Learning to See Past the Numbers

“There are players who never put up great stats, but you keep them around because they make the people around them better.” – Donna Paulson, (Suits Season 8, Episode 1)

That’s the intangible leader summed up.

Do you have one on your team? Someone with great qualities, but who seems to fall short in the numbers category?

In today’s episode, we want to help you to identify those intangible leaders around you or on your team, because failure to do so will eventually hurt your team, your organization, your leadership, and your legacy as a leader.

First of all, the intangible leader is not about the obvious stuff you can put on a spreadsheet. His contributions are NOT quantifiable. Let me repeat that: The intangible leader’s contributions are not quantifiable. So, he’s not about:

• The Greatest Results
• The Greatest Numbers
• The Most Sales

That said, this can make him hard to identify on any given team or among your employees.

However, his contributions go far beyond what you can readily see and observe. As an entrepreneur, business owner, and leader, it is your duty to identify and build up those under-the-radar and potentially transformational leaders.

In the world of leadership, we are taught that true leaders bring results, period. We are taught that leadership brings quantifiable results: more wins, more sales, more followers, etc.

But you have to learn to see farther than numbers if you are going to build a legacy...

In This Episode You Will:

Learn which qualities set intangible leaders apart.

Learn what you should do to make your intangible leader more tangible and identifiable.

Understand how to coach and mentor your intangible leaders in order to help them get to the next level.

Memorable Quotes:

"Generally, 20% of your team members will bring you 80% of your results – and that 80% of your team will bring you only 20% of results."

"If you are not careful when applying the Pareto Principle, you could ignore and pass by the very important intangible leaders on your team."

"And what happens to the intangible leaders when they are ignored? They leave and achieve success elsewhere."

"Make it clear to your team that your door is always open. This will make intangible leaders come out of the woodwork and you will see them visit your office with openness, forthrightness, and insight."

"Creating a team environment where everyone feels safe, secure, and free to speak their mind is your job as a leader."

"As a leader, you want to build up other leaders."

"Nothing builds up confidence more than words of appreciation and valuing a team member’s contributions."

"For every negative comment, you should give at least five words of praise and encouragement. This builds up confidence in people – and it makes them want to contribute even more."

"Successful people and leaders are creatures of habit."

"As a leader, there is nothing more valuable than human capital. And the best part about human capital is its return on investment."

"Intangible leaders want to change lives more than bank accounts."

Recommended Resources:

The Thriving on Purpose Podcast, Episode 2: The Characteritics of a Leader: https://www.thrivingonpurpose.com/episode-2-characteristics-leader/

Blog post on The Characteristics of a Leader: https://www.thrivingonpurpose.com/blog/characteristics-of-a-leader/

The Intangibles of Leadership, by Richard A. Davis: https://amzn.to/2Q2ieAe

A good blog post about the intangible leader: http://www.centrafoods.com/blog/the-5-intangible-traits-you-need-to-have-to-be-a-good-leader

Coach Wooden's Pyramid of Success, by John Wooden: https://amzn.to/2NHPriS

YouTube short documentary - Coach: The Life and Legacy of John R. Wooden: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYKbLYTvQbE