By: Jim Whitehurst

Be the leader your people would follow into battle.

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General H. Hugh Shelton is a true American hero. He served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President Bill Clinton and under President George W. Bush. He is also a veteran of the Vietnam War, Gulf War, and Operation Uphold Democracy, during which he earned countless awards including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Army Distinguished Service Medal, and Bronze Star. He's clearly one of the most respected military leaders of our time. General Shelton has also served on the Board of Directors of Red Hat, the company I am president and CEO of, since 2003.

I've learned a lot from the general in our time together--especially since 2010 when he took over the role of chairman. I've been especially impressed watching how the general leads. What surprised me was how different General Shelton operates compared to so many of the battlefield commanders I've seen in movies over the years. Here are a few leadership tips I've picked up from the general over the years:

1. Speak Calmly.

Unlike so many of the war heroes we see on the big screen, the General is very mild-mannered. He rarely raises his voice, even when it's clear he's upset. But when he does raise his voice even just an octave, it resonates very clearly. Because he's so even-keeled most of the time, any slight deviation on his part commands attention. That's taught me that my ability as a leader to make an impact has nothing to do with how loud I yell. In fact, yelling at people is completely counterproductive: the more you do that, the more people will avoid you.

2. Be Proactive.

How many meetings have you walked into only to find that few, if any, of the attendees are prepared to discuss whatever is on the agenda? That's even if there is an agenda. It's no wonder that we all complain so often about what a waste of time meetings can be. But when General Shelton attends a meeting, particularly a Red Hat board meeting, there is no wasted time. That's in part because he does his homework beforehand by reaching out to other attendees to gauge why the meeting is important to him or her. If there is an issue that promises to derail the meeting, he wants to try to address that in advance. He wants everyone to be firing on all cylinders. When we enter the room, he wants us to work together as a team. And if a board member still has an important issue to iron out, he's upfront about getting it on the table so it can be addressed as quickly and efficiently as possible.

3. Show Integrity At All Times.

Integrity can mean different things to different people. But in working with General Shelton, I've learned that for him, integrity is tied to the importance of doing what you say you will do. Or, to put that another way, integrity is all about honoring your commitments. This is clearly a notion the general values extremely highly. Case in point: General Shelton literally never misses a board meeting. Never. He'll say something like, "I've committed to Red Hat," and then he'll just follow through on that commitment no matter what. In fact, there was one time when we learned that the general was going to miss the graduation ceremonies for two of his grandchildren to attend one of our board meetings. He never asked to change the date of the meeting or to just phone in; he was going to follow through on what he said he was going to do. Fortunately, the other board members and I worked to change the schedule so that the general could celebrate with his grandchildren; we were happy to do it. But it was also clear that the general had made a commitment first and he wasn't going to break his word, no matter what. Speaking in measured tones, heading off conflict beforehand, and doing what you say you're going to do might at first just seem like basic common sense advice. It is. But it's also the foundation of becoming a great leader--someone anyone would follow into battle.

About I.C. Collins

I.C. Collins is grateful that he can pursue something that is both interesting and has value on several levels. For over three decades in the Automotive Sales Industry a bottom-line guy Collins doesn't shy away from telling the truth in ways that cut through the noise to deliver streetwise and corporate knowledge from someone who's been there and done that, many times over.

He aims to create “a long-lasting major brand that for generations is a company that is business-critical to the leading brands in the world. We are focused every day on creating something that’s valuable and has permanence.”

P. S. Urgent if you’re looking to optimize your interpersonal skills for success get your copy of " How to Succeed in the Automotive Sales Industry " today @TechAutoCareers.com. Then settle in for a satisfying read that will surely enhance your interpersonal skills for success this year, it is not just a book we are a service.

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