Hall of Fame Leadership

The spring tradition that moves into summer is in full swing: people of all ages are playing baseball.  Interestingly, whether the participants are children at a community center or veteran players at professional ballparks, each of them start their season with a return to the basics.  And, if those fundamental skills are reinforced regularly and routinely, not only could many of these players become part of winning teams or the fall classic, but some of them might also eventually make their way into the Hall of Fame. 

This ‘back to basics’ philosophy is foundational for leaders who want to field, develop, and maintain any kind of winning team. At LEADon®, we’ve witnessed status-quo companies evolve into successful Corporate Families® when essential skills were reinforced at every level of the organization. While those in leadership recognized this process would involve time, energy, and effort, they knew that these physical and fiscal investments would soon result in increased productivity and profitability. 

For this type of success, exceptional leaders must be fully dedicated to helping team members reach their personal and professional potential. The team at LEADon calls this process Leading with Hall of Fame Leadership—an approach that targets the following six skills: 

1. Technical  
2. Leadership 
3. Culture 
4. Competence 
5. Commitment 
6. EQ 

Let’s break these six skill sets down while adding some baseball analogies.  First, whether in Little League or Major League, every team member must be equipped with the skills necessary to fulfill their respective role and responsibilities.  The same applies to members of your Corporate Family. Obviously, you should strive to hire individuals with the appropriate technical abilities required for the task at hand, but your employees will always need skills to be reinforced and updated as ‘technology’ changes over time. 

Next, LEADon believes that everyone is a leader in their respective sphere of influence, which means each individual on your org chart requires intentional leadership development so they can lead in exceptional ways. In addition, all team members must embrace your company’s culture, and it’s up to you and your leadership team to cascade that culture throughout your organization. Successful baseball franchises use specific strategies to develop leaders while simultaneously passing on their culture to everybody who represents their team, whether on the field or in the community. 

Is everyone on your team unconsciously competent? In other words, are they able to do what’s necessary intuitively? Picture a player who scoops up a ball and knows exactly where to throw it—every time. The same should be true for your employees, those technically savvy, culturally astute leaders who can intuitively accomplish tasks in their specific spheres of influence. 

Effective leaders also develop players who are committed to the organization and each other. Like most ‘back to basic’ skills, fostering commitment must be an intentional process.  This is equally true for the development of EQ skill sets, those personal and social capabilities that can be improved over time. 

How can you begin implementing Hall of Fame Leadership skills in your organization? Here are three simple steps we’d recommend you and your leadership team consider: 

1.  Read Chapter 2 of The LEADing Edge:  9 Strategies for Improving Internal and Intentional Leadership (Wilke & Wilke, 2019)  You’ll not only discover strategies for developing the six Hall of Fame Leadership skill sets, but you’ll also find a Sharpening Your Edge section that has practical ways to implement these skills in your personal and professional life.
2. Visit www.LEADonUniversity.com for free resources that can assist you in your work with individuals and teams.  We’d suggest starting with The LEADing Blog where you’ll find numerous posts covering a variety of topics, including all twenty-five EQ characteristics.
3. Investigate our leadership offerings at www.LEADonUniversity.com.  One of our thirty-plus online courses directly addresses the topic at hand:  LEADing with Hall of Fame LEADership®. 

Whether it’s spring, summer, fall or winter, exceptional leadership is always in season.  If LEADon can help as you strive to develop your winning team, please contact us at www.LEADonUniversity.com.