![](\"https:\/\/img.einpresswire.com\/large\/671587\/tomkolditz1.jpeg#800x800\")
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\nHIGHLAND, ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES, May 17, 2024 \/EINPresswire.com<\/a>\/ — Retired Brigadier General Tom Kolditz is redefining the role of leadership. With over 35 years in leadership roles on four continents, Tom Kolditz founded Saxon Castle to offer leadership education for corporations and individuals worldwide. Clients have included Ford, GE, Google, Mercedes Benz, Boeing, All State, Goldman Sachs, as well as thousands of exceptional individuals.<\/p>\n According to Tom, identical leadership skills are required in both the military and in business. \u201cPeople are people,\u201d explains Tom. \u201cLeadership is less about the qualities and characteristics of the person in charge and more about meeting the needs of the people being led. One of the terms I hear a lot is leadership style. When you think about a style, it means leaders behave in a consistent way across different circumstances. Anywhere else, you\u2019d call that a failure to adapt. What matters is addressing what your people need. They don\u2019t care about your having a style.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes they need a kind sympathetic leader who will listen and be generous. Other times, they need a boot in the ass. As a leader you have to be flexible and adaptable to the needs of your group. The only style to have is adaptation. This is important because if you cannot see the world through the eyes of the people you\u2019re trying to lead, how can you possibly find the right words to motivate, inspire, empower them? You can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n That leaders see themselves through the eyes of their people is vital to success. \u201cSometimes this is called self-awareness, but it\u2019s much more than that. One way to cultivate self-awareness is to go directly to the people and ask what they think. Ask what kinds of things, as a leader, you should continue and what you should stop. You\u2019ll be surprised what people share\u2014and sometimes, some will not feel safe answering truthfully, which is where a leadership coach comes in,\u201d explains Tom, \u201cBefore I even meet a client, I ask similar questions to 10 to 20 of their stakeholders. I pull the answers together anonymously, find the major themes, and connect to the results of an emotional intelligence questionnaire given to my client.\u201d<\/p>\n Most coaches are either highly educated (professors, clinical psychologists) or highly experienced as leaders themselves (retired CEOs), or full-time coaches with exceptional training. Saxon Castle offers all three. \u201cI have a Ph.D., have been the principal leader of many organizations, I\u2019m a trained and certified coach, and am a retired flag officer. Having run over 15 organizations, I made every mistake in the book. Working with clients, a leadership problem seldom comes up that I hadn\u2019t already personally experienced and solved.\u201d<\/p>\n Those 3 qualities are all good on their own, but when you combine them, the combined whole becomes far more effective than the individual qualities. \u201cIn statistics, this is called an interaction effect, which means the whole is greater than the sum of the individual effects. My coaching always uses a blend of all 3; I cannot pull them apart. That\u2019s what makes my approach unique and, I believe, effective.\u201d<\/p>\n Tom\u2019s 2007 release, In Extremis Leadership: Leading As If Your Life Depended On It, addresses another aspect of Tom\u2019s expert knowledge\u2014leadership in crisis and in dangerous circumstances. \u201cWhen people feel that they are in danger, everything that we refer to as \u2018management\u2019 gets stripped away. Nobody cares; they will write any check to get out of the situation, will break rules and policies. In fear situations, it\u2019s all pure leadership based on trust. Building trust is essential for good leadership.<\/p>\n \u201cI learned this lesson as a child in school. As a popular kid and accepting of differences, I was able to hang out with almost everyone, and I\u2019d find myself talking to some kids with real problems. Instinctively, or perhaps because my aunt was a school psychologist, I understood that by asking the right questions, I could help them solve their problems. I had no idea what a coach was at the time, and thought I was just helping by understanding their issues are and how to face them.\u201d<\/p>\n Knowing how to face issues during crisis is an essential leadership skill. \u201cThe worst crisis I ever faced, I could do nothing to avoid,\u201d shares Tom. \u201cMy oldest daughter was diagnosed with heart failure at 23. Although only 8 years later she received a heart transplant and she\u2019s now living a great life with a wonderful family, the crisis put me on my knees. That\u2019s how I learned the importance of asking for help. Trying to ride it out alone is a big mistake. That\u2019s why I coach differently\u2014most coaches solely on an agreed upon schedule. Well, the crisis never occurs during the session. In addition to planned sessions, I give my clients access to me 24 hours\/day, 7 days\/week. They can call whenever they need to talk. I can do this because I take small number of clients, who quite frankly, for the most part, are too busy to call excessively. I give myself to my clients, all my education, experience and training\u2014when you work with me, you own all of that.\u201d<\/p>\n For a flat monthly fee based on income, Saxon Castle clients receive 2 scheduled sessions\/month. \u201cIf a client would rather have 4 sessions, that\u2019s fine, no extra charge. And if you are having a problem at three in the morning, no problem, call me. I work with clients worldwide, their time zone is my time zone.\u201d<\/p>\n Tom admits that his ideal clients are individuals, and his favorites are relatively young leaders with minimal experience, preferably running a company that\u2019s success will help the world. As a teacher and professional competitive skeet shooter, he has seen how the best learners start knowing very little. \u201cNew leaders have few bad habits,\u201d quipped Tom.<\/p>\n \u201cI find tremendous satisfaction influencing leaders to help them make the world a better place. I am a true believer in the time value of coaching. If I can help a young leader, she or he will be a better leader for the rest of their lives. It\u2019s like the time\/value of money. When you make an early investment, it grows. That\u2019s what I\u2019m doing, investing in young leaders who are doing something good.\u201d<\/p>\n Close Up Radio will feature General Kolditz in an interview with Jim Masters on Tuesday May 21st at 1pm EST and with Doug Llewelyn on Tuesday May 28th at 1pm EST<\/p>\n Listen to the show on BlogTalkRadio<\/a><\/p>\n If you have any questions for our guest, please call (347) 996-3389<\/p>\n For more information about General Kolditz and Saxon Castle, please visit http:\/\/tomkolditz.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n Lou Ceparano
Close Up Television & Radio
+1 631-850-3314
email us here<\/a>
Visit us on social media:
Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n