10 Leadership Virtues for Disruptive Times

10 Leadership Virtues for Disruptive Times Plot Summary

Introduction

Leadership has never been more challenging than in today's rapidly changing world. The disruptions we face—from technological revolutions to global crises—demand a new approach to guiding others. Traditional command-and-control leadership models are crumbling, leaving many leaders wondering how to navigate this unfamiliar terrain. How can you inspire commitment rather than compliance? How do you create an atmosphere where people thrive despite uncertainty? The answer lies not in clever techniques or management hacks, but in something more fundamental: virtues. Great leadership begins from within. By developing specific virtues that build trust, create psychological safety, and inspire genuine commitment, you transform into a Coach Leader—someone who draws out the capabilities within each team member. This approach doesn't just weather disruption—it harnesses it as a competitive advantage. As you'll discover, the quality of life your team experiences directly impacts the quality of their work, making virtuous leadership not just morally right, but strategically essential.

Chapter 1: Embrace Change as Your Competitive Edge

The world fundamentally shifted when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived. Offices emptied, streets cleared, and organizations faced existential threats overnight. This massive disruption forced a reinvention of how we work, with remote arrangements becoming standard and flexible schedules replacing rigid hours. What started as emergency measures revealed surprising truths: productivity often increased, work-life balance improved, and many employees discovered they preferred this new arrangement. Consider the revealing PWC survey from January 2021 that showed more than half of all employees wanted to work from home at least three days a week. This wasn't temporary adaptation—it was a permanent shift in expectations. Forward-thinking leaders recognize this isn't just about where people work, but about embracing an entirely new paradigm. The disruption vaccine, as Tom Ziglar calls it, is developing the capacity to see change as opportunity rather than threat. One corporate leader shared how his technology team pivoted during the lockdown, investing in infrastructure that made remote work not just possible but superior. While competitors struggled with outdated systems and resistance to change, his organization thrived. The difference wasn't technical capability—it was mindset. This leader approached disruption asking, "What possibilities does this create?" rather than "How do we get back to normal?" The change-embracing approach requires three fundamental steps: First, acknowledge reality without sugar-coating challenges. Second, identify what remains constant despite changing circumstances—your core mission and values. Third, relentlessly focus on what you can control rather than what you cannot. This creates what Ziglar calls "the atmosphere connection"—understanding that how people feel about their leadership directly correlates with how they feel about their jobs. To put this into practice, start by examining your team's current remote or hybrid arrangement. Rather than focusing on limitations, ask what new strengths this configuration enables. Create specific policies that recognize the reality of distributed teams, including structured check-ins, virtual social events, and communication protocols designed for asynchronous work. Most importantly, model the behavior yourself by demonstrating flexibility, trust, and outcome-focused leadership. The organizations that will thrive are those that don't just tolerate change but actively leverage it as their competitive advantage. When the flying cars and virtual reality meetings described in the book arrive, the leaders who embraced earlier disruptions will be positioned to capitalize on these transformations rather than be overwhelmed by them.

Chapter 2: Build Trust Through Vulnerability and Integrity

Trust forms the bedrock of effective leadership, particularly during times of uncertainty. While many leaders believe trust comes from displaying confidence and competence, the counterintuitive truth is that genuine trust emerges through vulnerability. When leaders acknowledge their limitations and demonstrate integrity even when it's difficult, they create psychological safety that enables teams to perform at their highest level. Tom Ziglar shares the remarkable story of Mahongo Fumbelo, who attended a Ziglar Legacy Certification program. During the graduation ceremony, Mahongo unexpectedly broke down in tears, revealing how she had almost not attended. Previously in her workplace, she had been publicly humiliated by her boss when she offered to provide training to colleagues. Her boss had pointed at her in front of everyone, saying, "Mahongo, you will never be a trainer at this company. You don't have the personality or the skills to train, so you can just forget about that position." Rather than erupting in anger or quitting immediately, Mahongo demonstrated extraordinary self-control. She sat quietly through the remainder of the meeting, then retreated to her office to think. Though initially planning a scathing resignation letter, she instead chose to reflect on who she would believe—her boss or herself. She ultimately decided to pursue her dream of becoming a speaker and trainer through the Ziglar program. The story takes an extraordinary turn. Three years later, Mahongo had built such a successful speaking and training business that her former employer—unaware of her identity—contacted her to deliver training for their clients and leadership team. They told her they had "struggled to find any good trainers" and were impressed by her website. Mahongo's self-control in that critical moment allowed her to transform a potential career-ending humiliation into a triumphant success story. To build trust through vulnerability and integrity, start by recognizing that self-control begins with mindset—the story you tell yourself when challenged. Before important conversations, prepare mentally with statements like: "I am excited to speak today because I believe in our mission and my purpose is to serve." When attacked or criticized, ask yourself, "Would a secure person do this?" Understanding that insecure behavior reflects the other person's issues, not your worth, helps maintain emotional regulation. Practice transparency by acknowledging what you don't know, admitting mistakes promptly, and sharing appropriate personal stories that reveal your humanity. These actions create what Ziglar calls "asynchronous vulnerability"—a trust that isn't limited by time or place, allowing teams to function effectively regardless of physical proximity. Remember that trust is the byproduct of integrity maintained over time. Each interaction either builds or erodes trust. By consistently demonstrating that your word is reliable and your intentions honorable, you create an atmosphere where vulnerability becomes strength rather than weakness.

Chapter 3: Create an Atmosphere of Growth for Your Team

The atmosphere you create as a leader directly determines your team's performance potential. This atmosphere—comprising culture, values, and environment—either limits or unleashes what your people can accomplish. The extraordinary power of atmosphere becomes evident when examining how teams respond to identical challenges with dramatically different results, based solely on the emotional climate their leader establishes. Matt McKinley, owner of Triple M Trailers in Canton, Texas, demonstrated this principle through an innovative exercise. He had each team member complete Ziglar's Wheel of Life assessment anonymously, evaluating their satisfaction in seven life areas: career, family, financial, mental, personal, physical, and spiritual. He then compiled a team average for each spoke of the wheel and displayed it prominently in their main work area. When Tom Ziglar visited and complimented Matt on his business growth, Matt offered a profound insight: "Tom, I got that right," he said, pointing toward his thriving team, "when I got this right," pointing to his heart. "I finally figured out, as the leader, if I helped my people achieve balanced success in their personal lives, our business would do just fine." This exemplifies the Ziglar principle that quality of life equals quality of work. When leaders help team members pursue balanced success across all life dimensions, performance naturally improves. This becomes especially critical during disruption, when weakness in any life area gets magnified and quickly impacts other areas. To create this growth atmosphere, implement a Coach Leadership approach with these specific steps. First, conduct regular one-on-one conversations using curious questions rather than directives. Ask team members about their goals, challenges, and growth needs, then listen intently. Second, follow a coaching sequence: inspire (breathe life into their hopes and dreams), influence (guide their mindset), impart (build confidence), and introduce (bring new practices into their routine). Apply this method using a structured coaching worksheet (available in the book's appendix) that identifies each team member's personality profile, motivators, and specific development areas. When coaching, focus on three dimensions: attitude (character qualities that shape interactions), effort (activities required for success), and skill (knowledge and expertise). This comprehensive approach ensures you're developing the whole person, not just job performance. For maximum impact, schedule weekly coaching conversations that include three elements: appreciation (acknowledging contributions), inspiration (sharing motivation), and recognition (celebrating specific achievements). Start team meetings with this AIR approach to establish a positive emotional climate before addressing challenges. The most successful leaders understand that atmosphere isn't about physical location but about experience. When team members feel heard, valued, and supported in their holistic development, they perform at levels that purely task-focused management could never achieve.

Chapter 4: Communicate with Purpose During Disruption

When disruption strikes, communication becomes the critical link between chaos and clarity. Purposeful communication during these times isn't about having all the answers—it's about establishing trust, providing direction, and maintaining connection when uncertainty threatens to unravel team cohesion. The way leaders communicate during crisis reveals their true character and determines whether their teams collapse or coalesce. During a particularly challenging presentation in Wichita, Kansas, Tom Ziglar faced a series of unexpected disruptions. The morning had been filled with technical difficulties, and just before he was to speak, an elderly woman fell in the aisle, requiring paramedics and delaying the program by twenty-five minutes. When the event organizer, John Rouse, expressed concern about the setback, Ziglar responded with remarkable composure: "Everything is going to be okay. When these types of things go on, you know that something big and life-changing is about to happen. I am not here to give a set talk. I am here to meet the needs in the room." This response exemplifies the self-control and positive mindset essential for effective communication during disruption. Rather than becoming flustered or rigid, Ziglar reframed the situation as an opportunity to better serve his audience. This mental model for communicating under stress begins with knowing your purpose and core beliefs, which allows you to respond thoughtfully rather than react emotionally. Thomas Jody, a Ziglar Legacy Certified speaker, demonstrated similar principles when facing an irate customer at an auto dealership. After the man threw his keys and began screaming about an unresolved car issue, Jody calmly acknowledged the legitimate complaint but refused to engage until civility was restored. He asked the customer to return the next day with a different attitude, at which point they would fix the problem at no charge. The customer returned calmer, the car was repaired, and he became a regular, more pleasant customer thereafter. To communicate purposefully during disruption, prepare specific mental scripts before they're needed. Replace self-doubting internal dialogue ("Why would they listen to me?") with empowering statements ("I am excited to meet today because I believe in our mission"). When challenged, ask yourself, "Would a secure person behave this way?" to maintain emotional regulation. For team communication during uncertainty, implement a structured approach called the STICKY method: Say the problem clearly, Talk it out with clarifying questions, Invent solutions individually on sticky notes, Communicate each person's ideas, Know your plan by prioritizing actions, and You get to work with specific assignments. This method ensures everyone contributes, not just the loudest voices. Remember that communication isn't just what you say but how you make people feel. During disruption, team members primarily need to feel respected, heard, safe, valued, and connected. Your tone, body language, and follow-through matter more than perfect information. By communicating with purpose—focused on relationships as much as results—you transform disruption from a threat into a shared challenge that strengthens your team.

Chapter 5: Develop Coach Leadership Skills for Remote Teams

The shift to remote and hybrid work environments has permanently transformed leadership requirements. Traditional management approaches that relied on physical presence and visual oversight simply don't translate to distributed teams. This new landscape demands Coach Leadership—a relationship-based approach that draws out the capabilities within each team member regardless of location. David Wright, head one-on-one coach at Ziglar Corporation with over thirty years of coaching experience, identifies the fundamental differences between manager and coach styles. Managers are seen as superiors who delegate, tell, drive, follow rules, and focus on results. Coaches, by contrast, are guides who co-create, ask, empower, engage, and focus on growth. This distinction becomes critically important in remote settings where workers have greater autonomy and must be motivated from within. Michael Norton, a former Ziglar president who joined Sandler Training, experienced the transformative power of Coach Leadership during a personal crisis. In October 2010, just seven months into his new position running a global sales organization, Norton's wife was diagnosed with stage-four pancreatic cancer. Feeling he needed to resign to care for his family, Norton approached CEO David Mattson to tender his resignation. Mattson's response was unexpected and life-changing. Instead of accepting the resignation, Mattson offered unconditional support, telling Norton he could travel as needed or work from home as his family situation demanded, while maintaining his full salary. When Norton had to cancel a keynote speech in the Netherlands due to his wife's reaction to chemotherapy, Mattson personally cleared his calendar, purchased a last-minute ticket to Europe, and delivered the presentation himself—not to save a deal, but simply to fulfill a commitment Norton had made. For the duration of Mrs. Norton's battle and beyond, Mattson demonstrated unwavering support without ever mentioning his extraordinary gesture. To develop Coach Leadership skills for remote teams, implement these specific practices. First, conduct regular coaching conversations using a structured worksheet that identifies each team member's personality profile, motivators, and growth areas. Focus these conversations on three dimensions: attitude (character qualities that shape interactions), effort (activities required for success), and skill (knowledge and expertise). Second, create a "remote first" atmosphere where company policies, meetings, recognition, and evaluations prioritize the needs of remote workers. This ensures distributed team members never feel like second-class citizens. Include everyone in team meetings, keep all cameras on for visibility, and track participation to ensure quieter members contribute. Third, understand and leverage personality differences using tools like the DISC Personality Profile. This helps you communicate with each team member in the way they prefer to receive information. For example, when speaking with a high D (dominant) personality, provide direct answers and clear options rather than open-ended discussions. Finally, help team members maintain a balanced Wheel of Life across seven dimensions: career, family, financial, mental, personal, physical, and spiritual. Remote work can blur boundaries between work and home, making this balance even more critical. Regular check-ins about all life areas demonstrate that you care about their whole person, not just their productivity. The organizations that thrive with distributed teams will be those whose leaders master these Coach Leadership skills, creating connection and growth regardless of physical proximity.

Chapter 6: Master the Ten Virtues of Effective Leaders

Leadership excellence ultimately flows from character, not techniques. The ten virtues described throughout this book form a comprehensive framework for leading effectively in disruptive times. These virtues—kindness, selflessness, respect, humility, self-control, positivity, looking for the best, being the light, never giving up, and standing firm—represent both who you need to be and what you need to do as a Coach Leader. The power of these virtues is illustrated in a story about Hugh Jackman in the musical The Greatest Showman. During a live performance, Jackman concluded an inspirational number by standing at the edge of the stage with perfect posture—chin up, chest out, spine straight—while simultaneously extending his arms with hands pulled back in complete vulnerability. This "warrior spine, open heart" stance perfectly captures effective leadership: confident yet vulnerable, principled yet compassionate. Patrick Lencioni, renowned leadership expert, explains why this combination is so powerful: "When team members trust one another, when they know that everyone on the team is capable of admitting when they don't have the right answer, and when they're willing to acknowledge when someone else's idea is better than theirs, the fear of conflict and the discomfort it entails is greatly diminished. When there is trust, conflict becomes nothing but the pursuit of truth, an attempt to find the best possible answer." To master these virtues, begin with an honest self-assessment. Ask team members confidentially how they experience your leadership across these ten dimensions. Then, intentionally practice one virtue daily until it becomes habitual. For example, to develop kindness, implement Shaunti Feldhahn's Thirty-Day Kindness Challenge: for one person, don't say anything negative about them to anyone, find something to praise about them daily, and perform small acts of kindness for them consistently. For selflessness, create a gratitude list for each team member, identifying their contributions and strengths. For respect, define what respect means to you and adjust your communication style to match each team member's preferences. For humility, regularly ask, "What do they know that I can learn from them?" when interacting with team members at all levels. As you progress through all ten virtues, you'll discover they interconnect and reinforce each other. Self-control enables positivity during crisis. Humility strengthens respect for diverse perspectives. Being the light naturally flows from looking for the best in others. Together, these virtues create what Ziglar calls "asynchronous vulnerability"—a trust that transcends time and place, allowing teams to function effectively regardless of physical proximity. The ultimate fruit of mastering these virtues is legacy—teaching and transferring habits that build character, integrity, and wisdom that ripple through eternity. As Clifton Jolley told Tom Ziglar after his father Zig passed away: "Your dad's legacy is secure. There is nothing you can do to hurt it. The only legacy you have to worry about is the one you will leave." By developing these ten virtues, you equip those you lead to build their own legacy that continues beyond your influence.

Summary

Throughout this exploration of virtuous leadership, one truth emerges clearly: the most powerful leadership doesn't come from position or technique, but from character. When we develop kindness, selflessness, respect, humility, self-control, positivity, looking for the best, being the light, never giving up, and standing firm, we create an atmosphere where people naturally thrive. As Tom Ziglar powerfully states, "Coach Leaders understand that disruptive and challenging times are always coming, and the success of their business depends on their people." Your journey toward becoming an extraordinary leader begins with a single choice: Will you lead from the outside in, focusing on methods and metrics? Or will you lead from the inside out, developing virtues that inspire others to become their best? Start today by selecting just one virtue to intentionally practice this week. Notice how it affects your interactions, decisions, and the atmosphere you create. Then add another virtue next week. As these virtues become part of who you are rather than just what you do, you'll discover the transformative truth that quality of life equals quality of work—for yourself and everyone you lead.

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Tom Ziglar

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