Skip to main content

Leader Profile: Clayton Daniels

Clayton (Clay) Daniels is VP of Operations, Midwest Service & Solutions at Kansas City-based U.S. Engineering Company.  He's also one of the Kansas City area's most inspiring leaders.

The company was established in 1893 and is now one of the most experienced, diversified and respected mechanical constructors in the United States. It has three locations and annual sales of $270 million.




Daniels was a Major in the US Army, has an MBA from the Bloch School of Management at University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), and moved into his VP role at U.S. Engineering in November 2013.


Daniels recently shared his insights on leadership with me:

Question:  As you move from Project Manager to Vice President, what do you plan to do the same, and do differently, from a management standpoint?
  • Daniels:  Several project management skills translate to skills indicative of a Vice President.  A VP is just managing and leading at a higher, more strategic level.  Whether a project manager, or a VP, your primary responsibility is to provide clear direction to your teammates and to remove obstacles so they can do their jobs more effectively.  In both positions, you are a servant leader.
Question:  What primary leadership skills did you use as a Major in the US Army that you've transferred to your civilian business leadership role?
  • Daniels:  All leadership skills translate.  Loyalty, Integrity, Duty, Respect, Communication, Integrity, Selflessness, Decisiveness, Courage, Initiative, Accountability, etc…  Obviously, the stakes are a little higher when leading soldiers in combat.  However, the leadership skills necessary to motivate and inspire teams to accomplish their goals and objectives in the business world are relatively the same as they are in the Army.
Question:  Why should a leader in business pursue an MBA?
  • Daniels:  The MBA itself is an opportunity for a business leader to become more well-rounded and versatile.  More importantly, a local MBA allows for business leaders to engage with each other, establish personal and business relationships, and to build off each other’s experiences.  I personally have developed fantastic relationships with members of my EMBA cohort at the Bloch School of Management (class of 2013) that are going to last a lifetime. 
Question:  What are some of the best ways to network with other business leaders in the Kansas City area? 
  • Daniels:  For me, the best way to network is to participate in ‘extracurricular’ activities outside of business.  I am a member of several groups, including the West Point Society of Kansas City and the Chapter 29 Special Forces Association.  I also regularly attend other industry-related events and functions that allow interaction with my peers.  One of the great things about construction and service is that our customers are typically from multiple industries.  I do think it is very important to make an effort to build relationships and constantly expand your network.  This can only help your company and you personally in your professional life.
Question:  What was the process your company used to select your company's values?
  • Daniels:  U.S. Engineering Company has been around for a long time.  I was not a member of the management committee when our core values were created, but there is no doubt they were carefully selected.  I am very proud of our values, but more importantly proud of my teammates that live them.  Our core values are:
  • Exhibit integrity in everything we do.
  • Listen, identify and respond to customer needs.
  • Provide quality, on schedule, at a competitive price.
  • Respect, challenge and recognize each employee.
  • Ensure a safe working environment.
Question:  Your company excels in community engagement.  What are some of the most effective ways for Kansas City area companies to get involved in the community?
  • Daniels:  I believe that everyone wants to help their community in some way.  All it takes is for someone within a company to step up and take the lead; people will follow.  U.S. Engineering is involved in many programs with local schools, the American Cancer Society, and Harvesters.  However, my favorite program is during the Christmas season when U.S. Engineering employees and their families adopt children from the local community.  We purchase Christmas gifts for the kids and deliver them in our U.S. Engineering 2-Ton truck.  Throughout the life of this program, we have delivered gifts for over 400 kids. 
Question How did your views about leadership change from the time you entered the US Army until you exited 10 years later? 
  • Daniels:  I suppose I was a little naive as a young, 2nd Lieutenant.  At that point leadership to me was what I’d seen on the football field and at West Point.  I realized that a true leader should be able to adapt their leadership style in the best interests of the team.  For example, an infantry platoon leader’s style leading 19- to 24-year-old infantrymen was much different than a Special Forces A-Team leader responsible for 11 mature operators.  Regardless, I learned that the most effective leader is one that clearly communicates the mission, establishes left and right limits, removes obstacles, and motivates the team.  Finally, I learned that good leaders are humble.  Nobody is perfect and everyone makes mistakes.  A leader’s ability to accept responsibility, be accountable, and learn is critical to team success.
Question:  What leadership skill did you learn as a teen that you still use today?
  • Daniels:  Lead by example.  I believe teens are developing leadership skills, but it is hard to expect them to completely understand the intangibles of leadership.  However, teens can show leadership by making good decisions, having impeccable integrity, and working hard every day.  When you lead by example, you don’t have to say much, but your teammates will follow. 
Question:  What single most important leadership skill did you learn playing football? 
  • Daniels:  In my opinion, there is no sport that teaches the intangibles of leadership better than football.  The most important leadership skill that football taught me is toughness and perseverance.  My defensive back coach at West Point once said – “Tough times don’t last, tough people do.”

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Three Essential Parts Of A Mission Statement

A lot of companies struggle when creating their mission statement. Author  Peter F. Drucker  provides the following good advice in one of my favorite book's of his,  The Five Most Important Questions You Will Ever Ask About Your Organization : Every mission statement has to reflect three things : Opportunities Competence Commitment In other words, he explains: What is our purpose? Why do we do what we do? What, in the end, do we want to be remembered for? How well does your mission statement meet Drucker's recommended three requirements?

Effective Listening: Do's And Don'ts

Here are some great tips from Michelle Tillis Lederman's book, The 11 Laws of Likability .  They are all about: what to do and what not to do to be a leader who's an effective listener : Do : Maintain eye contact Limit your talking Focus on the speaker Ask questions Manage your emotions Listen with your eyes and ears Listen for ideas and opportunities Remain open to the conversation Confirm understanding, paraphrase Give nonverbal messages that you are listening (nod, smile) Ignore distractions Don't : Interrupt Show signs of impatience Judge or argue mentally Multitask during a conversation Project your ideas Think about what to say next Have expectations or preconceived ideas Become defensive or assume you are being attacked Use condescending, aggressive, or closed body language Listen with biases or closed to new ideas Jump to conclusions or finish someone's sentences

6 Ways To Seek Feedback To Improve Your Performance In The Workplace

Getting feedback is an important way to improve performance at work. But sometimes, it can be hard to seek out, and even harder to hear.  “Feedback is all around you. Your job is to find it, both through asking directly and observing it,” says David L. Van Rooy, author of the new book,  Trajectory: 7 Career Strategies to Take You From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be . As today's guest post, Van Rooy offers these  six tips for how to get the feedback you need to improve performance at work . Guest Post By David L. Van Rooy 1.       Don’t forget to as k :  One of the biggest mistakes people make is assuming things are going perfectly (until they make a catastrophic mistake). By not asking, you’re missing out on opportunities for deep feedback: the difficult, critical feedback that gives you constructive ways to improve. 2.       Make sure you listen :  Remember, getting feedback is about improving your performance, not turning it into a “you versus the

10 Quotes From The 5 Levels Of Leadership -- John C. Maxwell

Soon I'll post my full review of John C. Maxwell's latest book, The 5 Levels of Leadership .  In the meantime, here are some of my favorites quotes from the book that I believe should become a must-read book by any workplace/organizational leader: Good leadership isn't about advancing yourself.  It's about advancing your team. Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others. Leadership is action, not position. When people feel liked, cared for, included, valued, and trusted, they begin to work together with their leader and each other. If you have integrity with people, you develop trust.  The more trust you develop, the stronger the relationship becomes.  In times of difficulty, relationships are a shelter.  In times of opportunity, they are a launching pad. Good leaders must embrace both care and candor. People buy into the leader, then the vision. Bringing out the best in a person is often a catalyst for

5 Tips For Generating Ideas From Employees

Your employees have lots of ideas.  So, be sure you provide the forums and mechanisms for your employees to share their ideas with you.  Hold at least a few brainstorming sessions each year, as well. And, when you are brainstorming with your employees, try these five tips: Encourage ALL ideas.  Don't evaluate or criticize ideas when they are first suggested. Ask for wild ideas.  Often, the craziest ideas end up being the most useful. Shoot for quantity not quality during brainstorming. Encourage everyone to offer new combinations and improvements of old ideas.

3 Things Your Mission Statement Must Have

A lot of companies struggle when creating their mission statement. Author Peter F. Drucker provides the following good advice in one of my favorite book's of his, The Five Most Important Questions You Will Ever Ask About Your Organization :" Every mission statement has to reflect three things : Opportunities Competence Commitment In other words, he explains: What is our purpose? Why do we do what we do? What, in the end, do we want to be remembered for? How well does your mission statement meet Drucker's recommended three requirements?

How To Survive And Then Reset To Ultimately Thrive

“Uncertainty is here to stay. Rather than seeing it as an obstacle to overcome, integrate it into your strategic approach to invigorate your high-growth potential and outperform competition under any market condition,” explains Rebecca Homkes , author of the new book, Survive, Reset, Thrive .   “Most books aren’t honest enough about how hard it is to reset ,” adds Homkes. Yet, resetting and leaning into change is essential. “If you are ready to embrace change as a central element of your growth strategy, this book is for you.” Homkes’ book is a timely, comprehensive, and essential read for business leaders looking to take the next step toward ensuring high growth for their companies. The book brings together more than 15 years of Homkes working directly with high-growth companies of all sizes and across a wide variety of industries.   Survive, Reset, Thrive (SRT) is a practical and innovative interconnected three-mode approach :   Survive : Stabilizing your business when

3 Coaching And Mentoring Tips

Here are three great tips from the book, The Everything Coaching and Mentoring Book : Coaches do not motivate their employees; they inspire them to motivate themselves.  This is best accomplished by allowing employees to see clearly where they stand in the organization versus where they want to be in their careers.  That is, what are their self-interests versus what the company can offer them. A mentor always exercises the power of suggestion. That is, wise mentors offer up plenty of suggestions to their mentees. They pose alternatives.  But they refrain, as much as possible, from telling their mentees what to do. Mentoring is all about sharing experiences.  It is about mentors imparting the multiple lessons that they've learned to their mentees and helping them better navigate through their own careers.  By absorbing these lessons--of mentors' mistakes and successes--mentees are better prepared to move forward with knowledge and confidence.

Use A Board Of Advisors

David Burkus often provides valuable comments to my various Blog postings, and he's a person who effectively uses a board of advisors, instead of mentors, to help him achieve success. "I've found that in my life, it was easier and more effective to set up a board of advisors," said Burkus, the editor of LeaderLab . "This is a group of people, three to five, that have rotated into my life at various times and that speak into it and help me grow. I benefit from the variety of experience these people have." LeaderLab is an online community of resources dedicated to promoting the practice of leadership theory. Its contributors include consultants and professors who present leadership theory in a practitioner-friendly format that provides easy-to-follow explanations on how to apply the best of leadership theory. Community users can download a variety of research reports and presentations about leadership and leadership versus management. For example, a pr

How To Avoid 8 Common Performance Evaluation Pitfalls

As the year comes to a close it's likely time for many business leaders to tackle the annual performance appraisal process. So, here is a good reminder from author Sharon Armstrong about how to avoid eight performance evaluation pitfalls .  These are in what I consider is the best chapter of the book The Essential HR Handbook , that she co-authored with Barbara Mitchell. 1.  Clustering everyone in the middle performance-rating categories 2.  Overlooking flaws or exaggerating the achievements of favored employees 3.  Excusing substandard performance or behavior because it is widespread 4.  Letting one characteristic - positive or negative - affect your overall assessment 5.  Rating someone based on the company he or she keeps 6.  Rating someone based on a grudge you are holding 7.  Rating someone based on a short time period instead of the entire evaluation period 8.  Rating everyone high, to make you look good There's other great information in this 250-page book th