After 20+ years in the field of leadership development, personal and organizational excellence; I ask myself why have we not seen leadership excellence in our nation, schools, healthcare industry, marketplace? Sure, there are pockets of greatness in every field, but where are the leaders who can take us beyond our current state of affairs? Many executives I have worked with have been extraordinary managers: they have a great sense of business, they excel at crunching the numbers and making them work, they can execute plans well. Extraordinary leaders? There is still too much short-term thinking and narrow vision with a preoccupation for individual achievement and accomplishment; not exactly qualities of an individual perched to transform a business, neighborhood, community or nation.
I am convinced that the way we develop leaders is too much around training instead of development; personal style instead of character; skill development instead of personal excellence.
Throughout history, the cornerstone of transformational leaders has been character in action – though far from perfection, they were individuals with virtuous qualities who understand that there is a difference between enduring virtues and shallow values; those who practice principles of private morality, decency and honor. Even these words seem old-fashioned, don’t they? This should frighten us most of all.
Take some time for self-examination and take stock of your own personal character and long-term virtues: courage, selflessness, commitment, sense of duty and honoring others. We’re all in the same boat.
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