#14: You Are Not as Good as You Think, or as Bad with Michael Stanford

Nov 3, 2021

Addressing criticism, overcoming a bad day. These are situations all leaders face, but for Christian business leaders, it means facing these issues with integrity and honesty. Michael Stanford, the President of Sharp Iron Group talks about how he and his team face these issues in the workplace; the six Leadership attributes that they measure themselves against; and what it takes to lead a company of professional craftsmen.

About our guest: Michael has been at the helm of Sharp Iron Group, a privately held contract manufacturing company in Wichita Falls, TX, for the past 7 years. Before that, he worked in the aerospace industry for over 15 years in various management roles. He has been married for over 23 years to his high school sweetheart, Francie. They have 2 children: Madeline is an education major at Midwestern State University, and Riley is a senior at Iowa Park High School in Iowa Park, TX.

You can connect with Michael on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-stanford-13352136/

Michael mentioned the 6 Leadership Culture Attributes that they focus on at Sharp Iron Group.  Not only do these get listed in every senior manager’s annual goals, but they also review them as a team each year and score themselves (as a team) on each attribute.  Michael added "If we do these things consistently, we’ll be positively influencing the organizational culture.  However, the inverse is also true… if we are NOT doing one of these things consistently, we may be negatively influencing the organizational culture.  There is no “neutral” 😊"

1. Tell the truth.  Simplest of all, but often the most difficult.  Truth will eventually find you.  An honest person doesn’t have to remember what they said.
2. Be humble.  Arrogance is the destroyer of respect. It’s not about thinking less of yourself, but more of others.  Show preference to others.
3. Trust others.  Trust is a choice.  Overcoming fundamental attribution error is the KEY to unlocking group potential.
4. Communicate often.  There is no such thing as “perfect communication”... it is subjective.  When in doubt, communicate some more.
5. Own your issues.  Consistently taking your share of the blame, plus a little bit more, will be noticed and appreciated (and it rarely costs youanything).
6. Be dependable.  Dependable people become the backbone of an organization whether they are in formal leadership roles or not.

About the host: Following a successful career as CEO, Bobby sold his business to a publicly-traded company.  In what he calls his "second half of life", Bobby seeks to pour Biblically-based principles into growth-minded business leaders.  

Through Values-Driven Leadership, Bobby serves as an Executive Coach and Training Consultant for organizations.  He shares many of his principles and practices through a weekly blog, the True North Business podcast, and through three books he has authored:

Principled Profits: Outward Success Is an Inside Job,

True North Business: A Leader’s Guide to Extraordinary Growth and Impact, and

The Freedom Paradox: Is Unbridled Freedom Dividing America?

Find out more at BobbyAlbert.com