Letter on the Third — December 2024

Dear Datamax Family,

You’ll read a lot this month about Leading Experts. We have so many people here who display a mastery of knowledge, demonstrate vision and innovation, but also show the ability to guide and mentor… which leads me to the core principle of leadership. Two things I emphasize often at Datamax are leadership and culture. When these two critical elements are shining bright across an organizational horizon, success will follow. Simple as that.

40 years ago, I came across this snippet about leadership by author Jim Rohn. It remains so relevant today, that I keep it in my desk drawer as a reminder. It reads like this:

“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude. Be kind, but not weak. Be bold but not a bully. Be thoughtful, but not lazy. Be humble, but not timid. Be proud, but not arrogant. Have humor, but without foolishness. A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better. Leaders must learn to discipline their disappointments. It is not what happens to us, it is what we choose to do about what happens that makes the difference in how our lives turn out.”

Powerful words to live by. However, if you need a shorter assessment of your success as a leader, simply reflect on these three questions, as it pertains to your relationship with your team: “Does this person know what they are doing?” “Can I trust them?” “Do they care about me?”

Leaders don't pound their chest.

Be humble, not timid. Leadership is never “look who I am, and see what I did.” Leaders are successful because of who they are, not because of a title they’ve been granted. Too often, you’ve seen sergeants who believe that everyone should simply listen to everything they’re told to do. Then, when they go up the hill to attack, no one follows. That’s a telltale sign that people weren’t believing in the mission.

Leaders set a direct course to success.

Help those who are doing poorly to do well and help those who are doing well to do even better. When I think back on so many of my mentors, I realize that they challenged me, but I challenged them too, to achieve what we set out to do. Leadership is about setting goals. Too many people are afraid to do so, simply because they’re afraid of failure. Set clear, obtainable goals to establish where you want to be. Once you hit your goal, set another one. Don’t ever stop.

Leaders don't panic. They're prepared for anything.

It’s not about what happens to us, it is what we choose to do. The pandemic was just one example of such. It would be easy to look at those circumstances and say, “Woe is me.” The other alternative is to stand up and see an opportunity to lead. If there’s a concern, what do we do to quell it? If there’s an issue, what’s the pathway to resolve it? In times of difficulty, a leader is a dealer in hope.

Leaders are often Leading Experts.

Leaders become leading experts not only by mastering their craft, but also using that ability to inspire, innovate, and ultimately lead by example.

Remember: “Does this person know what they are doing? Can I trust them? Do they care about me?” If the answer to all three questions is, “yes,” Success will follow. Simple as that.

The Best is Yet to Be.

Your Raving Fan,