{"id":1873,"date":"2016-04-08T13:28:33","date_gmt":"2016-04-08T18:28:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dunwoody.edu\/blog\/?p=1873"},"modified":"2016-04-08T14:13:10","modified_gmt":"2016-04-08T19:13:10","slug":"developing-a-leadership-mindset-five-points","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dunwoody.edu\/news\/2016\/developing-a-leadership-mindset-five-points\/","title":{"rendered":"Developing a Leadership Mindset: Five Points"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ted Ferrara, \u201977 Refrigeration, describes his personal leadership as a \u201cwork in process,\u201d not a \u201cwork in progress.”<\/p>\n

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Ted Ferrara, ’77 Refrigeration, was the April 2016 Leadership Lecture speaker at Dunwoody.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cSome days progress, some days regress, but all days are part of a process,\u201d Ferrara said. One of the\u00a0owners of Standard Heating & Air Conditioning, a local, family-owned business, Ferrara shared his thoughts on leadership during the April 7 C. Charles Jackson Leadership Lecture Series at Dunwoody College of Technology.<\/p>\n

The Dunwoody alum and immediate Past Chairperson\u00a0of the Board of Trustees, Ferrara also holds a B.A. and B.S. in Applied Mathematics from Metropolitan State University and an MBA from Harvard University.<\/p>\n

During his talk, Ferrara defined \u201cLeadership that Matters,\u201d as \u201cHelping people get to a place they would not have otherwise been inclined to go,\u201d and touched on five main points.<\/p>\n

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  1. Be a Good Follower.<\/strong>\u00a0 Know what it is to be a good follower.\u00a0\u00a0It is an active pursuit, not a passive one. Ask yourself, \u201cWould I want me as a follower?\u201d Good followers push back when they disagree and help ensure that their leaders are successful. Becoming a good follower helps future leaders develop understanding and empathy.<\/li>\n
  2. Take Ownership.<\/strong> The organization you work for is an extension of yourself and taking ownership means going beyond the job description and taking responsibility to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks. At the same time, don\u2019t take on everyone\u2019s problems. Instead, empower others to become problem solvers.<\/li>\n
  3. No Excuses.<\/strong> Leadership is difficult and risky personally, and things don\u2019t always work out,\u00a0but nobody buys excuses. Instead, ask yourself if you had a \u201cdo-over\u201d knowing what you know now, would you have done anything different. By adopting a \u201cno excuses\u201d mentality you\u00a0put your best efforts forward and\u00a0unleash a lot of creative problem solving.<\/li>\n
  4. Define Reality.<\/strong> Whether it\u2019s an established and well-functioning enterprise or a total turn-around, a leader\u2019s job is to first figure out where the organization is at and then help others understand that reality.<\/li>\n
  5. Lead With Values.<\/strong> Define and communicate your core values. In an uncertain world, this is where you find certainty.\u00a0 Shared values are the strongest reasons for people\u00a0to follow you.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Watch the video<\/strong>
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