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Background
As part of the Lindner Honors-PLUS Program, we took a semester long course taught by Mr. Bill Bagley that teaches the soft skills of business. How do you give an oral presentation? What skills are needed to communicate effectively? What do employers look for in an interview? How do I effectively manage myself around time? All of these questions, plus many more, were answered in this course. The course was organized as training for how to become a "Strategic Partner."
The Strategic Partner
Strategic Partner Leadership Model
The Strategic Partner Leadership Model is a representation of the keys, skills, reasons, and steps needed to become a successful leader both in the business arena as well as in one’s own personal life. The model is focused around a theme of servant leadership; our individual successes will be determined in large part by the extent to which we are able to serve other people throughout our lives. By avoiding a self-serving attitude and embracing a selfless mindset, we can set ourselves up for success in all facets of life. This is achieved through the relationships we build and the personal development standards we set for ourselves. Championing and motivating other people should be one of our most desired skill sets because this will ultimately better both individuals and society itself.
In order to find ourselves in a position where we are able to succeed, there are several skills that we must develop. We must establish personal credibility and become a proficient oral presenter using both manner and style. We must learn how to manage ourselves around a limited amount of time and develop business knowledge and creative thinking skills in between. It is also important that we drive performance in our specific positions and are able to better the marketplace as a whole. These qualities illustrate the value that a Strategic Partner brings to the table. In these ways, we are able to lead other people towards success.
Organizations look for this Strategic Partner Leadership Model in the talent that they recruit. From a company’s standpoint, they see these competencies as the number one way to grow the business and maintain successful talent and market share. Strategic Partners push an organization from good and complacent to great and exceptional. Many organizations, however, do not find these leaders because they either do not know how to or fail to connect well with others, thus leading to a negative attitude towards change.
Strategic Partners find ways to enable others to remember their message and use it in their own lives. For example, they use “sound bites” and storytelling to communicate their messages and understand and motivate their audiences. One example of this skill comes from a man who was under more pressure than most of us will ever know. President Abraham Lincoln was challenged with the conflicts of slavery and civil war in the United States and addressed the nation with a powerful line: “Four score and seven years ago our Fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that ALL men were created equal.” This message at Gettysburg motivated the American people to think differently about their system and adjust the way they lived. It influenced the future of our nation and was successful because Lincoln knew how to engage his audience. Likewise, we are challenged to engage the audiences we encounter throughout our lives.
Additionally, the Strategic Partner creates the most value in this model through networking with others and building sustainable and valuable relationships. Networking involves creating a relationship in which both individuals benefit from the other’s support. These relationships should be nurtured and maintained in order for there to be significantly positive results. If each person has about three hundred people in their own personal network, every one of us is one phone call away from nearly 90,000 individuals. To be successful, we must utilize this network of strong-minded businessmen and women and provide value to those we meet and seek. The network factor is a powerful tool and has proven successful for countless numbers of individuals, especially in a business setting. Each of us is now in a position, specifically within Cincinnati, but around the world, too, where we have the resources and tools needed to network well. The challenge that we all will embrace is motivating ourselves to establish these connections and use them to ours and others’ advantages.
Career Destination Model
Dr. Edward C. Banfield was an American political scientist who served as an advisor for Republican presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan. In 1970, he published The Unheavenly City, which discussed how several successful people have been able to build such great futures. Originally, Banfield believed that these leaders were genetically predisposed to being successful. However, after more research was conducted, Banfield discovered that people who are able to delay instant gratification and think more about future rewards (an outlook he called “long time perspective”) were more likely to succeed.
Forty years later, this principle still holds true. In order to guarantee a future of success, we must think about how actions taken today will affect our lives in five, ten, or even twenty years. The Strategic Partner does not lack this mentality, or this ability to have a clear focus on where they want their career to go. Rather, they embrace it by actively setting achievable yet challenging goals for themselves and working diligently to accomplish them. By not becoming a Strategic Partner, we run the risk of not reaching the top of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, titled “self-actualization.” Self-actualization occurs when an individual reaches their full potential and realizes their ability to communicate and lead others to the fullest extent. Only about 5% of each generation reaches this level, most likely due to their ability to think ahead and adapt a “long time perspective” attitude. Every one of us is capable and motivated to set goals for ourselves, keeping a long-time perspective in mind. By doing so, we are setting ourselves up for future success in our careers and relationships with others.
Strategic Partner Value Proposition
What does it really mean to be valuable? The Oxford American Dictionary defines value as “the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something.” If a product is seen as valuable, it deserves to be bought; if a certain food is thought to have value, it deserves to be eaten. This being said, how can we, as up-and-coming business professionals, prove ourselves deserving of esteemed employment? The answer to this question and its associated steps can be easily recognized in the Strategic Partner Value Proposition.
The Strategic Partner Value Proposition focuses on six primary areas:
1.) Personal Credibility
2.) Oral Presentation, Manner, and Style
3.) Time Management
4.) Business Knowledge, Creativity, and Consultative Skills
5.) Marketplace Eminence
6.) Leading Others
Personal credibility and marketplace eminence go hand-in-hand with each other. In the business environment, building towards success all starts with the people you know and what those people know about you. One concept frequently referred to throughout this course is that, “Perception becomes reality in the eyes of those forming and holding that image.” A few of the most reliable ways to gain personal credibility are known as the “Core Competencies”: self-image; boardroom presence; interpersonal skills; awareness; personal substance and professionalism; relationship and team building skills; and presentation manner and style. These competencies are critical to develop for the Strategic Partner. He/she has not reached their ultimate career destination until they have mastered these communication skills. Of these components included in the Value Proposition, Personal Credibility is one that we have been working to develop. Global Awareness and Relationship Management have been two areas that we have struggled with in the past. This course has inspired us to put outside effort into paying attention to current events as well as keeping in contact with our current business networks.
Similarly, time management, business knowledge, and oral presentation skills are also critically important. Time management revolves more around managing ourselves around limited time. Presenting yourself in a composed, orderly, and professional fashion is a vital component in proving your personal value to a company, too. Whether you are leading a formal presentation at a meeting or informally speaking with a co-worker, you must arrive in a timely manner and conduct yourself professionally.
We were able to directly apply these tactics this semester when our group presented our unanimous opinion that a well-rounded knowledge of the world is vital to doing good business. As this was a serious subject, we needed to stand firmly in our opinion, and speak and act professionally in order to convince our audience that our argument was worthwhile. We also convinced ourselves as well as our audience that developing business knowledge and consultative skills can benefit us in the future.
A valuable partner is one whose intentions are not selfish. In order to prove your value fully, both empathy and leadership ability are needed. Ultimately, this will enable us to lead others.
We were fortunate enough to receive a hands-on example of this while attending Camp Joy with our peers. Being in an honors business program, we are all accustomed to taking the head leadership roles in any and every team we are a part of. The challenge for us did not come in taking leadership in our group activities, but rather sharing the responsibility with others. Similar to gaining knowledge of business clients, we instead learned to sit back, observe our peers, and offer insight when needed.
Reflection on the History from 1954-1973 Era
The lessons learned from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s throughout this course impacted our perspectives on American history, culture, and mindsets, and enabled us to think about our own lives in a new light. After seeing sound bites of figures like Martin Luther King, Jr., to watching the timeline unfold of John F. Kennedy and his administration’s journey, to understanding part of the American people’s reactions to the Vietnam War, we were able to gain a better understanding of how our nation has become what it is today.
The presentation instilled feelings of curiosity, empathy, and hope within us. We learned a plethora of information that could only be conveyed most vividly through real-life examples. Several of us were left questioning what could have happened had certain events not taken place in history. For example, if Kennedy had not been assassinated, would the Vietnam War been as much of a disaster as it was? Would our lives have significant changes that were unable to be brought forth under the successive leadership? These are some of the several questions that this time period brought us. We also felt empathetic, especially seeing the treatment of African Americans as they continued to fight for their freedom. Martin Luther King, Jr. led the revolution that ultimately pushed our nation to stronger unification. Growing up in a generation where racism is not as prevalent, we feel sorry for these people and find it difficult to comprehend some of the events that occurred. The personal story of letting an African American man and woman stay at Mr. Bagley’s house during a time of upheaval and defiance illustrates this empathy well. The course also brought us a sense of hope after seeing such great leaders emerge from this nation. Society is constantly trying to tear down and degrade so many public figures today, but we are hopeful and optimistic that our nation will continually be led by intelligent and patriotic leaders.
As we mentioned in our oral presentation given earlier in the year, we are better able to connect with individuals and lead our nation to success if we understand our history. History often repeats itself unless motivated and courageous young leaders make conscious efforts to stray from past negative precedents. After gaining a better perspective on this time period, we have accepted the challenge to use this knowledge to our advantage, both throughout our careers and in the everyday decisions we make. This may involve participation in a certain conversation between peers or co-workers, or contributing to a group project. It could also involve making a critical decision for a company or organization, one that has a specific action that could potentially lead to a historical repeat. Our goal is to take what we have learned and use it to benefit others. Kennedy’s inspirational quote, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”, sets a great example for us to live our lives. By acting as a Strategic Partner, we ask not what we can do to benefit ourselves, but rather how our skills and actions can be used to benefit others. Our personal development as an individual will push us to succeed and pursue a life of service to others.
The Strategic Partner Leadership Model is a representation of the keys, skills, reasons, and steps needed to become a successful leader both in the business arena as well as in one’s own personal life. The model is focused around a theme of servant leadership; our individual successes will be determined in large part by the extent to which we are able to serve other people throughout our lives. By avoiding a self-serving attitude and embracing a selfless mindset, we can set ourselves up for success in all facets of life. This is achieved through the relationships we build and the personal development standards we set for ourselves. Championing and motivating other people should be one of our most desired skill sets because this will ultimately better both individuals and society itself.
In order to find ourselves in a position where we are able to succeed, there are several skills that we must develop. We must establish personal credibility and become a proficient oral presenter using both manner and style. We must learn how to manage ourselves around a limited amount of time and develop business knowledge and creative thinking skills in between. It is also important that we drive performance in our specific positions and are able to better the marketplace as a whole. These qualities illustrate the value that a Strategic Partner brings to the table. In these ways, we are able to lead other people towards success.
Organizations look for this Strategic Partner Leadership Model in the talent that they recruit. From a company’s standpoint, they see these competencies as the number one way to grow the business and maintain successful talent and market share. Strategic Partners push an organization from good and complacent to great and exceptional. Many organizations, however, do not find these leaders because they either do not know how to or fail to connect well with others, thus leading to a negative attitude towards change.
Strategic Partners find ways to enable others to remember their message and use it in their own lives. For example, they use “sound bites” and storytelling to communicate their messages and understand and motivate their audiences. One example of this skill comes from a man who was under more pressure than most of us will ever know. President Abraham Lincoln was challenged with the conflicts of slavery and civil war in the United States and addressed the nation with a powerful line: “Four score and seven years ago our Fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that ALL men were created equal.” This message at Gettysburg motivated the American people to think differently about their system and adjust the way they lived. It influenced the future of our nation and was successful because Lincoln knew how to engage his audience. Likewise, we are challenged to engage the audiences we encounter throughout our lives.
Additionally, the Strategic Partner creates the most value in this model through networking with others and building sustainable and valuable relationships. Networking involves creating a relationship in which both individuals benefit from the other’s support. These relationships should be nurtured and maintained in order for there to be significantly positive results. If each person has about three hundred people in their own personal network, every one of us is one phone call away from nearly 90,000 individuals. To be successful, we must utilize this network of strong-minded businessmen and women and provide value to those we meet and seek. The network factor is a powerful tool and has proven successful for countless numbers of individuals, especially in a business setting. Each of us is now in a position, specifically within Cincinnati, but around the world, too, where we have the resources and tools needed to network well. The challenge that we all will embrace is motivating ourselves to establish these connections and use them to ours and others’ advantages.
Career Destination Model
Dr. Edward C. Banfield was an American political scientist who served as an advisor for Republican presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan. In 1970, he published The Unheavenly City, which discussed how several successful people have been able to build such great futures. Originally, Banfield believed that these leaders were genetically predisposed to being successful. However, after more research was conducted, Banfield discovered that people who are able to delay instant gratification and think more about future rewards (an outlook he called “long time perspective”) were more likely to succeed.
Forty years later, this principle still holds true. In order to guarantee a future of success, we must think about how actions taken today will affect our lives in five, ten, or even twenty years. The Strategic Partner does not lack this mentality, or this ability to have a clear focus on where they want their career to go. Rather, they embrace it by actively setting achievable yet challenging goals for themselves and working diligently to accomplish them. By not becoming a Strategic Partner, we run the risk of not reaching the top of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, titled “self-actualization.” Self-actualization occurs when an individual reaches their full potential and realizes their ability to communicate and lead others to the fullest extent. Only about 5% of each generation reaches this level, most likely due to their ability to think ahead and adapt a “long time perspective” attitude. Every one of us is capable and motivated to set goals for ourselves, keeping a long-time perspective in mind. By doing so, we are setting ourselves up for future success in our careers and relationships with others.
Strategic Partner Value Proposition
What does it really mean to be valuable? The Oxford American Dictionary defines value as “the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something.” If a product is seen as valuable, it deserves to be bought; if a certain food is thought to have value, it deserves to be eaten. This being said, how can we, as up-and-coming business professionals, prove ourselves deserving of esteemed employment? The answer to this question and its associated steps can be easily recognized in the Strategic Partner Value Proposition.
The Strategic Partner Value Proposition focuses on six primary areas:
1.) Personal Credibility
2.) Oral Presentation, Manner, and Style
3.) Time Management
4.) Business Knowledge, Creativity, and Consultative Skills
5.) Marketplace Eminence
6.) Leading Others
Personal credibility and marketplace eminence go hand-in-hand with each other. In the business environment, building towards success all starts with the people you know and what those people know about you. One concept frequently referred to throughout this course is that, “Perception becomes reality in the eyes of those forming and holding that image.” A few of the most reliable ways to gain personal credibility are known as the “Core Competencies”: self-image; boardroom presence; interpersonal skills; awareness; personal substance and professionalism; relationship and team building skills; and presentation manner and style. These competencies are critical to develop for the Strategic Partner. He/she has not reached their ultimate career destination until they have mastered these communication skills. Of these components included in the Value Proposition, Personal Credibility is one that we have been working to develop. Global Awareness and Relationship Management have been two areas that we have struggled with in the past. This course has inspired us to put outside effort into paying attention to current events as well as keeping in contact with our current business networks.
Similarly, time management, business knowledge, and oral presentation skills are also critically important. Time management revolves more around managing ourselves around limited time. Presenting yourself in a composed, orderly, and professional fashion is a vital component in proving your personal value to a company, too. Whether you are leading a formal presentation at a meeting or informally speaking with a co-worker, you must arrive in a timely manner and conduct yourself professionally.
We were able to directly apply these tactics this semester when our group presented our unanimous opinion that a well-rounded knowledge of the world is vital to doing good business. As this was a serious subject, we needed to stand firmly in our opinion, and speak and act professionally in order to convince our audience that our argument was worthwhile. We also convinced ourselves as well as our audience that developing business knowledge and consultative skills can benefit us in the future.
A valuable partner is one whose intentions are not selfish. In order to prove your value fully, both empathy and leadership ability are needed. Ultimately, this will enable us to lead others.
We were fortunate enough to receive a hands-on example of this while attending Camp Joy with our peers. Being in an honors business program, we are all accustomed to taking the head leadership roles in any and every team we are a part of. The challenge for us did not come in taking leadership in our group activities, but rather sharing the responsibility with others. Similar to gaining knowledge of business clients, we instead learned to sit back, observe our peers, and offer insight when needed.
Reflection on the History from 1954-1973 Era
The lessons learned from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s throughout this course impacted our perspectives on American history, culture, and mindsets, and enabled us to think about our own lives in a new light. After seeing sound bites of figures like Martin Luther King, Jr., to watching the timeline unfold of John F. Kennedy and his administration’s journey, to understanding part of the American people’s reactions to the Vietnam War, we were able to gain a better understanding of how our nation has become what it is today.
The presentation instilled feelings of curiosity, empathy, and hope within us. We learned a plethora of information that could only be conveyed most vividly through real-life examples. Several of us were left questioning what could have happened had certain events not taken place in history. For example, if Kennedy had not been assassinated, would the Vietnam War been as much of a disaster as it was? Would our lives have significant changes that were unable to be brought forth under the successive leadership? These are some of the several questions that this time period brought us. We also felt empathetic, especially seeing the treatment of African Americans as they continued to fight for their freedom. Martin Luther King, Jr. led the revolution that ultimately pushed our nation to stronger unification. Growing up in a generation where racism is not as prevalent, we feel sorry for these people and find it difficult to comprehend some of the events that occurred. The personal story of letting an African American man and woman stay at Mr. Bagley’s house during a time of upheaval and defiance illustrates this empathy well. The course also brought us a sense of hope after seeing such great leaders emerge from this nation. Society is constantly trying to tear down and degrade so many public figures today, but we are hopeful and optimistic that our nation will continually be led by intelligent and patriotic leaders.
As we mentioned in our oral presentation given earlier in the year, we are better able to connect with individuals and lead our nation to success if we understand our history. History often repeats itself unless motivated and courageous young leaders make conscious efforts to stray from past negative precedents. After gaining a better perspective on this time period, we have accepted the challenge to use this knowledge to our advantage, both throughout our careers and in the everyday decisions we make. This may involve participation in a certain conversation between peers or co-workers, or contributing to a group project. It could also involve making a critical decision for a company or organization, one that has a specific action that could potentially lead to a historical repeat. Our goal is to take what we have learned and use it to benefit others. Kennedy’s inspirational quote, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”, sets a great example for us to live our lives. By acting as a Strategic Partner, we ask not what we can do to benefit ourselves, but rather how our skills and actions can be used to benefit others. Our personal development as an individual will push us to succeed and pursue a life of service to others.
Camp Joy
At the conclusion of the course, our Lindner Honors-PLUS class took a weekend retreat to Camp Joy to further develop our leadership skills and to practice what we had learned. Pictured below is our class.