In business and in life, there is 5th Avenue Capital, and then there is the rest of the crowd. Having influence does not make one a leader. How one uses their influence to improve their own lives and the lives of others determines if he or she is a leader.
Using influence to positively and constructively move one-self forward and upward, while humbly serving others and helping others to reach their potential and goals is a hallmark of leadership. 5th Avenue Capital is in the business of project funding, and leadership is required at every level. Our Partners and Associates at 5th Avenue Capital must exhibit leadership strengths in order to persist and work with diverse clients.
Our clients must exhibit leadership in order to reach the finish line through private project funding, and to lead a business or organization’s development for which they are seeking funding. Our team at 5th Avenue Capital must also exhibit leadership in their personal and business life as there are as many challenges to project funding as there are variants of snowflakes.What is at the core of being a responsible leader? What are the mindsets that shape the behavior of a responsible leader? The CEO of 5th Avenue Capital, Reagan Rodriguez has found that there are 4 main characteristics that every leader has and nurtures within himself or herself. Reagan has made it clear to his partners, clients and friends that he in no way has mastered all four of these characteristics, but it is something he strives for and hopes to teach through example to the other Partners at 5th Avenue Capital as well as the clients he works with.
Internal Assuredness and Attractiveness
Leaders are both humble and confident. Their core identity, their integrity and their sense of “person hood” is attractive to other people in a way that is natural and engaging, appealing to others on a deeper, more meaningful emotional level. Leaders have a sense of wholeness and integrity which translates into the fact that they do not need to pretend to be someone they are not. They have integrity and their sense of solidity is intact. Strengths, weaknesses, personality differences alike, leaders understand and recognize uniqueness in others and in themselves and embrace these differences as necessities for team growth and the betterment of the entire organization. Because leaders have integrity (coming from the root word integer, meaning whole), they can demonstrate consistent behavior and can provide wisdom that transcends mood swings and cultural temporalities. In other words, they don’t just get caught up in the moment but operate by an internal compass bound by a set of timeless successful principles.
Adaptability and Learning Orientation
Leaders maintain a steady direction marked by high standards, while also learning to be adaptable – which means they can live well with paradoxes. Leaders must be willing to listen and learn, even from the most unlikely of sources. Leaders do not become dogmatic about what they know, and continue to surround themselves with those who challenge their comfortable views and opinions. When we fail to do this as leaders, we become stagnant, narrow-minded, and less likely to adapt to changes, which in life and in business are always inevitable. We run the risk of becoming toxic to those around us, bringing others down into a poisonous posture of “entitlement” while developing a “victim” mentality. A leader always adapts and is always seeking to learn and to better himself or herself, and never expecting others to do it for them. One can always measure if he or she is a leader if his or her efforts, thoughts, and speech are entrenched in serving others first, moving everyone forward and upward, versus becoming stagnant, embittered, and entitled, dragging those around them downward to ineptitude and ineffectiveness. While maintaining humility, a leader will also work to grow his or her emotional intelligence. In our business, we are always vetting funding sources to find those who will work to do what is right. Sometimes doing what is right is not what an emotionally under-developed person wants to hear or experience. Projects are as various as snowflakes, and as such must be approached uniquely. The unique nature of every project funding process and it’s principals requires that everyone remain flexible as to the process, expectations and timelines, while realizing that we are all working as a team for the same ultimate goal. Some projects may get funded in 75 days because their financials, plan of execution and governance are all in order and are a sound investment. Others require 90 – 100 days or more because of their complexity or issues that need to be addressed and fixed before they can be worthy of investment dollars. Clients who maintain composure and humility with us and our funding partners (or any private investor) throughout these unexpected challenges will ultimately be rewarded in most cases with a successfully funded project because they are, by nature, problem solvers and emotionally and professionally mature. Others who act in haste or are idealistic about private project funding, and are “over-zealous” about what they know and believe are often tempered with pride that hinders their flexibility and blinds their ability to work in tandem with a larger team while operating with patience. Pressures that often come through hurdles, challenges and delays in project funding often reveal the true character of clients to their funding sources, sending clear signals to the private investor as to whether this is a responsible, professional, and emotionally mature individual who is capable of responsibly handling tens of millions of dollars (or more) of another person’s money. Often, investors will terminate a funding relationship with such a client before they realize successful project funding because the private investor realizes that the client is incapable of professionally handling challenges and difficulties, which are involved in any and every business venture. Investors that we partner with at 5th Avenue Capital are seeking a financial partnership over a number of years, and maturely handling these challenges will ensure to the investor that their hard-earned money is going into responsible and capable hands. Leaders at any level will recognize they already have “blind-spots” and will be more willing to accept loving correction and critical feedback as tools and experience for personal growth.
Thinking and Operating Relationally
There is an old saying that goes something like this, “one can set 1,000 to flight, while 2 can set 10,000 to flight. . .” This age old statement recognizes the power of unity, teamsmanship and the multiplying effectiveness of being able to work relationally with others who are working toward a unified goal. For many of us at 5th Avenue Capital, who have come from diverse, independent backgrounds, this is a major shift, as it is for many in the business world. We tend to grow up thinking of leaders as the “John Wayne” independent type, instead of the interdependent type. Story after story of successful people are riddled with the touches and input of other close and advantageous relationships that were necessary in order for their success. Without their input, these success stories would never have become a reality. In most success stories, there are co-creators which achieved much together, and not autocratic lone wolves. A mature and responsible leader views him or herself in relation to others. Although a rare few can find some success working alone, far more people realize more abundant success by helping others become successful.
The 5th Avenue Purpose and Focus
Focus can come from a strong understanding of 1 question the leader knows internally. . . . “WHY?” A mature leader understands his or her internal answer to this question and are able to focus more definitively and persist far longer when others have become distracted or have given up. A personal answer to the “why” question is essential for success. Without knowing “why”, a leader cannot clearly focus on the “what”. Many cannot even define a “what” without knowing the “why”. When a leader has integrity, and believes in the depth of their being, their personal, convicting answer to “why am I doing this?”, he or she will have much less trouble with focus and persistence to ensure that their dreams, goals and visions do no remain out of reach. Knowing “why” will bring great clarity as to where a leader must focus his or her energy, while also more easily recognizing and avoiding distractions. All of us at 5th Avenue Capital have a guiding focus that true leaders possess a strong sense of personal responsibility, humility and awareness while being “other” focused. A responsible leader will almost always move forward into the unknown with an attitude and mindset of “I can and I will” knowing that he or she can impact the situation and others for a much greater good. In summary, consistently taking positive action is a true sign of a leader. Solving problems, adding to the solution, and being a positive, humble, “other-centered” individual defines some of the necessary, core traits of a mature leader. George Herbert, well known orator, writer, poet and thought leader of his time stated, “The shortest answer is doing.” We at 5th Avenue Capital focus on doing the right thing for our clients and funding partnerships with humility, responsibility and a true heart of “other-centered” service.
To learn more about our private project funding processes, go here.
