Brief Moments

    My love for studying leadership developed over twenty years of community change, human development, and self employment while collaborating, building consensus and creating opportunity. The literature and thoughts regarding leadership are ongoing and continually reworked:   Transactional Leadership , Transformational Leadership , Authentic Leadership , Servant Leadership , Values-based Leadership , Strengths Based Leadership, Positive Leadership and on and on. Sometimes different labels are just a way to publish new books and measures of certain leader qualities but there are similarities across the spectrum.  Just different terminology with associated meanings.      Certainly some part of my dissertation will contain a leadership element, just as the master's thesis did but not because we need more studies or data relating to leadership. As a species we've long ago crossed the knowledge threshold of what real leadership is...

     Last night in my organizational behavior class in between chapter discussions on values, motivation, job satisfaction and attitude watched a Tony Robbins speech from TED (below).  I for one never expect to have the Supreme Court on my side of anything (watch the video). To be honest I've never been a Robbins subscriber, bought his products or attended a seminar.  I know plenty of folks who have, almost all of whom are highly successful financially, and most before they started watching or listening to Tony. I also have to admit that if the organization I was teaching for allowed access to YouTube we'd have never gotten to this video in class.  They don't, even though they've promised over four weeks of classes every week that it will be available.  Thus the somewhat tired statement depending on one's beliefs that God has a Plan.  No YouTube with planned multiple video presentations to finding something to break up PowerPoints and prof...

Transformational Servant Leadership Innovation Cycle (Wallace)      I was asked this week to post some thoughts on transformational leadership relating to community development and innovation in a forum on Facebook.  That format is a little more limiting and doesn't quite give the opportunity for graphics.  Thus this morning's thoughts for your review and feedback here.      The graphic on the left is a model of my own making describing one path to individual and organizational change. Although they follow slightly different tracks for academics and consultants/practitioners, Transformational Leadership and Servant Leadership are closely intertwined with similar meanings. One must certainly say that Servant Leadership is transformational in scope and outcomes.   Both theories and practices are discussed in detail and endorsed (if you will) by such organizational and individual change experts as the late Stephen Covey , P...

     Recently our congregation participated in our second annual Do Something day immediately following a shortened Sunday service.  Since arriving at First Church of God five years ago, lead pastor David Colp has had a heart for community transformation within the overriding vision of transforming lives through Christ.  A thousand or more members of all ages spread out through the area working on a wide variety of projects last year and again this year.  We were asked to keep track of all the hours we volunteered over the course of the year (something I didn't do well) as we reached for over 50,000 hours, near $1,000,000 in time and talent donations to the area.  Treasure gets donated as well by many, but that's a different story and not different from many congregations of varied but common theology. 2011 Team      I had the honor of leading a group working at the United Way of Southwest Michigan (UWSM) both yea...

     One can find in small moments of many movies a level of absolute truth.  There's a thirty-second sequence below in City Slickers (1991) with Bill Crystal and Jack Palance that fits as one example.      We all need to find that one thing in ourselves, as well as those with similar passions who we can collaborate and innovate with.  When it comes to leadership though and the thousands of studies, published research and books on the subject, the one thing is trust.            If you're not familiar with the full range of leadership model(Avolio, 1999; Bass & Riggio, 2006) this graphic from my presentation last year at the Midwest Academy of Management in Omaha gives the basic concept.  These are basic definitions only.     Laissez Faire is simply hands off managers who pretty much ignore the team.     Management by exception (MBE) in either its' passive or ag...

     As my master's thesis was on Transformational Culture Leadership I just couldn't pass up the chance to share some favorite thoughts.  Then again, I rarely have trouble sharing thoughts.  It's not holding them back that often gets me in trouble.  I'm a servant-leader by the way, which is also transformational.  The graphic below was the basis of my research: that when we combine organizational learning and transformational leadership with an understanding of organizational culture, we get dramatically improved organizational citizenship behavior that leads to adaptability, productivity and sustainability.   All of which improves profitability of course, but that's an outcome of  serving a greater purpose.      “Leadership is the inspiration and mobilization of others to undertake collective action in pursuit of the common good.” Crosby & Bryson, 2005      “Leaders’ influence will...

     I cried Sunday morning, which isn't really unusual on Easter but it was before church so that wasn't the reason.  I really enjoy Charles Osgood in any media form.   His manner, the tone of his voice, his appreciate for beauty and noticing or drawing attention to the small things that make a difference in this life.   CBS Sunday morning ran a story about Michigan native and former MLB pitcher Jim Abbott who has a new book out called:  Imperfect: An Improbable Life .      For those who don't know Jim was born without a right hand, but that didn't stop him from becoming a college baseball player for the University of Michigan, winning a gold medal as the starting pitcher in the Olympics, or pitching a no-hitter for the New York Yankees as a professional baseball player.   He continues to be a force for good well beyond the example he set in those accomplishments.     You see, I'm o...

     The fact that yesterday was Good Friday, an odd name for remembering Christ's crucifixion is only coincidental.   I can still remember my years of living, if one could call it that, without faith and can't imagine getting through a day now without my firm foundation in God. I have seen to many miraculous events in my life and in many other lives not to believe.  Though to be fair, I also consider every morning I wake up with the ability to breath, walk, think and grow a miracle in itself.      Through the many turmoils and valleys of my near 50 years, always caused by my wanderings and occasionally by others who took advantage of my generous nature, there absolutely have been times where I wanted to just walk away.  To quit, the circumstances, the individuals, and many times the organizations, which I did either directly or by behaving in ways that got me that result.  For many years of worldly success as some would m...

     "A" is for altruistic in the blogging challenge.  Our lives on this earth are far to short to spend time putting self first all of the time.  Certainly within our self preservation nature putting the needs of others ahead of our own interests all the time.      We see and accomplish so much more of the best that humanity, spirituality, innovation and creativity have to offer when we put the needs of others in front our own.  Interestingly neurology now tells us that being generous to others fires off the same areas of the brain that chocolate and cocaine do.   I do love my dark chocolate, but I love helping others achieve their goals more.