Larry

Thanks for your question, what was the best example of leadership I’ve experienced? This is a difficult question since I’ve worked with many great leaders who provided an exemplary example.

Rather than giving an example I’ll tell you what I saw in leaders who were the best examples. Other than their competency and decision making skills, these leaders stand out in my mind because they exhibited moral courage during the most difficult ethical situations.

Never mistake fear of physical harm with morale courage where you have to go against the grain, sometimes the norm and the results can be devastating with emotional distress and complete rejection, if not an ended career. These leaders make the tough calls for what they feel is ethically right and stood their ground. They exhibited true character!

Leaders know rocking the boat and standing up for what is right can result in enormous stress. One leader who comes to mind Modeled the Way with strong values, honesty, fairness, integrity on/off the job, stood up for the team when required and helped us when there were challenges.

Make no mistake, we were held accountable and situations could get tense; however, due to the strong example this leader exhibited there was trust and it was easy to show loyalty. Simon Sinek calls it “Leaders who make you feel safe.” We all felt safe resulting in a high performance and innovative organization. Showing strong values, ethics and honesty goes a long way and pays big dividends as a leader.

Good luck and enjoy the journey.