New York Times Best Selling Author (Leader Shift and A Thomas Jefferson Education) and Freedom Scholar Oliver DeMille recently published Freedom Matters: The Connection Between Career, Business, and Freedom. In it, among other things, he posits that there are seven types of leaders that are necessary for freedom to flourish in a society. According to DeMille, "The Future of freedom depends on leadership." (DeMille, p. 15) DeMille's seven kinds of leaders are family leaders, religious/ethical leaders, business leaders, education leaders, media/artistic leaders, community leaders, and government leaders.
DeMille contends that freedom will thrive when all seven types of leaders are equally strong in the society. Conversely, according to DeMille, if the types of leaders get out of balance, that is two or three become stronger and more influential than the others, freedom is weakened and becomes at risk of being diminished or disappearing altogether.
The idea that freedom is dependent upon leadership for its very survival is not shocking. After all, Maxwell contends that "Everything rises and falls on leadership." (Maxwell, p. xxx). Freedom is no exception. What DeMille does is break it down and into smaller subsets of leadership and defines an intricate symbiotic relationship between the seven. The whole idea is intriguing!
I will spend the next several weeks drilling down into the seven kinds of leaders described by DeMille and explore the roles and relationships that each has to the others as they contribute to the preservation of freedom. Stay tuned, it should be an exciting journey!
References
DeMille, O. (2015). Freedom matters: The connection between career, business, and freedom. Cary, NC: Obstaclés Press.
Maxwell, J. C. (2007). The 21 indispensable qualities of a leader: Becoming the person others will want to follow. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Sir Ernest Shackleton: Extreme Leadership
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Leadership is often discussed within the framework of
success and successful achievements, even after a series of failures. We are all familiar with the string of
“failures” experienced by Abraham Lincoln prior to his election as the
country’s 16th President. I
am not going to cite them here, only to say the culmination was his election to
the Presidency. He achieved a goal; he
succeeded; he was a great leader!
But can one be a great leader even if one does not achieve
some great landmark accomplishment? The
simple answer is yes! I present as
evidence the great Antarctic explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton. Shackleton had as a goal to reach the South
Pole. He never made it. He died in 1922 during his final attempt. In 1902 he attempted to reach the South Pole
with Robert F. Scott and fell short by 460 miles. He tried again six years later and this time
fell 97 miles short abandoning the effort in lieu of certain death. As a result of this heroic failure, he was
knighted by King Edward VII. He tried
again in 1914 and this time did not even reach the continent of
Antarctica. His ship, the Endurance, was caught in early ice and
his entire crew became trapped. They
could not go forward, they could not go back! It was a colossal failure…or was it? Shackleton’s crowning achievement was what is
commonly called a successful failure.
What ensued was perhaps the most heroic example of raw
leadership in recorded history. 28 men
survived the harsh Antarctic winter. The
Endurance’s First Officer, Lionel Greenstreet, was once asked in an interview
how they all survived when so many other expeditions ended with a number of
deaths. He simply replied “Shackleton!”
Shackleton had Character.
One of Shackleton’s priorities was the professional development of his
crew. He was not satisfied with just
achieving his personal goals (many of which he would never achieve); he was
dedicated to the development of others.
Shackleton saw the potential in each of the members of his crew and
challenged and encouraged them to improve and fulfill their potential. By setting personal and character development
as a priority, he demonstrated great character himself.
Shackleton had Courage!
You would be hard pressed to list any leader who out performed
Shackleton in the area of courage. He
was faced with a lose-lose situation and he won. Not only did he win, all of his crew won (win is defined in this case as lived!).
His ship was caught and crushed in early drift ice and then sank, his crew was stranded
and eventually made their way to a deserted Elephant Island without a chance of
surviving the Antarctic winter, he embarked on and successfully made an
impossible voyage of 800 nautical miles to South Georgia Island in a converted
lifeboat, and landed on the “wrong” side of the island and had to travel over a
mountain range to reach help. Eventually
his entire crew was rescued. No one
died. Let me repeat that…everyone
lived!! To the man, credit was given to
Shackleton’s courage and leadership as the sole reason for their survival. He exuded confidence and instilled hope.
Finally, Shackleton had compassion. The needs of the crew came before his
own. After the Endurance was trapped, crushed, and sank, Shackleton and his crew
launched five life boats and sailed 346 miles to Elephant Island. One of the crew lost their gloves. Shackleton gave him his. Shackleton suffered severe frostbite as a
result. Further, Shackleton developed a
personal relationship with each member of his crew. They were each an individual, and Shackleton
knew this. He built rapport and
trust. He got to know them and as a
result they trusted him. I would argue
that one of the reasons that Shackleton was able to pull off this miracle was
due to the relationships he built, the rapport he established, and the trust he
earned.
As with all leaders, Shackleton was not without his
warts. He was obsessed with the
Antarctic. He died of a heart attack at
the age of 47 while on an Antarctic expedition.
He just could not let it go, but he was one of the greatest leaders when
it came to stepping up when it counts.
In their book Shackelton’s Way, Margot Morrell and Stephanie
Capparell offer the following:
“British explorer Apsley Cherry-Garrard best expressed the
feelings of his fellow ‘Antarcticists’, as he called them, when he explained: ‘For
a joint scientific and geographical piece of organization, give me Scott: for a
winter journey, give me Wilson: for a dash to the pole and nothing else, give
me Amundsen: and if I am in the devil of a hole and want to get out of it, give
me Shackleton every time.”
Shackleton was a great leader!!
For a great read on Shackleton and his leadership, I recommend:
Morrell, Margot;
Capparell, Stephanie (2001). Shackleton's Way: Leadership lessons from the
great Antarctic explorer. New York, N.Y.: Viking. ISBN 0-670-89196-7.
Monday, September 8, 2014
John Adams: A Leader of Influence
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ALL THINGS LEADERSHIP: Real Life Practices from
the Trenches of Leadership is a comprehensive treasury of leadership lessons
told through John Plastow’s unique lens of personal experience, humor, and the
high energy and enthusiastic approach he’s used in leading tens of thousands of
people during his career. This book will motivate and encourage leaders to
raise their standards, expand their vision, give their best, and above all,
serve the people entrusted to them. It will also help leaders achieve great
things beyond their wildest dreams!
You can purchase your copy on BarnesandNoble.com, Amazon.com, Xulonpress.com/bookstore or ask your favorite bookstore to order it for you. It is available as a paperback and in most e-book formats.
Frequently leadership gurus wax eloquent regarding great
philosophical principles of leadership, but have very little fruit on the
tree. If the true mark of leadership is
influence (and I believe it is), one must ask, “How is that influence
gained?” I believe influence is earned
through actions. The old cliché “actions
speak louder than words” is true.
So if leadership is influence, and influence is earned
through actions, that is, practicing what one preaches, then let’s examine some
examples of true leadership. Before I
launch into this series of figures that I feel have shown great examples of
leadership, let me offer this disclaimer.
None of them are prefect. In fact
some of them are deeply flawed. Great
leaders are not perfect, but they do stand out through their actions when it
counts.
So let’s dig in. As I
examine those whom I believe offer us great examples of leadership, I will use
the lens of character, courage, and compassion that I addressed in an earlier
blog post.
John Adams was elected President of the United States in
1796 narrowly defeating Thomas Jefferson.
He became the 2nd President of the United States in 1797 and
served one term. He was defeated in his
reelection bid as the tables turned and Thomas Jefferson became the 3rd
President of the United States.
John Adams had his faults.
Many, including his friends, considered him vain, opinionated, and
stubborn. And yet it may be those
perceived human failings that led to some of his greatest leadership moments.
John Adams had character.
Many Americans do not realize that during John Adams Presidency, the
United States came dangerously close to declaring war on France. Popular
opinion favored such an action. Adams
knew that the United States was in no position to fight another war and, if it
did, would most likely lose. He pursued
a policy of diplomacy and peace, and was able to avoid war. While it cost him dearly in the public
opinion arena (it most likely was one of the leading causes of his defeat in
his bid for reelection) he nevertheless pointed to this as one of his most
important accomplishments as President.
As Orrin Woodward states in his book Resolved: 13 Resolutions for LIFE,
a great leader will “…choose character over reputation any time they
conflict.” Adams did!
John Adams had courage.
In perhaps one of the greatest ironies in American History, John Adams, a leading advocate for American independence and a complete break from Great Britain, headed
the defense of the British soldiers who were charged and tried for the
shootings that are commonly known as the Boston Massacre. At the time, most Bostonians had a mob
mentality and wanted the eight soldiers immediately executed for murder. I will not go into the details of the event
here as they are really irrelevant to the point (you can read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Massacre);
suffice it to say John Adams was not a very popular figure for defending the
British Soldiers. Adams was a man of
conviction. Not only did he lead the
defense in the name of justice and providing a fair trial to the soldiers, he
won. Six of the soldiers were acquitted
and two were convicted on lesser charges.
Adams’s courage throughout the trial established him as a man of immense
integrity who would follow his principles regardless of the personal price that
may have to be paid.
John Adams had compassion.
One only has to read the letters between Adams and his wife Abigail to
get great insight into the depth of Adams's compassion. He had great passion not only for his wife and children,
but also for the new country that was being born on his watch. These letters, with perhaps the exception of
the John Adams/Thomas Jefferson letters, are the most revealing evidence of the
heart and soul of the man. He discussed
in detail the many issues that were facing him, the colonies, and the new
country. If you are unfamiliar with
either of these sets of correspondences, I highly recommend them. Both are easily found.
John Adams was not perfect and all of his decisions have not
been gained favor with posterity (let us not forget the Alien and Sedition
Acts). However, even his staunches
critics cannot deny that as a leader and as a man, John Adams was a man of
great influence and demonstrated Character, Courage, and Compassion! John Adams was a leader!
On another note, I am pleased to share that my good friend
and follow student of leadership, John Plastow, has published his second
book…his first on leadership.
You can purchase your copy on BarnesandNoble.com, Amazon.com, Xulonpress.com/bookstore or ask your favorite bookstore to order it for you. It is available as a paperback and in most e-book formats.
Monday, June 23, 2014
Leadership and Influence
In his 1998 classic work "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" John C. Maxwell states that "Leadership is influence---nothing more, nothing less." In the 10th Anniversary edition (2007) Maxwell tweaked this to read "The true measure of leadership is influence---nothing more, nothing less." Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward, in their best selling book Launching a Leadership Revolution, add clarity the idea that leadership is influence, "Leadership is the influence of others in a productive, vision-driven direction and is done through example, conviction, and character of the leader." In both cases, influence is the key to effective leadership!
So how does one become influential, and thereby, have the potential to become an effective leader? I offer what I call the three Cs of leadership. These are not original ideas, as each one can be found in the leadership literature; however, in combination, they can be a formula for powerful leadership.
1) Character
The concept that effective leaders need to have character to develop influence and begin to assume the role of a leader is not new nor an earth shattering revelation. In fact, Maxwell lists it as the first quality that a person must have to become an effective leader (The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader). What is shocking is how many leaders lack and/or choose not to display a strong sense of character. Business, politics, and even the Church, are full of examples where a leader was on the rise or at their zenith and had a massive fall due to a complete breakdown in the character department. My goal here is not to rail on particular personalities, but rather to lament the reality that more and more it is becoming harder and harder to find men and women of real character who can and will lead. I believe that most people long for real leadership and in most cases are sorely disappointed. I had lunch with a friend recently and was catching up. He was sharing a story with me that illustrates this point. He left a job because the owner of the company, and his boss, had recently sold a piece of merchandise (I frankly don't even know what it was, but it really doesn't matter) as new knowing it was previously owned. He charged the customer as if it were new, and the customer was none the wiser. My friend confronted him on it (my friend had courage and integrity) and then quit! This is an example of a blatant lack of character. "No one knew so that made it alright" was his attitude. I disagree! Character and honesty matter. Leaders need to have and display character to gain influence.
2 ) Courage
Again, not a revolutionary idea; it is also one of Maxwell's 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader. Unfortunately, we see a sea of leaders who choose expedience over courage. They will do whatever is politically correct to survive, even if it means unconscionable compromise. Don't get me wrong, I understand that life is full of compromises, but, there are issues of character that should never be compromised, and they are. Too many "leaders" are too concerned with their position and not doing they know to be right! There is a great scene in the movie Braveheart where William Wallace has just been knighted after defeating the English. Once the ceremony has concluded, the nobles all fall back into their internal bickering and strife. Wallace and his entourage leave and are followed out by Robert the Bruce who confronts him about making enemies of the nobles. Wallace retorts "...men don't follow titles, they follow courage..."! We need men and women of courage. This has become an extinct virtue in our politically correct society! Leaders need to have and display courage to gain influence.
3) Compassion
I recently had the privilege of spending a couple of days with a friend of mine whom I have known for over 30 years. He was relaying a story to me about the end of his last job (he has been retired for a few years now). He worked for a very large and well know non-profit organization that depends heavily on a volunteer force to "get the job done". The organization had a leadership turnover. The CEO retired and a new boss came to town. The new CEO began to "clean house" and pretty much forced my friend to retire. While he had not planned on retiring, he was in a financial position where he could with no real issues if he would be allowed to work for an additional three month (he hit 30 years in the organization). The CEO agreed and my friend went about doing his usual exemplary job. He attended a work related conference and returned to work and was promptly called into the CEO's office. There he found the CEO (a paid position) and the President of the Board (a volunteer position) and was told to clean out his desk and he would be escorted from the building and that he was not to come back. He would be paid, but would not be allowed to work. My friend gently protested and shared that if he was being paid, he was more than willing to keep working, and surely did not need to be escorted from the building. The Volunteer Board President's comment was "Well that is just the way we do in in Corporate America!" I'm sorry, but you just don't treat people that way. There was no compassion and a complete lack of leadership. I would argue strenuously that "real" leaders are empathetic. I am not saying that they should not make the touch decision...they should, BUT, there is a way to do it and preserve a person's dignity while still meeting the objective. Leaders need to have and display compassion to gain influence.
One final note. As I come across leadership blogs that I find helpful and insightful, I will post a link here and highlight them. Today I want to share All Things Leadership written by my longtime friend and colleague John R. Plastow. John has over 35 years in leadership and leadership development and has been through the fires personally and professionally. He is knowledgeable, insightful, and has the street cred from years of leading in a variety of situations. John is a leader, has influence, and strives to always practice the 3 Cs. You can read John's blog at johnplastow.com/all-things-leadership.
Go out and lead and change the world!
So how does one become influential, and thereby, have the potential to become an effective leader? I offer what I call the three Cs of leadership. These are not original ideas, as each one can be found in the leadership literature; however, in combination, they can be a formula for powerful leadership.
1) Character
The concept that effective leaders need to have character to develop influence and begin to assume the role of a leader is not new nor an earth shattering revelation. In fact, Maxwell lists it as the first quality that a person must have to become an effective leader (The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader). What is shocking is how many leaders lack and/or choose not to display a strong sense of character. Business, politics, and even the Church, are full of examples where a leader was on the rise or at their zenith and had a massive fall due to a complete breakdown in the character department. My goal here is not to rail on particular personalities, but rather to lament the reality that more and more it is becoming harder and harder to find men and women of real character who can and will lead. I believe that most people long for real leadership and in most cases are sorely disappointed. I had lunch with a friend recently and was catching up. He was sharing a story with me that illustrates this point. He left a job because the owner of the company, and his boss, had recently sold a piece of merchandise (I frankly don't even know what it was, but it really doesn't matter) as new knowing it was previously owned. He charged the customer as if it were new, and the customer was none the wiser. My friend confronted him on it (my friend had courage and integrity) and then quit! This is an example of a blatant lack of character. "No one knew so that made it alright" was his attitude. I disagree! Character and honesty matter. Leaders need to have and display character to gain influence.
2 ) Courage
Again, not a revolutionary idea; it is also one of Maxwell's 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader. Unfortunately, we see a sea of leaders who choose expedience over courage. They will do whatever is politically correct to survive, even if it means unconscionable compromise. Don't get me wrong, I understand that life is full of compromises, but, there are issues of character that should never be compromised, and they are. Too many "leaders" are too concerned with their position and not doing they know to be right! There is a great scene in the movie Braveheart where William Wallace has just been knighted after defeating the English. Once the ceremony has concluded, the nobles all fall back into their internal bickering and strife. Wallace and his entourage leave and are followed out by Robert the Bruce who confronts him about making enemies of the nobles. Wallace retorts "...men don't follow titles, they follow courage..."! We need men and women of courage. This has become an extinct virtue in our politically correct society! Leaders need to have and display courage to gain influence.
3) Compassion
I recently had the privilege of spending a couple of days with a friend of mine whom I have known for over 30 years. He was relaying a story to me about the end of his last job (he has been retired for a few years now). He worked for a very large and well know non-profit organization that depends heavily on a volunteer force to "get the job done". The organization had a leadership turnover. The CEO retired and a new boss came to town. The new CEO began to "clean house" and pretty much forced my friend to retire. While he had not planned on retiring, he was in a financial position where he could with no real issues if he would be allowed to work for an additional three month (he hit 30 years in the organization). The CEO agreed and my friend went about doing his usual exemplary job. He attended a work related conference and returned to work and was promptly called into the CEO's office. There he found the CEO (a paid position) and the President of the Board (a volunteer position) and was told to clean out his desk and he would be escorted from the building and that he was not to come back. He would be paid, but would not be allowed to work. My friend gently protested and shared that if he was being paid, he was more than willing to keep working, and surely did not need to be escorted from the building. The Volunteer Board President's comment was "Well that is just the way we do in in Corporate America!" I'm sorry, but you just don't treat people that way. There was no compassion and a complete lack of leadership. I would argue strenuously that "real" leaders are empathetic. I am not saying that they should not make the touch decision...they should, BUT, there is a way to do it and preserve a person's dignity while still meeting the objective. Leaders need to have and display compassion to gain influence.
One final note. As I come across leadership blogs that I find helpful and insightful, I will post a link here and highlight them. Today I want to share All Things Leadership written by my longtime friend and colleague John R. Plastow. John has over 35 years in leadership and leadership development and has been through the fires personally and professionally. He is knowledgeable, insightful, and has the street cred from years of leading in a variety of situations. John is a leader, has influence, and strives to always practice the 3 Cs. You can read John's blog at johnplastow.com/all-things-leadership.
Go out and lead and change the world!
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Why another blog on leadership?
Why another blog on leadership? I'm glad you asked!
Over the past few years I have considered jumping into the world of blogging. After several false starts, I have decided that I need to discipline myself to do it and do it now...an important leadership point for another blog post.
Having said all that, I have been teaching and studying leadership all of my professional life. It is what I know and do, so, if for no other reason, this gives me a venue to write and share what is on my mind and what I am still learning (leaders are always learning, they never "arrive"!)
So, here is an opening salvo regarding my thoughts and beliefs on leadership:
* Leadership development is a process.
* Leadership is developed over time one step at a time.
* "Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less." ~~John C. Maxwell
* Everyone has leadership potential
* "Everyone is called upon to lead in some capacity sooner of later in life." ~~ Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward
* Leadership and Management are two separate things and are not synonyms!
As I venture into the blogoshere, I intend to explore these and other leadership concepts in detail.
Stay tuned! Here we go!!
Over the past few years I have considered jumping into the world of blogging. After several false starts, I have decided that I need to discipline myself to do it and do it now...an important leadership point for another blog post.
Having said all that, I have been teaching and studying leadership all of my professional life. It is what I know and do, so, if for no other reason, this gives me a venue to write and share what is on my mind and what I am still learning (leaders are always learning, they never "arrive"!)
So, here is an opening salvo regarding my thoughts and beliefs on leadership:
* Leadership development is a process.
* Leadership is developed over time one step at a time.
* "Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less." ~~John C. Maxwell
* Everyone has leadership potential
* "Everyone is called upon to lead in some capacity sooner of later in life." ~~ Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward
* Leadership and Management are two separate things and are not synonyms!
As I venture into the blogoshere, I intend to explore these and other leadership concepts in detail.
Stay tuned! Here we go!!
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