The Prospecting Professor

JFK: Leadership Excellence

In the December issue of Leadership Excellence, author John Barnes compellingly describes ten qualities of leadership that he sees in our 35th president, John F. Kennedy. I think that many of these lessons have applications for all of us...especially those of us in the financial services industry.

1. Craft a compelling vision.
2. Face adversity with a smile.
3. Don't follow the crowd.
4. Educate yourself.
5. Learn to communicate.
6. Don't let crises manage you.
7. Build a team and find your "Bobby."
8. Add a touch of showmanship.
9. Learn from mistakes.
10. Do what's right.

For example, it is interesting to note that at the start of his career, Kennedy was a poor public speaker. He spoke too fast, never paused for an audience reaction, and spoke with a pronounced regional accent from his larynx (not his diaphragm). However, he worked hard to improve himself...hiring voice coaches and  speechwriters. He was one of the first politicians to receive media training. He cultivated and networked with reporters to write favorable stories about him and his family. His live press conferences became a White House tradition...and are still a wonder to listen to.

Facing adversity with a smile is another one. Although it has been well documented, it is interesting to remember that Kennedy was cursed with a sickly body. He was born with an unstable back, nearly died from scarlet fever as an infant, developed Addison's Disease, and suffered from allergies, bad eyesight, slight deafness in one ear. One can imagine that the lessons that he learned in overcoming his maladies were good preparation for the frustrations of political life.

Teddy Roosevelt on Leadership

It was on this day in 1906 that Teddy Roosevelt became the first ever American president to leave the country while in office. He went to view the construction site of the Panama Canal.

Before Roosevelt, it was assumed that a President of the United States couldn't oversee the country effectively if he traveled abroad. Today, this assumption seems hopelessly quaint. Bill Clinton, the most peripatetic of our Presidents, made 133 trips to foreign countries while in office. George H.W. Bush, made 60.

Roosevelt had unusually keen leadership qualities. In the first place, he believed that his leadership abilities were learned and developed. Moreover, his leadership was always compelling and active.

During his journey to Panama aboard the U.S.S. Louisiana, caught up on his reading...he had brought a plethora of reading material, including works by Tacitus and Milton (Much more interesting than grabbing a People magazine at the airport kiosk!). The captain of the ship even let him steer at one point. When they arrived at Panama, Roosevelt was so impressed by the jungle and the tropical wildlife, that he scrambled through the countryside. The chief engineer said, "I have blisters on both feet and am worn out. Scaling a hill with Roosevelt is like taking a fort by storm."

When the Presidential entourage arrived at the canal construction site, Roosevelt espied the 95-ton steam shove...a new invention. He ordered the train stopped...hiked through the mud to see the steam shovel up close...spent a half an hour asking questions about it's operation...and took a turn at the controls. The photograph of the President at the controls became one of the most popular images of Roosevelt....and helped sell the American public on the wisdom of the Panama project.

Financial advisors can make important connections with investors through Active Curiosity in the lives of their prospects and clients. For example, there is no better way to connect with a business-owner or entrepreneur than to visit them at their place of business...and to pro-actively ask them about the enterprise that they have built, or run. Insert an astute question or two...and off you go.

Quotes by Teddy Roosevelt:

• "Use simple, down-to-earth stories to communicate complex issues."
• "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
• "Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground."