A View of Leadership

There is the timeless, changeless core: our humanity — that which we truly ARE, what we have always been (regardless of our (sometimes) behavior to the contrary).

And then there is the external: behavior — that which must interact and adapt, this is what leaders DO.

The core is who they are, behavior is what they do. Leadership can only happen when there is little-to-no difference between character (core) and consistent behavior.

When you bring your core forth, people follow. When you master your actions, you get them somewhere.

This post (really the above text) has been in my Drafts folder for quite some time. I wasn’t sure if it made sense . . . the language seemed convoluted, obtuse even. But I reviewed it again and decided it was ready for release (after some minor editing . . . ).

Similar Posts

  • Never Waste a Calamity

    Every calamity is a spur and a valuable hint. – Emerson Yes, I am riffing off the recent political meme in the post title. (“Never let a crisis go to waste.” (Attributed, I believe, to Rahm Emanuel).) That aside, Emerson’s words are an extremely valuable reminder. We ignore “failures” and “calamities” at our peril. Every…

  • Expectations and Agreements

    One of my mentors (Steve Chandler) offers a powerful distinction useful in just about every area of life: expectations vs. agreements. Most of us have expectations. Expectations about how life should go and how people should behave. Invariably, many of these expectations are not met. As a result we are disappointed, frustrated and upset. We…

  • Who Laws Are For

    Laws control the lesser man . . . . Right conduct controls the greater one. – Mark Twain Someone with a strong character needs no external guide or precepts to determine behavior. Where do you look for guidance? Do you consult “laws” to see what’s acceptable? Or do you consult your ethics to see what’s…

  • Fail More, Get Better

    When I look at the kids training today… I can tell which ones are going to do well. It’s not necessarily the ones who have the most natural talent or who fall the least. Sometimes it’s the kids who fall the most, and keep pulling themselves up and trying again. – Michelle Kwan If you…

  • Design or Default?

    Any regular reader of this blog knows how much I love Seth Godin’s ideas (and generosity thereof). Here is yet another of Seth’s brilliant posts that I am compelled to share and comment on (you can find the original post here): Can and should Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should. The…