The Leadership Advisor

Character and Leadership in Egypt

2011-01-29T07:53:00.002-07:00

The unfolding events in Egypt are a powerful and present reminder of the need for character in leadership. To be sure President Mubarak's character has been evident over his 30 year reign. The problem is that his character does not reflect the character of his people or take advantage of the best Egypt has to offer the world.

Leadership that relies on fear and control eventually comes to an end at the hands of the captives. Only at that time does the dictator try to placate the people with small reforms that have little meaning.

My hope for Egypt is that its greatness will be renewed through leaders that possess the character and leadership that Egypt deserves.

Everyday Courage

2011-01-27T18:04:00.001-07:00

One of the greatest benefits of the times in which we live are the stories of inspiration and courage that cross our paths every day. I have mentioned before that I find myself most challenged with the element of courage in my leadership and my personal life. Perhaps that is why I am so captured by stories of courage in others. Early in the month I shared on our Facebook page the story of Katie Jeter. She has demonstrated profound courage in pushing past the obstacle of disease and amputation to continue to play her favorite sport, hockey.

What I see in Katie is an ability that takes many leaders years to develop - the courage to firmly push past obstacles and boldly seize opportunities. I am grateful for Katie’s example of personal courage. I know this same quality will permeate her leadership for years to come.

As inspiring as Katie’s story is, what about leaders who don’t find themselves in the type of personal or professional challenge that requires bravery? Is it possible that the type of courage that leaders must demonstrate is more mundane? Is it possible that it takes courage just to get up and face the ordinary challenges of the day?

I think we may focus too much on the extraordinary and miss the courage demonstrated by leaders each day. I saw two demonstrations of courage in leadership this month in our own practice.

One day early in the month I had a rare opportunity to drop in on a friend who is the CEO of a local organization. The company he leads has been through the depths during the recent recession, and although they have found the bottom, they are still struggling on a daily basis to overcome the effects of the economic downturn. Throughout this decline, my friend has stayed in his role despite the fact that he could move on at any time to a much more desirable situation. He has persevered not because he is dedicated to the company and the industry but because of his sense of responsibility to his team. This type of courage to keep on is an inspiration and epitomizes the courage to lead captured in The Character of Leadership model.

The second situation of courage comes from a new client. I was asked to provide coaching to an executive in need of some new abilities to lead her team. I don’t do a lot of individual coaching but was inspired when I chatted with this new client. What I loved in our conversation was her passion to learn new skills, to see her organization from a more strategic perspective, and to tap into a coach to expand her ability. It takes courage to ask for and implement help.

Even though we can see a great demonstration of courage in Katie’s story, let’s not overlook the courage of everyday leadership: the courage to stick with an ailing company because it is the right thing to do, or the courage to learn and grow.

Leadership Action

2010-12-24T08:30:00.002-07:00

It is the action, not the fruit of the action that is important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there will be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result. Mahatma Ghandi

The Character and Leadership of Parents

2010-12-22T15:04:00.001-07:00

The following essay was written by my friend Kent Oram. He has graciously allowed me to share it with you. It is a wonderful testament to the power of character and leadership in parenting. Enjoy.

Honor and Action

My parents passed away during 2010. It has been interesting, challenging, and enlightening. I am aware of the importance our decisions have not only on our lives but on the lives of those around us. Never has this truth been more evident than it is as I consider the lives of my parents.

Until the day he died, my dad said "I am who I am.” If I work diligently, someday I might measure up to the life embodied by those simple words spoken by that simple man.

My mother said "be satisfied with what you have and who you are. If you want to change one of those, work on who you are."

They were imperfect people who raised imperfect children. They lived humble lives and were never pretentious. Their hard work and example shows those who knew them the pathway to real happiness is not lined with possessions or riches. It is lined with memories of a life where principles and beliefs are aligned with actions. Knowing they had faults helped them focus on capitalizing on their strengths. They called it “determination.”

If you asked them to do something, you never had to worry or follow-up.

Once in a very great while, you would hear a benign curse fall from their lips. Always, you would witness immediate regret for ill chosen words.

They had no difficulty determining right from wrong. At the same instant, they were not judgmental and always full of love. Now and then, I would hear “I love you but not what you are doing.” There was no dichotomy in those words when spoken by my parents.

They had their sight on a target. Like all humans, their vision was obscured now and then. Unlike many humans, they fought with all the fervor they could muster to regain their vision of their goal as quickly as possible and move towards it again. Their pursuit of their life’s goal was relentless.

I will miss them but I have their example to follow. Perhaps, if I work at it, 40 years from now, someone can write something like this about me.

Now, why do I write this to my friends? Recently, it has been troubling to watch as some around me struggle. Some behaviors are simply out of harmony with beliefs. Some attempt to offload accountability and find they cannot. One cannot talk about dignity and respect during the day and mock those values during the night.

As I have reflected, I have thought of my own imperfections. Together, let us resolve to align our actions to be more in harmony with our beliefs. Let us be kinder and gentler. Trust and be trustworthy. Be humble. Seek to make a positive difference in the lives of those who surround us at work and at home. Live a life we can happily hope others will follow.

I will follow my own advice and honor my parents’ legacy through my actions. What will you do?

Fallow and Fertile

2010-12-22T06:02:00.003-07:00

It is my habit to listen to NPR when I am traveling. This week I caught part of an interview by Terry Gross of Fresh Air with Bruce Feiler. The point of the interview was Feiler's book The Council of Dads but during the interview the subject of rest came up.

It used to be the practice of farmers to let their fields lie fallow every seventh year. This year of rest would regenerate the land and allow it to be more fertile. Today, many farmers supplement the land with chemicals and nutrients to maintain productivity. This artificial fertility allows production to go on uninterrupted by rest.

If the land needs to be fallow to be fertile how much more do we need rest to be productive?

What Kind of Leader Am I?

2010-12-07T07:00:00.002-07:00

The following question came to me after this person had completed The Character of Leadership assessment and received the situation worksheet. I thought it was a great question.

I thought after filling the questionnaire I would be placed as maybe a democratic leader, autocratic or whichever. In other words my question is what kind of a leader am I?

Here is my response:

That is a great question. I tried to stay away from the notion of classifying leaders into groups and rather pose a model that would have leaders contemplate their character components. One of my overriding principles is that leadership must fit the context in which it is demonstrated. Consequently I wanted to make sure I was not too prescriptive in what should make up a leader's character but rather to challenge leaders to consider that for themselves.

For instance there are certain leadership norms in the United States that would not translate well into another society. My hope is that organizations around the world will tailor the behaviors inside the model to fit their particular situation. Having said that I did want to provide leaders a model that would allow them to contemplate their character and leadership.

I hope that helps. If you want to explore this further just let me know.

Anthony Graves' Courage, Hope and Justice

2010-11-03T06:33:00.002-06:00

Last week I heard a stirring radio story about Anthony Graves. Anthony spent 18 years behind bars including 12 on death row for a crime that he did not commit. Beyond the obvious indictment of a justice system involved in this story the evidence of courage, hope and the eventual justice done by the current prosecutor are inspiring.

I encourage you to read the story in Texas Monthlyhttp://www.texasmonthly.com/2010-10-01/feature2.php and then to watch the post prison interview http://www.texasmonthly.com/multimedia/video/home/15314 of Anthony Graves. You will be inspired but his grace, hope and his own sense of doing what is right even when it was difficult and potentially could have cost him his life.

The Character of the Senate Race in Illinois

2010-10-11T10:40:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I watched Meet the Press. This is a program that I have watched intermittently for a number of years. Sitting in my office, working in the quiet of Sunday morning I listened casually as David Gregory introduced the program’s content. The program yesterday consisted of a debate between the two candidates, Mr. Kirk and Mr. Giannoulias for U.S. Senate in Illinois. I did not give the debate my full attention until Gregory turned the questions to matters of character. Mr. Kirk has been accused exaggerating his military record and Mr. Giannoulias accused of making loans through his family owned community bank to known mobsters.

Since these are not the typical matters of Senate races I paid attention to how each answered. Mr. Kirk took complete responsibility for the exaggerations of his record stating that it was his fault and no one else’s. He also stated he loved this country. However he did not answer the deeper question, why had he exaggerated his military record.

Mr. Giannoulias was asked directly if he had known that certain borrower from his bank were known members of the mob. His response was “I didn’t know the extent of their activities.” Again he did not answer the question implied buy not stated by David Gregory. To what extent did you know their activities.

Missing from each gentleman’s answers was a the frankness to answer directly how these mistakes happened, the circumstances within which they happened, and whether they would do the same thing again. We had a powerful glimpse into the character of each candidate yesterday and one can only hope that when the Illinois voters cast their ballots on November 2 that one of the choices will be “none of the above.”

280,690

2010-10-02T10:13:00.001-06:00

We released The Character of Leadership: An Ancient Model for A Quantum Age one year ago and it has been a great year. I did not set expectations for the book and the model but I had hopes for its acceptance. Having learned over the years to moderate expectations I relied on my hopes as a way providing motivation to put The Character of Leadership Model in the hands of 100,000 people in one year. We established several channels through which we could pursue that goal. Those channels consisted of:

Web site
Book sales
Assessments
Speeches and presentations
Published articles in trade publications and newspapers
Our newsletter

Through those channels as we finish our first twelve months we have placed the model in the hands of…drum roll... 280,690 people in 90 countries and territories. The best part of these numbers however is that momentum is building for the model. I have four speaking engagements in the next month and two speaking engagements already booked for 2011. Book sales are increasing, free assessments have increased substantially and the reach of the model has expanded with sales in Australia and a recent conversation about translating the book for use in Uganda and Rowanda.

My purpose with this information is twofold; first to thank you for your support and encouragement. This year, when I became discouraged someone would call, send a note or comment that some aspect of The Character of Leadership had made a profound difference in their leadership.

My second purpose is to ask for your help. We have found a reception in the lives of leaders with our proposition that the fuel for great leadership is great character by offering a prospective and positive model for developing character and leadership. You can help me by telling your colleagues how to engage with The Character of Leadership, writing a book review on Amazon or Barnes & Noble, inviting me to speak to your groups and recommending organizations that would like to adapt and adopt this model as a way of forming the character to lead.

Today more than ever I am convinced that the challenges we face are not economic, environmental, social or legal; they are challenges of character and leadership. Let’s work together to meet those challenges with the expansion of The Character of Leadership. Let me know where and how I can help.

Thank you for your support. I am looking forward to another great year for The Character of Leadership!

The Guy with the Matches

2010-07-25T08:24:00.003-06:00

Last week there was a media frenzy surrounding the firing of Department of Agriculture employee Shirley Sherrod. The news has covered what happened but has not focused on who started the fire. In his article for the Detroit Free Press, Mitch Albom rightly indicts the man responsible, Andrew Breitbart. He lit the situation on fire with an irresponsible portrayal of a good person as a racist. This was certainly a demonstration of Mr. Breitbart's character. Unfortunately, not the type of character we want emulated by leaders.

As I read Albom's article I was struck by how much character mattered in this whole situation and how it is that only person that displayed the character to lead was also the victim. Shirley Sherrod was composed, collected and clear as she dealt with the situation. She was was the picture of character under fire and yet maintained her dignity and integrity throughout. That is the character we should foster in leaders across America.

Well done Shirley and thank you for the great example of character.

The Value of Values

2010-05-30T21:11:00.003-06:00

Values that serve us well are enduring principles that enable us to maintain our integrity and self-respect no matter the circumstances. Effective leaders routinely exhibit positive, constructive values in their words and deeds, even when the going is difficult.

In healthy organizations, values aren’t merely words on a poster or in a brochure. They are alive in the organization. You see these values at work everywhere you look. When actions run counter to the organization’s values, everyone knows.

We value the things we give most of our time, attention, resources, and reinforcement. This holds true for us as individuals and for our organizations.

What values drive your thinking and behavior? What are your organization’s real values? Are these values all they should be?

The Leader's Lack of Vision

2010-05-30T21:10:00.001-06:00

Leaders may feel compelled to have a vision because they believe it’s what they’re supposed to do, or they may avoid a vision because they believe it has no real value.

Stephen Covey described vision as “seeing the end from the beginning.” Vision is a clear statement of what an organization seeks to become over time through the collective efforts of its members.

Many leaders mistakenly believe that everyone expects them to determine the vision alone. In fact, very few leaders single-handedly envision their organization’s future. As a leader, your job is to work with your team to collectively determine this future state of being. Creating the vision together develops unity and commitment.

Commitment

2010-05-30T21:09:00.005-06:00

Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi said, “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their field of endeavor.”

The same can be said for the quality of teams and entire organizations. That means leaders must inspire people to commit to be their best instead of merely complying with minimal performance standards.

Inspiring commitment requires creating conditions in which people choose to devote themselves to individual and collective excellence. Such an environment explicitly encourages, reinforces, and rewards optimal performance.

In the end, people commit themselves to a team or organization when they believe their leaders value them and the best they have to offer. They have to know that their best matters. The leader’s challenge is to show them it does.

Wisdom

2010-05-30T21:09:00.003-06:00

Wisdom is an important leadership characteristic, but one that we may not sufficiently recognize or value. The mere mention of the word can conjure up images of white-haired old men telling tales to bored faces. However, cultivating wisdom is essential to productive living and leading.

Wisdom is applying our accumulated knowledge to life. We become wiser over time as we learn to discern reality from fantasy, and what works from what doesn’t. Wisdom is developed by people who learn from their failures and successes.

People tend to follow individuals they believe to be wise. The wise leader demonstrates thinking that is simple, common sense, and practical. The wise leader cuts through the noise and gets to what really matters in dealing with life’s challenges.

The Competent Leader

2010-05-30T21:08:00.004-06:00

Competent leaders are known for the proficiency they’ve acquired in some field of endeavor. Their proficiency typically includes a relatively high degree of technical knowledge in their area of expertise. More importantly, they realize that it’s their ability to accomplish objectives through the competency of others that defines them as an effective leader.

These leaders are comfortable with what they know and with what they don’t know. They aren’t interested in being “know-it-alls.” To the contrary, they need and want to rely on others for the more complete set of skills and perspectives required for an organization to perform optimally in pursuit of its goals.

Competency among leaders is the ability to inspire, develop, support, reward, and reinforce people in the organized quest for a worthy end. Competent leaders recognize that success is not about them; it’s about the people they lead.

Communication

2010-05-30T21:08:00.003-06:00

Communication is the continual process through which we relate to other people. It’s the way we exchange ideas, feelings, knowledge, and information. It’s how we build relationships of trust and respect.

Successful leaders communicate both to share their perspectives and to understand the views of others. These leaders build trust and respect by demonstrating interest beyond themselves and their own agendas.

This give-and-take works best when people interact face-to-face in an environment where all views are respectfully sought, heard, and understood.

A significant percentage of a leader’s time should be spent consistently communicating with people to understand, teach, motivate, and reinforce.

Composure

2010-05-30T21:07:00.004-06:00

People expect their leaders to remain composed, calm, and steady, particularly in times of tension or crisis.Even the most passionate leaders must exhibit steady, reassuring behavior, even when pressing circumstances make self-control difficult.

Composure means keeping a level head, focusing on what needs to be done, and preventing emotions from overwhelming the organization’s guiding principles, competence, and common sense.

The composed leader projects confidence, even when she’s not feeling all that confident. She becomes a calming influence. Even when she’s unsure, a leader must display faith in her ability and that of her team to succeed. Such composure may very well be the glue that keeps the team together and functioning.

Press On

2010-05-30T21:07:00.003-06:00

For some, courage is a trait they must call upon often in their lives. For others, it is a recently discovered characteristic they weren’t sure they possessed.

Whether it’s long-standing or newly discovered, courage -- the ability to press forward through our fears and doubts toward a worthy goal -- is an essential characteristic of leaders. People tend to follow individuals who display the courage to overcome obstacles.

You can develop courage by examining your fears and understanding them. Then put your fears in perspective by measuring them against the value of the goal you seek to lead others to achieve.

Courage is not being fearless. Courage is moving forward in spite of your fears.

Credibility

2010-05-30T21:06:00.001-06:00

Credibility is essential to developing a reputation for personal integrity and trustworthiness, fundamental attributes of all effective people and their leaders. We build credibility with others over time by consistently doing what we say we’ll do. The phrase, “walk the talk,” means we routinely behave in harmony with our stated values and intentions.

Maintaining an unbreakable link between our actions and words doesn’t mean people will always agree with us. It does mean that people can rely on us to do as we say and believe. People look for this kind of reliability in the leaders they follow.

Credibility can take time to build, but it can be lost in a moment when our actions don’t match our words. Take care to protect your credibility. No one can lead without effectively it.

Focus

2010-05-30T21:02:00.004-06:00

The German author and scientist Goethe said, “Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.”

Myriad people, challenges, and tasks may vie for our attention and resources. Leaders must focus themselves and their organizations only on the truly important, setting aside the less important and unimportant. Stephen Covey describes this prioritization process as “putting first things first.”

Consistently focus on the relative few things most relevant to your purpose, mission, and values. Resist the temptation to elevate the priority of less important seemingly urgent matters beyond their real impact on your success.

Focus often requires leaders to display the discipline, courage, clarity, and commitment to challenge institutional “sacred cows” and popular notions. This leadership competence is as essential as it is difficult and unpopular. Without focus, individuals and organizations lose their way.

The Power of Listening

2010-05-30T20:59:00.005-06:00

You may have heard it said that we have two ears and one mouth because we are expected to listen twice as much as we talk.

Listening is an essential leadership skill. People truly follow you only if they believe you respect and care about them. Nothing demonstrates greater respect and genuine interest in others than listening to understand their needs, concerns, and views.

By disciplining yourself to listen carefully, you can build the trust that enables you to be an effective leader. With trust established, those you seek to lead are more likely to consider what you have to say.

How much time do you spend listening instead of talking?

The Power of Influence

2010-05-30T20:59:00.004-06:00

The words “influence” and “power” have similar definitions, but very different effects when leading others. Power makes people comply; influence leads them to commit.

Influence suggests persuading, encouraging, and reasoning with others to both think and behave a particular way. Influencing convinces people to believe in a particular action.

Power based on position, connections, or resources may control someone’s behavior, but not their thinking or beliefs. People may do what we say because they fear our power over them. Power may make people comply with our wishes, but they’re not likely to commit themselves until we influence their hearts and minds.

Make sure you’re not using power when influence would be more effective.

Motivation

2010-05-30T20:58:00.001-06:00

Dwight Eisenhower said, “Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it.”

Effective leaders positively motivate others to achieve goals, overcome obstacles, and develop capabilities.

They motivate first and foremost by consistently demonstrating positive inspiration in their own words and actions, setting an example others want to emulate.

These leaders help others aspire to the best in themselves, including a belief in their abilities and in those of their teammates. They focus individual and group efforts on goals worth reaching, challenging themselves and those around them to work collaboratively for the common good.

And when the going gets rough, motivational leaders remain calm and constructive, keeping themselves and those around them on course toward their destination.

Perseverance

2010-05-30T20:57:00.002-06:00

Winston Churchill said it best, “Never, never, never, never quit.”

Perseverance is a trait of all great leaders. Leadership is a much about tenacity as it is about talent. Leaders who create a legacy are not those whose paths are uncluttered. Just the opposite, the best leaders have completed quests replete with trials and tribulations.

Whether you were born a leader or learned to be one, consistently exude the will to go around, through, over, or under the obstacles in your path. No matter how many or how daunting the challenges between you and a worthy goal, great leaders never quit.

Whether you’re leading an entire organization, a team, your family, or your own life, make perseverance a defining quality of your leadership legacy.

Development's Master Key

2010-05-30T20:56:00.001-06:00

Realistic self-awareness is essential to leading organizations and your own life. Self-awareness is how you see yourself, and how others view you. These differing perspectives can lead to reactions you never intended.

For example, the people around you already know your shortcomings. What they don’t know is whether you’re aware of them. Once you indicate that you are aware of your deficiencies, the door is open to developing more honest, effective relationships of trust, respect, and understanding.

Reflect on your strengths and also on your weaknesses that might hinder your full leadership potential. Seek constructive criticism. What you learn will enhance your self-awareness, focus your personal improvement efforts, and open lines of communication, important goals for any effective leader.

Leadership Service

2010-05-30T20:55:00.004-06:00

Initially, we may aspire to leadership positions because of what we anticipate getting from the role, particularly the power to have others do things our way.

In reality, true leadership means serving others’ needs, not others serving us. Becoming an effective leader requires routinely finding ways to help individuals and teams succeed in pursuit of shared goals.

After all, leading means accomplishing something through the actions of others. As leaders, our challenge is to make sure those we lead have what they need to reach the destination and to overcome any obstacles they encounter along the way.

How much of your leadership is driven by what you give instead of what you get?

Trust

2010-05-30T20:55:00.003-06:00

All healthy, productive relationships are based on trust. With it, relationships develop and grow; without it, individuals and institutions alike are doomed to fail.

We build trust by demonstrating trustworthy behavior consistently over time. This includes demonstrating that we value and respect other people, even when we don’t like or agree with them. It means doing what we say we’ll do – every time – so that people learn that they can take us at our word.

When people operate in a trusting environment – where they trust and are trusted – they’re likely to be more open to new ideas, to give more of themselves, and to stick with someone or something longer when the going gets tough.

Beginning with their own behavior, if leaders promote a climate of trust, people will more confidently and openly contribute their best without fear of being compromised or undermined.

The Character and Leadership of BP

2010-05-29T09:17:00.005-06:00

As the disaster in the Gulf continues to play out from an engineering, environmental, regulatory and financial perspective it is time to start talking about the character of the organization and leaders that led to this situation.

Over the past three years we have witnessed the melt down of the financial service sector and the now the fouling of our environment. As those in charge sort out the root causes of these disasters from a technical perspective let's not forget to look at the character of the leaders that allowed these situations to occur.

Character is formed around core beliefs. British Petroleum's values are: Progressive, Responsible, Innovative and Performance Driven. These seem like a suitable (if not inspirational) set of values but clearly something has gone wrong in the display of these values with regard to the Deepwater Horizon.

Our response to this disaster and others that befall us cannot be limited to assigning legal and financial responsibility. Our response must include analysis and understanding of the real root cause of man-made disasters; character and leadership.

Maintenance

2010-05-17T08:23:00.005-06:00

I have a Mugo Pine in my front yard that has gone rogue. To be fair the bush has just done what it is supposed to; grow 8 inches per year in every direction. I however, never took time to maintain the bush and this past weekend was forced into radically pruning the rogue Mugo back into a shape that is appealing to the eye and does not inhibit my sprinkler system nor my ability to put the car in the driveway.

I should have maintained this bush over the past several years but instead I was doing something else and left the bush to its own devices. When I finally paid attention to it, the plant had become unruly and the only way to shape it up was to make some radical changes. The plant looks better but the cuts I had to make were deeper than they would have been if I had just trimmed it every year instead.

Leadership ability requires maintenance to avoid radical reshaping. Don't wait too long for that needed and necessary maintenance.

I Am Encouraged!

2010-05-11T05:42:00.003-06:00

Despite all the troublesome things we hear, read and see on a daily basis about our government and corporations there is still good news to be had. I have often complained that there is not enough shared about the good things happening in our world and that the good still outweighs the bad. So here is a note about the good.

For several years I have been a member of the College of Business Advisory Board at Idaho State University. I have not always been a good member (as measured by my attendance at meetings) of that Board but despite that they have allowed me to remain.

Last Friday I attended a meeting in conjunction with the University's graduation and met the outstanding graduates of the College. I was so impressed with the maturity, eagerness and intellect of this group. To have forged out degrees in one of the worst economies in history and to have done that in ways that distinguished their efforts is a great accomplishment.

Some of the students were bound for industry, others for international studies while one young man was heading home to run the family farming business. Regardless of their next steps these people represent the best of one College at a small University. More than that they represent a bright and powerful future for the organizations in which they will lead.

I am encouraged!

Character

2010-04-14T08:11:00.003-06:00

Theodore Roosevelt once said… “Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual and of nation’s alike.”

Real leadership begins with individual character. Whether you’re leading an organization or leading your own life, character defines the quality and capacity of that leadership.

Effective leaders demonstrate and develop these seven character attributes: Faith, Justice, Temperance, Hope, Wisdom, Love and Courage.

If you want to develop these attributes, begin by making sure they’re present and sufficient in your character. Then, take actions that demonstrate your character every day.

Competition and Collaboration

2010-04-14T08:07:00.001-06:00

Leaders who build effective organizations and teams consistently promote collaboration instead of competition within their ranks. They understand that the time and energy team members spend competing with one another detracts from the organization’s overall success.

When teamwork is truly valued over internal competition, leaders must guard against unwittingly promoting the latter. Throughout the organization, leaders’ behavior and all of the rewards and reinforcement systems must be aligned to credibly demonstrate that we collaborate inside our organization and compete outside it.

Promote collaboration by consistently making clear that teams and their members have more to gain by helping achieve the organization’s shared goals than they do by pursuing their own narrower agendas that might ultimately conflict with the common good.

People, the End or the Means?

2010-04-14T08:03:00.002-06:00

Philosopher Immanuel Kant said, “Always recognize that [people] are ends, and do not use them as means to your end.”

In business, it’s easy to view people as assets to be used toward the attainment of business goals.

People know the difference between leaders who genuinely care about them and those who care only about the talents they offer. They become devoted to leaders who care about them while quickly deserting leaders who don’t.

Caring is not complicated. It simply means spending time with the people you lead, knowing their names, listening to their ideas and concerns, smiling, sharing a kind word, asking about their health, families, and interests.

Value other people first as human beings and then for what they can contribute to your organization. Remember, your success depends upon how much they care about following you.

How's Your Leadership Attitude?

2010-04-14T08:01:00.002-06:00

“The winner’s edge is all in the attitude, not the aptitude,” according to psychologist Dennis Waitley. “Attitude is the criterion for success.”

Attitude is the perspective through which we view and react to our surroundings and circumstances. Our attitude determines how we think and behave; it has a profound affect on our success and the success of those around us.

Think of the people you know and work with. Some view their world negatively, exhibiting debilitating characteristics such as cynicism, criticism, defeatism, and self-pity. Others are perpetually positive, demonstrating constructive traits such as optimism, collaboration, perseverance, and pride.

A leader’s attitude is contagious; it infects and affects individuals and entire organizations. What kind of attitude are you projecting and what impact is it having on your team’s performance?

Cultivate Wisdom

2010-04-14T07:55:00.006-06:00

The Capacity to Forgive

2010-04-03T06:20:00.001-06:00

You can listen to my interview with Public Radio on the subject of integrity, transparency and forgiveness.

Edinburgh Castle

2010-03-15T05:30:00.003-06:00

Last week I was in Edinburgh Scotland working with a client. You should visit this marvelous city. It is full of rich history, vibrant youth and tremendous pubs.

While in Edinburgh there was an opportunity to visit Edinburgh Castle. The castle perches on a volcanic rock that shoots up from the surrounding plain. This rock and its castle have provided refuge for people since 800 BC.

Today the castle serves a symbolic role rather than one of defense. Nonetheless this symbol is a powerful, ancient model for a dynamic 21st century city.

The Character of Leadership model is the same ancient tool for today's 21st century leaders.

Check out Edinburgh and the Character of Leadership.

Doing Justice In Health Care Reform

2010-03-01T07:10:00.002-07:00

Last week I had the opportunity to watch part of the Health Care Summit hosted by President Obama. I had high hopes for the outcome of the day but was very disappointed to see that no one in the room was willing to give up rhetoric for substance.

In my recent book The Character of Leadership: An Ancient Model for A Quantum Age I suggested that doing Justice as a leader was "doing the right thing even when it is difficult and costly." Health care reform is difficult and the changes probably should be incremental rather than the sweeping change now on the table. Regardless of the scope I am looking for leaders that will roll up their sleeves and begin negotiating reform even if it costs them the support of their party and their voters.

Ladies and gentlemen do justice to this important issue.

Olympic Courage

2010-02-22T06:30:00.002-07:00

The Olympics offer such a great glimpse into the courage it takes to succeed. Every few years we have an opportunity to see talent, training and perseverance at work on our television screens. As I watched the games yesterday NBC offered a reflective piece on the 1980 hockey team.l That team stunned the world (and maybe themselves) by beating the Soviets and then going on to win the Olympic Gold.

That team was full of leaders who mustered their talent and tenacity and placed both in the hands of Herb Brooks, their coach. In his hands he molded then motivated their ability into one of the best sports stories in the history of the U.S.

That story reminded me how important it is for leaders to push through the barriers that place limits their teams. To push people out of their comfort zone to achieve more than the obvious. The times we are operating in call for leaders to demonstrate the courage to push past obstacles with firmness and to boldly seize opportunities.

Competence, Confidence and Courage

2010-02-08T05:14:00.004-07:00

Well another Super Bowl is in the record books and it was even an exciting game. In fact for the first time in many years the game was better than the commercials. As I watched the New Orleans Saints come from behind to win the game and after listening to Drew Brees comments following the game I realized that there is a component to courage that I had not been considering as I talked about The Character of Leadership with audiences last week.

In the Character of Leadership model we say that a courageous leader "boldly seizes opportunities and firmly deals with challenges." This is true but what allows a leader to demonstrate that courage is competence and confidence? When he was interviewed after the game Drew Brees stated that what allowed them to win was that they never quit believing in themselves as a team. To demonstrate the courage to win against an opponent as great as the Indianapolis Colts required the competence to perform and the confidence in the team to overcome the challenges.

Drew Brees, the coach and the entire team showed the courage to win by being competent and confident. Well done!

The Character and Leadership of Avatar

2010-02-02T07:15:00.002-07:00

I love a good movie and Avatar is going to be one of my favorites. The characters are enchanting and engaging and the visual effects are stunning to say the least. The best part of the story however is that there is nothing new in the story.

Throughout human history this story has been lived and told by countless people who possessed something that another group of people wanted. Whether it is the European invasion of North and South America, or the colonization of Asia the struggle between those that have and those that want, is a timeless tale.

As I watched and enjoyed the story and the effects I reflected on how well Avatar demonstrates the elements of the Character of Leadership model. The belief systems (Faith) of the invaders and the Na'vi could not have been clearer and more different. The sense of right and wrong (Justice) was clear on both sides and the Wisdom and Courage to defend the respective positions was stunningly clear. Of course the highlight of the movie is when Jakes sense of Justice crystallizes into a mission to save (Hope) the people he was sent to betray.

The Character of Leadership is an ancient model we have adapted to a quantum age just as James Cameron has adapted an ageless tale of conquest into a great science fiction move.

Winner

2010-01-30T07:12:00.005-07:00

Each day we give away a copy of The Character of Leadership: An Ancient Model for a Quantum Age. Yesterday's winner is Dave Griewe. You can reach Dave on Twitter @pastordg.

Congratulations Dave!

To enter the give away simple tweet or retweet

I’m celebrating the #characterofleadership and have a chance to win a free book! Visit http://tiny.cc/m7dH0

A Week of Free Books

2010-01-29T06:04:00.002-07:00

We are wrapping up a week of giving away copies of The Character of Leadership: An Ancient Model for a Quantum Age. It has been fun to see the connections on Twitter and to put the model in the hands of leaders.

Today's winner is Dwight Pond. He has been a great supporter of our efforts with the Character of leadership and has arranged two presentations for me next week to present the book to diverse audiences. Thanks Dwight. You can connect with Dwight on Twitter @Duffy56.

If you would like to enter our book give away just Tweet using #characterofleadership.

Have a great weekend.

January 27th Book Winner

2010-01-28T06:59:00.002-07:00

Yesterday's winner is Ken Malach. Ken will receive a signed copy of The Character of Leadership: An Ancient Model for a Quantum Age. You can connect with him via Twitter @jacq99. Congratulations Ken!

To enter today’s give away simple tweet or retweet

I’m celebrating the #characterofleadership and have a chance to win a free book! Visit http://tiny.cc/m7dH0

A Winner

2010-01-27T05:53:00.003-07:00

Yesterday's winner of a signed copy of The Character of Leadership: An Ancient Model for a Quantum Age is Trent Goodin. You can connect with him via Twitter @trentgoodin.

Congratulations Trent!

To enter today’s give away simple tweet or retweet

I’m celebrating the #characterofleadership and have a chance to win a free book! Visit http://tiny.cc/m7dH0

Today's Winner

2010-01-26T06:19:00.004-07:00

Yesterday we launched our Twitter contest. Each day we give away a signed copy of The Character of Leadership: An Ancient Model for A Quantum Age.

Yesterday's winner is Norris Krueger. You can connect with him via Twitter @entrep_thinking or through his blog at http://entrepreneurshipidaho.blogspot.com/

Congratulations Norris!

To enter today’s give away simple tweet or retweet: I’m celebrating the #characterofleadership and have a chance to win a free book! Visit http://tiny.cc/m7dH0

Twitter Contest Begins

2010-01-25T06:15:00.002-07:00

Today we are launching a Twitter contest that will award a free, signed copy of The Character of Leadership: An Ancient Model for a Quantum Age to one person everyday. To enter all you need to do is tweet or retweet:

I’m celebrating the #characterofleadership and have a chance

to win a free book! Visit http://tiny.cc/m7dH0

Each day we will select one winner at random and inform them they have won via a direct tweet. The contest begins to today and will last until February 20th. You can enter as often as you wish so start tweeting.

Our goal is to place the Character of Leadership model in the hands of 100,000 in 1 year and to date we have reached 2790. I believe infusing character into leadership development is a critical step to meeting the challenges leaders face everyday. Help me reach that goal by entering to win a free book.

Prosci's Global Conference

2010-01-23T07:24:00.002-07:00

I am pleased to announce I have been invited to speak at The 2010 Prosci Global Conference - Best Practices in Change Management www.acmp.info/conference. My presentation will be The Character of Leadership in Change Management www.characterofleadership.com and will explore how a leader’s character can be a lever for leading change successfully.

This unique conference is a forum for information and ideas on the best practices in change management – including trends, tools and methodologies. Prosci has planned a great event full of learning and fun in sunny Las Vegas. Currently there are early registration and group discounts available so join me in Vegas at The M Resort, April 25-28, 2010!

Leading with Hope in a Dream

2010-01-18T11:26:00.005-07:00

There is no more iconic figure for hope than the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His magnificent depiction of an America where his "children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character" still moves me. We are forty six years beyond the articulation of a that dream and yet this week as we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King and those that struggled with him and after him, we are filled with hope. The hope we feel is not rooted in having arrived but in the progress we have made. The evidence of our national progress against bigotry fuels the desire in most people to continue the good fight against hatred.

While waiting for a meeting to start the other day. I was reading a plaque on the meeting room wall. It inspired me and perhaps will do the same for you. It read "never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." Let this be a challenge to all of us to lead with hope and make the dreams of a better world come true.

A Dealer In Hope

2009-12-22T06:57:00.002-07:00

This is such an interesting time of year. Most of us will be are spending time with family, friends and colleagues during the holidays. It is a time when we reflect positively and negatively on the past year and contemplate what the coming year will hold. This season is rich with the opportunity for a leader to dispense hope.

Napoleon said that "a leader is a dealer in hope" and that may be most fitting as we consider the many dealers we encounter during the holidays. Some dealers are peddling merchandise (retailers) while others are peddling doom and despair (media). Some are dealing in knowledge (educators) while other dealers are peddling solutions (consultants). However the most powerful dealers of all are the leaders who are dispensing hope.

Don't get me wrong there is plenty to be concerned about in our world and I am not advocating that leaders blindly look aside from real challenges. I am saying that leaders who deal in hope will sincerely and convincinly articualte a bright future, especially when the immediate circustances are bleak. Dealing hope is a responsibility of all leaders and this is the time of year to deal most heavily in this potent motivator.

So as the holidays hit their peak over the next few weeks I want to encourage you to be a dealer in hope.

Too Big To Fail?

2009-12-16T07:02:00.001-07:00

I heard a phase once that really captured my attention. A speaker who was making a point about the ability of people to learn said, “you can either listen and learn, or you can live and learn.” I like well-turned phrase and so it stuck with me. I used it with my boys as they were growing up and I have used with clients as a way to quickly point out that they were on a path of learning that was going to be harder than necessary. It is one of those phrases that work in many settings, because it is true.

When I think of the Character of Leadership element of wisdom this phrase comes to mind. In particular, it comes to mind as I consider from a distance the challenges now facing Tiger Woods. He has certainly torn a page from the “live and learn” book and one can only hope that he, his family, colleagues and those of watching from a distance will “listen and learn” to the painful lessons he is learning about leadership and the ramifications of a leader’s personal behavior..

In the recent financial crisis we have seen the re-emergence of an oft debated doctrine called “too big to fail.” The idea is that some businesses are simply so large and so entangled in the economy that their failure would cause more destruction than any set of artificial supports could cause. For instance, it was determined that AIG, despite its failures, was so integral to the rest of the U.S. financial markets that it needed to be propped up by the government. Its failure was too expense to allow it to fail.

For leaders “too big to fail” does not apply. This is not to say that all leaders must be perfect. No such leaders exist. It does mean that no matter how far above the rules of scrutiny leaders believes they are, they are never too big to fail. We all need to observe the precipitous fall of Tiger Woods to “listen and learn” the lesson he is teaching.

The Cost of Character

2009-12-09T04:10:00.002-07:00

Last week I gave my first keynote address based on the Character of Leadership. During my preparation for that speech to WTS it occured that I needed to begin to talk about the need for character in leadership development by discussing the cost of character.

To make that connection I shared the facts related to a financial system collapse that cost the U.S. taxpayers $150 billion and saw the demise of 557 institutions. At its core, the collapse had the following causes:

Deteriorating market conditions
Over investment in single family residential mortgages
Weak regulatory environment
Increased lending powers

This collapse took place in 1987 and we are now paying billions more to learn the same lessons again. From my perspective the causes of the previous collapse and the one we now find ourselves in relate more closely with the character of leaders than with economic cycles. What examples do you have, large or small, public or private, that reflect the cost of character?

The Character of The Blind Side

2009-12-02T06:43:00.004-07:00

I am a pushover for a good story and I found one this week in the movie, The Blind Side. It is the story of Michael Oher and his journey to become a first round draft choice for the Baltimore Ravens. However, it is not a football story. It is about character. The character of the Tuohy family and their willingness to see someone in need and then to offer to help Michael fulfill his potential.

Looking at the Tuohy's through the Character of Leadership lens it is easy to see Justice demonstrated by the Tuohy's in their provision for Michael’s needs, his education and his future. Love is apparent in the way they nurture Michael and the way he cares for and protects them. The most evident element however is Courage. The Tuohys demonstrate the Courage to push against the prejudices of their friends and Michael’s Courage to leave behind his tragic past and push into the light of success. Michael's courage was particularly interesting to me. We often think that when someone is afforded an opportunity to escape the brutality of their current circumstances that they will naturally choose the better opportunity. However, it takes real courage to leave behind the only world you know (even if it is dysfunctional one) and reach for success. It takes courage to succeed. All of these character elements are wrapped in Hope.

The movie has all the standard Hollywood emotional plays and it breaks down in the recruiting sequences when coaches are playing themselves but the basic story is sound. Justice, Love, Courage and Hope are powerful components of character; when they are positively mixed, the result is improved lives.

Go On!

2009-11-23T06:36:00.009-07:00

The last chapter of the Character of Leadership: An Ancient Model for a Quantum Age challenges leaders to think about the legacy they are developing as they engage in leadership. The goal of that chapter is to get leaders to consciously establish a vision for the legacy they want to create.

Yesterday the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation announced a $20 million campaign to encourage Idaho high school students to Go On in pursuit of post secondary education. This generous contribution is loaded with legacy implications.

Yesterday's announcement is just one more in a long line of legacy investments made by the foundation funded by the revered founders of the Albertsons grocery store chain. Their legacy of giving continues even after they have long passed. There is hardly a place that a citizen of Idaho can turn that does not have some connection to the generosity of the Albertson family. Now their foundation is giving to the children of this great state, the education and economic future that has escaped so many.

As if that were not enough, history will be witness to the legacy these young leaders leave as they learn and then lead organizations around the world. Their lives (and ours) will be forever changed by the leadership legacy of a family whose generosity is a testament to their character.

Go On!

To Maximize or Optimize

2009-11-17T06:42:00.002-07:00

Do you ever have a recurring thought and wonder where it comes from? I have been processing (in my head) for the last week the concept of stewardship. According to Webster's Dictionary stewardship is "the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care." I first heard the notion of a leader as a steward during my ethics class at banking school. Dr. Kirk Hart shared the idea that leaders actions should focus on caring for the assets entrusted to them as though their value was generational rather than tied to a business cycle. This week I caught just a small clip of the PBS series on the National Parks and the idea of stewardship reasserted itself.

The idea of stewardship is also resonating with me because of our work on the character of leadership. It is not too far fetched to say that a leader who is serious about the character from which they lead will naturally contemplate the long term implications of such leadership and end up considering whether the highest use of their talent is to maximize shareholder wealth in the short run or to optimize shareholder wealth over the long term.

If you are interested in the implications of leaders as stewards let's talk!

Character and Systems

2009-11-10T05:47:00.003-07:00

An airplane is a great place to reflect about things. I used to dread flights because they seemed such a waste of time. Now I look forward to the opportunity to think without interruption (if you don't count the service cart hitting you in the shoulder and the armrest struggles with our seat mate). Yesterday as I was flying to Denver I read the November Harvard Business Review and its reflection on the work of Peter Drucker. Several articles profiled the contribution of this prolific thinker but what caught my attention was the article by Rosabeth Moss Kanter about how Drucker predicted that shifts in management practices made twenty years ago would lead to the excesses of today.

Drucker did not predict the future in a psychic way but what he did do is share his view that if you shift the reward mechanisms substantially in favor of managers that they will be motivated to take more risk in order to reach those incentives. We have all certainly seen the effects of that risk taking in the financial sector.

Drucker's view was focused on the systems that reward managers and create undo risk. Drucker would have advocated to change the system to protect the organization. A systemic perspective is legitimate but my view is that if organizations would develop the character of their leaders the system could would not have been out of balance in the first place. Great character is the fuel for great leadership and since leaders build the organizational systems let's focus on character first.

Tip of the Iceberg

2009-11-04T07:09:00.004-07:00

Yesterday was a great day for the Character of Leadership model. I met with two different groups that were keenly interested in the model and its implications for personal and professional leadership. The first group was a leadership team that had read through the book and then set aside two hours for discussion of how, faith, justice, temperance, hope, wisdom, love and courage relate to the leadership they provide their teams. It was encouraging to see the seriousness with which they evaluated their leadership and sincerity with which they set some goals for themselves.

The second group consisted of several people who were interested in but had not necessarily read the book beforehand. Again, they were inquisitive about the book's origins and the were quick to apply the elements of the model directly to their own leadership.

Both groups were energized, challenged and encouraged by their application of the model. During the conversation there were several comments that energized me because these were the first people to review the book in my presence since its release. Here is a paraphrase of what they said:

The book was more personal than other leadership books they had read.
The chapters on faith and love were favorites and different than other leadership books
Our discussions just touched the "tip of the iceberg" of leadership

Our goal with this model is for it to reach 100,000 people in 1 year and yesterday represented 14 more people connected to the Character of Leadership; the tip of the iceberg.

Rationalization

2009-10-27T03:53:00.002-06:00

I just finished reading my October, Harvard Business Review. I always enjoy that publication for its strong intellectual quality and its practical application. This month’s issue contained several insightful articles on managing risk. One of the articles is a panel interview with risk management experts and it was in that article that a word caught my attention; rationalization.

Robert Simons commented that three things were necessary for the current financial crisis to occur. The first was innovation in financial products and markets. The second was short-term focused performance incentives and the third was rationalization. As Simons puts it: “The belief that a particular behavior is economically and morally justifiable.” For example, “The shareholder value principle-that social welfare is somehow best served if managers focus exclusively on delivering maximum value to shareholder.” Such rationalization required the managers modify or override what they knew was right in order to justify their actions.

All of us can rationalize behavior when we really want to do or achieve something. This ability to override our character is precisely why organizations need to build leadership development programs with character model at its core.

100,000 People In 1 Year!

2009-10-18T18:38:00.005-06:00

Two weeks ago I met the marketing director of a new client organization. She came to Vancouver BC to pick me up and deliver me to their company headquarters in Northern Washington. During the short drive, the subject of my book came up. After I described the book and its basic premises she asked me a simple question that I was not prepared for. "What is your goal with this project." were her words. It was not that we had not considered a goal for the Character of Leadership model but rather, in the process of getting the book to market I had forgotten our goal; to put the character of leadership model in the hands of 100,000 people in 1 year!

There are several ways we will measure our progress toward this goal. First will be through book distribution. In addition we will track how many people take the character of leadership assessment and how many people we present the model to in our public and private presentations. Every month we will keep our fans informed about our progress so look for the first update at the end of October.

As with every goal there is a potential that we won't succeed. That however, is a small risk because we believe the challenges we face are not economic, environmental, social or legal; they are challenges of character and leadership. Consequently, we are devoted to encourage individuals and organizations alike to inject a character component into their leadership. Join us!

Columbus, Apollo and You

2009-10-12T07:17:00.007-06:00

Today is Columbus Day in the United States and although much as been said that is both positive and negative about Christopher Columbus, he was a leader. Like most leaders he had strengths that served him well and weaknesses that caused he and others problems; he was still a leader. One of his strengths was courage. The courage to push past the obstacles that threatened his voyages before they ever left port. The courage to sail across uncharted waters in search of riches. The courage to return home to the cheers and jeers. Leaders need to cultivate courage in themselves in order to power their teams to success.

In preparing for the first public presentation of my new book this week I went looking for a story to illustrate the courage of character that leaders need. I am using the short audio clip from the lunar landing of Apollo 11 as a way of describing the boldness, valor and firmness that courageous leaders possess. If you have not heard this clip I encourage you to listen to it by clicking on the NASA link http://tinyurl.com/nzuzd3 It is amazing to think that in July of 1969 three men and a breathless ground crew would make history for mankind and do it with only a few seconds of fuel left in the Eagle landing craft. Even though I have heard it many times I still get a chill when the radio crackles with Neal Armstrong's voice, "Houston, Tranquility base here. The Eagle has landed."

Most of us won't be called on to explore new worlds whether earthly or celestial but it still takes courage to push past the obstacles of every day leadership challenges. Lead on with courage!

The Curse of Or Thinking

2009-10-05T14:18:00.004-06:00

It’s too simple to say that leaders fit into one of two categories but the more I work with leaders the more I see them trapped by their own temperament. Leaders are either relational; they see every situation from a people perspective or they are rational; seeing every situation as a formula. This past week I had occasion to see each of these leaders at work. The relational leader was stuck in an unenviable situation by being too people focused. The rational leader was frustrated trying to hone a process in order to overcome the human factors that keep disrupting his achievement.

I could see the pain in these situations and realized as I listened that each is trapped in an environment constrained by their individual, innate temperaments (see the DISC assessment at http://characterofleadership.com/assessments.aspx )The hard truth is that leaders have to rise above (www.characterofleadership.com) their temperament in order to lead effectively.

We learn in school and through experience to see situations as choices between the ends of a spectrum. Our temperament perpetuates the myth that there are only resources enough to build predictable formulas to run my organization or to have engaged employees, not both. However, the most effective leaders refuse to be limited by “or” thinking. Instead, they make choices the embrace the best of both relational and rational thinking. These leaders take the harder course; choosing both predictable formulas and fully engaged motivated people.

Are you trapped by "or" thinking?

You Are Here!

2009-09-28T05:47:00.003-06:00

I was scanning through television stations last evening and in the process stopped on a C-SPAN. This is not a network that I regularly watch but the person on the screen caught my attention. It was General David Petraeus; Commander of US Central Command. I have been a fan of General Petraeus since the beginning of the conflict in Iraq when news reports of his economic development strategies in the Northern territory became public. General Petraeus understood at that time that his "military" success with the Kurds would depend on putting the local men to work more than his troop's ability to patrol and control militarily.

Since then, General Petraeus has been promoted several times and is now responsible for all American Military in Iraq and Afghanistan. What caught me during the General's address to the Marine Corp University was his understanding of the importance of context in leadership. His intimate and realistic assessment of each situation in which his troops find themselves is an important factor in his success as a leader.

During the audience questions the General offered a phrase that every leader should keep in the forefront, "trapped by experience." Because we all look for patterns in our past to guide our current and future actions we can quickly become trapped in what we know, ignoring the context in which our leadership is demonstrated. In every leadership situation look for the markers that will tell you the context in which you are operating. Understanding leadership context is much like the maps you encounter as you tour a theme park. Each one of those maps has an ever present and critical point of reference; You Are Here! Knowing and appreciating the context in which your leadership is demonstrated is critical to your success and the success of those you lead.

Leadership At Every Level of Healthcare Reform

2009-09-20T09:20:00.005-06:00

Last week I worked with two of our health care clients. Work in this industry segment is always interesting but even more so now in the current climate of debate over health care reform. I was struck by the complexity of our health care system and regardless of any political leanings; reform of this system will be painful and tedious.

It occurred to me after listening to the experts, that the ability of any individual or organization (public or private) to write rules that cover every eventuality in the provision of health care, is impossible. Consequently, leadership will be required at every level of the health care system in order for any change to work. Leaders throughout the system must be empowered to lead their respective areas, solve problems and make decisions based principles not based on rules.

When I teach leadership I always begin with concepts and principles even though most students want step by step detail and a list of specific leadership behaviors. I start with principles and concepts because it is impossible to provide steps for every leadership situation. However if a leader has a conceptual framework to draw on, they can handle virtually any situation even in the absence of detailed instructions. This conceptual approach however requires the articulation of the principles so leaders can act and there in lies the challenge for health care reform.

Will the reformers craft the principles upon which they want reform to take place and then equip the leaders to make the changes those principles dictate? Or alternatively, will the reformers penchant for control devolve health care changes to an endless itemization of dos and don'ts that boggle the mind and cripple the system? Stay tuned.

Leadership is Part of Any Successful Infrastructure

2009-09-16T17:20:00.003-06:00

This past week there has been a great deal in the news about the plans to overhaul the financial regulatory system. Certainly the events of the past year punctuated by the anniversary of the Lehman collapse show that there is ample room for improvement in the financial regulatory system.

The thing I found missing from the various speeches and news reports was the subject of leadership. It has long been my belief that the economic collapse was more a leadership problem than a regulatory one. In saying that I don't want to minimize the pressure that leaders experience in the operation of the financial firms and the regulatory system. However something kept these leaders from standing up and calling a halt to the crazed practices that somehow became the norm.

As a former banker my simple but (now appears correct) belief was that the only way to make more money in banking (a mature industry) is to take more risk. That risk has many forms that no regulation or regulator could adequately reign in. All the more reason that organizational leaders (not just banking leaders) need to demonstrate the strength of character necessary bridle averice.

So, it seems only logical that part of the reform we should advocate includes character and leadership development that will equip leaders to "regulate" their own organizations. It will not be possible to provide a system of regulation that will overcome weakness in leadership because at their heart the challenges we face are not economic, environmental, social or legal; they are challenges of character and leadership.

Whew! Mom Likes My Book

2009-09-13T10:33:00.009-06:00

I am in Sun Valley, Idaho this weekend with our entire family to celebrate my mother's birthday. The weather is fantastic, cool mountain mornings mixed in the afternoons with a sun losings its summer intensity.

Last night we were just finishing up dinner and I was sitting next to my mom, she leaned over and quietly said, "I really like your book, it is very good."It had not occurred to me how important it was to hear those words from someone I care so much about.

Just like leaders who have great influence over their team members my mom shared and important supporting comment at just the right time. Her simple words of endorsement provided energy to me. Leaders have the same opportunity to provide caring words that instill hope and courage in their team members.

Is the Model the Answer or the Question

2009-09-09T05:32:00.007-06:00

I have never been confident at math. This may sound strange coming from someone with seventeen years experience in the banking industry. Especially when those years included seven years in loan portfolio risk management. Nonetheless, I have never been confident with math. Perhaps that's the reason I don't like formulas for leadership.

Over the past few years, countless books and articles have appeared espousing formulas for leadership success. There is nothing wrong conceptually with the idea of leadership having certain elements but when those elements are boiled down into equations based on best practice research I become very suspect.

For this reason the character of leadership model and its seven elements (faith, justice, temperance, hope, wisdom, love and courage) is more a question about the connection between character and leadership; rather than the answer. I do believe the model we uncovered is comprehensive enough to encompass all that a leader needs to be, but I also believe it to be flexible enough to be tailored to specific situations.

In a recent discussion in one of my LinkedIn groups someone proposed that the central element of the model should be love, not faith as we proposed. The argument was a good one and for that organization and that individual, a rearrangement of the elements could be in order.

My hope with the book is to engage the leadership community (whatever that is) in the discussion of character and leadership because from my point of view the challenges we face are not economic, environmental, social or legal; they are challenges of character and leadership.

Consulting to Cross-Stitch

2009-09-06T08:41:00.004-06:00

I had a marvelous spectrum of reactions to the book this week. In the process of getting the word out about the release of The Character of Leadership: An Ancient Model for a Quantum Age I sent an e-mail to my former bank colleagues. Immediately after sending that note my phone rang and it was one of my former colleagues letting me know how excited he was to see the re-entry of character in leadership discussions. We chatted about our mutual interest and even talked in general terms about consulting engagements.

After finishing that call, the phone rang again and this time the caller was a woman who wanted to acquire the list of character traits I had mentioned during a television interview earlier in the week. I was happy to point her to www.characterofleaderhip.com as a good source for the information she sought. She went on to tell me that she wanted the list so she could put them in a cross-stitch for her grand children.

I was stunned that in less than 15 minutes there was a range of validation for the character model that ran from consulting to cross-stitch. Although it is dangerous to use a sample of two to reach a conclusion, I am heartened that our new book will energize a conversation about character in leadership.

The Root Cause of Our Challenges

2009-09-02T06:50:00.005-06:00

On Monday, I appeared on KTVB (Boise's local NBC affiliate) to announce the release of the book and to talk about the root cause of the many challenges we face today. (click here to watch the interview http://www.ktvb.com/news/business/itsyour/ ) My contention is that the challenges we face today are not economic, environmental, social or legal; they are challenges of character and leadership.

In the past few months as I have been sharing this notion with people I have yet to have anyone disagree with me. Of course, if this proposition is true then a significant portion of our organizational and national energy should be flowing into the understanding and development of both character and leadership.

The focus of that energy is why we released The Character of Leadership: An Ancient Model for a Quantum Age. I truly hope that the model spurs contemplation of character and its relationship with leadership and helps organizations grow and prosper.

The Risk of Disagreement

2009-08-31T07:06:00.005-06:00

There were times when I wanted to quit and not finish our new book. At first I wanted to quit because the writing was a challenge to me. Then I wanted to quit because I did not have enough time. Then my reason for quitting shifted to the expense of self-publishing. All these are real reasons but the core reason for my hesitancy was that I did not want people to disagree with my views and have that disagreement occur publicly.

I am still a bit nervous about the public aspect of the book but that is a risk I am willing to undertake to get the topic of character inserted into leadership discussions. Becasue leadership is driven from character it is critical that we talk about it in ways that are encouraging not condeming and that are open rather than caustic.

The book will be out tomorrow and I can only hope it will spur a positive dialoge. Join me for that discussion.

Character and Leadership At Work

2009-08-18T16:56:00.009-06:00

Who you are as a leader is based in who you are as a person. That may seem self-evident to many but the importance of this simple fact cannot be overlooked. The challenges we face in all sorts of organizations can be traced to the failure to challenge and encourage leaders to focus on building their character.

Because of the intimate and inextricable connection of character and leadership, we went looking for a definition of character in order to help leaders be successful. We uncovered an ancient model of character that includes seven elements. We profile this model in the new book, The Character of Leadership: An Ancient Model for a Quantum Age. (www.characterofleadership.com)

Faith is at the center of one’s personal character and our model.. This element is the core of your belief system, how you view the world, and what motivates your behavior. From this core, the remaining six elements, Justice, Temperance, Hope, Wisdom, Love, and Courage emanate and eventually give rise to the leadership we see displayed on a daily basis no matter your occupation.

I am excited to inject this ancient model back into leadership discussions and look forward to your comments and stories.

How have you seen character and leadership demonstrated? Connect with me via our blog, Facebook or Twitter. I can’t wait to hear your story.