As I was growing up, our family participated on the swim team. I say our family because my only sister and I both swam, my dad was the coach, and my mom helped with organizing our swimming meets and trips. Being raised in Wyoming, we had many swimming meets that were more than 150 miles from home. We travel much and worked hard. Our head coach, Bruce Gresley, is a man that I believe exemplifies the word LEADERSHIP.
Clifton Taulbert (2009) states how important vision is in leadership. In fact, having a clear vision is what will drive the organization to success.
In small town Lander, Wyoming (population approximately 7500), the swimming team was the city's largest organized sport. Bruce's vision was clear. He wanted to have an impact on children and families, to help them live and learn leadership, stay healthy, and to bring the community together. Year after year, Bruce was able to have a large impact on the people of the Lander community by bringing families together around this vision. His track record is unbelievable. He led the USS competitive team to state championships year after year. The boys and girls high school swimming teams won state championships year after year. The enrollment in the swimming program never took a dip. How did he do this? By staying true to his vision.
Taulbert (2009) uses the analogy of being on a sailing ship when a large wind comes up. In that scenario there are two things a leader can do is 1) adjust the sails and 2) rally the crew. There is no sense to try to stop the wind.
When I was first part of the swimming team, the Lander community did not have a pool of it's own. We practiced at the Wyoming State Training School (a state run facility for handicapped people). I remember the dinner table discussion of our family about what was going to happen when the "state school" would no longer allow us to use their pool. Bruce adjusted the sails and rallied the crew and in an amazing 2 years, Lander had it's own Olympic size swimming pool in the community. It was THE premier swimming facility in the state. Bruce's vision was so clear and the community he worked with was so strong that he was able to realize this dream in a short amount of time.
Taulbert (2009) states the importance of building capacity, which is driven by the vision. building capacity is the creation of an enabling environment for all to participate by embracing their skills, experiences, and perspectives.
Swimming is an individual sport. Yes, there are relays, but for the most part it is about an individual working to improve their time, stroke, and the place they finish in the race. Bruce was able to take every single person on that team, embrace the strengths they had, and find a way for them to experience success. His care and concern that every child learn leadership skills, experience the feeling of success when you have achieved your personal goal, and become a better person because of being part of the "team".
Leading the future is about investing in others, leaving a legacy (Taulbert, 2009).
Bruce left that legacy. After the death of Bruce's son, a facebook page was created for Bruce, showing him the support from all the lives he had touched. Thousands of people who now live all over the world were contributing words of encouragement and giving thanks for the impacts Bruce had on their lives.
Community is an important asset no leader wants to lead without.
Bruce led with integrity, was a role model, and exemplified what building community was about. His greater concern was that all children had a safe, healthy environment to be raised in, and that we could work together to have positive impacts on the lives of all the children in the community.
Taulbert was an amazing speaker. In the first few minutes of his presentation, you could see that he exemplified what he was speaking about. You could tell that his life was dedicated to helping others. His stories of success showed that he has worked hard to be a role model for others. He is concerned about who his is as a person because of the effect that will have on his followers. The most powerful of his message was through story. He uses his stories to show others how leadership can happen, even in the smallest of events.
Taulbert (2009) reminds us to RAP-Reflect, Analyze, and Plan. This is an important leadership lesson for all of us. It is in the reflection that we can continually check our vision. Are we on target? How are our core values? What do others see? Are our actions matching what we are wanting from others? Analyze what we have done and where we are going. Then plan. If we plan without the other two, we are likely to be headed in the wrong direction.
We must remember that the community we are leading is as strong and solid as their core values and the core values of the leadership charged to implement them. When the leadership's personal workplace behavior becomes unethical, it chips away at the company's core values, impacting others...sending signals of what is now acceptable behavior (Taulbert, 2009).
Bruce was such an incredible man because his core values and vision were in alignment. They were transparent. They were real. From the lives of those who he touched...we thank you for your leadership!
In the video below you can get a flavor of the power of story that Taulbert has. Enjoy!
Clifton Taulbert
Taulbert, C. (2009, June) Learning for the 21st century. Lecture delivered at the Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI.
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