#74 Joshua McMillion - My Core Values Respect/Integrity/Duty

In the previous episode, I reviewed how to find your core values using the acronym VALUE (See Episode 70). In this episode, my goal is to define and share my top three core values clearly. I hope to inspire you to discover your own. These are my top three values I place above all others when confronted with challenging situations in life. May they guide and beacons to motivate you in discovering yours!

Link to Article: https://www.mcmillionleadershipcoaching.com/blog/tales-of-leadership-article23-respect-integrity-duty

🫡 My Why: I’ve seen the cost of poor leadership — how it can destroy morale, break trust, and in the worst cases, lead to lives lost, including through suicide. That’s why I’ve committed my life to helping others lead with purpose. Through Tales of Leadership, I share real stories and actionable insights on how to overcome adversity and become the kind of leader people remember for the right reasons.

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Transformational Leadership and Core Values

Speaker 1 0:50

You're listening to the Tales of Leadership podcast . This podcast is for leaders at any phase on their leadership journey to become a more purposeful and accountable leader what I like to call a pal . Join me on our journey together towards transformational leadership .

Speaker 2 1:08

All right team . Welcome back to the Tales of Leadership podcast . I am your host , Josh McMillian . I'm an active duty Army officer . I have over 16 years of leadership experience . I'm an Army leadership coach and I run a company , mcmillian leadership coaching . I'm on a mission to create a better leader what I like to call a purposeful , accountable leader or a pal . My vision is to positively impact one million lives in the next 10 years by sharing transformational skills and stories and ending toxic leadership .

Speaker 2 1:40

In today's episode , I'm going to be sharing with you a transformational skill . If you go to McMillianleadershipcoachingcom , article number 32 and I called this RID Respect , integrity and duty All of this is compassed around my core values . We talked about this in the last episode of how you can find your core values . Now I'm going to share mine with you and inspire you , hopefully , to go out and challenge yourself and find your core values . Make sure you go to McMillianleadershipcoachingcom you can read this blog so you don't need to take notes but also listen to the previous episode of where I talk about how you can discover your core values . Let's go ahead and jump right in . In the previous episode , I've talked about this . I shared five steps , using the acronym value to help you discover your core values . However , I want to inspire you by sharing what my top three core values are , and I call that RID . Each value is traceable to my past environment , to organizations I've worked for and the leaders I have worked for within my time in the Army . My core values allow me to make decisions while remaining true to who I am . That's the beauty about core values . They help us when times get extremely challenging . My top three values I've already said it respect , integrity and duty . Here's a quote that I've developed . Core values are threads that help guide us in life . When you know what yours are , you can be better prepared to take on challenging situations in this world . Number one respect . Let's do a deep dive on that . Respect is the cornerstone , really , of who I am . It's the cornerstone of what it means to be a MacMillian . I'm part of a mastermind , so I'm not going to go off on a tangent . I'm going to stay to the script , but I've created an acronym for my family's last name of every type of value that we want to be implemented within our family . What it means to be a MacMillian . I call it to BAM to be a MacMillian . Maybe I'll create an podcast episode where I go deeper into all of that . Respect is my cornerstone .

Speaker 2 4:16

When leaders make respect based decisions , they see no color . They see no different types of race and tis or social economic backgrounds . They simply make decisions that benefit the whole organization while sharing everyone is heard . A byproduct of respect is diversity . It's just something that will naturally happen . When the leader gives everyone on their team an equal opportunity , they tap into the role of peripheral vision . We all have dead space that is invisible to us . When we talked about this multiple different times , however , that dead space is clearly visible To almost everyone else who is around us .

Speaker 2 5:00

When organizations create respect , they lead with respect . It results in a more diverse workplace that can see multiple different problems differently and be proactive and not reactive . So here's kind of a counter cultural thought . Creating a diverse workforce is meaningless unless you give every single person a voice , an equal voice . To do this , organizations must foster a bottom up refinement process that incentivizes individuals To share their ideas .

Speaker 2 5:35

When leaders remove barriers , they are leveraging what I like to call the rule of sledgehammer . You know me , I love me , sledgehammer , sledgehammer . Tear down obstacles for their team , they create momentum and , most importantly , they Break an obstacle down to the point of where it can never really prevent the team From overcoming it again . But one of the key things there to and I've covered this before with the rule of sledgehammers that you have to understand there's a balance there . You're not always coming in and rescuing your team . You only need to apply that rule of sledgehammer very rarely Because you don't want to be a rescue or you want to hold people accountable . Organizations that work collaboratively and communicate freely are more Innovative . They establish deeper relationships and over time , they just become more resilient .

Speaker 2 6:34

Add its core respect comes down to just treating everyone well , regardless of whether they're on your team or not , with dignity . It's , it's really the golden rule , right ? The rule of treat everyone as you want to be treated , and that's what a transformational leader does . That's what a purposeful accountability leader does . They treat Everyone as well as they want to be treated . So remember that you've ever had a poor leader . If you're under a poor leader right now , how do you want to be treated ? And I showed a picture of this on Macmillan leadership coaching , of where it really defines Respect for me , and it was a picture of one of the very first combat operations . That was a part of an Afghanistan and I was talking to all these different Afghanistan build village elders about building this road . And if you think about it right , here's this Westerner who is with a bunch of alpha males and we're going to build this road through farmland and all these different things . You would , you know , be perturbed at least I wouldn't justify so when I was going through that process . When I talk to people in Afghanistan , I always try to communicate with them and treat them as I would want to be treated . The end of the day , I had a mission . I was going to do this regardless , but I wanted to give them respect and that picture really embodied that core value for me .

Speaker 2 8:07

Team , let's take a quick break from this episode and I want to share an additional leadership resource with you in . That is , one on one Leadership coaching through Macmillan leadership coaching . So what do I do ? I help leaders discover their purpose , create a long term growth plan and take inspired action . I believe everything rises and falls on leadership and , regardless of where you are in life , one fact is true you are a leader of others , you are a leader of your family and , most importantly , you are a leader of yourself to lead others . Well , that starts by leading yourself well . If you want to learn more , you can go to Macmillan leadership coaching dot com and schedule a free call today . Back to the episode .

Speaker 2 8:52

So the next one is integrity . Integrity is the foundational value in every leader's arsenal . Right Like you cannot lie , you cannot cheat , you cannot steal , because if you do that you erode your character . And once you erode your character , it's over . No one's ever gonna trust you Again . You can't establish trust . With it , leaders create trust and they develop authentic bonds with their teams , and without it they erode their reputation , their position and the organizational reputation .

Speaker 2 9:23

If you're going to be successful as a leader , you must understand someone is always observing your actions . But it's deeper than that . You simply do not do the right thing because it's the right thing or there's people watching you . You do the right thing because it's the right thing to do , okay . So call it the grandma rule . If your grandma was in a car with you , would you wear your seatbelt and would you have them put on their seatbelt ? The answer is yes . So just the grandma rule . Would you do this if your grandma was there ? And that's a way it's a fun way that I kind of communicate that to my kids about being repetitive and doing the right thing , especially getting in a car and putting your seatbelt on . Would you do this if grandma was here ? The answer is 100% . They would always do it .

The Importance of Integrity in Leadership

Speaker 2 10:12

Leaders with integrity command attention and people actively seek them out . And , trust me , I've seen this more now of where people that I've had the honor and privilege to work with want to work with me again , not because I'm a phenomenal leader , just because I have a high sense of integrity . This is especially important in parenting . 100% , because the standards you set within your family is what's gonna be modeled . So remember you reap what you sow .

Speaker 2 10:41

Let me ask you a real quick question Do you really want someone on your team who is capable of breaching your trust ? When organizations allow other teams to breach trust , it violates integrity , resulting in a catastrophic effect . The leader's goal is to protect the team and foster a collaborative environment , not cause fighting with political games to outweigh the team's mission . That's one of the things that I absolutely hate is political infighting , posturing for better position . At the end of the day , if you win , I win , if I win , the team wins and everyone wins . Right , like Michael Scott , it's a win win win .

Speaker 2 11:25

As a leader , you much build a team that has red lines . My red lines are not cheating , not lying and not stealing , so I call it CLS cheating , lying and stealing . When someone violates my trust , I cannot , in good faith , delegate them authority . Trust washes away when integrity is broken and it's replaced with a wall . And here's a good example when I was in Afghanistan , I had to relieve a squad leader because I won't go into the full story or the full name but they did something that violated my trust . I , in good faith , could not allow them to be in charge of a squad that was going to be making decisions every single day in terms of life and death of other people within my platoon , so I had to relieve him . He was a great guy , he was a phenomenal leader , but he made a decision that just did not set right with me and at my platoon start at the time , and we decided to relieve him .

Speaker 2 12:27

Remember , as leaders , we never really shrink away from challenges . Instead , purposeful , accountable leaders run towards challenges because it creates two specific outcomes . First , it creates our individual true character . Every team has members who say all the right things , but when it's time to act , they slip away . Second , embracing challenging environments forces growth for you and your entire organization .

Speaker 2 12:58

As I mature , my perspective on delegating has changed dramatically . First , I believe leaders who delegated because they were lazy I always saw all these senior officers who delegated and I just thought they were lazy . But now I fully understand why they had to delegate . But what I've quickly come to realize ? That purposeful , accountable leaders embrace individual strengths and they delegate to those individuals To the ability that they can handle it . They stretch them . You're never will understand who you or your team are without embracing challenging Situations , and it all falls under integrity . Purposeful and accountable leaders embrace challenges because they remain committed . Coach will encourage the rule of three C's all right .

Speaker 2 13:48

So the next key core value for me is duty . And if you go through McBillion leadership coaching and you look at article 23 , you'll see a picture of my ranger graduation . I think ranger school , at least for me , was the best example of integrity , of not lying and cheating and stealing . You have pure evals . You always have to do the right thing , you have to be a team player and you can say all the right things in ranger school . But it's easy to Identify what we always call a blue falcon someone who says all the right things but they never carry their share of the load . So that pictured me really resonated of hitting that core value . So the last one is duty , the final value in my core value structure . When I Said out on this journey of becoming the best leader that I possibly can , I filtered everything through the acronym kiss , keep it simple , stupid . It's a methodology that has helped me kind of trace what my core values are .

Speaker 2 14:52

Any great organization understands it's not about an individual Agendas . As my good friend Joseph Gray says . Leaders must have servant hearts and understand a bigger purpose . As A leader , you must see the bigger picture and , more importantly , help others see it . This is becoming increasingly harder in today's environment . Today we celebrate our differences and we are conditioned to look out for ourselves , but that's not what pals do . Purposeful , accountable leaders understand they are part of a larger organization and are selfless in their actions . Go be counter-cultural . Go be a good leader .

Speaker 2 15:35

All right , team , let's take a quick break from this episode and I want to share a leadership resource with you , and that is the resiliency based leadership program . Rblp's vision is to create a worldwide community of practice Committed to building and leading resilient teams . So why do you need to build and lead a resilient team ? Resilient teams are the key to individual and organizational growth , regardless of being in the military or in the civilian workforce . Building collective teams allows for exponential growth and the teams ability to overcome adversity , adapt and , most importantly , grow . And in bottom line , up front , resilient teams are just stronger together . And here's the fact 99% of the people who take that course Recommended to others , and I'm one of them . I would just completed my certification and I highly recommend this . And the great news is it's most likely free to you , and if you're in the military , it is a hundred percent free to you . And if you want to learn more , you can look in the show notes for this episode and find the link and use the discount code . J MCM ILL Iowan , and that is also in the show notes . Back to the episode .

Speaker 2 16:49

My team has no place for individuals who only perform for selfish reasons . Next time you are tasked with the mission , stop and think . Are you navigating a path with yourself in mind or for others on your team ? Rome , arguably one of the greatest empires that ever existed , was defeated not by outside forces , but from within . When team loyalty lies with individuals and not the organization , it is increasingly harder to develop a sense of duty and have a higher purpose that you're committed to right . So here's another example of duty that I pulled from one of the books that I've read , and I can't remember exactly which one it was , but post-World War two , it was common for individuals to work at a company for 40 years or more . Think about that one job for all of your adult life . Today , according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics and I think this was pulled in 2023 , so it's probably different now it's only four years . As a society , we have lost our sense of duty and purpose and we need strong leaders willing to cast bold visions and Lead well . Purposeful , accountable leaders create a sense of duty and a mission that demands a response of where people want to stay and I . The photo I selected for this one was my family when I got pinned as a major .

Speaker 2 18:21

I work in Acquisitions within the army . Now I'm no longer an infantryman . I served in the infantry for 10 years , been in acquisitions now for about six years . I could easily get out of the army Now . I could easily make a lot of money if I wanted to do that , but I'm tied to my mission within the military and Staying in for the men and women so they have a good example of what a leader is . But also , too , I believe that I can make a bigger impact in Service to my country and that picture really shows that there is sacrifice that comes with wearing this uniform . I've missed some of my daughter's birthdays . I've missed a Christmas . I've missed Halloween's Major holidays , all of those things . I missed life events . But I'm always purposeful and intentional when I am with my family and at the end of the day , and Something that I miss because I'm in service in my country Sits well with me because I can look at my daughter and I can look at my son and I can look at my wife confidently and said your dad did something important today and that's why I am committed to the army , that's why I love the army , because I am committed to making this country as Safe and secure as possible , but also working towards something bigger than myself .

Speaker 2 19:46

So here's my final thoughts on this episode . Everyone has unique core values that define who you are as a leader and in this Episode , or if you go back and read the blog , it's not my goal to convince you to adopt my core values . However , all I want to do is challenge you , inspire you to go find what your core values are . My core values guide me to make daily decisions . When you discover your core values , it's liberating to leverage the rule of true north .

Speaker 2 20:24

When confronted with a challenge situation and it requires a decisive decision , you will be able to make a quicker decision . Why ? Because you filter those decisions through your core values , preventing decision fatigue . So think about this if you had to make a tough decision , if I have to make a tough decision , I run through the filter of respect , integrity and duty . Am I giving everyone a voice ? Is my words aligns with my deeds , and are we working towards a higher purpose ? Those are the three questions I always consistently ask myself .

Speaker 2 21:02

So here is our after-action review , four questions that I want you to kind of think on . Number one is how are you building respect and your organization ? Number two when confronted with a challenge , do you think of yourself first or others , and why Really explore that ? Number three what makes your organization and inspirational one to work for and flip that on its head ? Why is it not , and what are you doing to make it better . Then the last one are you living your values Once you found them ? Are you actually living your values ?

Promoting Leadership Development and Accountability

Speaker 2 21:41

All right , team , do me a favor if you like this podcast , if you like the content that I push out , share this podcast with someone , rate it on whatever platform you're listening to . Go , follow me on social media linked in Instagram . Join our purposeful , accountable leaders Private Facebook group . You can also go to MacMillion leadership coaching calm and look at all the additional free resources that I provide to you , because I'm trying to end toxic leadership by equipping you with transformational Leadership skills , getting up to my vision of impacting one million lives . As always , team , I am your host , josh MacMillion , saying every day is a gift . Don't waste yours . I'll see you next time .