Mentor Leadership is the slogan for a successful leadership model for families, groups, companies and teams. As coach of the Indianapolis Colts, Tony Dungy led his team to Super Bowl victory in 2007. A few years ago he wrote “The Mentor Leader” to encourage others to step up to a different kind of leadership role.
In this video, Dungy tells the story of one man who made an impact on his life. The book relates football stories but Dungy also reveals his mindset and motivations behind his methods of dealing with his players. The points he makes and the Q&A with Tony Dungy are great tools for anyone wishing to improve their impact.
Instead of asking, how can I lead my company, my team, or my family to a higher level of success? we should be asking ourselves, how do others around me flourish as a result of my leadership? Do they flourish at all? How does my leadership, my involvement in their lives—in whatever setting we’re in—have a positive and lasting influence and impact on them? – Tony Dungy, “The Mentor Leader” p 5
Any reasonable person wants their company, their group, their family to succeed – but Dungy’s point is that success is not only about the bottom line. Important as that is, we also have to consider the people around us – how can we help THEM be more successful?
Master Power Transmission has been very fortunate to have such a mentor as Bob Lee for the Product Specialists. He led by example to encourage each one to give their full attention to every detail of each call from a customer. His thrill over solving a customer’s problem was contagious, and it had little to do with the amount of the sale but with helping a customer through a challenge. In the same way, Bob encouraged the Specialists to seek the real answer to the problem – in dealing with customers and in their own lives. We feel the legacy in such a mentor sets us apart from our competitors and we hope we can pass on Bob’s wisdom, his zeal for life and the thrill of a problem-solving challenge.
