Awakening the Leader Within: Forging Your Unique Pathway

By Troy D. Zeigler

It is not sufficient to just be a good manager; to thrive, one needs to be a good leader. After 40 years of leadership coaching, nationally recognized leadership expert Troy D. Zeigler shares the foundational principles that have driven his work through his career.

Those at all levels of organizational leadership who desire to

• Language: English
• Publisher: Troy D Zeigler
• Release date: Apr 20, 2021
• ISBN: 9781953910417

Troy D. Zeigler

Troy D. Zeigler was raised on the plains of Western Kansas and in the mountains of Eastern Colorado. His father was a Methodist minister whose philosophy and values have had a significant influence on his life. He loves photography and formerly exhibited his outdoor nature photography in galleries. Troy enjoys reading and music of all kinds. He especially loves mountains, hiking, and previously, backpacking and rock climbing. Most of his adult life was spent in sales, consulting, teaching, and training in Northern Virginia, just outside of Washington, D. C. Troy has a BA Degree from Kansas Wesleyan University in English, history, and education. He served in the Air Force as an Administrative/Executive Officer. After six years in the military he moved on to a career in Sales/Marketing, eventually heading a multi-million-dollar sales organization. He received an MPA Degree from the University of Denver, focusing on Executive Management and later established a management consulting company with a concentration on Executive Assessment and Development. His functional experience encompasses: Administration, Finance, Human Resources, Training, Sales/Marketing, IT, Program Management and Quality. Nearly forty years ago, after noticing frequent leadership issues among his clients, he began to focus on Leadership: Personal, Organizational, and Board Governance. He then began coaching executives, training management teams and boards, and teaching leadership workshops. In addition, he became a college professor, teaching English at Strayer University and later joining Regis University to teach a graduate course in Faith-based Management (which he authored), as well as a course in Organizational Leadership and Governance. In the latter years of his career he was the Director of Training and Consulting for Catholic Charities USA. He was responsible for developing the leadership capacity throughout the Catholic Charities network. After retiring to Oklahoma, he worked with the Executive Services Corps of Central Oklahoma (ESSCO), assisting in the implementation of their Organizational Focus Workshop, which was designed to help small non-profit organizations better serve the needs of their community. He later moved on to become the Director of the YMCA Military Welcome Center at Will Rogers World Airport.

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Foreword

As a writer, I always have admired Hemingway’s style. He had an ability to say more in fewer words than any other author that I have read. With that in mind I also have always appreciated Mark Twain’s apology when writing to a friend by saying he did not have time to be brief. As the years have gone by, when teaching college English, I constantly emphasized the value of being concise and precise, believing that communications of that nature are more likely to be read.

That foundational literary theory has been a leading principle as I began writing this book, or booklet, as some will call it. I started teaching/coaching personal leadership principles nearly forty years ago. That advanced to working with corporate management and executives and culminated in working with organizational boards. What is most interesting is that I have found the best way to improve organizational leadership is through the enhancement of the qualities of Personal Leadership! Those qualities are immediately transferrable to the organizational environment. In the final analysis, Personal Leadership is all about accepting Personal Responsibility!

Therefore, this book is designed to be a comprehensive, yet brief, easy guide along the path of advancing one’s own personal leadership qualities. I genuinely hope that those who read it will implement it in their lives. I will make this bold statement. If you will commit to trying this for ONE YEAR, you will be amazed by the results because it will forever change your life by improving the quality of your decision-making! I wish all who read this the very best in your future endeavors.

Troy D. Zeigler

January 25, 2021

Chapter One

Life’s Promise

"What a man can be, he must be.

This need we may call self-actualization."

Abraham H. Maslow



"All we have to decide is what to do

with the time that is given us."

J.R.R. Tolkien

We each have within us the potential for greatness! Yet, few actually achieve it. Why do the vast majority of individuals fail to reach their true potential? Why are so many people who live in the most prosperous nation in the world unable to capitalize on the myriad of opportunities that surround them? Could it be that the answers to these questions are within the grasp of us all? The answer is a resounding YES! We have only to diligently search for it. In the words of the Bible, Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. ¹ There is great wisdom and even greater promise in these words. But the promise holds true only for those who act. Be bold, act courageously! (Premise: Acting Courageously Builds Character!)

It has been suggested that over 90% of our daily behavior is habitual. While this may not be scientifically factual, it does seem representative of the human condition. Much of our daily activity is routine and requires little thought. Habitual behavior can serve these functions well. However, our habits extend far beyond the basic essentials and often fall short of serving our best interest. The key is to observe what we are doing and resolve to master our behavior by making the necessary changes to integrate it with our goals. Otherwise, we become unconscious slaves to our habits. (Premise: Managing Behavior Facilitates Goal Achievement!)

According to William James, "The greatest discovery of my generation [twentieth century] is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes."² While simple in concept, this can be a daunting task. Attitudes are mental habits that either can serve or deter us. They generally have evolved, unconsciously, over periods of time and serve some purpose, satisfaction, or reward. These habits form an integral part of our lives and are not easily broken. A conscious effort is required to accomplish authentic change. Even then, success is dubious unless a new, higher purpose, satisfaction, or reward is identified and internalized. (Premise: Modifying Attitudes Changes Lives!)

Earl Nightingale’s life was dedicated to empowering others by teaching them how to gain mastery of their lives. A central theme he carried throughout his career was, "The Strangest Secret. It focused around the concept that most people tend to believe that their lives are dictated by circumstances. But success goes to those who step up and take control of their own lives regardless of whatever happens to them. This requires focusing their thinking on the results they desire. That literally means, we become what we think about."³ In his book, As A Man Thinketh, James Allen suggests that "a man’s mind