Dr. Dave Miles: Welcome to “Conversations on Leadership with Dr. Dave.” I’m your host, Dr. Dave Miles, and this show highlights the crossroads of leadership, communication, and engagement—all to help you grow your personal leadership and craft your company culture. We bring you meaningful insights on these topics from not only interviews with top business leaders but also trendsetters in leadership research and perceptive commentary from me as your host. Joining us today on “Conversations on Leadership” is Craig McKim. Welcome, Craig!

Craig McKim: Hey, Dr. Dave. How are you? Thank you so much for having me.

Dr. Dave Miles: Great, great, great. Thanks for being here. I wanted to start by having you introduce yourself to our listeners, give them a bit of your background, and tell them about the goodness of Craig.

Craig McKim: Sure, my name is Craig McKim. I grew up in Western Pennsylvania. Currently, I am the President of Maverick Protection Group, a boutique protection firm specializing in executive protection, risk assessments, corporate security support, and workplace violence prevention. I also run a small side business called Craig McKim Business Development, where I help people become better networkers, whether they’re looking for work or trying to find business. It’s a very 101 approach to networking, and that’s how I spend my time.

Dr. Dave Miles: Nice, nice. We got introduced through a mutual friend in the security vertical, which was great. With running your company and having a side business focused on networking, I want to start by asking, what does leadership mean to you, and more specifically, what does good leadership look like?

Craig McKim: I believe you either have good leadership or you don’t. Leadership, to me, means having a connection with your people, whether at work, in a family, or in any group setting. A good leader is someone who is accessible and who others willingly follow. It involves teaching and training people well, then turning them loose while still checking in and supporting them. Good leadership also means working for your people, making their jobs easier, and being accountable—taking responsibility for what happens, good or bad.

Dr. Dave Miles: That’s a great perspective. I always go back to John Maxwell’s definition of leadership: leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. It’s about influencing people positively, whether you’re a single mother of three or the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar corporation. You mentioned different examples of leadership, and it resonates with the idea that influence can be seen in various settings. You also brought up Jocko Willink’s concept of extreme ownership, which emphasizes that leaders are responsible for everything that happens in their team. It’s about taking the blame when things go wrong and giving credit when things go right.

Craig McKim: Absolutely. Extreme ownership is a concept I appreciate. Leaders need to put responsibility back on their team members, asking them what they think and how they would solve problems. It’s about guiding them without micromanaging, similar to the lean process improvement approach in the Toyota production system, where the best ideas for process improvement come from those closest to the work.

Dr. Dave Miles: Exactly. Leaders need to balance adding value without diminishing their team’s motivation. Marshall Goldsmith’s idea of adding too much value illustrates that making minor improvements to an employee’s idea can sap their enthusiasm. It’s essential to support your team without taking over their projects.

Craig McKim: That’s a fine line to walk. Leaders need to monitor themselves and understand when to step in and when to step back. It’s about controlling your ego and knowing when to let your team run with their ideas. Gary Vaynerchuk talks about caring for your clients and people, which applies to leadership as well. By connecting with your team and understanding their needs, you can guide them effectively.

Dr. Dave Miles: Right. It’s about being involved and supportive without micromanaging. Let’s talk about some of the challenges you’ve faced. What is one of the biggest leadership challenges you’ve had to face?

Craig McKim: One of the biggest challenges right now is scaling Maverick Protection Group. Managing a growing business spread out over different cities is difficult, especially when you can’t be everywhere at once. It’s crucial to hire the right people who can stand up to tasks independently and report back effectively. Balancing the need to be involved with the need to let go and trust your team is challenging.

Dr. Dave Miles: That makes sense, especially in a field like security where having the right people in the right places is critical. You mentioned the importance of hiring correctly, and our mutual connection, Al Robinette with Career Path Consulting, specializes in helping companies hire properly in the security industry. It’s vital to have the right people with the right temperament for the job.

Craig McKim: Absolutely. Hiring the right people is essential. We’ve been fortunate to have a good team at Maverick. The challenge is staying connected with them and managing them effectively while scaling the business. It’s about letting them lead and make decisions while providing support when needed.

Dr. Dave Miles: Let’s move on to another question. What do you see as one of the biggest mistakes leaders make today?

Craig McKim: One of the biggest mistakes is micromanaging and being overly involved. Leaders need to trust their team and let them do their jobs. It’s important to train your team well and then step back to let them work. Another mistake is not listening to your team. Leaders need to be self-aware and open to feedback to improve continuously.

Dr. Dave Miles: I agree. It’s crucial for leaders to create a culture where their team feels supported and trusted. What do you think is the best way for leaders to improve their leadership skills?

Craig McKim: The first and foremost step is wanting to be a good leader and understanding your why. Connect with other leaders, attend training and seminars, and continuously educate yourself. It’s also important to reflect on your leadership style and be open to feedback.

Dr. Dave Miles: Great advice. Tell our listeners how they can connect with you and Maverick Protection Group.

Craig McKim: You can find Maverick Protection Group at maverickprotectiongroup.com. Personally, you can connect with me on LinkedIn, Facebook at Craig McKim Coach, and Instagram at Craig McKim Biz Dev. I also have a podcast on networking, which you can find on Anchor, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts by searching Craig McKim Networking.

Dr. Dave Miles: Thank you so much, Craig, for joining us today. And thank you to our listeners for tuning in. We’ll see you next time on “Conversations on Leadership with Dr. Dave.”