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Ed Gillcrist's Optimistic Leadership
Ed Gillcrist is President and CEO of the Schackleton Group
Victor Perton: Ed, what makes you optimistic?
Ed Gillcrist: "That despite the fact that we are inundated by an overwhelming amount of negative and sensationalistic media and mediums, the average person essentially is good and wants to do the right thing, and ultimately, when push comes to shove this, desire to do right and be good is far more powerful and influential than sensationalism."
VP: The times call for realistic and infectiously optimistic leaders. Ed, who are the infectiously optimistic leaders who have inspired you?
Ed Gillcrist: "My brother John and my wife Annette. They are truly optimistic human beings and exceptional leaders and allow that optimism true genuine optimism, drive their actions as parents, coaches, neighbors and servants to their friends, parents, children, neighbors and even those they don’t know."
VP: Ed, what role does optimism play in your leadership training?
Ed Gillcrist: "We focus on the need for successful outcomes for the organization, and to be able to check our own ego’s at the door for the good of the organization. Despite the fact that the leadership decisions we make may not always feel positive, as long as they are solution focused, and focused on the good of the organization, and based on doing the right thing then we are developing good (ethical) leaders not just effective leaders. Who understand what it means to be part of something bigger than themselves."
VP: What role does optimism play in your other services?
Ed Gillcrist: "Optimism is at the core of everything we do! It is written into every aspect of our foundational doctrine.
"Our vision is to help organizations do what they do better. Implicit in our vision is the idea that we fundamentally believe in what YOU do and understand that it is born out of your passion to be successful, and that we want to be a part of that by working with you to make that be as good as it possibly can…together!
"Optimism…the fundamental idea that by doing good we can also be good! It's woven through every element of our philosophy, and by behaving this way we and our clients and our community will be successful:
- Do the right thing
- Uphold the SG brand
- Meet client expectations
- Work hard to identify simple solutions
- Treat others the way you would like to be treated
- Strategic Objectives: Our strategic objectives and mission point us at success. Despite our daily struggle to get our work done and ensure that our clients are successful, these are the very guideposts that we rely on when we get too buried, too down or too busy. We all look up and remind each other what it’s all about and are vested in these because we developed them together. All of these things drive our behaviour and every aspect of our delivery. It shows up in the products we give them and our behaviour in front of them and each other.
- Increase the value of SG
- Grow our team and capability
- Identify and implement new and innovative ideas
- Mission
- Shackleton Group will provide relevant, timely and simple organizational development solutions. In order to positively impact client efforts, we must remain profitable, and build strong and lasting relationships.
February 2020
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