Tom Ziglar - 10 Leadership Virtues for Disruptive Times: Coaching Your Team Through Immense Change and Challenge

TOM ZIGLAR is the proud son of Zig Ziglar and the CEO of Ziglar, Inc. He joined the Zig Ziglar Corporation in 1987 and climbed from working in the warehouse, to sales, to management, and then on to leadership. Today, he speaks around the world; hosts The Ziglar Show, one of the top-ranked business podcasts; and carries on the Ziglar philosophy: You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want. He and his wife, Chachis, have one daughter and reside in Plano, Texas.

I have so many people to thank for helping me with this book! Over the last eighteen months, countless hours have been invested in research and conversations with so many people from all walks of life that have given me insight and inspiration into what Coach Leadership really is.

I want to start by thanking my immediate familyChachis, Alexandra, and Zachfor listening to my book ideas when they were trapped in the car, at the dinner table, or taking walks with me.

Bruce Barbour, my friend, mentor, agent, and book writing genius, for his countless hours and thousands of nudges on the book.

The entire Thomas Nelson team, with a special thanks to Jenny Baumgartner and Janene MacIvor for asking the great questions and polishing the book with incredible skill. You guys are a joy to work with!

Laurie Magers for your incredible support and editing and to Cindy Ziglar Oates for your constant encouragement along the way.

My Who friend, Bob Beaudine, with whom I could have deep conversations and dream a little at the same time about the book.

Howard Partridge, friend, mentor, and the best small business coach in the world, who made the book so much easier to understand.

Owen Fitzpatrick, who got the whole concept rolling at a breakfast just before the pandemic hit and suggested a few books to read and a path to explore.

John Rouse and David Wright, for their encouragement and lively discussions around everything coaching in a way that pleases God. This book is a reflection of our discussions!

Dr. Rashmi Dixit, for helping me to see how to address the sensitive subjects of Coach Leadership in ways that lift up those who are often disregarded and equip leaders to put aside preconceived notions that limit their effectiveness.

Michael Norton, Trenell Walker, Scott Eriksson, Bryan Dodge, Billy Cox, Bob Tiede, Charles Ho, and Krish Dhanham, who each have sharpened my iron through the years in their own unique way.

Grant Estrade, who is not afraid to call me out for the purpose of discovering and testing the foundation of my thinking, making it stronger and richer in the process.

TJ Johnson, Jason Frenn, and Julie Ziglar Norman, whose voices I hear in my head as I seek to speak the truth in love.

Kevin Miller, who is the greatest podcast host in all the landfor the countless hours we have discussed the issues in life that matter most.

Angie Crellin, who inspires and equips our Ziglar Coaches on a daily basis to become Coach Leaders and has inspired me in the process.

Seth Godin, Rabbi Daniel Lapin, Ken Blanchard, and Dave Ramsey, who are my mentors through the written word and who are always quick to give direction and positive feedback when I ask.

Zig Ziglar

This quote is especially true for Coach Leaders. Following is a step-by-step coaching process (the do) that will allow you to inspire, develop, grow, and lead a top performing team and business. Most of all, as a Coach Leader you will want to inspire your people to do this for themselves. The do process is designed to be intentional, and it will take some time, but the results are exponential. Doing this effectively with more than five to seven direct reports could be a stretch for you if you have other leadership requirements beyond coaching and developing your people. The do process is exponential because your ultimate goal is to develop leaders who can also implement the do process.

Intentionally choosing to be a Coach Leader is the first step you must take. The key here is to avoid being lukewarm. You need to go all in. This means that you need to intentionally develop your mindset, your habits, your character qualities, and specifically the ten virtues and skills necessary so that being a Coach Leader is the automatic fruit of your life. Let this book serve as your guide as you become an incredible Coach Leader.

To be a great Coach Leader you need a game plan. Just as in sports, leading a team in the business world means you will face both expected and unexpected challenges. The game plan you have prepared in advance will have a huge impact on your ability to adjust when the disruption comes.

The Ziglar Game Plan Form can be found here:

www.ZiglarCoachLeadership.com.

You are welcome to use it or you can create your own based on your organizations needs and priorities. Make sure you complete the form for each of your team members before the game begins.

The company mission statement should be at the top of your game plan form, and you should have it internalized and memorized. As you onboard and work with team members, keep in mind the company mission statement is your true north, and the more you reference it, the more likely you will continually move toward it.

Depending on the size of your organization, you may want to create a team mission statement that describes how your team specifically fulfills the company mission statement. This is especially helpful in organizations that have many tiers and divisions. A team mission statement can better connect a team members work to the overall success of the business.

As the Coach Leader you need to have complete clarity in identifying the job description and role for each of your team members. Identified KPIs (key performance indicators) are essential in this area. As change and disruption come, many job descriptions become outdated and are no longer useful. Reviewing this regularly allows you to adjust as your team members grow and as the work changes.

The DISC profile is a powerful way to understand the communication styles of your team members. Having the DISC Profile Assessment done for everyone on your team will allow you to communicate with each team member in the way they can best receive it. This is more important than ever if you have a remote or hybrid workforce and your communications are done primarily by video conference. You can learn more about the DISC assessment tool and get yours here: www.ZiglarCoachLeadership.com.

Make sure to highlight on your game plan form the words that motivate and connect with each team member as revealed in their DISC assessment. Highlight words, phrases, and questions that are specific to each persons DISC profile. It is also a good idea to make note of things you should never say to that team member, based on their profile. This is also a place where you can take notes regarding past conversations with team members, emphasizing what words worked well and what words didnt.

This section of the game plan form definitely evolves over time. In the beginning, new team members might be hesitant about sharing their personal dreams and goals. It might be limited to their career goals and may seem limited and small. As you gain trust and the relationship builds, you will begin to understand what their overall personal motivators and goals are. When you learn something new, make sure to add it to the section. This can be a topic for further discussion. For example, if they say they would like to travel, ask them what their dream trip would be. How they answer that question will tell you how much this motivates them and will allow you to help them reach this goal. Remember that goals and dreams take time and money to accomplish. The better someone does at their work, the faster they can attain their goals and dreams. My book