Leadership Ethics

by John G. Agno

Published on this site: December 19th, 2005 - See more articles from this month

"The three greatest leaders of the 20th Century were Hitler, Stalin, and Mao. If that's leadership, I want no part of it," said Peter Drucker, who died on November 11, 2005 at the age of 95.

Of 462 executives who were asked, "What characteristics are needed to be an effective leader today?" 56 percent ranked ethical behavior as an important characteristic, followed by sound judgment (51%) and being adaptable/ flexible (47%). - American Management Association, New York, NY

Effective leadership is an interactive conversation that pulls people toward becoming comfortable with the language of personal responsibility and commitment.

Leadership is not just for people at the top. Everyone can learn to lead by discovering the power that lies within each one of us to make a difference and being prepared when the call to lead comes.

Albert Einstein once said, "We should take care not to make the intellect our god; it has, of course, powerful muscles but no personality. It cannot lead; it can only serve."

"I'm most effective with one-on-one coaching. I would guess I coach 100 to 200 employees in a given month. I don't really think you can do the kind of leadership I do on a formal basis. It has to be genuine. I don't think you can force a human connection." Brad Anderson, CEO of Best Buy

Leadership development is not an event. It is a process of participating in respectful conversations where the leader recognizes his or her own feelings and those of others in building safe and trusting relationships.

For more on leadership, go to: www.LeadershipTips.info and www.WhatisLeadership.info

John G. Agno, certified executive & business coach Signature, Inc., PO Box 2086, Ann Arbor, MI 48106 Telephone: 734.426.2000 (US Eastern Time Zone)Email: mailto:[email protected] The most critical knowledge is self-knowledge. http://www.MentoringandCoaching.com