A Dealer In Hope

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?

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

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

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.