Leadership and Character
"Leaders live in fish bowl and are always being watched.
They should always be conscious of that fact
and take advantage of it."
-- Gene Klann
Articles
- Leadership in the Crucible: The Paradox of Character and Power, by Ray Blunt
Suggests three leadership development activities leaders can/should engage in to stay grounded and avoid hubris and other character failings.
- Life and Learning Over One Hundred Years: Trust is the Coin of the Realm, by George P. Schultz
The former Secretary of State reflects on trust and effective relationships.
- Growing Leaders of Character
Interview with Gene Klann, author of Growing Leaders of Character - Level 5 Leadership, by Jim Collins
Resources related to the concept first introduced in Collins' classic book Good to Great. - The Successes of Leaders, by Ray Blunt
Ray Blunt challenges us to think differently about the meaning of success.
- The Failures of Leaders, by Ray Blunt
Discusses some of the causes of derailment.
- How to Get Ahead Without Tooting Your Own Horn, by Ray Blunt
On the pitfalls of pride.
Books
Building Character: Strengthening the Heart of Good Leadership
Drawing on decades of research by the Center for Creative Leadership, Gene Klann provides a clear framework for developing leaders or character that includes rich discussions of role models, the importance of challenging work experiences, leadership character training, and organizational culture. Klann also provides several useful tools, such as a personal values self-assessment, a checklist of good leader behaviors, and 17 scenarios of leadership character dilemmas that can be used for discussion purposes. Highly recommended. Read More...
The Trusted Leader: Building the Relationships that Make Government Work
The Trusted Leader starts with the premise that building trust and relationships at every level (i.e. between career public managers and political appointees, front-line employees, personnel from other agencies, members of Congress, private citizens) is a necessary pre-condition for effective government. The authors assert that high-level efforts to dictate or legislate reform usually fall short because of inattention to these trust and relationship issues (see excerpt). Includes superb chapters discussing values-based leadership, self-awareness, team building, collaboration, working with Congress and much more. Many of the chapters were written by leadership experts with decades of experience teaching at the Federal Executive Institute, so they have a deep understanding of the challenges we face leading in the public service. This is an invaluable resource for practitioners of public sector leadership. Read More...
Ego is the Enemy
Ego balance is a challenge for all leaders. Some struggle with insecurity, while others suffer a need to "be right" or be the smartest person in the room. These challenges have plagued leaders throughout history. Ryan Holiday's terrific book Ego is the Enemy makes the 2,000 year-old wisdom of the Stoic philosphers (e.g. Marcus Aurelius and Seneca) both accessible and practical for today's leaders. It is full of insights that can help us get out of our own heads and gain detached perspective so we can focus on the mission instead of making everything about us. Highly recommended. Read More...