“Leadership is not wielding Authority …

…it’s Empowering People”

As I reflected on my coaching activity over the last several months, I realized most of my time was spent with a collective group representing a crucial leadership component in any organization - middle management. I am referring to those Senior Managers and Directors who are typically one or two levels removed from the front lines of the business as well as several layers removed from the boardroom. Yet to be successful, they keep an eye on, and understand the activities of, both ends of the spectrum. Based on recent experience, it is still a challenge as it was when I held similar positions in my own corporate career. In reflection, the expression above from Becky Brodin is a reminder of an integral part of the being a successful middle management leader.

Success in middle management requires the leader to be part tactician, part strategic thinker; part detail-oriented, part big-picture; part manager and every bit a leader! In a constantly changing business environment, middle management leaders have to continuously adapt to changes that come from senior leadership and at the same time effectively manage their teams as they interact daily with the changing demands of customers, vendors and suppliers as well as their own team’s individual goals. With all these demands, empowerment is crucial to their success!

In my own experience, there are four distinct scenarios where leaders in middle management are effective by empowering their teams or being empowered themselves to make the right decisions and achieve their desired results.

The first is being able to be the top when you have to. Being able to make decisions when needed without always having to “run it up the chain of command” is the sign of an empowered leader as well as indicative of a high performing organization. Leaders in middle management should understand the strategic intent well enough to be able to confidently make operational decisions to advance their organizations in alignment with the overall strategy of the business.

The second scenario is the opposite of the first. They need to be the bottom when they have to. Being able to filter and or translate the volume of information that comes from senior leadership requires a current knowledge of what is important to their team and what is not. Passing information on solely based on “it came from the top” has no value other than passing on the message. Effective communication is ensuring the context is meaningful to the audience. Therefore successful leaders either stop meaningless traffic or translate complex messaging into meaningful information.

The third scenario requiring empowerment comes in the form of being a facilitator when necessary. When issues cross the middle management leader’s path, they become opportunities to facilitate a solution rather that solve the problem directly. The ability to empower the parties involved to work through the issue, either directly or possibly through collaboration with other parties the leader can bring to the discussion, is a powerful leadership tool. Not only has the leader helped build new relationships, the parties involved also actively learn through their own empowerment.

The final scenario is similar to the third in that the leader acts as coach when necessary. Coaching helps individuals create their own solutions to issues with the support of the coaching leader. By empowering the individual, the leader once again creates a learning opportunity through the empowerment process and creates a more confident member of their teams through each coaching opportunity.

When I work with leaders in middle management positions, I always explore empowerment on two levels. We look at the leader’s level of empowerment with their own team as well as the level of empowerment they themselves have from their managers. How much is empowerment contributing to your success as a leader?

Lead Well!

“Discipline is the refining fire…

…by which talent becomes ability.”

No matter how much leadership development, management training or personal coaching we attend or participate in, successful leadership must always include a discussion of discipline. This reference by Roy L. Smith is a great example of the crucial role discipline plays in our success as leaders. In one of my earliest newsletters I spoke of talent and what it really takes to create the ability to be a successful leader. In the years since I have had the pleasure of working with successful entrepreneurs, organizational leadership teams and not-for-profit leaders and boards. In every case, the ability to be disciplined leaders contributes to their sustainable success.

I recently had the privilege of attending a seminar by a fellow coach who spoke of the value of 10,000 hours. If you have read Malcolm Gladwell’s book, “Outliers” (previewed below) you know about the 10,000 hours. He speaks to the idea that it takes 10,000 hours of purposeful practice to become an expert in your field. If we are to be expert leaders, we need to have practiced successful leadership for at least that many hours. In simpler terms, 10,000 hours breaks down to nearly 3 hours per day for 10 years! It means that for at least 3 hours a day, you have the discipline to be the leader you need to be so that it becomes second nature to you.

Therein lies the issue with leadership development as we used to know it. You cannot go to a class or attend a seminar and walk out a leader, no more than you can take a few golf lessons and play like a pro. When professional golfers practice their golf swing at the practice range, each shot is taken with a purpose in mind. Each shot has a meaning to how they are going to leverage their abilities to win the next tournament they enter. When I go to the practice range to practice my mechanics, it is also with my purpose in mind. I play golf to enjoy myself. That is my purpose. Therefore, my time on the practice range is to become good enough to enjoy myself as I play (that usually means staying out of the woods, water, other fairways etc!). Each shot in practice is with that purpose in mind making the practice time meaningful to success on the course.

So too, leadership is also about leading with a purpose. I recently gave a presentation titled “Keeping your business alignment with your purpose”. One key aspect of this idea is to know what your purpose is to begin with. It is entirely possible we became organizational leaders without a specific purpose in mind. Possibly our purpose is still unfolding as we continue to exercise our leadership abilities. And possibly our purpose has changed as we evolve as leaders through our 10,000 hour leadership journey.

Whatever the case, having the discipline to make each hour, each day, each week as a leader count towards becoming the expert leader your followers are looking to you for must become your purpose. How are you keeping that refining fire lit?

Lead Well!

“Peace is not the absence of conflict...

...But the presence of creative alternatives for responding to conflict.”

On the eve of the anniversary of our nation’s independence, Dorothy Thompson’s words seemed an appropriate introduction to this month’s leadership topic – Managing Conflict. Much like our founding fathers managed conflict to achieve independence, so too must today’s leaders be prepared to manage conflict in their organizations to achieve their desired results. Conflict is defined as an interaction between interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals or interference from others in achieving their goals. The key aspects for leaders to key in on are the level of interdependence between the parties involved and the foundation of each other’s perceptions. Establishing this level of interdependence helps leaders address the conflict in the context of the relationships involved. Addressing the perceptions by all parties enables leaders to understand the issues in the context of the facts of the conflict.

At the root of these two challenges is effective communication. Communication contributes to both the cause and the cure of conflict. Conflict typically shows itself in the absence of effective communication, creating misperceptions and information vacuums. Effective communication is a key catalyst to cure a conflict with the ability to bring parties together to understand the importance of the interdependent relationships, fill information voids and reset perceptions to their proper levels. A Leader’s ability to step into any conflict situation and effectively communicate to all parties can be the difference between success and failure, but not all Leaders are the same and not all Leaders manage conflict the same way.
Ralph H. Kilmann and Kenneth W. Thomas identified 5 specific Conflict Management styles based on their research in the early ‘70’s. The five styles are based on how aggressively one pursues their own goals against how aggressively they cooperate with the other parties in the conflict. The five styles are typically represented on a 2x2 grid with Assertiveness & Cooperativeness as the axis identifiers. The five styles are:

• Avoidance – Low Assertiveness, Low Cooperativeness
• Accommodation – Low Assertiveness, High Cooperativeness
• Compromise – Medium Assertiveness, Medium Cooperativeness
• Competition – High Assertiveness, Low Cooperativeness
• Collaboration – High Assertiveness, High Cooperativeness

As you can imagine, each style carries with it a unique set of skills, both communication and others, which may or may not be the Leader’s strength. I have worked with Leaders with all five natural styles to either complement their style with mine and/or to help them adjust their style to better achieve their desired results.

At no point have we discussed eliminating conflict. Lyle E. Schaller once said, “The easiest, the most tempting, and the least creative response to conflict within an organization is to pretend it does not exist”. As leaders, we must all recognize conflict will always exist and learn to effectively manage it through effective communication and awareness of our natural management style. How are you achieving peace in your organization?

Lead Well!

75% of College Students Admittedly Cheat in School…

…and 45% of College Professors Turn a Blind Eye To It!

Several years ago, I was preparing a presentation on business ethics for a local high school business class. Given the audience, I decided to see what the current mindset was among high school students around cheating – arguably a key indicator of ethical attitudes. The results, including those in the title, were shocking to me. Being a Visiting Professor myself at both undergraduate and graduate level, the toleration statistic was particularly galling.

What does this have to do with Leadership as a Way of Life? Everything! Not a week goes by I do not hear self-proclaimed statements about the positive ethical attitudes and behaviors of individuals and organizations. Given the statistics, which are from multiple studies within the last decade, I would argue this is a greater leadership challenge than we are readily admitting.

What is more concerning about the prevalence of cheating in college is the statistic revealing 85% of college students believe cheating is necessary to get ahead. I suspect it is driven by the “good grades are all that matter” attitude in high school to the “whatever it takes to get ahead” attitude seen in graduate school education. How many times have we heard ourselves say something like “just get it done” or “its all about getting results” without fully understanding the ethical implications? Is the pressure to meet leadership’s expectations turning the organization into a Machiavellian “the ends justify the means” culture? To further support the point for business, The Chronicle of Higher Education raised the point in a September 2006 article that business school students, both undergraduate and graduate level, were more apt to cheat than their non-business school counterparts. Those business school graduates may well be working for you as you read this newsletter!

So just how bad is this cheating epidemic? The November 2010 issue of The Chronicle for Higher Education ran an article written by a paid academic ghostwriter. The writer documents in clear detail writing papers for undergraduate, graduate and doctorate students. The writer completed papers for nursing students, seminary students and education administration students including papers for these groups dealing with ethical issues such as academic integrity! The worst part of the article is, to the writer’s knowledge, none of the students were ever caught. (Click here for online chat results with the ghostwriter).

You can argue, is the problem the cheater or the organization for poor enforcement? In truth, it is both. Leaders set expectations deeply rooted in their own core values as well as the values of the organization. Having core values implies both the leader and the organization enforce them with clear consequences for operating outside these values.

One of the most inspirational speakers I know, John Blumberg, speaks to this topic in his book Good to the Core. My favorite quote from the book is:

“We don’t go running away from our values. We go drifting away, and one day wake-up in a place we never meant to be, drifting in a direction we would have never chosen.”

As you reflect on your core values, are 85% of the recent college graduates in your circle of influence seeing you drift?

Lead Well!

Why should we care about…

…four generations in the workplace?

Last month, I introduced a discussion on generational diversity as the first of a two part series on the topic. In that issue we spoke of the four generations (Traditionalist, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y) currently in the workplace and some of the prevailing perceptions each has of the other. This month, we will look closer at the unique ways leaders can retain, motivate and effectively lead each of these generations individually and collectively as members of the same team.

Previously we highlighted how older generations perceive the younger generation’s work ethics as lacking in some way compared to theirs. In truth, each generation believes their work ethic is fine leading to the leader’s challenge – how to get past the perceptions. The place to start is a better understanding of how each prevailing generation (Boomers, Gen X and Gen Y) is motivated and best managed to avoid losing the talent they bring to the organization.

Baby Boomers want to be appreciated for the experience and knowledge they bring to an organization. While they may resist change, they generally do so out of dedication to the organization, which is very important to them. Giving them opportunities to mentor is a great way to show you respect their contributions. I would take this a step further and create a reverse-mentoring process where the Boomer mentors the younger generations who, in turn, mentor the Boomer on skills to help them keep up with the pace of business.

Generation X, on the other hand, is looking for more flexible schedules and the opportunity to be problem-solvers. After all, this is the latch-key generation whose Boomer parents both worked so they had to fend for themselves growing up. They typically do not need to be micro-managed but do crave feedback from their leaders. They take on empowerment so focusing on their expected outcomes will generate better relationships with Gen X.

Leading Generation Y requires yet another set of leadership expectations. Gen Y needs structure and stability, which means feedback, feedback and more feedback. They are very cause-oriented and socially conscious which is key for organizations looking for sustainability solutions. Authenticity and transparency also matter to a generation that is used to finding whatever they need or want through technology. However, they will likely need their leader’s help with effective communications and problem solving for the very same reason. The same reliance on technology to gather a wealth of information does not necessarily equip them to analyze it for knowledge-based decision-making.

Several months ago, I had the pleasure of presenting on this topic to the Center for Women Business Owners (CFWBO) where we discussed these and other challenges and solutions to generational diversity from a leadership perspective. Whether you are a business owner, corporate leader or non-profit leader, understanding the value each generation brings to the workplace is paramount to success. A word of caution in these generalizations are just that – generalizations and do not define individuals as such. Successful leaders move beyond the perceptions and generalizations to tap the personal power of each individual they lead. How well do you know everyone on your team?

Lead Well.

“Baby Boomers are immigrants…

…to the world that Gen X and Yers are born into.”

This quote is from the January issue of FastCompany.com addressing the recent leadership changes at Google. In the article, the author uses the leadership arrangement at the search company as an example of a phenomenon he calls “…B-I Leadership—Bi-Generational, Boomer, Gen-X, Gen-Y management.” It also provides a great backdrop for a topic every leader today must understand – generational diversity.

As we look at today’s business landscape we see four generations (and a fifth around the corner) in the workplace. It is in understanding how each generation has a different view of the world and each communicates in unique ways that makes managing the different generations a challenge for today’s leaders. While the Traditionalist (those 65 years old and over) continue in the workforce, their numbers are dwindling, especially as the economy recovers. And while you may have already heard of Generation Z (those just turning 18 years old) they are only now beginning to enter the workforce. For purposes of this commentary, which is Part 1 of a two-part series, we will focus on the other three generations - Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y.

Baby Boomers are the generation represented by those who are now between 47 and 65 years old. As a generation, they were influenced by the Cold War, the civil Rights Movement and the gaffe’s they saw in government such as the Nixon Watergate scandal. As a result, these roughly 76M people value hard work to get ahead, competition, teamwork and face-to-face communications.

The next generation, Generation X is defined as those who are now between 30 and 46 years old. As a generation they were influenced by recessions and high unemployment to the point where they came to value entrepreneurship and creativity. These approximately 46M people also value having greater access to information and feedback than their predecessors.

Generation Y, or Millenials as they are sometimes referred, are between 19 and 29 years old. This is the largest generation of the three totaling just over 80M people by some estimates. Their major influences were technology and growing up with “helicopter parents” a term used to describe parents who managed their every move growing up hovering over them like helicopters. Consequently, as a generation, they value positive reinforcement (lots of it), structure, technology and autonomy.

These generalizations of each generation are just that – generalizations. Leaders must avoid casting too wide a shadow over each demographic themselves lest they become an ineffective leader. However, perceptions prevail in the business (for-profit and non-profit) environment and leaders must deal with them as well. For instance, in recent studies, 63% of Baby Boomers feel “younger people” do not have as strong a work ethic as they do. Additionally, 32% of Generation X believes the “younger generation” lacks a good work ethic, which is a problem. Finally, 13% of Generation Y say the difference in work ethics across generations is a problem.

With this level of disparity in the workplace, leaders must understand what each generation brings to the organization. They must also know how to bridge the gaps between them to achieve the organization’s desired results. How might your own generational perceptions impact your ability to build these bridges?

Lead Well.

We Can Learn a Lot about Total Leadership…

…From the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers.

As is tradition, the February issue of this newsletter highlights the reigning Super Bowl champions. Hopefully, the mere title of this newsletter does not cause most of my hometown Chicago readers to automatically delete this file before reading at least a few sentences! While the intensity of the Packers-Bears rivalry marches on, we can glean leadership lessons from the way the Packers became only the second team seeded last in the playoffs to go on to win the Super Bowl. As I watched the playoffs unfold, the back-stories kept taking me back to the Total Leadership Model described as the alignment of organizational strategy with its people and processes to fully engage the organization with the expressed outcome to create loyal clients.

Strategically, the Packers mantra for the season was adaptability. They had the most players on injured reserve (15) of any NFC Team in the league last season. They made the playoffs seeded last, meaning they would have to play three games on the road just to get to the Super Bowl. That meant their strategy would have to take those realities into account to achieve the desired result of winning the Super Bowl. How many leaders today misjudge their competition due to changes in the competitive landscape or mentally defeat their efforts because the competitors are bigger, better funded or both? Effective strategies are built on accurate assessments of the external environment and of the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. For the Green Bay Packers, these strategies and associated philosophies generated more championships than any other team in the league including four Super Bowl titles.

In the Total Leadership Model, People Development and Process Improvement are aligned to support the organization’s strategy. For the Packers, this meant fielding skilled players (changing week-to-week due to injuries) and processes (play-calling to optimize the changing roster) to support and align with the current strategy. In any business, the people and processes may fluctuate over time. The real differentiator in success is Attitude, especially down the stretch. Much is made of home-field advantage in sports and it could be argued the Packers were not always the most talented all around team on the field in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago and Dallas. In the end, it was the team that believed in themselves the most that carried the day, even when two more of their starters, and emotional leaders, were lost to injury in the first half of the championship game. Successful leaders create and execute strategies to optimize the strengths of their people in full alignment with the core processes they use in their businesses.

Total Leadership is about creating loyal clients through engaged employees. It is in this regard the Packers are unique among NFL teams. Despite playing in the smallest NFL market, they have one of the largest fan bases in the sport and have more names on their season ticket waiting list than there are actual seats in Lambeau Field where they play. Leaders may talk about client loyalty but fewer put forth the time and level of effort required to create this level of loyalty and pride in their organizations. Engaged employees are the basis for creating loyal clients, concepts that look much like the traditional training camp bike rides and Family Nights of the Green Bay Packers.

I had lunch last week with a business owner who created a very successful business after coming to the U.S. over twenty years ago. When I mentioned the topic of this month’s newsletter she told me about how, in her frequent travels, she carries a book about Vince Lombardi to read his quotes and philosophies whenever she flies. What will it take for you to generate that level of loyalty and be the champions of your business?

Lead Well.

Being “Above Average” is to Success...

...what being “Above Ground” is to Living.

This quote is from Jay Niblick’s book “What’s your Genius” I previewed in the November 2010 issue of “What to Read”. It struck a chord with me when I first read it and as I sat down to pen this issue on achieving success, it resonated once again. I believe it speaks to success being more than just getting by, much like truly living life being judged by more than simply standing upright and breathing.

What I find interesting is how much less I hear the term “Success” now than I typically did last quarter. A quarter ago, which to many was the end of their fiscal year, I heard many variations of “We succeeded because...” or “Look what we did to succeed”. What I hear little of now are phrases like, “Here’s what we will do to succeed” or “Our success looks like...” It is as if we only feel comfortable talking about success after it happens. We seem less comfortable planning for success and overtly stating how we will achieve it. Too often we throw together a loosely defined plan and hope it works.

As we find our rhythm for 2011, here is how we can definitively achieve success both professionally and personally. It all begins with goals. Not just any goals, but ones that carry meaning in the context of what you want to achieve. Many of our readers are familiar with SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistically High and Time Bound) Goals. I would take it a step further and suggest they be WAY-SMART (Written, Aligned, Yours, SMART) Goals.

Having goals help you identify what you want to do and why you want to achieve them. However, you also have to be capable of achieving success. Do you possess the skills (the know how) required to be successful? Additionally, do you have the knowledge (the know when and know where) to use your skills in their proper context? We spend a good deal of time, many times the majority of our time, developing our skills and knowledge, believing they will help us achieve our goals and ultimately be successful.

But is it enough? Not really. One only has to listen to the battlefield of broken resolutions that typically show themselves this time of year. With great intentions so many set goals to improve themselves aptly equipped with the skills and knowledge to do so. Yet by late January or early February, they begin to break down. What’s missing? It is our attitude that makes the difference. It defines our want to achieve our goal and be the success we have pictured in our mind’s eye. While attitude contributes nearly 75% of our success, how much time do we spend developing our attitude? Probably significantly less than 75%! Instead, we continue to invest heavily in skills and knowledge hoping they will make up the difference. They won’t!

The right combination of Goals, Skills, Knowledge and Attitudes provide us our greatest opportunity to create a future of success. In a Victor Hugo quote forwarded to me recently, he states, “The future has many names. For the weak, it means unattainable. For the fearful, it means the unknown. For the courageous, it means opportunity.” Do you have the courage to live more than just “above ground”?

Lead Well!

Change Occurs...

…At The Outer Edge of Your Comfort Zone.

As we wind down 2010, many of us are reflecting on what we accomplished in 2010 and what changes we will make to continue our successes into 2011. In my own work with small and medium businesses as well as non-profit organizations, managing change is the most common topic of conversation; and why not? The uncertainty that remains in the economic and political environments have leaders in the unenviable position of making the next right strategic decision in the face of all this uncertainty.

How do leaders mitigate this uncertainty enough to make the crucial decisions before them? While there are many moving parts to a successful business strategy, two elements of leading any organization is understanding the general environment you are competing in as well as knowing how your current capabilities match up to that environment. Key to a leader’s strategic thinking process includes a recurring assessment of their general environment against six different factors: Demographic/Psychographic, Economic, Political/Legal, Socio-Cultural, Technical and Global. Regardless of whether you lead a global organization or do business directly with the government, all six factors will influence your ability to adapt and evolve your business. As I briefly outline each factor below, ask yourself how they impact your business, non-profit or corporation.

• Demographic/Psychographic – we are already seeing debates around the impact of the new census results and the changing demographics of the US population. Psychographics reflect the personalities, values, attitudes and lifestyles of the population.
• Economic – while the recession may be over, businesses generally are still taking a cautious road ahead having a direct impact on the economic recovery. As you assess your own organization’s economic health, how did your supply chain and value chain fare as well?
• Political/Legal – all eyes are on Washington DC these days to gauge the impact of Congress’ decisions and how they influence the current level of cautiousness across the business landscape. How are current federal, state and local budget gaps impacting your organization?
• Socio-Cultural –We see more and more organizations hiring temporary workers, even in management and other predominantly white-collar positions. How “Green” is your organization?
• Technical – an article in the 12/20/10 Wall Street Journal opines how Dr. Seuss would love the e-Readers because they enable children to read more effectively. While technology is changing at a rapid pace, is it effectively advancing the way you conduct your business?
• Global – you may not be a global business, but events around the globe impact your business instantaneously. Have you figured out how and why?

While understanding the general landscape provides today’s leaders with a current view of their external environment, it is only useful if put in the context of their business. The tool most often used for this aspect of the strategic thinking process is the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) Process. This assessment of the internal environment captures the current capabilities (strengths and weaknesses) and puts them in the context of the external environment (opportunities and threats). While the SWOT is a very versatile tool used to help leaders proactively deal with changes in their business, they must keep in mind it only provides a one-shot view of a moving target and must be used routinely to be effective. Additionally, because we identify an organizational strength through the SWOT process does not mean the strength represents a competitive advantage.

We know change is inevitable, but growth in our business because of the change is not. Leaders must constantly assess which way the winds of change are blowing and adjust their strategy accordingly. I am reminded of the closing scene in The Truman Show when Jim Carrey’s Truman finally makes it to the outer edge of his known world. After a brief dialog, Truman opens the door, literally and figuratively, to a whole new world of possibilities. When you get to the outer edge of your comfort zone, are you prepared to open the door to your new possibilities?

Lead Well!

Your Mission...

…Should You Choose To Accept It

Many of you recognize this line from the Television series or movie (or both depending on your generation) called Mission: Impossible. I recently had the privilege of delivering the Keynote Address to a group of military veterans at a career transition event the day after Veterans Day. The theme of mission is one our military veterans clearly understand so I and the other speakers leveraged the same theme throughout the event. It also provides the theme for this issue as we head into the holiday season.

Last month, we talked about information overload and its impact on a leader’s ability to make knowledgeable decisions. I would submit having a clear sense of mission is just as important to making meaningful decisions as it creates the tangible importance of making the decision to begin with. When a leader loses the understanding of importance, the overall mission begins to falter. We see organizations in many corners of our environment that have lost their sense of mission. In recent years we have seen examples of government, financial, religious and educational institutions with documented lapses in their sense of mission.

So how do leaders renew their sense of mission? They must first ask themselves why do they exist. Corporations, Entrepreneurial ventures and Not-For-Profits all exist for a defined purpose. The second question every organization must ask is, “Whom do they serve?” We use the word “serve” specifically because it creates the mindset of service as opposed to asking, “Who do we sell to?” or “Who is in our market?” Whenever I work with clients whose business has leveled off or hit a plateau, I always start with some variation of that same question. In answering the question of whom they serve, they renew the line of thought creating the guidelines for their organization or business.

The sense of mission also implies the entire organization is engaged to effectively complete the mission. Leaders must be able to effectively communicate the mission to their teams and herein lies part of the challenge – they may not know how or they overestimate their ability to do so. A recent survey by Developmental Dimensions International and published in the Wall Street Journal suggests managers struggle with the necessary skills necessary to execute a sense of organizational mission. Of the 1,100 respondents, only 36% felt they were strong in coaching their teams while only 34% felt they were strong in gaining commitment from their teams. Lastly only 32% mentioned delegating as their strength. These types of blind spots can cause an organization’s leaders to lose their way. Leaders cannot accomplish the mission alone and thus must be able to not only communicate the goals of the team but also the purpose as well. The goals address what needs to be done, the purpose addresses why the goal is important to the organization.

What separates the great leaders from everyone else is their sense of mission and the personal accountability they have to the mission and those they serve. As we head into the holidays and time for reflection, what mission will you choose to accept?

Lead Well!