Sincerity: The Secret Sauce of
My Leadership Style

By Burl Randolph Jr.

I often speak to various groups within my community, and I am frequently asked:

What’s the secret to your success?

For years I asked myself the same thing: What makes me so successful year after year, in different organizations, with different people, and even in different cultures? Throughout the United States, Germany, Russia, and even in Iraq, I often wondered about the ability to lead and influence across various boundaries. Finally, ‘Drew’ (as we will call him) sent me an email that answered the question.

‘Drew’ was an extremely intelligent but somewhat abrasive member of my C-level staff that most leaders summarily dismissed after a short conversation. One day, to everyone’s chagrin, I placed a sensitive issue on Drew’s plate, an issue that a Regional President had suffered in silence with for months. Drew resolved the issue within a matter of hours, and I sent him a Thank You email. Drew provided the strangest response I had seen to that point:

“Sir, thank you for your consideration and sincere appreciation.
It means a lot.”

Perplexed, I read the note twice more and finally zeroed in on the phrase sincere appreciation. Apparently, all appreciation was not sincere, which I found somewhat surprising. I pursued further feedback from protégés on this topic, all of who said the same thing:

“Sir, you are sincere in everything you do, and that is why we
learn so much.”

Reflecting, I thought ‘Yes, praise, punishment, or practical application, I am sincere in all three for the welfare of others.’ Learning the lessons is what is most important.

I guess sincerity is what a friend of mine would call ‘The Secret Sauce’, of my leadership style. Knowing ‘The Secret Sauce’ of your leadership style may be critical to your success.

What’s The Secret Sauce in your leadership style, and your success?

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