The Way Leaders Think

By John E. Markley

The only limitation on your leadership potential is the one you create by how you think.

When a leader completes the necessary positive action to change the way they conduct business, the whole organization completes the same postive transformation. At the end of the day, "Leadership is all about you". But also remember, &

• Language: English
• Publisher: LitFire Publishing
• Release date: Apr 27, 2019
• ISBN: 9781643985596

John E. Markley

JOHN E. MARKLEY is recognized for his work in program and leadership development. He has developed curriculum, written books and materials and provided training programs for local, county, state and federal government employees and leaders. He has developed training programs, written curriculum and provided training programs for private sector employees and leaders. He developed a pilot training program for the U.S. Department of Labor: OSHA Consultation Program in conjunction with The Small Business Development Centers and the University System in West Virginia. He was appointed by the U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Corrections Academy Division to serve a three-year term as a Northeast Region Field Coordinator. In this capacity he developed curriculum and provided training programs to corrections employees and leaders on a national level. He was appointed for an additional year as an alumnus to assist in training newly appointed field coordinators. He has worked as an adjunct professor teaching university students Criminal Justice theory and practice. He has worked for the Department of Education teaching OSHA approved courses. He has assisted in supporting community programs for the youth.

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The Way Leaders Think

Everything A Leader Should Know Critical Thinking for Leaders

Copyright © 2019 by John E. Markley

ISBN-13: 978-1-64398-559-6

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher or author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Although every precaution has been taken to verify the accuracy of the information contained herein, the author and publisher assume no responsibility for any errors or omissions. No liability is assumed for damages that may result from the use of information contained within.

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The Way Leaders Think

Everything A Leader Should Know Critical Thinking for Leaders

John E. Markley

Book Dedication

This book is dedicated to Leah Heimbach, and Jonathan Newman. These individuals are spirit changers who have utilized grit, sheer willpower, hard work, innovation, and faith to become successful leaders in their chosen professions, and personal lives.

Contents

Book Dedication

Foreword

Introduction

Section Number One

Section Number Two

Section Number Three

Section Number Four

Section Number Five

Section Number Six

Section Number Seven

Section Number Eight

Section Number Nine

Section Number Ten

Section Number Eleven

Section Number Twelve

About The Author

Afterword

Foreword

The only thing that stands in the way of your personal success is how you think. When you think about it, how a person thinks is generally taught to them from people who share his or her greatest influence. The individual who receives a single crucial lesson early on in life on how to think like a leader is given an advantage in life.

The word guidance can be interchangeable with the word leadership. Just because a person is raised with only the basic necessities in life doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t be successful. The lack of money doesn’t necessarily make or break that person as much as the lack of guidance and mentoring.

If someone were fortune enough to be raised by a parent, family member, or even by a foster parent who possesses leadership skills, that person would be greatly favored in many ways. How a person is raised up in life doesn’t necessarily mean as much as who has the most positive influence on that person and how they teach them to think.

In general, leadership is not only about developing your leadership skill, but learning critical lessons on what and how you think to receive the greatest overall results throughout your life. That’s what my book is, a mentor on how to think which will give you the best leadership results. Leadership is more than you being fortune enough to understand the art of getting people to do things for you because he or she wants to. Leadership is more; it is developing critical thinking to maximize your results. Successful leadership is sharing your influence with selected people with potential to raise people up in life. That’s what this book is about, raising people’s thinking up to maximize his or her greatest potential.

If you are currently in a position, which makes critical decisions concerning a group of individuals’ wellbeing, safety, supervision, and productivity the lessons in this book are for you.

We know position does not necessarily give you the influence to be an outstanding leader. Leaders rise themselves up first by whatever means is available to them. To be affective, understanding the fundamentals of leadership is what creates an effective level of leadership. On the same hand many employees move up as a result of mentoring, coaching, and general schooling by their current supervisor, manager, or director. That is the benchmark of today’s leadership.

On the other hand, instead of being properly mentored by his or her supervisor, many employees have chosen to fill out an exit interview questionnaire before leaving the company. Some people state the reason for leaving his or her current position is not necessarily about wages, but they are unsatisfied about the direction level and responsibility in their current position. They feel they have no opportunity for advancement and his or her immediate supervisor hasn’t provided them with enough support and direction for them to receive their next promotion.

You create your own opportunities if you are eager enough to learn. Your immediate supervisor should assist you to make these opportunities. The best complement I have ever received was from an employee on my staff who stated, People think about you, admire, and appreciate the good things you do for them, even when you’re not around. If you are currently in a leadership position you are a leader if you are eager enough to learn and apply the principles in my book. It doesn’t matter if you have one employee or a hundred employees you are responsible for; you are the same leader. There are two types of leaders: leaders who love the people they lead and are prepared to do whatever it takes to make his or her team a success. On the other hand, there are an equal number of obstacles and supervisors whose daily goal is to see you held up or worse; defeated. Since you have picked up my book, it suggests you are willing to do whatever it takes to keep your thinking sharp and your body motivated to compete on today’s global field of play.

I have heard many leaders say, if it were easy anyone could be a leader. Guess what, people can if they desire to move beyond what they are doing in his or her normal daily routine. Yea, the comfort zone, which keeps people, locked in and safe. You must give up something in your life if you want something greater than you currently have. In most cases learning more about leadership only requires you to give up some of your free time.

When a leader completes the necessary positive action to change the way they conduct business, the whole organization completes the same positive transformation. At the end of the day, Leadership is all about you. But also remember, It’s more about the people in your organization that you influence and lead.

The chapters in my book are critical lessons in leadership, which I have written together for you. The information in my leadership books is current so you may read, reflect and grow your expertise in the areas of leadership and critical thinking.

I have applied in my life the same principles and lessons I have spelled out in my books. I have developed the chapters in an easy reading format to read and study and reflect on. Generally, before I host a meeting or training seminar, I like to study some of the sections I have outlined in my lessons. I find this practice helps me focus on my training objectives and allows me to reflect on how I will present my ideas to an audience.

The only limitation on your leadership potential is the one you create by how you think.

Today there are no physical borders or restrains on confidentiality through social media. There are no limitations; people of today may be working one day in the US and the next in Great Britain. Think about it, some of the people you come in contact daily may become your potential employee. Treat each person as if you are somehow responsible for him or her under your leadership, because you may. Your ability to combine thought, knowledge, and the action interfuse his or her future into yours is true leadership. That is a huge statement but think about it for a moment. If you are a president of a powerful nation you are responsible for the wellbeing of hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people you possibly will never meet. Most of the people will love and respect you based on responses of people you have met, and they have made positive comments about you. This is also true for leaders who run companies who have thousands of employees on his or her payroll.

The leader’s ethical actions and principles determine a person’s leadership code. The leader’s code regulates all of these thoughts and emotional processes to regulate ethical feelings of conscience.

The world has become a small place, keep in the back of your mind; you could be this person leading thousands of people you haven’t meet. Establish a rapport with everyone; as a result, they may be that one person whose influence will move you too your next leadership level, my book teaches you this.

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.

—Helen Keller

If you want to remain current with leadership principles, critical thinking, reach your full potential, or just take time out for yourself to learn something new. If you always do the right thing, you can’t go wrong. Taking time out to learn more about leadership, and critical thinking, it will also increase the potential for the people you lead and influence.

Introduction

I have applied the same principles I am providing for you in my book. It doesn’t matter what position or level you currently are in your career. My book provides leadership lessons for all levels and general life situations. As a result of applying these basic leadership principals I have become an effective leader who has worked my way from various positions at the bottom to the top. I have earned two college degrees, developed state of the art pilot programs for top companies, government organizations, completed numerous nationally recognized certifications, and have had the opportunity to travel and teach leadership principles all over the United States.

You may already have a great position and you may already be nationally or internationally recognized and highly respected for your work as a leader. Or you may just have the desire to reach your full potential by making leadership a lifelong learning experience. Leadership is an amazing journey and I am inviting you along to learn from my education and experience. The practice of reading, and study critical lessons in leadership has earned me various leadership positions. In return it has allowed me to make an impact, mentor and teach many great groups of people.

And most important, it has permitted me to pursue the kinds of things I enjoy doing in life.

You will benefit from reading the various lessons that I have applied in training seminars compiled from various sources. The material I have chosen for this book is from material I have personally developed, or programs, which I have worked on or partnered with over the years. I believe this is important, so you can weigh in and see some of the leadership styles and techniques. Many of the projects I have worked for the general public, government agencies, and privet sector have provided me with critical lessons I am sharing with you. I have received much leadership experience gained through special assignments, leadership positions, and various projects I have co-authored or developed.

I received much knowledge and training by accepting a position with the OSHA Consultation Program. The safety and health program are administered by the West Virginia Division of Labor and is hundred percent funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA Region Three out of Philadelphia, PA. I was hired to develop and administer a one of a kind pilot programs to provide safety and health training and safety programs to small businesses in general. The program was developed in a way the training curriculum would to assist companies in high hazard industry to become compliant with the OSHA Standards. It also helped companies who had been cited by OSHA for non-compliance of safety and health standards by minimizing loss to employees and resources and reduce fines. The scope and latitude of the program also permitted us to establish many partnerships in construction, industry, health care, with the Small Business Development Centers, various unions, training organizations, smaller companies awarded the Star Program, and large companies under the VPP Program by OSHA. Learning to network with all of these organizations was a challenge. As you are aware, most people are resistance to change until he or she receives the proper guidance, a good portion of the programs resources was devoted to changing a company’s ideas and culture.

In addition, while as the Deputy Director over the West Virginia Corrections Training Academy I was appointed as a Regional Field Coordinator with the U.S. Department of Justice National Training Academy developing programs, curriculum, and conducting leadership seminars in various department of public safety and state jurisdictions.

So, in short, I have had the opportunity to research, write, develop, and present leadership and safety programs around the country. Although holding various leadership positions it has allowed me to conduct leadership and safety and health seminars in the public and private sector. I have always put the employees and staff interest and needs first. I have always tried to assist people by doing more and learning more which my position permitted me to do. Applying the same principles from my book will give you the same leadership advantage.

This does not mean I haven’t made mistakes along the way. A matter of fact, I have always had to work harder, study harder than most. Leadership for me has been a lifetime commitment. I am committed to completing what I began and will never give up pursuing my dreams; this is my opening message for you: "don’t ever give up on your dreams, remain committed to improving your lifestyle, and lead others to fulfill theirs.

I have spent thousands of hour’s studying and conducting research to complete college coursework assignments. I have paid out thousands of dollars in tuition for my college degrees. I have spent hundreds of hours attending seminars to obtain specialized certifications to teach. All of my extra effort did not guarantee I would somehow reach the professional level I desired to be at in life. When I accepted the fact the only way I could achieve my goals was leading others. Most people do not want the responsibility for the well-being and direction of others. Leading others has defined who I am.

These leadership lessons weren’t developed at one time; they were developed with continued critical thinking. Hopefully I will surprise you with some new leadership material you haven’t read or received by attending a seminar. Some of the topics we are going to cover in this book are original concepts and some are modified from a combination of what I have presented and some from research I have conducted.

The following are concepts for your critical thinking while you read this material:

1). Create established time lines for yourself to complete what you began and always remain open to learning and helping others to become more.

We as leaders must make a commitment to live in a transparent world, which sustains leadership; good or bad, lessons learned. It would be great if every lesson in this book was a perfect fit for every situation.

Unfortunately, each critical lesson is a learning process, learning much from mistakes, but never giving up on you.

2). Thoughts and learning about leadership.

It would be really nice if we climbed to a Plato and all of the answers, we ever wanted to know were there waiting for us. So as the world constantly changes around us, a final answer to any question will always remain open until addressed by us. That is until we learn it’s easier to learn from other successes as well as learning from our own mistakes. Leadership is about leading others as well as leading you with the desire to learn and grow. When the path is easy it’s time to let others learn to lead. When path is difficult it’s your time to lead because more than likely you have been down the path before. It’s the leader’s job to point out successes and lessons learned from previous mistakes. If you are leading, it’s because you are constantly learning and eager to understand and gain from success and failure.

3). Leadership expressed by an author, instructor and teacher.

Most people view their own strength compared that with a leader they are familiar with. People who can become strong; retain knowledge, gain experience while all the time transforming it into attributes of a leader. We spend a great deal of our time thinking about what we want, getting what we want. Leaders find a place or make a place at the top.

4). Fear of loss

We often learn the hard way therefore we overcome our fear. As your leadership style is refined, it will replace fear with vision. Wisdom will transform frustration into patience and understanding with the final product of personal growth.

If you make a mistake immediately apologize to the person in public. People will respect you for it. There will always be those who will have a negative response. Tear up those thoughts and throw them in the trash and move beyond them.

5). Take time to read and reread this material and share with your leadership team and individuals who are inspired to lead.

Become the difference, you are not a leader until you bring others on your journey, when you meet a stranger be the first to hold out your hand and greet them.

When I attend a leadership conference, training seminar, or read a leadership book I expect to receive information, which will make me a greater success in life. Or possibly I may have the desire to obtain information, which will open the door to make me a better person and develop and maintain lasting relationships. I can only imagine you are reading this leadership book to build on and obtain something greater in your life. Writing a leadership book is like presenting at a leadership conference. So instead of presenting for a group of individuals my focus will be on you. If you read my leadership book, Lead Yourself Today then you already have an understanding, leadership is all about you.

The first objective is focusing on what is happening positive in your life and your organization. By focusing what you are already doing right, your will focus on a pleasing personality and influencing everyone you meet. Today is a special occasion because you are taking time out to effectively lead others.

Job titles do not necessarily make a leader. Positions of authority are helpful because it aligns your position to influence a greater number of people.

If you are assigned responsibilities within your organization to complete any of the following; sign leave slips, create work schedules, sign vouchers or travel requests, fill out performance or productivity appraisals, you are the administration in the employee’s eyes.

Right now, you are training and mentoring the next level of leaders within your organization. What you communicate or fail to communicate is directly affecting how people feel about doing his or her job. If you list communication as being the number one thing your organization is lacking. Then guess what, that’s probably the number one thing we need to address in this book. Allowing people to communicate his or her thoughts is your greatest opportunity to transform employees. Listen to people and that one thing alone will be enough to enlarge your leadership role and influence for the people you serve.

Most of us, including myself spend a great portion of our time doing things that make us feel good about ourselves. We spend a lot of our free time thinking about the things we want and how we are going to obtain them. We spend our free time searching for new and existing products, services, locations and destinations; we spend time doing this to fulfill our dreams. From these experiences we become the person we desire by channeling our personal thought to emotion, then into passion, and then acting on them.

We lead by thinking and remaining positive. People respect a leader who stands for truth and has moral honesty. We respect people who stand in his or her leaders shadow until they have the means to go it on their own. Chances are though many of us may not always agree with the boss’s philosophy, but we accept it as a personal choice. We live in two worlds choosing what is thought to be possible and what we choose to make possible. In the same breath leaders who have moral honesty should be willing to admit when he or she fails to keep-up or change direction to keep up with their promises to others who desire better lives.

Research suggests today’s top leaders are those individuals who are intelligent, independent thinking, humorous, gracious, and have the ability to transform ideas into reality for people. Despite what