As I said in a previous po
st, last weekend I spent four days training to be a Registered Maine Guide. The training was very thorough, and I am feeling more confident than ever that I have the skills, and now the training to proudly wear the red and green patch that designates me amongst the four to five thousand other men and women who went before me who are Registered Maine Guides.
One thing I most enjoyed about the training was our instructor, Carroll Ware. He has been a Registered Maine Guide for over 30 years, and he was the epitome of confidence in leadership. As I listened to his teachings, lessons and stories over the four days of training, I realized that being a confident leader is not necessarily something you are born into … it’s a skill. I say it’s a skill, because there are very prominent behaviors and habits that help build confidence – and we can all attain and achieve them – with dedication, determination and practice. I call these elements “The Five C’s of Confident Leaders.” For the next few days, I will post one of the “Five C’s” – be sure to join this blog to follow along!
Character
Anytime something went awry or wrong in my life, my Dad would reassure me my challenges “built character.” What he meant was, the way a person deals with hardship and challenges defines their integrity. Your character is what makes people drawn to you. Our instructor at the Guiding class was rich with character – he was endearing and charming – and his stories illustrated how he dealt with tough situations, and came out humbly wiser and stronger. As such, he confidently led the class because we were hanging on his words. Through his stories, he backed the training he was giving us, and validated that he really walks the talk. How have you dealt with problems in the past? Did your reaction to the situation strengthen or weaken your character? Are you able to demonstrate that you walk the talk through your actions and reactions?
Tune in tomorrow – I will post about the second “C” of Confident Leaders!
Until then, Hit the Heights!
Priscilla Hansen Mahoney
The Natural Leadership Guide
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One of the most important ways to show character is to realize that when someone “judges” you, even someone you think you know, they are not really judging you, but everyone they’ve meet in their life who has resembled you. They are not interacting with you the person, they are interacting with their own personal stereotype of you. People in power face this daily, including Police, Warden’s and yes, guides. This sometimes is a good thing, especially if they have only had good interactions with other polices, wardens, guides or what have you, but sometimes they have had bad experiences, and you need to gain their trust before setting about the task at hand.
You are not you to that person, you are the sum total of everyone they’ve ever meet who looks/acts/sounds like you, or has held the position you hold. Don’t lose it, use it as an opportunity to demonstrate your capability, your integrity, how different you are from those they have meet in the past. Recognize that they are not seeing you for you, acknowledge it, and build that bond that will allow them to trust you, and you to lead with confidence.