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

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Teaching Subordinates to Make Good Decisions

We expect our team members to make good decisions. We hold them responsible and accountable for them. This is how it should be. But, seriously, do we teach them how to make these good decisions? Do we give them a techniques, guidelines or examples to follow to make responsible decisions especially in the heat of the moment? To answer my own question, generally speaking, I don't think we do. But we as responsible leaders should! I am going to post a leadership action/decision guide that may be helpful to you and to anyone you wish to share it with.

The idea for this guide belongs to The Westfall-Gallagher Group. They created one and use it in their leadership development seminars. I took their guide and modified it somewhat to better fit my philosophy of leadership decision making. I certainly appreciate Bill Westfall for sharing his seminar material, including their Action Guide, with me and giving me permission to use it. If you ever have an opportunity to attend a Westfall-Gallagher seminar I encourage you to do it. It is a great experience. For me it was the very best leadership development seminar I have ever attended and it is the model I use in my leadership development efforts including this blog site. The guide is one suitable to print and frame. It really looks good printed on photo paper. Please feel free to use it as you deem helpful. If you want a printable version just email me and I will send you an attachment.

THE LEADERSHIP ACTION ASSESSMENT

Am I doing the right thing?

Am I doing it at the right time?

Am I doing it for the right reason?

Am I doing it the right way?

Am I willing to take ownership of the outcome?

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

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.