Independence Day is an opportunity for all Americans to reconnect with our roots and rededicate ourselves to the ideals of our Republic. It is a day to reread the Declaration of Independence and consider the incredible foresight and courage of our founding fathers
Level Five leaders are developed over time. Indeed, considerable time. It takes a very special person to be blessed with a paradoxical mix of humility, persistence, and of course, competence. No one is born with these skills; rather, it takes a lifetime of education, experience, and mentoring in the school of hard knocks. Leaders are developed, not born. Frankly, the journey is akin to climbing a very high mountain for which there is no summit. We never arrive, but commit ourselves to the journey of continuous improvement.
In several of our recent Level Five leadership presentations, seminars, workshops, and discussions, we’ve been asked: “What do I do when the Boss doesn’t get it?” The sense of frustration in this question is palpable, and because we’ve been there we know the feelings are genuine and deep seated. No one wants to be in an environment where the person in charge does not share the values-based leadership goals of the rest of the team. Establishing and sustaining a culture of excellence seems impossible if the CEO won’t accept the need to embrace integrity as an absolute – and then “walk the talk.”
In a recent address to the University of New Hampshire Class of 2015, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant Ryan Pitts spoke these words: Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the ability to move forward in the face of it. There is beauty in this definition, because courage can exist in the … Read more
Integrity takes courage and it is totally transparent. When you see and hear it, you know it. At a recent session at the Simon Business School of the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY, integrity was examined in the context of growing high performing cultures. The graduate level students were passionate about the subject. Integrity … Read more
I don’t know any other way to lead but by example. -Don Shula There a few clearer statements of why Level Five leaders do the right things when no one is looking than Coach Don Shula’s statement above; yet, too many don’t lead that way. One does not need to dig too deep to find examples … Read more
