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update
July - August 2014
TEC’s Secret Purpose:
De-Coding “What Is!”
Inner Qualities
Of Great Leaders
By Dennis Ellmauer Chair, TEC 31, 33, 44
Simon Sinek created quite a stir with his 2009 TED
­video titled How Great Leaders Inspire Action. His
Golden Circle concept suggests that leaders who
understand and are able to articulate why they are
in business have a competitive advantage over those
who only know what their companies do and how
they do it.
I polled my TEC members to see what they think of
the attributes of great leaders, and it showed that we
as TEC members know quite a bit about what leaders
do and how we do it, but why we do it doesn’t come
as easily.
We agreed that leaders set vision and think
­strategically, that we communicate effectively by
speaking well and listening intently, and that we enlist
great people and empower them to accomplish the
goals of the organization. That’s what we do.
TEC resource James Newton contends that the secret of
TEC success is helping CEOs to “DECODE” the e
­ nvironment:
What the marketplace is saying and changing to, and
what’s h
­ appening that de-energizes their people and thus
­suboptimizing success ... to recognize patterns and behaviors
for what they mean beyond what they are superficially. By
­sensitizing them to these “codes,” executives are better able
to get superior thinking and effectiveness, much more than
­competitors can. This is part of more effective leadership!
Other insights by James:
• “I’m a big fan of leading Socratically, observing and asking questions ... Management With Hands In Pockets ... not
fostering dependency on you.”
When you do this, you enable learning, the ability of the person to get to understanding faster for all future problems.
It puts the burden “to think” on the other person, where it
belongs, not on you.
• We live in a chronically anxious society, with very low pain
thresholds. When a stimulus exceeds the threshold, we go
from low pain to acute pain, acute anxiety. When people are
anxious, stress and ambiguity increase, and performance
decreases. We make bad decisions. That’s why as a leader it’s
important to control the good stress/bad stress balance.”
• “As a Leader, your job is to manage the context.”
But, why are leaders the way they are? What makes a
great leader? What are their inner characteristics or
traits? Can they be learned, acquired and developed.
• “Earning your validity of leadership comes from
­understanding what’s going on (What Is!) at a level higher
(more insightful) than anyone else ... and to translate this
into appropriate next steps.” Much of this is innate, but it can
be developed.
Here are some suggestions:
• Fear is Anxiety about Ambiguity. Too high expectations of
impending loss.
1. Leaders are Courageous
Leaders evaluate and take risks. After ­analyzing
alternatives, they select a course of action
­knowing it’s not perfect. They know they will be
­embarrassed or hurt along the way.
†Continued on page 3
• Addictions include interesting patterns we frequently don’t
recognize: Self-Righteousness/ Arrogance, Resentment (a
reaction to powerlessness),Multi-tasking (creating a feeling
of value), and Confusion (a compensating strategy against a
domineering person).
†Continued on page 2
TEC is dedicated to increasing the effectiveness and enhancing the lives of CEOs.
13105 W. Bluemound Rd., Suite 250 | Brookfield, WI 53005 | 262/821-3340 or 800/236-9832 | tecmidwest.com
TEC Update | July - August 2014 | Page 2
2014 Senior Managers Program
The popular Senior Managers speaker program continues throughout 2014, and is
always available for registration for future events, according to Rita Rehlinger, the
facilitator.
The costs involve an initial fee covering the first person, with a reduced cost for each
additional person from your organization who attends a session.
Sessions are from 8 AM - Noon. TEC members are invited to attend for free.
Milwaukee and Appleton
The first date is for Milwaukee, at the
Radisson/ Milwaukee West, and the
second is for Appleton, at the Holiday Inn.
• Sept. 16-17: Dan Barnett on
“Make or Break Execution: The Core
of Success.”
• Nov. 4-5: John O’Leary on “Power
of One: Authoring Your Life
Of Significance.”
Michigan (Grand Rapids)
• Oct. 15: Edgar Papke on “The
Biggest Elephant: How Leaders
Use Conflict To Create Opportunity
and Performance.”
• Dec. 3: Mitch Gooze on “What is
Marketing Anyway: Understanding
the Real Role of Marketing in
Your Company.”
Welcome New
Members
Wisconsin
Dave Beck-Engel,
J.H.Findorff & Son,
Madison, TEC 15
Thomas Brockley, Everbrite,
Greenfield, TEC 09
Connie Carlson, Cal Marine,
Sister Bay, TEC 41
John Connelly,
Ruitenberg Ingredients,
DePere, TEC 41
Scott Gittrich, Toppers Pizza,
Whitewater, TEC 15
Matthew Gonnering,
Widen Enterprises,
Monona, TEC 15
For more information, contact Rita at rita@tecmidwest.com
or 1-800-236-9832.
Mark Higgins, Johnson Bank,
Green Bay, TEC 30
Tom Jaskolski, Cal-X,
Grafton, TEC 43
Joshua Johnson,
Don Johnson Auto Group,
Rice Lake, TEC 36
James Newton, cont.
They are ­usually rooted in some fear • “People in TEC come to have their
Answers questioned. That’s
related to an insecurity about
painful. They accept looking at
success. Indeed, even Microother approaches, other answers,
managing is a form of anxiety.
and trying them. Discomfort.
• Turning Point: When you stop
­Ambiguity. Anxiety. Seeking higher
­blaming others for your problems.
levels of enlightenment involves
• “Two things I can’t stand: Change ...
trial and error. But No Pain,
and the way it is!”
No Gain!”
• “Life strives for simplicity: Everyone
wants to be thought of as lovable
and capable.”
• “WHO you are speaks so loudly(!)
about you that I can’t hear a word
you say.” So, be constantly
transparent about WHO YOU ARE.
• “Responsibility FOLLOWS
­accountability. When you
know you’re accountable for
­accomplishing something, then
you become responsible for
performing, and do the things
needed to do it. Being Accountable
leads to higher and higher levels
of responsibility.
Stephanie Lee,
Lee Precision,
Hartford, NextGen-2
Dan Petersen, Wisconsin Built,
Deerfield, TEC 15
Beth Zuehlke,
Safe Bridge Solutions,
Middleton, TEC 15
Jan. - Feb. 2014
TEC Update | July- August 2014 | Page 3
Inner Qualities of Great Leaders, cont.
2. Leaders are Decisive
Once the risks are calculated, leaders decide what
to do. No dithering. They make up their minds and
­accept the consequences. They both push and pull,
to make their chosen way successful.
3. Leaders are Charismatic
I balked when TEC member Jane Dauffenbach
­suggested this attribute, but she shared the work
of Olivia Fox Cabane that suggests charisma isn’t
reserved for extroverts. By Fox Cabane’s definition,
charisma results from behaviors that make other
people “feel intelligent, impressive and interesting.”
She says that “Those following charismatic leaders perform better, experience their work as more
­meaningful, and have more trust in their leaders.”
Her book, The Charisma Myth, suggests a process for
enhancing your personal “magnetism.”
4. Leaders are Vulnerable
This one probably wouldn’t make more
traditional lists of leadership qualities either. But
according to researcher Brene Brown, vulnerability
is the “birthplace of joy, creativity, innovation and
change.”
Her 2010 TEC talk, The Power of Vulnerability, is
widely watched on TED and YouTube. She argues
that we can learn this leadership attribute as well.
­“Understand you’re not perfect... but you are good
enough!”
5. Leaders are Self-Aware
TEC resource James Newton concludes that most of
us are walking around in some state of “asleepedness”
most of the time. We are essentially unconscious,
­living our lives based on our perceptions of past
­experiences and the defensive strategies developed
to protect ourselves from future pain and injury.
Unfortunately, these protective strategies cause
­future pain and injury. Leaders catch themselves
awake more often.
6. Leaders are Flawed
We make mistakes. We know failure is not good, but
it’s a normal part of making progesss. We see setbacks as learning experiences. We solve problems
rather than place blame. We are resilient. We let go of
past failures.
Can we do better? Of course. As long as we are still
human, there will be room for improvement.
Actually, none of these attributes truly explain why
leaders are leaders ... because that’s in the personal
execution and the perceptions around that execution
of a follower. We may never know why.
The answer, however, may be buried inside us. A
quote from Chris Lowney’s book, Heroic Leadership,
provides guidance: “Leadership springs from within.
It is about Who I am as much as what I do.”
(Note: This is an adaptation of Dennis’ original column
in the Milwaukee BizTimes.)
What Leaders Do
How Leaders Do It
What Leaders Are
Establish Vision
Communicate
Enlist Followers
Set Priorities
Seek the Truth
Adapt and Change
Make Mistakes
Think Strategically
Tell Stories
Listen
Make People Feel Worthy
Remove Obstacles
Establish Clear Expectations
Ask Questions
Reinvent
Learn from Their Mistakes
Courageous Charismatic (a model)
Vulnerable
Decisive Self-Aware
Disruptive Human
TEC Update | July- August | Page 4
Core Values At West Point
Several TEC groups recently had the opportunity to listen
to LTC (Ret.) David Jones, who teaches ethics and character
at our nation’s Military Academy at West Point.
The ARMY Core
Values“LEADERSHIP”
He talked about the process for instilling belief in the
Army’s Core Values in the Academy’s Plebes.
Primarily, it involves an uncompromising discipline by
both senior students and the Academy’s faculty and
leaders in constantly emphasizing the understanding,
importance and behaviors. This is most famously
demonstrated in the iconic image of senior students
requiring ­immediate deference to their superiors, the
“Yes, Sir! No, Sir” scenes. It drills in the Core Values as the
military’s culture.
Core Values, he says, “must be the Center of the
­organization ... important to the leadership,
subordinates,and the TEAM!”
Loyalty - Bear true faith and
­allegiance to the U.S. C
­ onstitution,
the Army, your unit, and other
soldiers
Duty - Fulfill your obligations
Respect - Treat people as they should be treated
Selfless Service - Put the welfare of the Nation, the
Army, and your subordinates before your own
Honor - Live up to all the Army Values
Integrity - Do what’s right, legally and morally
Personal Courage - Face fear, danger, or adversity
TEC, founded in Milwaukee in 1957,
operates senior executive groups for the
purpose of providing members a variety
of services that enhance their abilities as
CEOs, through mutual sharing of ideas
and solutions and exposure to business
resources.
In Wisconsin and Michigan, TEC
operates 45 Groups for CEOs of larger
companies, and 8 Groups for CEOs of
smaller companies. Contact one of our
TEC Group leaders for more information.
Milwaukee and Madison
Marsha Block, Chair, TEC 27
414/305-7042
Mark Burrall, Chair, TEC 38,
NextGen 2  262/377-2838
Dennis Ellmaurer, Chair, TEC 31,
33, 44  414/271-5780
Judy Guten, Chair Development,
TEC 8  414/467-7878
Jim Heller, Chair, TEC 2, 22 
414/704-8101
Mike Herro, Chair, TEC 59 
414/379-9491
Frank Hojnacki , Chair, TEC 9 
262/458-8257
John Howman, Chair, TEC 6, 20 
262/389-8000
Dan Jagla, Chair, TEC 51
414/272-5506
Sam Keller, Chair, TEC 62 
608/877-1176
Emeran Leonard, Chair, TEC 18, 45 
414/403-8098
Jim Lindell, Chair, TEC 16, 29 
262/392-3166
Dan Loichinger, Chair, TEC 15, 
608/354-3524
Val Mayer, Chair, TEC 25 
414/412-0612
Carl Mielke, Chair, TEC 1, 48 
262/993-6116
Mike Naumann, Chair, TEC 5 
414/640-7699
Dan Robertson, Chair, TEC 40 
262/334-1603
Ed Rowley, Chair, TEC 11, 52, 
608/836-1476
George Satula, Chair, TEC 7, 43 
262/786-7400
Jim Sheridan, Chair, TEC 19 
608/438-5325
Doug Sholund, Chair, TEC 14 
262/375-3731
Jack Wagner, Chair, TEC 10, 28 
414/771-6970
Frank Walter, Chair, TEC 47, NextGen 1,
TA 1 414/587-0425
Outstate Wisconsin
E. Marlene Crowley and Kenlyn
Lautenbach, Co-Chairs, TEC 39, 41 
920/336-2242
Phil Enscoe, Chair, TEC 12 
920/680-3400
Phil Hauck, Chair, TEC 3, 13, 32 
920/309-1416
Trisha Huizenga, Chair, TEC 23, 54 
920/832-0208
Fritz Jacobi, Chair, TEC 24 
920/319-2113
Jim Naleid, Chair, TEC 21
608/781-2583
Dan Robertson, Chair, TEC 42 
262/334-1603
Bob Rupp, Chair, TEC 17 
920/655-8334
Doug Sholund, Chair, TEC 30 
262/375-3731
Jeff West, Chair, TEC 36 
715/830-1200
Michigan
Tom Gleason, Chair, TEC 26, Grand
Rapids  616/458-9711
Larry Kerr, Chair, TEC 34, 37,
Lansing  517/655-6865
John Wardrop, TEC 53, Grand
Rapids  616/940-0052