Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/556112
30 | Boating Industry | May 2015 [ Leadership in action ] www.BoatingIndustry.com Correct Craft also offers weekly leadership training, which is open to managers and non-managers who are interested in the week's topic, such as stress management. The classes include role-playing and other interactive tools and games to involve students. "To see a leader evolve over time is a great reward for me person- ally. You can see how they start to handle situations differently and how they address the people that report to them," said Yeargin. Mentoring and coaching in 20 groups David Parker, president of Parker Business Consulting, said that good leaders are always looking for new and better ways to do business, and one of the best methods for continuous learning is joining a 20 group. He said that while going to training is important, the 20 groups hold leaders accountable for taking action. "So many people go to training, and they'll get all excited and learn all these wonderful things, but they don't go back and actually change, unless there is some reinforcement," said Parker. "That's where the 20 group comes in, where we enforce that continual learning process." In leadership, there are two types of roles: mentoring, which is someone who has the quality or position a mentee aspires to obtain; and coaching, which is someone who may not have that quality or position but knows how to help people develop. In a 20 group, there is an opportunity for members to play either or both of those roles. "In the 20 group, they typically will get [mentoring or coaching] from another individual, and sometimes the entire group gets it from one of the members," said O'Connor. "People bond together and often become resources to one another." Feedback: Better to give and receive One of the key characteristics of any leader is an awareness of his or her strengths and weaknesses. Parker said good leaders know how to position their businesses for success by recognizing those strengths and weaknesses and hiring employees who are strong in areas where the leader is weak. That way, all temperaments and skill sets are covered. "We all lead with our own natural strengths unless we recognize our own weaknesses and complement them," said Parker. Leaders are also willing to listen to their employees and change for the better. Lockridge said having a feedback mechanism to help leaders understand how they come across and their strengths and weaknesses help build leadership skills. Brunswick uses 360-degree feedback, which includes direct feed- back from subordinates, peers, supervisors and a self-evaluation. Lock- ridge said 360 tools and techniques can be purchased and there are consultants who are licensed to set up this mechanism in a company. "It's a small investment [we] can make to really see a big improve- ment in [the company's] leadership capabilities. We use that a lot and it helps our managers to continue to develop and move on to differ- ent levels of their capability," said Lockridge. "[Small businesses] may look at what I'm [suggesting] and say 'Well that's easy for Brunswick because they're a billion-dollar company, but I'm just trying to make ends meet here.' I realize [and understand] that, but on the other hand I think some small investments and hiring the right people can really pay off in a big way, no matter how big the company is." LIBRARY OF LEADERSHIP In discussing the dealers within David Park- er's 20 groups, Parker noted that many of the excellent leaders he works with are active readers, absorbing leadership texts and find- ing relevance in their own businesses. "They're reading these books [and] they're discussing them. 'How can we apply this [principle] in our dealership or our busi- ness?' That kind of training on a regular basis, I think, is an integral part of a company that is providing leadership," said Parker. Correct Craft holds a monthly corporate book club for its employees. Each month, one employee selects a book for the club to read and discuss what they learned. "The book club for employees adds value by continuing education, improving communication and understanding how others process informa- tion. It allows an engineer to see firsthand how a person in marketing or in operations interprets the concepts of the book being discussed," said Yeargin. "This has been a great asset for our team." We asked dealers, manufacturers and consultants to make sugges- tions for industry professionals who want to start learning more about ways to become an effective leader. Below is a list of their collective recommendations. They can be used for individual growth or for discus- sion through a company book club on how to apply the texts to a small or large marine business. These books are available in hard copy and on select e-readers. Seven Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen R. Covey Mindset – Carol Dweck Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error – Kathryn Schulz Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard – Chip Heath How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap ... And Others Don't – Jim Collins The New Articulate Executive — Look, Act and Sound Like a Leader – by Granville N. Toogood The 5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential – John C. Maxwell The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You – John C. Maxwell The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It – Michael E. Gerber Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action – Simon Sinek Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big – Bo Burlingham Drucker & Me: What a Texas Entrepreneur Learned from the Father of Modern Management – Bob Buford QBQ! The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Account- ability at Work and in Life – John G. Miller