Francisco Angulo, ABR, CIPS, CRB, CRS, GRI, ePRO, TRC
Broker, Century 21 United Properties & CENTURY 21 United TRG, Weston & Miami Beach, FL
2009 Leadership Academy Graduate
The best leaders are trustworthy, inspire others, and let people know they are valued. It’s important as a leader to inspire based on the present and future not the past. A goal is a vision of a new future, and that can be an inspiration and motivator. The past is often filled with perfect memories or the opposite, failures. In one of our academy sessions we discussed the movie "We are Marshall"; a true story of tragedy, hope, resilience and leadership, in it is what we in the academy referred to as a defining moment. Members of the Marshall University football team, coaches and esteemed members of the community were all killed in an airplane crash creating a defining moment for the entire town. Everyone involved had a difficult time moving on from the perfect past with the appropriate amount of honor to those who lost their lives. The story is about moving out of the past and in this case that required new leadership. The loss was a defining moment and through examples of admirable leadership the devastated community mourned, united and bounced back to victory. I learned that after life is gone the best way to grieve from death is to continue living in order to celebrate life and create a legacy, that’s the best way to honor the past.
The movie inspired me to consider my leadership style and think about a plan of action to be an inspirational broker / leader. First off, I want to create more leaders not followers. Never tell people how to do things, instead tell them what to do and be surprised by their ingenuity. I’d rather forgive someone for a wrong decision rather than not encouraging someone to take action. I’ve refined my ideas on how things get done in the office and want to be a leader, not the boss – the superior that motivates by title. I came up with some points and encourage you to consider using them in your office.
I’ve learned the following and will use these as a guideline to inspire my agents:
A boss creates fear, a leader brings confidence.
A boss fixes blame, a leader corrects mistakes.
A boss knows all, a leader asks questions.
A boss makes work boring, a leader makes it interesting.
A boss is interested in himself or herself, a leader is interested in the group.
Experience is not what happens to us; it’s what we do with what happens to us. The best thing that happened to me was to be part of the 2009 Leadership Academy. WE ARE REALTORS!
Continue reading "Aspire to Inspire" »
Perfecting your elevator speech.
“I apologize that this letter is so long…I lacked the time to make it short.” Blaise Pascal
The great French philosopher would have loved Twitter. Since the real-time messages, or tweets, you send on this service can’t be more than 140 characters, it forces you decide on the point of your message and get to it fast.
Short and to the point isn’t just about technology, though. The venture capital firm that helped fund Google in its infancy stated that a company’s mission statement—its elevator speech if you will—should be short enough to fit on the back of a business card, typically two sentences.
Here at the LAB, we’re big fans of Twitter, and we know a lot of REALTORS® have also embraced this fascinating communications tool. Of course, not everything can be condensed within 140 characters. Still, this discipline has proven quite useful—particularly as all of us at the LAB try to come up with an “elevator speech” about what the NAR Leadership Academy and LAB are all about and how they delivers upon expected promises. .
So we thought it would be a good exercise for the LAB members to build their own elevator speech or Twitter message on leadership. Here’s what we came up with for the LAB and Academy:
“The Leadership Academy blog is the forum that showcase communication & leadership development of REALTOR® volunteer leaders so that all can share & embrace positive change.”
(163 characters with spaces and register mark for those who were counting…)
“The Leadership Academy is the only program to cultivate the future generation of NAR leaders.”
(92 characters)
What would your elevator speech about LAB look like? We want to see it. Please share your thoughts with the rest of the group. As we develop the mission of the LAB, we want to know what’s on your mind. So if you know other members who aren’t taking part, give them a call or e-mail…
…or better yet, Tweet them!
Follow the leadership LAB on Twitter - twitter.com/leadershipLAB
The Little Engine That Could
Book Report by Mary Ann Bush
Many books are written each year regarding business, self help, personal development, goals, teams, and leadership. But sometimes the best lessons are learned from childhood readings. Sometimes the simplest stories have the greatest messages and make the greatest impact. Sometimes we become so over educated that we miss the simple morals of those childhood stories.
The Little Engine That Could is a great story describing leadership skills; the process to burst through mental limitations, and recognizing defining moments in our lives and the lives of others. This story provides seven valuable lessons for us as leaders.
As the story is told, a train is on a mission, loaded with toys and a clown and food and goodies for the boys and girls on the other side of the mountain.
Lesson One – As a Leader you have to have a mission.
Shortly after leaving the station the train stops dead, without notice and through no fault of its own.
Lesson Two – Things will happen that are out of your control. How you respond to these events determines the outcome.
All the toys and the clown jump off the train and look at the mountain that lies ahead.
Lesson Three – When obstacles appear, leaders emerge.
The clown sees the discouragement of the other toys and makes a decision. He begins to take action to rally the rest of the toys. He asks every train that passes by to help take them over the mountain.
Lesson Four – Be a clown. Make decisions, take action, rally those around you, ask for help, and judge no one.
Three engines pass by and refuse to help when asked by the clown.
Lesson Five – Those who appear to be able to help, may not be willing to help.
Along comes the Little Blue Engine. He had never been asked to help before and had feelings of inadequacy. He had never been over the mountain before but with the clown’s encouragement, he took on the task.
Lesson Six – As a clown you may be instrumental in creating defining moments in others as you encourage them to make a decision. It starts in their mind. When they apply action, momentum is created and that individual can expand their potential.
The Little Blue Engine takes the toys and the clown and the food and the goodies over the mountain to the boys and girls on the other side.
Lesson Seven -- Be a clown! Be willing to ask for help. Look for individuals that have potential and motivate them beyond their personal expectations.
We are Clowns! We are Leaders! 2009 Leadership Academy!
How can we help make NAR the choice of tomorrow’s leaders?
Recently Pepsi launched a new redesign of their iconic logo. The change, which essentially consisted of slanting its red, white, and blue logo at a 45 degree angle, created a lot of controversy in the design world. Clearly change—even a relatively minor one--is hard on everyone. Watching the latest Pepsi advertisements and being bombarded with the image on every imaginable surface got us thinking about how Pepsi was trying to reinvent itself with a new look and once again position itself as the choice of the “New Generation,” just as they’d done in the 1980s when the “Choice of a New Generation” tagline first appeared.
So what do advertising and soft drinks have to do with the wonderful world of real estate? Like Pepsi, we want to retain the loyalties of our current customers (our members) and also appeal to the New Generation of real estate professionals. And the efforts of the Leadership Academy can play a critical role in achieving this goal.
One of the key outputs of being a good leader is to recognize the leaders of tomorrow. As we have talked about in previous posts, leadership is a skill that is developed and cultivated; it is not a one-dimensional activity, but an ongoing process. Once you find the people who are—and want to be—leaders, you need to do what is necessary to make them grow. You also need to make the organization relevant to those people. Let’s face it—you don’t want this next generation of leadership to jump ship. You want to make your organization—NAR --the choice of this future generation, so that they, in turn can provide direction for the future of the real estate industry.
Within NAR, we often ask ourselves what we need to do to stay fresh and relevant so we can connect with future generations and recognize their needs. The Leadership Academy is one way we’ve addressed this issue. The message we want to transmit to future generations hasn’t changed: Being an active member of a professional association has advantages. But maybe the way we deliver the message—or the medium we use to deliver it--needs to change. What should NAR do to remain relevant to Generations X and Y and the Millennials? We’d like to hear from you on how NAR can attract and retain dynamic volunteer leadership for the New Generation.
Shake Out the Cobwebs for A Long Season Ahead
Here in the Leadership LAB’s Chicago headquarters, hope springs eternal this time of year. As some of you might know, Chicago is home to both the Cubs and the White Sox, and baseball season in Chicago is like no other place.
As Opening Day fast approaches, Chicago’s North Side is buzzing with anticipation, saying “this is the year…” for the 101st time since they last won a championship, and the South Side’s White Sox try every which way to step away from the Cubs’ shadow. Sure, the Sox won the World Series a couple of years ago, but they also fell to the bottom of their division soon after. As a result, both teams are in Arizona tuning up for the 162-game season, but they are also there to test the team’s chemistry. We wish we were wise enough to prognosticate which team will fare better this year, but we do see opportunities on how to take this time of year to freshen up your team.
In fact, baseball managers are among the smartest leaders in America.
- They have to deal with players who seek out playing time and mesh them with those players who will do anything necessary for the benefit of the team.
- They look for players who appreciate the opportunity to play amongst a select group of individuals; those who play strictly for financial rewards won’t be recognized as “team players.”
- They become a team’s strongest advocate for change. If the manager says, “we need a power pitcher,” the general manager goes out and finds one. “We need a designated hitter to strengthen our lineup!” Lo and behold, the team’s management either finds one, or they work with people throughout the organization and its junior affiliates to find the optimal talent.
Sound familiar? We’re sure it does. These are issues that your team—and you—face every day, let alone one time of year.
Whether you’re a new leader within NAR, you’re looking to reshape your strategy for growing your business or you’ve held a leadership post for quite some time, now is a great time to get your team in “spring training mode.”
Here at the LAB, we’re taking the opportunity to review how we do our business and to seek out ways to improve—even innovate—our operations and our processes. We have come to realize that the more things change, the more they cannot stay the same. Moving forward as an industry requires doing what we can do to help NAR’s next generation of leaders do a better job—not just in leadership, but in all facets of organizational change.
As each of you looks to build your businesses in the midst of one of the roughest financial periods in recent memory, it is normal behavior to look a little further down the road than the next guy (just like Cub fans in April). After all, we’re looking for some sort of competitive advantage, right? The advantage you will have—and the one that smart leaders take—is to look at the calendar in buckets of time. Accomplish what can be done in a definitive time period, and it sets the tone for other results down the road.
Frank Kowalski, CRS
Chairman of the NAR Leadership Academy Advisory Group
Today, every REALTOR®’s’ motto needs to be “zero defects,” a slogan from my military days. You can’t afford to make mistakes in these challenging economic times; there are no chances for do-overs. But making the right decision the first time takes more than a slogan. It takes the analytical and communication skills of a trained leader—one taught to act decisively and quickly in tough situations. To help more REALTORS® acquire and improve their decision-making skills is one of the reasons NAR created the Leadership Academy. The Academy’s leadership training provides an opportunity to learn from one another, as well as from industry experts. The insights you’ll gain at the LA can help lessen the chance of learning the hard way in these tough times.
Imagine the power that the Leadership Academy gives you. For a full year, you’ll meet and work with real estate leaders from all over the country. The group dynamic and the desire to learn from one another create an atmosphere that increases every participant’s effectiveness. At the same time, Academy training allows each person the room to discover strategies that will create lasting results in business, association work and life. There is something about the cooperative interaction of the Leadership Academy that produces results larger than any one individual.
But while learning decision-making skills is critical, I think that the Leadership Academy does something even more valuable in this difficult economic period. Today, more than ever, industry leaders must embrace optimism and promote the upside of real estate. The Leadership Academy is a place to share and spread the enthusiasm we have for our chosen career. It provides a place to improve our outlook by sharing ideas and experiences from others markets. You will begin to see the bigger picture and come to understand other points of view. You will gain new awareness and realize that you have an important role in the future direction of our industry. You’ll leave each LA meeting with a shot of adrenaline that will feed your optimism. Isn’t that reason enough to become a part of the Leadership Academy?
Frank Kowalski, REALTOR® - CRS - 2007 REALTOR® of the Year for the Florida Association of REALTORS® and 2005 President of the Florida Association of REALTORS®. To learn more about Frank visit his site http://www.frank-approach.com/
First 100 days in a new post sets the tone for the rest of your tenure
Ever since FDR implemented his New Deal for this country of ours—a country that was looking for some semblance of economic recovery—the leadership of our nation has been judged, in large part, on the tone set within the first few months of the deal being reached. Fast forward to February 2009, and our new President is writing an agenda which parallels the changes seen in the days of our parents and grandparents. To be sure, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
But it is this very sense of change that the LAB sees an opportunity to help its members. Just as President Obama sought buy-in for his stimulus package, he was also setting the tone for his leadership style. His take-charge and do-what-it-takes-to-get-the-job-done attitude might fit what happens within White House, Inc., but is that style right for your organization?
The resident book geeks at the Leadership LAB went to the local library (you may recall a library from the good ol’ days, lots of books, a card catalog, brings back memories, doesn’t it?) to review one of our favorite books, “You’re in Charge—Now What?” For those of you who prefer online book stores, here is a link to the book. Written by Thomas Neff and James Citrin (two executives from a leading executive search firm), the book provides definitive deliverables that today’s leaders should recognize:
o Any leader’s first 100 days in office set the tone for crafting a strategic agenda and building the foundations of the company culture as long as one holds the “top dog” title.
o Second, it provides an eight-step plan that discusses what incoming business leaders should recognize as they look to the future.
Whether you’re a new leader within NAR, you’re looking to reshape your strategy for growing your business or you’ve held a leadership post for quite some time, now is a great time to draft an agenda for the next 100 days in your office. A little thought into how you look at your leadership style will go a long way in building the future and the future of your organization.
Brooke Hunt, 2009, chairman of the board (president) of the Texas Association of REALTORS® and 2009 NAR Public Policy Coordinating Committee Member
Last year, the chairman of Texas Association of REALTORS®, was ill. Our entire leadership team kicked into gear and worked as one to represent the association as seamlessly as possible in his absence. We did not “replace” him; that was never our goal. But we did want to make sure our members knew that leadership is more than just one person. I think that this idea of a leadership team, of leadership as inclusive rather than focusing on just one person and that person’s idea is the most important lesson I learned moving up the TAR leadership ranks.
I’ve also learned that the most effective way to lead is through example. If you act with confidence and show a sincere willingness to hear ideas from all the members of your team, people won’t follow you blindly because you’re the elected official. They will follow you because they share your vision and want emulate you. That’s the highest compliment any leader can receive.
Leaders always face challenges, but the current real estate economy posses particularly difficult ones for leaders at NAR. With many real estate markets struggling, our volunteers will be focusing on their business and have less time to devote to the association. I’m seeing that challenge in my own business. As leaders, we have to encourage members to work smarter and eliminate time-wasting activities so that they will not only accomplish more and be more successful, but will also continue to have time to work within the association.
Challenging times also means that now, more than ever, NAR leaders need to educate members about the true benefits NAR provides for them. Whether it’s representing their interests aggressively in Washington or providing educational Web casts on new laws and marketing strategies, NAR and the state and local associations are there, supporting members in tough times. That’s what being a leader means.
Michael Tessaro, ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES,2009 California Association of REALTORS® State Director and Vice-Chair of MLS and Business Technology Committee
Michael Tessaro’s ‘bottom up’ approach to leadership reaps dividends
Michael Tessaro started in the real estate industry at the age of 19. With the encouragement of his family, friends and neighbors, his foray into association leadership began with his local association’s member benefits committee and he hasn’t looked back.
In fact, Tessaro’s success has been founded upon what many leadership professionals say is the key to successful teams—making sure anyone who works with a leader is heard and respected. In a recent article in BusinessWeek, respected executive coach Marshall Goldsmith noted that effective leaders are talent managers who engage people to get things done—and done now. This activity generates all sorts of loyalty, and helps people bring their best to the job at hand.
“The best advice I can give to people who want to volunteer at their association is to start at the bottom and work your way up, that and learn how to run a meeting. Learning about the players at the local level introduced me to the state level and inevitably, the national level. It’s your best education.”
Tessaro’s education also included the recognition of how his leadership skills were developed, honed and ultimately utilized. Among his key lessons—the words that come from a leader should not be viewed as the be all and end all. “It’s not really contrary to the definition of leadership. The leader has the vision and empowers the group to act on the vision. It’s up to the leader to express that idea clearly enough that the committee or board; the group- can take ownership and act on it. The sooner you realize your opinion doesn’t matter, the more a leader and the group gets done. Your job as a leader is to build consensus.”
Continue reading "Leadership From the Ground Up" »
Daryl Braham, GRI, CRB, Fargo, ND, is the 2009 Vice President of the North Dakota Association of REALTORS®, the 2009 Vice Chairman of the NAR MLS Service Forum and 2008 NAR Leadership Academy Graduate
I’ve been a member of the Multiple Listing Service Forum for several years and now have the honor of being its vice chairman. One of my challenges as a leader is helping members understand the purpose of a forum. At NAR, forums, unlike committees, are open to all members. Forum meetings provide a place where any member can offer feedback on an issue. In turn, the volunteer leaders of each forum take these ideas and share them with the appropriate committee. In turn, the committee considers these ideas and decides if and how they fit into the organization’s goals. It can be a long process. To help members get a better understanding of that process, I try to take a few minutes at the beginning of the forum to explain how the forum works and how it relates to the role of the committee. It doesn’t have to take long. But if people understand the process, it makes it easier to define what is going to get presented before the committee.
Another challenge for a forum leader is to encourage member participation and get the conversation flowing. I’ve been to forums at the national level that were attended by about 200 people, but only two or three people asked a question or made a comment. You know there must be more people with questions that didn’t speak up. Sometimes it’s a matter of peer pressure. If someone feels he or she is the only one with a question, the odds are that person will leave without saying anything. If we don’t get feedback from members about every facet of what we do as an association, a lot of great ideas and insights never get heard. As the leader of the forum, I need to relate that feedback to the committee, and the only way that happens is if people speak up.
Once you have members willing to share their ideas, a forum leader’s biggest challenge is helping members direct their energy and clarify their thinking. Too often, someone has a good suggestion but doesn’t provide enough detail so that the real idea can be understood and passed along to the committee. Forum participants need to educate themselves on the issues as well as participate. Look at every forum you attend as an opportunity to learn.
When I started attending NAR meetings, I realized that there were some issues I had no idea about. That ignited my enthusiasm because I saw that the potential to grow was right there in front of me. Over time, I’ve learned that although it’s very possible to move up the NAR leadership ladder, you won’t begin to rise up until you reach. And reaching starts with an open, curious mind. Go to the NAR meetings with the intention of learning. Open your mind to something new and you will succeed.
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