149: Becoming a Highly Effective Leader

Why is it best to put people before processes in order to achieve the best possible results? My guest Tom Lawrence has learned the answers through intense study of thought leaders and dedicated application over the years with his own teams. Now he’s passionate about sharing his experiences and insights with aspiring and current leaders. You’ll get many practical tips from someone who’s still on the job every day honing his leadership skills.

Tom is unique among my guests because he’s worked in engineering for his entire career. His undergraduate degree is in mechanical engineering, and his master’s degree is in maintenance engineering. He had his first leadership role as a project manager in 2009. As a result of his various experiences in all levels of leadership positions, Tom is now on a mission to help aspiring leaders as well as current leaders enhance their leadership skills so they bring out the best in the people on their teams. As part of his mission, he’s written two books, Manager to Leader: How to Become a Highly Effective Leader and A Limitless Mindset: How a Highly Effective Leader Thinks. I highly recommend both of them!

You’ll discover:

Tom’s journey from acquiring engineering skills to a focus on people in order to achieve the best results
What Tom means by a “highly effective leader”
Why character-based leadership is the most powerful way to influence people
The differences between secure and insecure leaders
How Tom helps people learn how to solve their own problems