Becoming Effective Leaders with Rich McDaniel

Rich McDanie is a career Navy veteran with over 28 years of experience, Rich has moved around the country 20 times with his wife and 5 children. He has been an owner/landlord since 1998 and has immeasurable experience leading people and solving tough problems as Commanding Officer of a guided missile destroyer, USS STERETT (DDG 104) and Naval Station Norfolk, the world’s largest Naval Base, where his command hosted 65,000 people, 59 ships, and 187 aircraft. 

Rich is a native of Jackson, Tennessee and attended the University of Memphis, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in History.  A 2006 distinguished graduate of the Naval War College in Newport, R.I., he earned a Master of Arts degree in National Security Affairs and Strategic Studies. His other accolades include being a graduate of the Joint Forces Staff College (2013) and Federal Executive Fellow at the Brookings Institution where he earned a Certificate in Public Leadership from Washington University in St. Louis and the Brookings Executive Education program (2013). Rich belongs to the National Association of Realtors and the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors.

What You’ll Learn

06:02 On being the middle child

15:46 on leadership 

Rich McDaniel talks about leadership and how he conceives it as he was a senior military man. The first thing he mentions is that he does not believe in the philosophy that leaders are born, for him leaders are developed through experiences.

For Rich McDaniel there are 3 fundamental elements to leadership: the first is to be yourself, don’t try to be anyone else; the second is to be a person of integrity and character so that people can trust you, and third and last is to take care of your people because by taking care of your people you take care of yourself

19:32 On being able to work on yourself to improve and knowing unique insights about yourself

20:46 About having a person to tell you your weaknesses so you can focus your energy and work on it.

26:19 Superman complex vs empowering your people

Rich McDaniel talks about the superman complex which is basically when a person believes they can do everything and they can do it better. But he says that this can hurt your organization (by organization he means a business or a family) and so what you need to do is to surround yourself with people with skills and talents that align with your mission, mission and values so you can focus on your leadership role and empower these people and their skills to take your organization much further than you can or even imagined.

29:17 On being a husband and a leader

30:25 On empowering your kids by telling them and teaching them

32:09 It matters what we say as fathers 

35:00 Blaming other people

35:39 On extreme ownership and not blaming other people

38:32 On looking in the mirror and taking responsibility  

Rich McDaniel talks about how a leader should always be looking in the mirror and taking responsibility for his actions. He says that another important thing is to know how to ask for forgiveness speaks of humility and of a person who is always looking to improve himself. Admitting to your children or your spouse that you made a mistake, that you were wrong and that you should consider their point of view as well is being authentic with your family and that doesn’t diminish you as a leader, as a husband or as a dad.

Rich McDaniel says that much of the authenticity of a leader comes from listening, knowing how to ask for forgiveness and taking responsibility for your actions and that you care about them.

49:41 On leadership and marriage

Rich McDaniel talks about leadership within marriage. For him his wife is a very strong woman and he is sure of what she brings to the table but he knows she needs him to provide spiritual leadership. A basic principle in their marriage is that Rich McDaniel does not blame her, he guides her and always tries to give her love and security. He tries to make leadership happen by giving her a sense of security and empowering her.

Another aspect of leadership in marriage is when decisions must be made, Rich McDaniel says that in his marriage decisions are always made as a team, he never orders his wife what to do or what to think, but rather everyone uses their skills and talents to contribute to the marriage and paint a vision of where they want to go as a couple.

Rich McDaniel’s Links

• Website: https://www.commandproperties.com/ 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rich.mcdaniel1 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rcmcdaniel17/