Todd Wangsgard
Enterprising, results-driven, and grounded are words that describe Todd Wangsgard. He brings 24 years of leadership and organizational development experience to his clients.
Clients value his ability to create clarity out of the business fog that prevents most companies from enabling greatness and developing the capabilities of their associates.
Todd has excellent professional experience. He was Senior Manager of Training, Talent Management, and Communications for ATK Lake City, a government-owned, company-operated manufacturing center in Independence, Missouri. He organized the training department, developed and implemented all levels of leadership curriculum, and oversaw the operation’s succession planning and teambuilding strategies.
As the Manager of Professional Development for ATK, a $4 billion aerospace and defense company, Todd led the creation of employee and leadership assessment and development initiatives for operations in 23 states.
Todd worked for Intermountain Healthcare, Inc. in Salt Lake City, Utah, the intermountain west’s largest physician, clinic and hospital network. He founded IHC University and managed the implementation of curriculum as well as the administrative team of IHCU.
An industry cross section of Todd’s clients represent higher education, health care, insurance, manufacturing, aerospace, and defense.
Todd holds a PhD from Walden University in Leadership and Organizational Change. He has also earned his MBA from the University of Phoenix and a B.A. from Weber State University (Ogden, Utah) in communications.
Todd is affiliated with a number of professional organizations and holds certifications to teach a number of programs. He is a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), a Master Facilitator for Achieve Global, and a Certified Professional Behavior Analyst (DISC).
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FranklinCovey Consultant Blogs | Todd Wangsgard
The Legacy of a True Leader
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True leadership isn’t manifest during the leader’s tenure. It shines well beyond.
Becoming a manager requires the stroke of a pen, an entry into an HRM database, the inclusion of a new title. Becoming a leader happens in the minds and hearts of those who may decide to follow the leader. The two are often sought simultaneously (formal authority and informal persuation), but almost always achieved separately.
Quoting perennial business leadership guru, Jack Welch, “The moment you become the leader, it stops being about you, and it starts being about them – your people.” He’s right. The sooner a new manager figures out that his responsibility is no longer doing the work, but rather coordinating the work of others, the faster he is able to tap the collective genius, strength and ability of the group. Too many new managers attempt to make themselves indispensable to the company. They retain information – after all, knowledge is power. And they remain trapped in the if-I-want-it-done-right-I’ll-do-it-myself mindset. Breaking free means sitting on your hands when you are tempted to do it yourself, biting your tongue when you feel the urge to spew out your ready-answers, and generally allowing people to take risk, and sometimes fail, in order to reinforce their own learning and growth, not to validate your own expertise and lordship.
So then, how is true leadership made manifest only after his tenure?
The leader who loses herself in her colleagues’ development inspires confidence – confidence in the leader, and more importantly confidence in themselves. The leader who aligns business processes and systems with the organization’s values generates trust. Then, those next-generation leaders find increased productivity, innovation, and zeal in the empowered culture that takes hold.
Finally, the leader leaves, and no one notices.
This is the moment her genius shines. It is at this instant where the organization continues to thrive and spontaneously generate new leaders and sustained results that people realize the fruits of the former boss’ labors. And that is how the newly departed leader – the ‘leadership generator’ – makes herself indispensable.
2 Comments to The Legacy of a True Leader
Well said. Leadership is not about the “Sage on the Stage” mentality but rather about empowering other peopleand teaching others to trust themselves. Allowing others to make critical decisions means the leader has to step back once in awhile.
A leader must model the way, share the vision,teach followers to challenge the process and then reward them incrementally. When those steps have been taken, they have just created a new leader. It is all about building trusted relationships and developing powerful communication skills.
Like parenthood, you reap what you sow:D
ToddJuly 3, 2012
Great comment. Michelle, you sum it up nicely with “trusted relationships” and “powerful communication skills.” Thanks for the contribution!
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July 2, 2012