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The Leadership Advisor
"Helping Leaders Develop Leaders"
October 2008 - Volume 3 Edition 9
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Happy Anniversary!

Phil Eastman and Leadership Advisors Group is celebrating 10 years this month. Congratulations, Phil!

"Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing." ~ Abraham Lincoln

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity!" ~ George S. Patton

"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." ~ Thomas Jefferson

CC Development Model
By Phil Eastman

When introducing this series in January 2008, we suggested there were several reasons for us to consider a leadership model. We discussed that a framework was needed to illuminate the most successful behaviors of effective leaders. Studies have shown that 10% of the leaders we regard as great are born with the innate abilities to lead others; the rest of us need to learn how to lead. The great news for all of us is that leadership is learnable.

There are two separate parts of leadership that need to be understood; behaviors and competencies. To be a competent leader means that you demonstrate identifiable behaviors regarded as having a connection to leadership. At the end of each chapter we shared the competencies related to that element and then shared the behaviors related to that competency. Remember, a competency is a group of behaviors that are observable and therefore also measurable. This is the first part of understanding how leadership is developed. The other component of leadership is style. Style is the way in which the competencies are demonstrated. A person's leadership style is a function of temperament and experience.

Temperament is a well understood component of psychology. The work of Carl Jung that popularized the efforts of Isabel Myers has given rise to innumerable assessments and descriptions of the four primary temperament types. The four types are Dominant, Interactive, Steady and Compliant and all give rise to a different style of the behaviors of leadership. We use the popular DISCStyles assessment which provides your basic building block of leadership style.
(To request a free DISCStyle assessment please contact: lorene@leadershipadvisors.com)

It is often the person's temperament style that people react to and yet it is the mix of style and behaviors that give rise to the leadership we experience. An important distinction between these two is that behaviors are neutral to temperament and as such are simpler to learn. They are in and of themselves neutral to the style that is applied by the leader. Temperament on the other hand is "hard wired" in people and although it can be modified by learning, experience, and maturity it is a fixed component of leadership.

For the determined leader, it is critical to understand this separation and to make sure that leadership behaviors or the lack thereof, are not overruled by temperament. Leadership behaviors are learned and as such can be changed and molded over time based on the desire of the leader and the needs of the leadership role occupied.

To borrow a metaphor from acting it is like acquiring a role in a movie. The role will dictate that an actor appear in certain ways in certain circumstances and remain in character for the duration of the filming. This would be synonymous with the behavior component of leadership. On the other hand, even though the actor is behaving in one way in front of the camera, this role has not changed their underlying temperament so when the role is completed the actor returns to himself.

Now don't take this metaphor too far. I am not suggesting that leading is staying in character all the time and that you don't let people know your real self. There are times in which a leader must fill a role even though it may not be their personal style or flow naturally from their innate temperament. These times of filling the role will be built on the behaviors that we have outlined for each of the elements of character. These foundational behaviors will give rise to the ability to be the leader that followers need, even when it does not come naturally.

With that understanding the focus for the rest of this chapter will be on development of the competency behaviors. The model we use for leadership development includes five steps. The graphic above shows each of these steps.

. . .to read the remainder of this article, please click on the The Leadership Development Model icon. . .

Phil Eastman is the founder and president of Leadership Advisors Group, a Boise-based consulting firm. Phil combines more than 25 years of leadership experience with his passion for consulting, coaching, and teaching to develop leaders, build teams, and improve performance. It is his desire to enhance leadership effectiveness for all of his clientele.

Phil earned a Bachelors of Business Administration degree in Management and Organization from Idaho State University. He is a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington where he is also an instructor. Phil also holds a Master of Arts degree in Theological Studies from Bethel Seminary.
Balloon
By Lorene Rasmussen

I had a bucket list long before the hit movie, The Bucket List debuted in theaters in 2007. Mine isn't called the bucket list (although bucket list is certainly a shorter name), I call it the "101 things I want to do be before I die". Like many others, my list includes activities like skydiving, going to Paris, riding in a hot air balloon, running a marathon, watching the sunset over the pyramids, finishing my MBA, and walking through the Buckingham Fountain in Chicago. (just to name a few)

Every time I experience one of these events, I mark it off and start planning for another one. Over time, I have had to learn to be careful with some of my choices, because like running the marathon it has become a part of me. Obviously, I can't do that with all of them, nor would I want to but it would be easy to fall in love with skydiving and continue going to college until I had more degrees than a thermometer.

On a early Sunday morning, in September, I was awakened to the very familiar lyrics, "up, up, and away in my beautiful balloon," sang by The Fifth Dimension. As I rubbed my eyes and turned over, my husband was standing there with a cup of hot coffee, a birthday card, and a big ol' grin. He had orchestrated the whole day with one of my bucket list items as the centerpiece; I was going for a hot air balloon ride for my 45th birthday. I love my birthday!

We arrived at the Western Idaho Fair Grounds just before the sun started smiling over the Boise front. The freshly mowed grass was wet from dew and in the field ahead of us was a gigantic piece of fabric being stretched out with a wicker gondola laying on its side. The pilot was working fast & furious with her ground crew, making sure everything was in order so we could launch at the perfect moment, 10 minutes after sunrise.

Sandi O'Shea has been piloting balloons for over 15 years and was part of a ground crew 10 years before that, so to say that she loves her work would be an understatement. "Who could ask for a better job than making people happy?" she said when I commented about the glorious day and my amazing birthday gift.

Once the ground crew had everything in place, Mike, the crew chief, started a monstrous fan, and Sandi started the burners. The fabric balloon slowly inflated with hot air until eventually it raised the gondola upright and the balloon was towering above us. It was then our pilot invited my husband and me to climb aboard.

As we gradually began our ascent and the sun was in her full glory, Sandi took us to 1,000 feet (FAA regulation). We floated above homes and tree tops scanning the area for well-known landmarks and neighborhoods. It was quiet enough to hear phones ring, dogs bark, and conversations below. At one point, I looked down and realized we were directly above my niece's home, so I gave her a call.

Periodically, our silence was interrupted when Sandi would turn on the burner to give us more lift. We headed south for a while and then west and finally north. I knew our glorious flight time was coming to an end when Sandi radioed the chase car below that had been following us on side streets moving from one parking spot to another.

As we made our descent into a cute little neighborhood, Sandi would intermittingly hit the burners for a smooth glide slope. We landed softly on a narrow street lined with mailboxes, trees, and lamp posts. The ground crew was already in place, laying down tarps, grabbing ropes, and hanging on to the gondola. Folks came out of their homes, holding their coffee cups to see what was happening this leisurely Sunday morning. Since a hot air balloon is considered to be an attractive nuisance, Sandi always offers the folks a tether ride. It is her way of making up for the slight inconvenience of the landing.

After the balloon was carefully rolled backed up and all the gear was stowed away, Sandi and the ground crew returned us to the launch site for a champagne brunch, aero-nuts ceremony, and short history lesson on hot air balloons.

When Sandi started out as part of a ground crew, she wasn't sure if she wanted to be a pilot. The equipment costs of owning and flying a balloon is enough to keep a lot of folks out of the industry. Besides, Sandi enjoyed being a crew chief and taking care of the details on the ground. She had the privilege of working with many different pilots always gleaning techniques and processes from them. When she finally made the decision to get her commercial license, she hired a flight instructor and started her ascent.

There are four distinct pilot licenses: rotorcraft (helicopter), fixed wing (jet, prop plane), gliders, and lighter-than-air (balloon & airship/blimp). To obtain the lighter-than-air license, Sandi had to take private flight lessons, attend ground school, study atmospheric conditions, understand the effects of elevation on balloons and much, much more. She also had to pass the FAA written test and successfully complete a solo flight. Apparently, many people go through the rigorous process, finish their solo flight, and never receive their pilots license because the ultimate responsibility for the pilot to "fly the balloon" is too much for them to bear.

Sandi bought her first balloon by saving $100 bills in her freezer. The balloon was used but safe and affordable for the beginner to get started in her business. She currently pilots a new balloon, The Sound of Silence which was designed by her. She stayed with the rainbow colors similar to her first balloon but added white diamonds to set it apart.

Ballooning is not just the way Sandi makes a living, it's her way of life. Sandi and her crew chief, Mike were married in a gondola over 10 years ago. Even though the weather didn't cooperate for them to launch as soon as they said, "I do" (customary for couples that get married in this manner), they have been airborne ever since. "Mike has been to ground school and is an intuitive crew chief," Sandi said, "but this is where he let's me shine."

Nearly every summer day (weather permitting) Sandi gets to take someone 'up, up, and away' for an hour long flight and a safe return to the ground for a champagne brunch and history lesson. It is easy to get so busy making a living that we forget to make a life. For Sandi, she has gracefully combined both activities so the rest of us can have extraordinary encounters with our dreams.

As I reflect on my bucket list, I know it is full of personal passions, aspirations, and interests. My list helps enhance the day to day activities by giving me something to look forward to but it also makes regular activities more enjoyable. For me, there are few things more pleasant than a hot cup of coffee with my husband while watching a cotton candy sunrise. My other favorite experience is equally as simple but just as meaningful, sitting in our backyard around the fire pit with family and friends, sharing outrageous stories and eating impossibly delicious cuisine, while watching the sunset in the western sky.

Up, Up, and Away is #9 in a series of interviews with local leaders, business owners, and personal heroes.

Lorene Rasmussen is the Partner for Business Operations which guides and supports the daily and strategic operations of Leadership Advisors Group. She combines a unique sense of fun and organization to insure operations run smoothly and that clients receive the highest quality service possible. Lorene earned a Bachelors of Business Administration degree in marketing from Boise State University and is a certified Life Coach through Genesis Enterprises in Seattle, Washington.

Speaking of bucket lists and marathons, Lorene successfully ran her second Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday, October 26th. She is already plotting and planning for next year's big event.
Performance Report
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Leadership Advisors Group helps clients achieve success through:
  • Competency based and character driven leadership development.
  • Comprehensive, flexible, and focused strategic plans.
  • Results oriented change management.

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"Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is who you really are while your reputation is merely what others think of you." ~ John Wooden
Phil Eastman & Lorene Rasmussen
Leadership Advisors Group

phone: (208) 344-0471
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