Lee talks about leadership, courage, and practical ways to overcome challenges in his latest interview on TV network, Arise America.
What is the best nugget that you got out of this interview? Please share your comments –
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Question:
“What is the importance of striving to not only lead, but to lead the right way?”
Lee’s Answer:
“I think it goes back to finding your purpose. I am not against making money and I am out here trying to do that, but it’s finding out what you are on this earth to do besides just fattening your wallet. I see my opportunities to influence other people and people are attracted to and influenced by others who are authentic. Are you concerned about your fellow man and others around you? If so, you are going to have influence. When I played sports, the guys who were always elected captain weren’t always the flashiest, but the ones who were leading by example. We are always looking for someone to look up to.”
You can read the entire interview here.
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Lee Ellis is founder and president of Leadership Freedom® LLC, a leadership and team development consulting company. He consults with Fortune 500 senior executives in the areas of hiring, teambuilding, leadership and human performance development, and succession planning. He is also a speaker and the author of the award-winning book, Leading With Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton, in which he shares his experiences as a Vietnam POW and highlights leadership lessons learned in the camps. For more information, please visit www.leadingwithhonor.com.
What are your natural strengths and struggles as a leader? Self-awareness is the first step in becoming a better leader in your family or workplace.
Take a few minutes to quiz yourself with the FREE ‘Leading with Honor’ Assessment from Lee Ellis. We guarantee that you’ll learn at least one new thing about yourself!
Take the assessment here, and please share it this special offer with others.
Today is John Quincy Adams, our 6th U.S. President’s birthday. What are the Best Presidential Leadership Traits?
John Quincy Adams was also the son of our 2nd U.S. President, John Adams.
Ever wonder what kind of leadership traits that it takes to be the president? Please read Lee Ellis’ article to find out!
Click Here to read the article, and please share your comments in this forum –
Want less drama in your work as a leader? Hire some “invisible” people. A new book profiles ambitious professionals who find the most satisfaction in work that is critical to their organization’s success, but goes largely unnoticed by the public. Read about the “4 Traits of ‘Invisible’ People in Your Organization” and why they’re critical to keep to your success.
Click to Read this article.
Please share our kudos to all of the important invisible people who keep things running smoothly!
Recently, Lee had a great conversation on a Webcast sponsored by the Profitability Revolution Paradigm, an organization dedicated to helping small business owners grow and develop.
There are so many great points in this segment on the principles of honorable leadership, and it’s our honor to share it with you. Please share it with someone who may need to hear this valuable message –
(Note: this editorial was originally posted in the July 4th edition of the San Diego Union – click this link to view the original article.)
During this important season of celebrating our nation’s independence, think about the many courageous stories throughout history that contributed to the freedoms that we enjoy today. They serve as our collective legacy as Americans, and we should honor and remember the courageous sacrifices that were made. But what about our generation? Are we willing to stand courageously and sacrifice to protect what’s most needed to preserve our freedom now? Let me explain.
At this point in history the greatest threat to our country and our way of life is the breakdown of truth. Almost everyone seems to value truth–until it becomes inconvenient or embarrassing. Then, all too often the ends justify the means and the truth is shaded, hidden, or completely ignored.
There’s an epidemic of truth slippage in our culture today, and it’s steadily chipping away at our freedom more than we realize.
Having survived as a Vietnam POW under the thumb of the communist party and its minions for more than five years, I’m particularly sensitive to this issue of truth. When we challenged their use of torture to gain untrue propaganda statements, they blatantly told us that “truth is whatever benefits the party most.” In other words, the ends justify the means. When our ethics are weak and we want to win, look good, or protect our unlawful behaviors, our commitment to truth can slide right off the table.
In the Hanoi prison camps, we were led by some of the greatest leaders imaginable. What stood out was their commitment to be responsible, sacrificially do their duty even in the face of physical pain and mental/emotional suffering, and then share exactly what they had done and the losses they had incurred. In my recent book, Leading with Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton, I wrote about these great leaders like Denton, Risner, Stockdale, Day, and Fisher. Among these giants of leadership and many others, there was no guile—they courageously led with honor and set a standard that we would do well to emulate today.
Most Americans can sense when something doesn’t sound right, when decisions and explanations don’t make sense, and when things aren’t working well.
Deep down, we’re losing confidence that leaders and organizations are faithful to the truth and speak without guile. Spin has become a primary tactic in politics, and those who aren’t willing to spin are criticized for being poor politicians with no hope of winning. Is it possible for someone to tell the truth consistently and still get elected? Have Americans become so dulled to lies that they don’t care—or so eager to prevail in their ideological debate, that winning is more important than truth?
Logically, one would think that if someone believed strongly in his own ideas, he would be happy to lay out the truths that support them for all to see. While that would be logical and rational, unfortunately, arguments presented to the masses are more often won by appealing to emotions. The communists built their entire propaganda operation on that premise; on a daily basis we heard blaring through the loudspeaker the lie that “the U.S. bombing is killing mostly old folks, women and children.”
Reflecting on history. we can see that tyrants, crooks, and incompetents use lies to achieve their goals because truth typically leads to proper accountability and justice—which they want to avoid. What honorable person wants to stand up and say my goal is to get what I want at all costs?
So if truth is the cornerstone of freedom and we see it under assault at every turn, how can we preserve the foundation of our nation?
I know from personal experience that to speak and live the truth requires a great deal of courage. When things get hard, when mistakes are made, when the road ahead is risky, it’s not easy to tell the truth when you’re concerned about your image or power. But that’s exactly when the test of our character comes. Likewise, when we encounter those who are afraid to walk the path of courage, we must have the courage to call them out and hold them accountable for telling the truth.
History also tells us that leadership always makes a difference. Who will lead us toward more truth by example and by shedding the light of day into the darkness of lies? Decide now whether you have the personal courage to stand for truth. Our freedom is at stake. LE
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About the Author:
As president of Leadership Freedom® LLC, a leadership and team development consulting company, Lee Ellis (Colonel USAF, Retired) consults with Fortune 500 senior executives in the areas of hiring, teambuilding, leadership and human performance development, and succession planning. His latest book about his Vietnam POW experience is entitled Leading with Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton. Learn more at www.leadingwithhonor.com.
Investors Business Daily editor, Bucky Fox, shares his in-depth article about POW leader and hero, Gen. Robbie Risner (1/16/1925-10/22/2013). Lee and others share their thoughts and overall impact that this leader and man had on their lives as Vietnam POWs and beyond.
Please read about this important page in history – Click Here
Also, please visit our tribute page to Gen. Robbie Risner to learn more about his life and accomplishments – Click Here
Emotional fluctuations we experience in intimate relationships can often take similar form in the workplace.
Criticisms are communicated as personal attacks, rather than concerns to be addressed. Daily irritations fuel disgust, sarcasm, and contempt. These situations result in defensiveness, dodging of responsibility, and a passive resistance that comes from feeling unfairly treated.
Harry Levinson, a psychoanalyst turned corporate consultant, offers the following advice on the art of the critique, which is heavily connected to the art of praise.
Click here to read this in-depth article.
After reading, please share your thoughts and experiences –
Leading with Honor® - Leadership Lessons Learned 