Welcome to Street Smart Leadership.
Scotty, you were so lucky in business! Yes, and the secret of my success was that I did a great job looking after people.
So, where does Street Smart leadership come from, and how does it work? Now, that's a great question. In this book you will discover how I did it. I believe that, in addition to all other traditional leadership training, there is the power to use our own intelligence to think outside the box, to think laterally with the confidence that we are doing the right thing.
Leadership is not as complicated as it appears. There are many simple and effective systems you can rely on as a leader, whether leading from the front, the rear, or the middle as part of the team. Being a leader happens at all levels regardless of the leadership hierarchy. For example, the boss of a business is the leader, but only because they own the business; when an employee influences a business's decision, they are leading from behind. They influenced the decision, even though they were not (as it appears) the leader (owner). Influence is just one strength of a street-smart leader, and in this book, you and I will explore many more systems intelligent leaders use to win.
Before I start on the Street Smart systems, let me qualify why I know they will help you. For as long as I can remember, I have always had to create my destiny. I wasn't a popular kid; some would say I was a loner. I wasn't living on the streets, but it was a life of (as my mum called it) poverty. As a teenager, I also had to dig deep and find it within myself to walk the streets, creating jobs to make pocket money because there would be no money if I didn't make my own. And I did go through many different jobs. At 18, I began my 10-year apprenticeship in leading and developing teams. I started as an insurance salesman, but by 19, I was promoted and have been in a leadership position ever since. So, self-leadership and leading others are now part of my DNA. From self-leadership and getting ahead to developing a team in business. And one system I learnt from this company was that developing people was the secret. The insurance we sold was just what we did to get paid, not the real system. The real system was people, people first, and people's development was everything.
But the true test of leadership came when I started a startup in 2000. I was creating a product that nobody thought they needed, and then had to lead a change in an entire industry. That company was called ReNet. It was software for real estate. Over those 18 years at ReNet, I also had to lead the brand and be at the forefront of tech development, in addition to standard company team development and leadership. I lead from every position, meaning from the front, the middle with the team, and even from behind, as I let others take control.
What I have found from all this experience is that leadership confidence comes from lessons learned while leading others, meaning that Actual Intelligence comes from real-world experiences.
Actual intelligence comes from what we learn from real-world experiences
So let's fast-track your knowledge and make your leadership life easier. Allow me to share my lessons with you. They are 100% from my experience, meaning these systems are not theories. So, recognise and relate these systems to yourself, assimilate them, and take immediate action. The workbook will help you too, and it's available on this book's page at www.system1357.com.
Talk soon!
Scotty
A Quintessential Australian Success Story (BIO) Scotty Schindler is a business and sports leader, proudly from Sawtell, New South Wales, Australia. Now the retired startup founder and CEO of ReNet, he is recognised as a leading Aussie business identity and keen surfer who has won multiple surfing Titles. An overview of Scott's life shows an enviable ability to achieve success in anything he pursues. At its core, Scott's career is a story of creativity, hard work and a love of Australian life. As CEO of ReNet, Scott has presided over the growth of a startup business that began in 2000 with just 1 single property listing advertised. On Scott's retirement in 2017, ReNet managed over $1.125 Trillion Dollars ($1,125,771,059,045) in real estate across Australia and New Zealand by 5,000 real estate offices and some 15,000 real estate salespeople. In addition to his role as CEO, Scott is also a highly sought-after public speaker, trainer and thought leader within Australia and around the world. A business mentor and sales trainer who can back up advice with proven results in his own life, Scott credits his 'quintessentially Australian' identity as a born optimist and clear-cut straight talker as key to his success in this arena. Before this present chapter of his life, Scott acquired his business and sales trade during 10 years in the insurance industry in the '90s. Other organisations Scott is actively involved in are the Sawtell Boardriders, Sawtell Business Chamber, Surfing NSW and Fire + Rescue New South Wales. The roles vary but Scott's devotion to community is a constant and so too an unending love of business and surfing that has carved out many, many adventures. Alongside having represented and won for Australia at the world surfing titles, Scott also holds multiple surfing championships at all levels of amateur surfing. With an enduring belief that success in business and sport requires dedication to the same qualities, Scott is also very proud of his work as a coach and trainer of WQS surfers and Aussie surfers in junior development. When away from his work or sporting commitments, Scott spends time with his family and friends and is a proud supporter and sponsor of local sporting groups such as Sawtell Surf Life Saving and Sawtell Scorpions FC.
