7:29AM
100 Leadership Lessons #16 More on Leaders and Character
LeadershipThe myth that there is no connection is dangerous because it divorces leadership from character. It turns it into merely a combination of skills to be exercised, opportunities to be pursued and networks to be leveraged. Of course, with that combination it is possible to create, for example, a very profitable business. But what it is not possible to do is help people be the kinds of people they should be and do the kinds of things they should do. Because that kind of leadership isn’t driven by values, only by end results, with leadership ‘success’ being defined by a very narrow and inadequate set of criteria. It doesn’t have to be honourable, compassionate, moral or even honest in order to seem to work.