7 Signs That Say You Have the Mindset of a Great Leader

One of the things I love doing as an Inc.com columnist is being able to share compelling stories. Especially stories of extraordinary leaders who overcame unthinkable challenges to now teach us lessons of resilience, hope, and a new way forward. 

Kevin Hancock, sixth generation family CEO of Hancock Lumber, is one such person. Hancock was diagnosed with spasmodic dysphonia, a rare neurological disorder that makes speaking difficult.

Two years later, he began traveling from his home in Maine to the remote Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. There, he encountered an entire community that did not feel fully heard.

While Hancock initially saw the partial loss of his own voice as a hindrance, he began to think of it as a gift–an invitation to lead differently and give others a bigger voice.

Hancock envisioned an employee-centric company where the primary focus of the organization would be the creation of a vibrant employee experience.

Historically, leaders have collected and centralized power and decision-making control, while employees existed to serve the company. In the model of shared leadership Hancock describes in his new book, The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey into the Business of Shared Leadership, power is dispersed and everyone is invited to lead. The purpose of the company is to add value to the lives of the people who work there.

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