
It is my preference to favor the sincerest of excellent character above the more polished and perfected candidate. These diamonds in the rough may require a little more training but their sound footing requires less capital risk as their primary Emotional Intelligence is a greater indicator of future success than the initial superior talent of the other candidate.
The Culture of Exceptionalism is easily established by expecting and only accepting the very best quality…. That’s what you’re going to get.
In the final analysis, the quality of the human capital in your company is your brand. Relationships form the medium of success and at its core is Trust.
Nothing can replace the Appeal of Integrity… that is why it is so valued and in these uncivil times… getting harder to find!
