BLUE LIGHT LEADERSHIP

THE FLEETWOOD GROUP IS DEDICATED TO DEVELOPING THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY POLICE LEADER AND OTHER PUBLIC SECTOR SERVANTS. WE BELIEVE THAT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IS AN INSIDE-OUT PROCESS. ONLY WITH CONSTANT AND CONTINUOUS CHARACTER GROWTH CAN WE DEVELOP INTO PRINCIPLED LEADERS. WE CANNOT BE IMMORAL INDIVIDUALS AND MORAL SERVANT LEADERS. THIS BLOG WILL EMPHASIZE THE MORALLY PRINCIPLED DIMENSION OF CHARACTER AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. A TREE WILL ALWAYS BE KNOWN BY THE FRUITS IT BEARS.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” Teddy Roosevelt

Friday, July 30, 2010

Using Your Knowledge to Build Your Team

I read an interesting Bible verse this morning in 1Corinthians 8:1. It states in part, “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” That seems to me directly related to character-based leadership. If we have all the knowledge in the universe relating to leadership and our specific individual disciplines and do not use it to build and grow others, but instead use it in the service to one’s self interest only, it is in vain and will produce little to no fruit.

Can we truthfully say that we use our knowledge and wisdom in a serving and giving manner that tends to build and grow our team members, or do we use our knowledge and expertise to promote our own selfish interest? Which philosophy of leadership would the members of your team attribute to your leadership?

In his book, The Soul of the Firm, the former chairman of The ServiceMaster Company C. William Pollard, supports the idea that “Leadership…has a responsibility to the ethical, professional, and personal development of every individual in the organization. This can be accomplished only through the belief that all of us are created in the image and likeness of God, and a philosophy of understanding based on respect for the dignity and worth of every individual.” For more information about William Pollard and information about his servant leadership philosophy, click here.

The ‘give” philosophy leads to a legacy of excellent servant leadership and the “get” philosophy leads to a reputation of being an “it’s all about me” selfish leader. Remember leadership finds its foundation in the character of the leader.

Gold nugget takeaways:

• Use your knowledge and expertise to build up your team and not just your own self interest and promotion.

• Lead with a “giving” heart and not a “getting” heart.

• Treat everyone on your team with dignity and value because they are made in the image and likeness of God.

• Develop a virtuous character and your leadership will be virtuous.

• Leadership is from the inside out.

• A bad tree cannot produce good fruit.

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Great Leadership Quotes

Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing. Abraham Lincoln
Rules cannot substitute for character. Alan Greenspan
I look for three things in hiring people. The first is personal integrity, the second is intelligence, and the third is a high energy level. But, if you don't have the first, the other two will kill you. Warren Buffett
Courage is the first of the human qualities because it is a quality which guarantees all the others. Winston Churchill
The challenges we face today are not economic, environmental, social, or legal; they are challenges of character and leadership. Phil Eastman
If you create an act, you create a habit. If you create a habit, you create character. If you create character, you create a destiny.
The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.
The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it. Teddy Roosevelt
Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing. Abraham Lincoln

Arete"

Arete' is a Greek word which means excellence. Excellence in both competence and character. It defines the commitment of the ancient warrior to strive for the achievement of his highest purpose. It implies a respect of the wholeness and oneness of life.

Phronesis is a Greek word which means "practical wisdom." It is the wisdom of knowing what to do while understanding if it is worth doing. It can also mean knowing the right thing to do while understanding if it is congruent with doing what is right.