Integrity In Coaching

Recently Written

• When a coach may help from Boston Globe
• New Decade and New Year
• Laser coaching
• Small businesses turn to coaches for guidance Entrepreneurs benefit from expert advice
• What Coaches Can Do for You Ask Harvard Business School
• Leadership: Why we must teach it
• If it is good enough for Google
• THE LEADERSHIP CODE: FIVE CORE QUALITIES
• How Executive Coaching Enhances Leadership Skills
• In Challenging Times, Leadership Skills and Leader Development Matter

Categories

• Executive Coaching
• General Posts
• Kudos
• Leadership
• Life Coaching
• Strategic Planning

Leadership: Why we must teach it

Posted on July 24, 2009 - Filed Under Executive Coaching

The Edmond Sun

EDMOND — We recognize great leadership and seek it. We appreciate great leadership and need it more than ever. Great leaders are rare and we struggle to find them. Today we face a shortage of exemplary leaders in all walks of life. This calls for the training, preparation and inspiration of the next generation for leadership. This must begin in elementary school. Leadership development should be a part of curriculum. Our task is not just teaching management skills but effective leadership. Greatness is up to the individual.

The financial debacle exposed failings of many CEOs in varied industries. Without vision, many abandoned responsibilities and ethics, driven by personal gain. Scandal among elected officials is too commonplace. These few have affected confidence in leaders in general and have a chilling effect on those seeking public office for the right reasons.

Our president works to project confidence and integrity. He inspires hope. Whether he can resolve the economic crisis is unknown. However, like Roosevelt before in such times, President Obama is a visionary, knowing optimism is key to holding off despair. While Roosevelt’s policies failed to completely resolve the Great Depression, he did inspire hope at a critical moment when people needed that most. Regardless of political persuasion or disagreement, leadership that instills confidence helps avert panic and hopelessness. We should be grateful for that at least. Together let’s establish a new age of reason by instilling the qualities we expect of the greatest in the hearts of our youth.

Are great leaders born or made? This is debatable. The right qualities, with life experiences, mold most into leaders in time. Some, like the soldier assuming responsibility in combat, are self made. Defining leadership is elusive. Webster’s says it is: “guidance; capacity to guide; stepping in front.” This misses the human essence of leadership, which is a unique and complex combination of experience, vision, ethics, empathy, integrity, values, conviction and courage. There are effective leaders who will become great leaders. We have to train graduates for effective leadership, trusting they will aspire to greatness.

We often confuse managers with leaders. Leaders inspire us to things unseen or paths not taken. Good managers do not necessarily make good leaders. However, good leaders are inherently good managers. Businesses focus on training managers, assuming they are creating leaders. Leadership training enables managers with the tools to grow into leaders.

No textbook can create the qualities of leadership. No rules or axioms alone suffice. Only the stories of proven leaders bring leadership to life. Understanding their journeys is formative to leadership development. Winston Churchill wrote, “The price of greatness is responsibility.” Hard to teach, this is best revealed in context of actual decisions. The trials of life can teach and inspire. Failure and perseverance contribute as much in shaping a leader as success. Styles of leaders vary — some try to lead by fear, others delegation, inspiration or command with the same outcome. Yet, style alone is not enough. Followers develop lasting perspectives of those they willingly chose to follow. Respect is earned.

Abraham Lincoln is a remarkable study in leadership. Self taught with little formal education, ungainly and disheveled, he was no image of a leader. Scholars note despite this people rallied to him when he spoke because they sensed integrity of conviction in his voice. His actions reinforced he was working for them. He was genuine. He found strength in spirituality. It took one term of his presidency to earn the confidence of a nation. At the most trying time he emerged a leader of integrity, empathy, strength and vision shaped by his own humble and tragic journey.

Many reach the highest positions without ever understanding the tenant of service, not self. Emphasizing leadership as a basic course is vital in helping students recognize the responsibility of service. To aspire to lead is a noble endeavor few chose for the right reasons. We cannot assume leaders are born. Teaching students to embrace leadership as an achievable quality is the foundation for future leaders in society

Comments

Pages

• About Ira
• Kudos
• Statement of Purpose

Meta

• RSS
• Comments RSS

Recommendations