The Fred Factor Character Analysis

The Fred Factor by Mark Sanborn is a small book that left a large impact on my life. It begins by Sanborn meeting Fred, his mailman. Except Fred is no ordinary mailman—he is the most caring, passionate, and interested mailman Sanborn had ever met. After meeting Fred, Sanborn kept meeting “Freds” everywhere. Be it at a hotel, coffee shop, or the airport, he always met people that make the ordinary extraordinary. Throughout the rest of the book, Sanborn teaches us how to find Freds everywhere, and how we can be Freds ourselves. This book truly changed how I feel about random acts of kindness and made me want to become a Fred myself.
Chapters one and two of The Fred Factor are revolved around the first Fred that the author, Mark Sanborn had ever

Sanborn states that the only way we can get more Freds into the world is obvious—be a Fred yourself. He goes on to mention how it is actually harder to not be a Fred, and that being a Fred should actually come natural, but people are not realizing their opportunities. Sanborn comments how we all want to be significant and we all want to be leaders. Well not only are Freds leaders, they are transformational leaders. Transformational leadership can be defined as a process of engaging with others to create a connection that increases motivation and morality in both the leader and the follower. In other words, by using transformational leadership, Freds positively impact a person’s world encourage them to positively impact someone else’s. When it comes to motivation, Freds are genuinely motivated by an internal force. Freds think it is their duty to help others and rightfully feel honorable when they accomplish this. In my personal life, I will look for opportunities. throughout my daily life to be a Fred. I can easily do simple acts such as holding the door open for someone, or intently listening with interest when someone speaks to me and not just listening to reply. I could even do more complex tasks such as buying coffee for my friend or helping someone move luggage up or down flights of stairs. In my professional life, I will strive to be the best Fred

In regards of reward, Sanborn reminds us to use the reward formula often: recognize a contribution, reinforce how it affects your business, and repeat. Dealing with education, we are told that the best education is a firsthand experience. Going along with education, demonstration is teaching by doing. Overall, these last three chapters paralleled with the overall theme of leading by example. One of my favorite quotes is, “Those that do best teach best,” and it directly correlates with The Fred Factor. In my personal life, I try to lead by example by having a good set of ethics, values, and hold a high integrity. I always feel as if I have little ones looking up to me, especially my little brother. In my professional life, I will always try to reward, educate, and demonstrate, just like Fred. Leading by example is a must in agriscience education as you have so many students that are constantly looking up to you as well. From here on out, I will constantly try to be the best person I can be—I will try to be a