3 Lessons Learned from John Pistole

Jennifer Montgomery 7/27/2017 8:54

Host Company: MOBI Wireless Management

Learning from tenured leaders in the Indianapolis community is one of the many benefits of being an Orr Fellow. Each month, Orr Fellowship holds a Business Leader Speaker Series (BLSS). The speakers in this series can be anywhere from executives at successful company to leaders that work to serve the community. They are asked to speak on their experiences, their career roles, provide insights into what they have learned, and answer questions from Fellows.

Orr Fellows recently had the chance to hear from John Pistole, President of Anderson University and former Director of Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Additionally, Pistole worked for the FBI for 26 years. With all of these different roles and a lot of interesting stories, Pistole was able to give the fellows some great advice:

1. Uphold integrity at all times. “The one thing you have going for you in life and in business, is your reputation of integrity,” Pistole said. He said that it is important to remember that you should never pretend that you know all the answers. He also said to use your judgement and keep integrity in mind when difficult situations are put in front of you. Do not only what is right for the company, but what is ethical in every situation, even if it’s hard.
2. Being a leader is much more than a job position or a title. It is about how you choose to influence others, and hopefully, it will leave a lasting positive impact. President Pistole advised the fellows to do things everyday that will make you a “go-to” person. People will look at you as a leader if you are open minded and willing to help others in their own work, not just your own. He emphasized that good work is not about the status, it is about your attitude.
3. We can do professional things that require no talent. Finally, John Pistole shared a list of advice he had recently learned that stuck with him. Some of the attributes on this list included being on time, always giving effort, being grateful, being coachable and always coming prepared. 

Fellows are excited to put Pistole’ advice to work and share it with others! Orr Fellowship is so grateful to President Pistole for sharing his experiences and letting us learn from them!

Intrigued by Orr Fellowship? Good. You should be. We believe your first job out of college should be meaningful. Orr Fellowship helps top graduates do just that.  Learn more at orrfellowship.org, and follow us on social media by clicking below.