1. ROBERT F. JORDAN, PE
Seattle, WA
425.268.8072 r_jordan@comcast.net
S T R A T E G I C B U S I N E S S M A N A G E M E N T E X E C U T I V E
Leadership Style
In March and April, 2016 the following email was sent to persons with whom I have worked with:
I am looking at an opportunity and was asked about my leadership style. Could you write a
paragraph on your take on my leadership style and do so within 24 hours? I’ll forward your
comments to my contact unedited. Thanks! Nothing below is edited, it is how it was sent to me.
I can forward to you all of the emails and can provide phone numbers and emails of every person
below.
1. I would characterize Bob's leadership style as "overseer". He hires people who he knows can
do the job, and expects as much. He's not one to micro-manage, but ensures that you stay
on track. I think my favorite part was that he would always listen to dissenting views and make
wholly informed decisions, rather than blindly issuing edicts. I've had the pleasure of working
for, and learning from, Bob twice. I would gladly do it again. Jeff Mirisola, on my staff at
HySecurity and Advantac, CAD Administrator
2. I would say Bob’s leadership style is participative. He always encourages involvement and
seeks input with very open discussion and tries to build consensus but is not afraid of making
the decision when needed. Of course depending on the situation I have also seen him use
Delegative and Authoritarian leadership styles. Bob is adept at knowing how to use each and
when. Bob always looks for ways to help people grow in their abilities and is very much an
encourager. Don Szolomayer, vice chairman, PFC International
3. Bob Jordan is one of the finest leaders I have come across in decades. His ability to assess
any situation and to communicate clearly the direction in which a group should go, is second
to none. On occasions when there might be a possibility for some dissenting views, Mr. Jordan
is able to reach across the “proverbial aisle” and, through tact, kindness and even directness,
build team consensus. His skill set in communicating thoughts and ideas through writing is
unparalleled in my sphere of influence. I have seen Bob in many settings, difficult as well as
easy, and have seen that his ability to evaluate a situation is unwavering. In addition, his quick
wit and sense of humor both serve to ease tensions when difficult circumstances arise. He is
also incredibly loyal to people and organizations that he believes in. Greg Von Tobel,
President, PFC International
4. I feel Bob’s leadership style is that of a true “Conductor”. I’m referencing a “Conductor” of an
Orchestra. He reviews given projects carefully then selects the proper employees to provide
the talents, gifts and abilities to suit the type of end-result (performance) to be given. With
2. joy in his heart and a beam on his face, he easily positions employees, possibly within a group,
to obtain the balance needed. When Bob is tackled with a situation or project –whether
complex or not - involving many factors, he enjoys managing all of the variables, aligning
and realigning them until he is sure he has arranged them in the most productive
configuration possible.
In his mind, there is nothing special about what he is doing, he is simply trying to figure out
the best way to get things done with everyone learning and enjoying the challenge to the end
result. The process, more than the content or the result, is especially exciting for him. He
seems energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence. I think
Bob feels as if every day starts at zero, and by the end of the day he must achieve something
tangible in order to feel good about himself and hopes he has encouraged his staff with the
same. He treats his staff as adults and he trusts them to make good decisions. Bob try’s to
provide people with as much information as possible about what’s happening in the business.
This empowers them to shine (and sometimes reveal weaknesses) under both guidance and
context by giving them a wide latitude for decision making. His goal is that, between the
time a person starts working with him and when they finish, he truly wants them to feel their
career has thrived and progressed. Music has been made! Windy Singleton, HR Manager and
Executive Secretary, associate at MicroSurgical and Advantac
5. My take on Bob Jordan's leadership style ... Well I would say that Bob is a committed leader.
He leads with dedication and passion. He is not overbearing and is always willing to do
anything he expects from those he leads. He inspires by going above and beyond what is
expected. He is a great teacher and equips those he leads with knowledge. This gives them
confidence to do a job well and with great skill. Bob has a great sense of humor which helps
ease stress in tough situations. Bob Jordan is one of the most inspiring people I have ever
met and inspires me in more ways than I can express is this paragraph. Mark Havens,
volunteer, PFC International
3. 6. I have worked with Bob in several different roles, including leading him, as his peer, and being
led by him. Bob is the most trustworthy person I have ever met. He is also able to make hard
decisions when necessary in a no-nonsense but compassionate manner. Bob is a man of
action, working to understand what is important and then driving for results. He is a leader
of people, caring not just about results but also for those he leads. David Potter, volunteer,
PFC International
7. I have worked with Bob as a peer with two organizations since the middle 1990’s. At both
organizations Bob was in high level leadership positons. I observed Bob conduct weekly
training with his teams with the specific goal to build leaders out of his team members. He
would teach everything from technical skills to soft skills such has how to communicate and
develop influence with others. He is probably the most inclusive leader I have worked
with. Involving his team in day to day decisions, empowering them to make decisions and
giving his team members the earned trust to execute their decisions.
Bob is a ravenous learning and is eager to share anything he knows and everything he learns
with his team and frankly anyone else who desires to know. As a high level leader he also
knows that he is responsible for the actions of his team and for making the final decision if
needed. He routinely seeks the advice and input of all stakeholders, discusses options
together with his team and then moves forward to execute on the decisions made. Bob is also
a detailed leader who will put in whatever hours and effort it takes to keep an organizatio n
successful and moving forward. He believes in honesty, trust, integrity and hard work. He
desires the same in his team members. Greg Milholland, VP Operations, worked as peers at
MicroSurgical and Advantac
8. John Maxwell says that if you want to find a true leader look for someone that is leading
volunteers, because volunteers follow because they want to not because they have to. Bob
Jordan is just such a leader. As a volunteer leader Bob is chairman of the board and leads the
volunteer training university. This volunteer organization served more than a million people
last year and Bob’s leadership played a key role in its success. Bob leads by example, and he
pours into the people he leads. His heart is to develop people and because of this the people
he leads have a very strong loyalty to him. I’d wholeheartedly recommend Bob for any
leadership position. Damon Stoddard, Master Black Belt, peer at Honeywell, volunteer at PFC
International
9. I have known Bob Jordan for over 10 years. Bob was the head of the engineering dept. at a
small manufacturing co we worked for. One of the things that I really appreciate about Bob is
his never ending positive attitude. While I was in Sales, not engineering, I knew all the
engineer's and they were very happy working for/with Bob. It appeared to me that Bob’s
inclusive style was much appreciated and worked well to help motivate his staff. All in all I
believe that Bob is an excellent choice for any management position. Jerry Kuhn, Sales,
HydraMaster
10. The core leadership demonstrated from Bob Jordan among his multiple leadership skills, in
my past two engineering positions that I worked for him, is his capability of motivating
people, which made each of us do more and the best with the feeling of being capable and
important. Bob created bonds that brought his team a trust of win-win and belonging to the
organization. Bob is also an experienced mentor who is professional in directing and
4. coaching engineers in developing their technical skills and independence as well as
interdependence to form the team as a highly competent whole to successfully achieve
individual and organizational goal. Aiwu Yue, Sr. Engineer on my staff at Honeywell and
HySecurity
11. I worked with Bob for several years at HydraMaster, and appreciated the time I worked with
Bob. His leadership style was one of collaboration. When he could, he gave his team as much
information as he could so there was understanding and buy-in on decisions made. He is a
great listener, listening to different ideas from his team to make the best decisions possible,
as well as understanding what the needs and concerns are of his team. He is able to take this
information and communicate with his team so there is an understanding of what needs to
be done and why it needs to be done.
Bob also looks at decisions that are being made from a company-wide view and will make the
tough choices that are needed to make a company successful. He is willing to go against the
status quo when he knows a different answer, or decision is better. He is always focused on
the success of the company. Most of all Bob is respectful. He earns everyone's trust and
respect through his consistent actions and the quality decisions he makes. During the time I
worked with Bob I improved how I lead people using him as an example. Bob is a good quality
person who holds people to a high standard through his expectations and through what he
delivers as a person. Chris Stevenson, peer, Manufacturing Manager at HydraMaster
12. Bob and I have worked together for the past 20 years. During that time, among other areas
in which Bob excels I have been very impressed with his leadership qualities and style. He is
a great trainer/coach leading his reports in everything from company, and department
planning, personal goals. Bob is always striving for growth, improvement and bettering
himself and those around him. Chris Venti, hired me as Engineering Manager at MicroSurgical
when he was GM, and hired me as VP R&D at Advantac, a company he owns
5. 13. Bob Jordan is a fantastic leader who combines the ideal blend of guidance, planning and goal
setting without micromanagement to allow his employees to flourish in their respective areas.
He taught our team broad leadership principles while also teaching industry-specific
knowledge, which I found to be very unique and refreshing. He always has an open door and
truly cares about both the professional and personal growth of his employees. He is a
supportive leader that works to refine employee’s skills to support the tactical needs as well
as the long-term goals of the organization. He also highly values his employees, making them
feel like a very important and intrinsic part of the process and inspiring them to do their best
work. My personal experience with Bob was highly positive and I learned a lot under his
leadership. Keri Kliemann, Director of Marketing, on my staff at Advantac
14. When Bob asked me to write why he is a good leader, I felt honored he asked me, but then I
stopped in my tracks, “what is a good leader”? Well of course I went online and researched
everything from Webster’s Dictionary to Inc. Magazine and found my answer:
A great leader means motivating the members of your team to be their best selves
Great leaders are people who know how to achieve goals and inspire people along the way
Leadership is the art of serving others by equipping them with training, tools and people
as well as your time, energy and emotional intelligence so that they can realize their full
potential, both personally and professionally
A great leader inspires confidence in other people and moves them to action
To listen, to inspire and to empower
A true business leader understands the delicate balance of how to help others become
leaders, fuel career ambitions, then give them the chance to shine
Bob is an amazing leader, he saw things in me I did not see in myself and helped me with
tools of encouragement, training, books, he inspired and empowered me to be my best both
personally and professionally.
Bob hired me at Ultimate Survival Technologies as a sales director, but he saw more. Although
I only had a degree in Parks/Recreation and Art, he saw the creative side and drive in me. One
day he said, “You think we need to have this new idea of a product you have to move the
company forward, do it!” I was shocked; I had never designed a product. From there he gave
me the tools and engineers to design a new product, redesign packaging of existing products
that would drive a failing company from zero to selling for 2 Million in three years. It was
amazing to watch him over and over again empower others in the company to do their best.
This is what good leadership is all about, knowing the goals of the company and seeing the
potential in people, empowering them to drive the company to financial success. I will always
be truly grateful to Bob, because of his leadership and what he saw and taught me I was then
able to go onto invent a product and own my own company GRAYL Inc. Without Bob’s
leadership there is no way I would have realized the potential I had in designing products.
Bob is all the above in the definition of a great leader and more. Nancie Weston, Director of
Commercial Sales, on my staff at Advantac
15. I had the privilege to be a part of Bob's team while working under him for about 1 year.
During that time, I was able to experience Mr. Jordan's leadership style. Not one to
micromanage, Bob would outline clear expectations and rely on each department's ability
to handle their respected areas. He always demonstrated great respect to all members of
6. his team, while valuing their input in order to formulate his own action plan. While doing
so, Bob would generally incorporate the team's ideas into such plan.
Honestly and Integrity were a couple cornerstones of Bob's leadership as well. He never
shied away from sharing information with him team whether good or bad. This
demonstrated trust to the team and by doing show resulted in the strengthening of that
team. Following tested processes are very important for a quality result and the idea of
producing quality was one of the highest priorities for Mr. Jordan. Travis Paris, Sr.
Accountant, on my staff at Carbures (Seattle)
16. My experience with Bob Jordan management style is total team experience from beginning
to end. Very strong on networking and closing. A refreshing experience working with Bob
Jordan. He gets the job done, period. Ken Whitehouse, Composites Tech IV, 30-years’
experience, on my staff at Carbures (S. Carolina
