Every day, we all face moral and ethical dilemmas. These dilemmas may be as small as making it to work on time or as significant as keeping confidences shared in the workplace. The passionate leaders, because of their deeply ingrained values, default to decisions made with integrity. These decisions are rendered quickly and effectively because their moral and ethical compass points the way.

Passionate leaders live their lives with dignity and integrity. That translates into their professional lives seamlessly and effortlessly. It is not how they behave. It is not what they practice. It is who they are.

When asked about the role of the print media in modern American, Katharine Graham responded, “We are not here to be popular. We are here to be respected and above all, to be believed.” With Graham at the helm, the Washington Post was respected and believed and served as American’s moral compass during the turbulent post-Vietnam era. Graham firmly believed the coverage provided by her newspaper should not be influenced by government nor intimidated by bureaucracy. The Washington Post was a bastion of journalistic integrity and set the bar for their competitors. Katharine Graham was a passionate leader whose personal integrity dictated her professional decisions as well.

Learn more about Katherine Graham

We are probably all aware of some very small breakdowns that eventually lead to a monumental collapse. We may have even committed one or two small mistakes of our own at work that resulted in huge failures. We are made aware of small mistakes in the workplace in a misguided attempt to combat imperfections and failures. The downside of managing to avoid mistakes is that it is a lot like playing NOT to lose. Rather than forging ahead and nurturing greatness, we tend to focus on flying under the radar, grateful that we made it through another day without anyone mentioning our name in conjunction with some pending disaster. A passionate leader recognizes how stifling and uninspiring this can be and discourages dwelling on mistakes. A passionate leader cultivates inventiveness and assertiveness, and delights in acknowledging achievements.

Can you name the last time you created a significant celebration over a fairly insignificant achievement? This doesn’t happen in the workplace very often, if ever. But the passionate leader recognizes two things. First, focusing on victories, whether large or small, impassions and empowers the team and its players. It fosters joie de vivre and encourages creativity. The ability to work without the encumbrances of potential failure is liberating!

Secondly, the passionate leader appreciates the value of public recognition for direct reports. Public acclaim for seemingly unimportant tasks lets your direct reports know how much you understand the minutiae of their job, and it announces to the entire company that you have a talented and effective department. Your direct reports will welcome and respond favorably to this opportunity for them to distinguish themselves from the crowd.

Celebrate small victories!
We all can get caught up in the daily tasks – the daily challenges and forget how far we have come. I love taking a few moments each month to see how I am doing. I look to see if we satisfied the customer, reached a milestone in a project or learned something new. I do not need much to celebrate! A toast to a job well done with the click of two coffee mugs, a bit of chocolate to share, a thank you note to a team…take the time this month to celebrate the small victories!

Two weeks ago tonight, I met a new friend, Anne Fleming. Anne is the founder of Women-Drivers.com
a resource dedicated to providing women drivers with valuable information to assist them in purchasing a vehicle. She wants to revolutionize the experience women have at dealerships and is collecting information on womens’ satisfaction and women-friendly dealerships.

I asked Anne how from a background in market research, retailing and product management and marketing, she found herself in the Automotive space. She shared that when she had purchased a new car herself, she without realizing it, had “given her power away.” Just as this simple comment made me say sit straighter and wonder how many times have I done this, it inspired Anne into action.

How many other women were giving their power away, their negotiating power, by not having enough information to be prepared or to select the people they would like to do business with? A new idea born! Anne with her background in retail and market research set off on a new endeavor put her knowledge and skills to great use creating Women-Drivers.com

I encourage you to visit Anne’s webpage, peruse the valuable information, share your dealership experiences and checkout the personality test. It is fun – I am a Bold Babe. What are you?

The response to the Leadership survey was tremendous. I have been reading through all your comments and organizing the data. When ranking your interest in these four topics, the responses of  “most interested to least interested” were as follows:

1. Personal Development – self improvement, training, workshops
2. Work/Life Balance – demands of family/personal needs versus your job
3. Career Advancement – transfers, promotions, lateral moves
4. Career Change – changing jobs or fields, losing your job

Other topics you told me you are interested in included:

“Spiritual development”, “Running my own small business”, “Bringing out the best
from a work colleague”, “Selling skills”, “Management of ethics”… to state just a few.

Sounds like we are going to have alot to talk about over the next few months 🙂

More to come on the Leadership Survey Results…

If you are wondering how Madeleine Albright feels about the Bush administration and our place in the current global setting, just pick up a copy of her latest book, Memo to the President Elect: How We Can Restore America’s Reputation and Leadership.  Former Secretary Albright speaks forcefully and authoritatively in her new book, directed at whomever we vote into the presidency later this year. 

In addition to delivering a scathing critique of the current administration, Albright gives a few insights into her own rise to power.  But her greatest contribution comes via the insights she offers based on her years of international service. She shares her lessons learned as an executive leader in world affairs.  The knowledge and experience gained as our Secretary of State for President Bill Clinton, as well as her tenure at the UN serve her well as she dissects global politics.   This book serves as a primer for those who are aware of our role in international politics but can’t seem to tie together all the loose ends.  Albright is a great teacher, but an even better patriot.   She implores our next president to act with intelligence, compassion and authority to return the United States to our rightful position as a global leader.

I truly enjoyed reading this book! Claim your own copy here – Memo to the President Elect

And if you would love to read more about Ms. Albright, visit the World Leaders Biography I wrote – Madeleine Albright