What Do I Do When the Boss Doesn’t Get It?

In several of our recent Level Five leadership presentations, seminars, workshops, and discussions, we’ve been asked: “What do I do when the Boss doesn’t get it?” The sense of frustration in this question is palpable, and because we’ve been there we know the feelings are genuine and deep seated. No one wants to be in an environment where the person in charge does not share the values-based leadership goals of the rest of the team. Establishing and sustaining a culture of excellence seems impossible if the CEO won’t accept the need to embrace integrity as an absolute – and then “walk the talk.”

A Memorial Day Reflection

In a recent address to the University of New Hampshire Class of 2015, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant Ryan Pitts spoke these words: Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the ability to move forward in the face of it. There is beauty in this definition, because courage can exist in the … Read more

Integrity Takes Courage

Integrity takes courage and it is totally transparent. When you see and hear it, you know it. At a recent session at the Simon Business School of the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY, integrity was examined in the context of growing high performing cultures. The graduate level students were passionate about the subject. Integrity … Read more

Doing Right

I don’t know any other way to lead but by example. -Don Shula There a few clearer statements of why Level Five leaders do the right things when no one is looking than Coach Don Shula’s statement above; yet, too many don’t lead that way. One does not need to dig too deep to find examples … Read more

Giving Up the Keys

Just like parents watching one of our kids drive out of the driveway on that first date, we have to confront our fears and overcome them through trust. It takes courage to allow others to take the reins and make decisions, because they might fail. Something bad might happen. At the very least, the organization might underperform, and you could lose market share in the short run. But where would we be now had our parents not given us the keys for that first date?

Integrity is the glue that holds it all together…

An organization “in integrity” is transparent and in balance. This is a tall order and requires strong leadership, clarity of mission and intent, and a heavy dose of persistence. Integrity must be a stated value of every company and be woven into the very fabric of the culture. Team members, to include all leaders, must walk the talk with integrity, on and off the job, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.