For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
New Living Translation (©2007)

Is there truly any benefit of putting people first? Are there any dangers with serving the people you are tasked to lead? This article will explore some of the more important components of servant leadership. However, a clear and more focused discussion of this topic can be found in Return to Greatness: Driving the American Dream.

Leadership | Servants Must Have Confidence

“Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.”
Peter T. Mcintyre

Most leaders shy away from servant leadership because of the word “servant.” To many, this term carries a negative connotation. Servants are typically looked at as those having a master. The servant is the one dictated to, the one told to complete a task. The servant can also be viewed as an individual of menial importance. In order for one to truly grasp the greatness of servant leadership, this old paradigm of thinking needs to be discarded in order to embrace the benefits of putting people first.

Be confident in your leadership and personality. If you know you are the leader, chances are your followers do to. Many leaders rule with an “iron fist” out of an unnecessary fear to show others who is boss. While in certain cases this can prove very effective, the downside is that your followers may or may not see you as approachable, or one in whom they can confide in times of pressure or uneasiness. Use your position of leadership not primarily as a way to get your agenda accomplished, but also as a way to build rapport with your followers. Servant leaders show equal (or about equal) priority in the person as well as his/her production. This quite often builds confidence and calm within your organization, which creates an atmosphere that produces results. Try it!

Leadership | Servants are People Focused

Let’s face it. You may have the greatest ideas to take your organization to the next level. You may even have a clear concise plan on how to turn your intangible vision into reality. However, without the right people, your goals may never be realized. For this very reason, servant leaders place a high priority in the individual, not only on the product. Being a servant leader doesn’t mean you give into the demands or ideas of your followers. Quite the contrary. Being a servant leader means you guide your followers to the desired result by growing and nurturing their skills and abilities. In this light, the word “servant” is not associated with “slave” but “service.” This is where leaders have the opportunity to become personal. Production peaks because people… Leadership Books Return to Greatness Read more of how Henry Ford used the principle of servant leadership to build one of greatest automotive companies of our time and help build the American Dream.

“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”
-Henry Ford

Leadership | Servants Must act Selflessly

It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.
-Harry S. Truman

If there is any quote more true about the nature of servant leadership, this would be it. As a lifelong teacher in the school system as well as other capacities, I have found that we as a individuals love recognition. Sometimes regonition so drives us, that we accomplish a great deal, sometimes things we never would have even imagined. Please understand, there is nothing wrong with those who give, or recieve such accolades and I am a firm believer that those who do great things need to be acknowledged. However, in the true spirit of servant leadership, the growth of the people in your organiztion eclipeses the need to be self gratified.

Leadership must understand that growth is recipricol and exponential. A leader is only one person. A leader can only put thier hands, ears, time, and focus in only so many places at one time. A leader who recognizes these limitations is the leader which has acquired much strength. How much more could you accomplish if you surround yourself with others that share your vision of the future? Imagine the progress you would have if you treated those in your leadership team not as pawns, but partners. Adults, within themselves, are sometimes like children. We still seek acceptance and fulfillment. On many occasions, this is tied to our accomplishments, and the recognition we receive for doing them. If you are a confident leader you will acknowledge this reality and develop a leadership team that works for you because they can see that you are there for them. No matter what happens, and how great the accomplishment, it will still be your leadership team, and the members will never cease to thank you, or let others know that thier success is due to your leadership. Try it!

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There are many philosophies that come to mind when one talks about the qualities of a leader. There are many qualities leadership should have, but in light of recent events and continuous news reports, one has to wonder what does it mean to truly be a leader? Is a quality of leadership the ability to play by different rules? Are the same expectations of accountability in lower levels of management somehow no longer relevant to higher levels of leadership?

Leadership on the most basic level is the ability to get people to willfully follow your vision which should lead those individuals and your organization into the future. Leadership should not simply be equated with management. The differences here will be discussed in more detail later. Here, we shall discuss the qualities that should be present in the making of a good leader.

Principle Qualities | Leadership has Vision

One of the primary qualities of a good leader is the ability to know where he/she is going. The ability of a leader to objectively look at a situation and map out a plan of action for the future is called vision. Vision is a leadership quality that may be missing among many leaders, as some are simply satisfied with “right now” success and are not paying attention to the constant that everything eventually does change.

“The key to change… is to let go of fear.”
Rosanne Cash

Vision is simply the ability to look at what is, decide if what is should be, and then if not, do something about it. The leadership quality of vision is not a crystal ball, yet the leader’s ability to anticipate change and do what is needed to be as prepared as possible for that change. A leader who lacks vision becomes stagnant in the right now and may have little success for what the future holds.

Principle Qualities | Leadership Communicates

Remember, leadership is defined as the ability to get others to willfully follow you. To do this, you have to take that which is intangible and make it really and readily understandable to those in which you leader. This quality of leadership is known as communication. If yo have a clear vision of what should be, take the time to map out the essential parts in a clear concise way that is easily understandable by your followers.

Painting a grand portrait of the future without the steps needed to achieve your goals may leave followers overwhelmed, and in many cases fearing rather than embracing the change to come. Clear communication has the ability to show the importance of planning for the future and the steps necessary to make that vision a reality. Clear communication can be the catalyst need to move people to action.

“Communication is the real work of leadership.”
-Nitin Nohria

Principle Qualities | Leadership has Integrity

Some would argue that this is one of the most, if not the most, important quality of leadership. By definition, integrity is the quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness. Another definition states that integrity is the adherence to a strictly ethical and moral code. How can a person believe in your vision, or the communication of that vision if they first don’t even believe in you as a person? Of all the qualities leadership should have, this is among the most important.

“Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.”
-Spencer Johnson

Do you want to expect great things from others? Do you want to have the ability to hold people accountable in the name of excellence? If the answer to these questions is yes, then practicing integrity will not only give you the right to expect excellence, but it will create an atmosphere of individuals that want to do the right thing, because their leader has set the standard. If you establish compromise in your leadership, you will receive compromise throughout your followers. Remember, true leadership is the ability to get other to willing follow you. The leadership quality of integrity allows them to believe in your vision because they believe in you.

Principle Qualities | Leadership Displays Courage

One can not lead in the grips of fear. In most cases, courage is the ability of one to recognize fear, yet still possess the quality of mind which allows them to face difficulty. Let’s examine this more closely: fear of failure, fear of criticism, fear of change. Despite all these difficulties, a leader must possess the ability to rise above personal fears. A leader gripped by fear runs the risk of stagnation. In order to avoid being blamed for everything, leadership gripped by fear accomplishes nothing. Followers loose faith easily if they perceive their leader to be lacking in courage. Another danger of cowardice is the potential of a follower to constantly challenge your leadership.

Become comfortable with the reality that things will change. No matter how well you communicate your vision, be realistic. Not everyone will see what you see. You may have insight your followers may not, so your choices may not always be popular. Don’t be afraid to stand strong in your convictions and in your leadership.

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear”
-Mark Twain

Principle Qualities | Leadership Takes Action

The action of a leader is what takes an organization from one level of greatness to the next. Yes,
a leader needs to have the ability to see and properly anticipate change. Yes, leadership needs to make sure that vision is clearly explained so that all who hear it have a clear understanding of where your organization is going.  However, all the energy placed into planning and research will practically go unnoticed if vision is not put into practice, or action. This quality of leadership separates many that would be leaders because due to some act of fear, or poor planning, things just don’t seem to get accomplished. Quality leadership includes action in its development. Allow your followers to understand how they will be expected to help move the vision along and allow them to also take ownership of your vision by having opportunities to give input and ask meaningful questions.  Remember, as a leader, you are the catalyst of change, but true change cannot be fully realized without the help and expertise of those in whom you lead.

“One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises,
is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do.”
-Henry Ford

Principle Qualities | Leadership and Enthusiasm

“Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity.”
-Bo Bennett

How many times have you been in a meeting, a class, or a presentation and the presenter was completely void of emotion or excitement? Needless to say, this was the professor whom everyone told you to avoid. After each one of these presentations, a parking lot meeting was held to express how each person devised a strategy for staying awake. The point is no one likes a boring presentation. And no one is going to follow a leader that doesn’t have a sense of excitement and passion about the possibilities of the future.

Quality leadership possesses the ability to keep followers eager to see what can happen in the future. This is mostly seen in the way leadership carries themselves and communicates future possibilities with the rest of the organization. Your attitude is the driving force. Quality leadership is leadership that leads on purpose. Your excitement for what is and what is to come can not be contained. Furthermore, this attitude becomes infectious and drives productivity to a new level. If excellence is not an option, than the leadership quality of enthusiasm is not an option. If you truly are a leader, then understand that you have followers. True leadership sets the tone in all that you do. What tone are you setting?

Among all the qualities leadership should possess is the understanding that one can never stop growing in their actions as a leader. One of the greatest ways of taking action is to realize you can never stop learning. Show action now in learning how Ford has used the practical wisdom of our past leaders to return to profitability in one of the most hostile environment in automotive history. The Return to Greatness, shows how common sense was made common practice in helping Ford realize its greatness along the American landscape. This leadership book will compel you to examine yourself and your leadership. Discover how you and your organization can learn from the mistakes of the past to help propel you into the potential heights of the future.

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Lessons in Leadership from Eleanor Roosevelt

My experience has been that work is almost the best way to pull oneself out of the depths.
- Eleanor Roosevelt

Not enough can be said about the importance of hard work in one reaching their goals. Now while the obstacles are high for anyone trying to accomplish great things, there was a time along the American landscape that some had a more difficult time than others. I speak frankly of a time when women were seen as less than equals and African Americans suffered a reality that was even more trying. It was to this end that I worked diligently to pull this great nation out of the darkness of discrimination, or any injustice to any human walking not only our great nation, but also our planet.

Being a woman myself, this was not the easiest of tasks, however, this is where the importance of hard work and strong leadership come into play. Mine was a humanitarian agenda that started due to the unpredictable and sometimes harsh realities of life. In 1921, my husband FDR was struck with a paralytic illness that made appearances for him quite difficult. As it turned out, I enjoyed making appearances on his behalf. With great coaching from Louis Howe, the appearances turned out to be surprisingly successful. Despite the fears of political life, and the injustices that plagued my time, I knew that only a strong commitment to work and leadership would bring one out of the depths.

Leaders Confront Their Fears

I believe that anyone can conquer fear by doing the things he fears to do, provided he keeps doing them until he gets a record of successful experience behind him.
- Eleanor Roosevelt

Real leaders have the capacity not to ignore their fears, but to find the strength to do the right thing even when it is not the popular thing to do. So many people today are satisfied with the way thing are and are gutless to do anything about it. With my husband’s strong support, despite criticism of us both, I continued with the active business and speaking agenda I had begun before becoming First Lady, in an era when few women had careers. I was the first to hold weekly press conferences and started writing a widely syndicated newspaper column, “My Day.”

Leadership Sees What Is and Decides if What Is Should Be

The battle for the individual rights of women is one of long standing and none of us should countenance anything which undermines it.
- Eleanor Roosevelt

Most leadership books deal heavily with the one reading the book, the aspiring leader. While this is well and good, I believe a greater goal is for a leadership book to help shape the mind of that leader as it relates to people. My journey was a humanitarian one. From an early age, I was afforded many luxuries that many people did not have the chance to enjoy. Sadly, some people, as well as many leaders, are fine with the injustices of the world as long as they keep a certain distance from their doorstep. My convictions lead me to believe that equality, justice, and fairness was the right of all human beings, not just to white men, but also women and people of color.

Hate and force cannot be in just a part of the world without having an effect on the rest of it.
- Eleanor Roosevelt

It was this belief that lead me to work very closely with union leaders, union members – especially union women – and with any other human being seeking social justice in the workplace at home and abroad. Even before my public life as the First Lady of the United States, I started working with the Women’s Trade Union League (WTUL). Throughout the 1920s, my leadership became increasingly influential in the New York State Democratic Party.

Find out more how Eleanor Roosevelt’s practical leadership was used in the turnaround at Ford in the leadership book, Return to Greatness: Driving the American Dream.

You see, I didn’t set out to make headlines, or a name for myself. I followed my convictions, and in doing so, great things began to take place. Not over night, of course, as my journey and convictions followed me to the grave. But in leadership, it isn’t enough to dream. Each dream has to walk hand in hand with hard work in order that your dreams and convictions be made a reality.

Autobiographies are only useful as the lives you read about and analyze may suggest to you something that you may find useful in your own journey through life.
- Eleanor Roosevelt

A Leadership Book to Challenge You

I pray these words of wisdom lead you into a direction in which you are impressed with the fact that true leadership is the ability to bring people up; to grow them, to nurture them, and if need be, have them help you Return to Greatness.

With hope for the future,

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There are many facets of the term leadership, many of which will not be discussed here.  Go to any bookstore and you can find tons of leadership books that give you steps to becoming a great leader.  Funny thing is, most people don’t have what it takes to finish the book, let a lone, be a leader.  This is where I pray my insight into the matter can make you first a better human being, and then perhaps if that reality is realized, a better leader.

Most of you know that I am one of the most influential inventors of the modern era.  When most think of the light bulb, my name is among the first to come up, despite the fact I was not the first or even the only person working on the idea.  So, you may ask, what set me apart from the others?  Well if you have time, I would like to share with you some tidbits of what it takes to be successful in this world and in leadership.

Leaders Model Hard Work

Show me a thoroughly satisfied man, and I will show you a failure.
- Thomas Edison

Tell me, is it simply enough to get the position?  Is there some unspoken rule that states that higher levels of leadership require lower levels of work and accountability?  I am quite disturbed when I hear about CEOs of great companies who can show no real growth in market share or profitability, however they still seem to get a common compensation plan called a “bonus.”  According to the dictionary, a “bonus” is something given in addition for outstanding performance.  In other words, if additional work was done to better the business, then additional compensation was given.  The problems as it seems to me is that people have become satisfied with mediocrity.  From my experience, this is the antithesis of excellence and the eventual death of anyone who would dare call themselves a leader.

In my days, my engineering team was persistent in their efforts to design and produce as successful product that would be profitable, useful, reliable, cost-effective, and could improve the quality of people’s lives.  The key word in this statement is persistent.  We wanted to, and would always strive to, be the best.  This is what separated me from the others that were also working towards the goal of making the electric light bulb a practical part of American lives.  In creating the first research lab of the modern era, my greatest asset to success was to model the importance of hard work and persistence.  It is known that children grow and develop, by a greater margin, by the models they are shown.  How much more is this to be realized of the leader who is tasked to always take the vision to the next level?  What you give is what you will get!

Are you a Leader that Creates Opportunity?

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
- Thomas Edison

In creating a practical usable light bulb, few people really know how exhaustive the process was and just how tedious things really became.  My process of trial and error was so extensive, that I tried literally thousands of materials before I came up with one that yielded the type of results that I needed. A newspaper article printed in 1887 reveals the seriousness of my claim, stating the lab contained “eight thousand kinds of chemicals, every kind of screw made, every size of needle, every kind of cord or wire, hair of humans, horses, hogs, cows, rabbits, goats, minx, camels … silk in every texture, cocoons, various kinds of hoofs, shark’s teeth, deer horns, tortoise shell … cork, resin, varnish and oil, ostrich feathers, a peacock’s tail, jet, amber, rubber, all ores …” and the list goes on.  The point is I knew that in order for me to be successful, I had to be prepared to put in the work.  Only a fool believes excellence will come at the absence of work.

Persistence is Part of the Leaders’ Capacity for Greatness

Nearly every man who develops an idea works at it up to the point where it looks impossible, and then gets discouraged. That’s not the place to become discouraged.
- Thomas Edison

Let me share with you some lessons I’ve learned along the way.  Remember that genius is one percent inspiration, and 99 percent perspiration.  If you are truly dedicated to be named among those who are truly great human beings, you must be prepared to take on the task of hard work.  Sure, everyone likes to read about great people.  Everyone likes to imagine would it would have been like when Henry Ford rolled out the Model T, or when the first city was lit up by the light bulb.  But, what about all the pain, sweat and tears that had to proceed these events.  I tried thousands, upon thousands of materials in order to get a suitable filament.  Even then, each material was tried perhaps thousands of times before it was deemed unacceptable.

I never did anything by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work.
- Thomas A. Edison

Not a Leadership Book for Quitters

A leader must be willing to take the failures with the successes.  In fact, one must come to the realization that failure will be apart of the process.  However, if persistence is applied, the rewards will be great.  And even you, like me, may be the object of motivation for a future generation.

Hoping you stick with it,

Order a copy of the best leadership books featuring many of America’s greatest leaders from our history. Watch this video about how these leadership principles helped the Turnaround Ford. Learn more about this relevant leadership book Return to Greatness

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“A business absolutely devoted to service will have only one worry about profits. They will be embarrassingly large.”                                    – Henry Ford

To Those Who Call Themselves “Leaders,”

Leadership is defined as the position or ability to lead, and the act of showing or giving direction. You would think it common sense that a person who has no followers should not be called a leader. As elementary as this may sound, many individuals have reduced leadership to a series of steps to be followed, or simply the idea of one having “paid their dues.” We all know that a good leadership book that provides a model is quite important to those who want to understand the fundamental principles of leadership. And we know that time and hard work should produce experience and expertise that are vital to insure the long-term success of any organization.

Many, if not all leadership books could give you this type of information. However, Return to Greatness is not such a leadership book. Sure it tells you all those things that I have mentioned above, but most importantly, it shares what seems to be the most forgotten aspect of any leadership idea. Shoot, without this component, one cannot even call themselves a leader. The component of which I am referring to is people. It has once been said that if a leader takes off for a walk and looks behind him and there is no one following, than he surely and without question is not a leader at all.

How Can One Lead if No One is Following?

“An idealist is a person who helps other people to be prosperous.”        – Henry Ford

Service. This term seems to be one of the forgotten components of trueleadership. Why most leadership books focus solely on the individual and never consider the role of how to motivate the follower is beyond me. Why do we call ourselves leaders if there is no one following us? Now, before some of you get “high and mighty” consider this. Some people are “following” you not because they respect you. Some of those people could be following because they fear the consequences you leverage against them. While having the ability to doc pay or issue written reprimands may produce results, this is more in line with management, not leadership.

Are You a Manager or a Leader?

What is the difference between management and leadership? It is a question that has been asked on many occasions and also answered in different ways. I have discovered that the biggest difference between managers and leaders is the way they motivate the people who work or follow them, and this sets the tone for most other aspects of what they do. You see, leaders need to come to the realization that without true follow ship, there is no leadership. Many books on leadership would have you think that principles are all that are needed, but there is more to the story. Leaders do not have subordinates – at least not when they are leading. Many organizational leaders do have subordinates, but only because they are also managers. But when they want to lead, they have to give up formal authoritarian control, because to lead is to have followers, and following is always a voluntary activity.

A true leader creates a vision that allows people the right to have input and to follow. In formal authoritarian control, it’s not the vision that moves and motivates the followers, it’s the consequences one may have to face if certain demands are not followed. Now, please understand, that a system of rules, regulations, responsibilities, and potential consequences are definitely necessary in the work place. These provide order, normalcy, and a clear direction for what is expected of every good worker. But when rules and regulations are the primary means of motivation in your organization, the true essence of leadership is not being fulfilled.

Leadership| Morale: Worth More than Money

The highest use of capital is not to make more money, but to make money do more for the betterment of life.
- Henry Ford

People with titles tend to operate with the notion of divine powers over the people they are entrusted to serve. With this type of mindset, there is truly no room for allowing oneself to be questioned by those whom they are over. While they have certain powers to that allow them to reprimand those who don’t perform as expected, the sad reality is that these people don’t respect you. They are not following you. They are mindful of the letter of your law, and while this may cause for good initial action, it won’t increase the overall morale of you business. A leader’s vision considers the people they serve. A leader asks the question: “What can I do to make you a more productive part of this organization?” When I started the Ford Motor Company, I knew how important it was to allow people to be apart of my vision. And while initially, many people gave me grief for my decision to pay higher wages and decentralize the decision making process, I ALWAYS retained the best engineering minds in the business. At one point, my turnover was so low we stopped wasting resources trying to track the statistics.

Find out more about the type of leadership that has turned Ford around in the Leadership book Return to Greatness: Driving the American Dream.

“If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from that person’s angle as well as from your own.”
- Henry Ford

Managers have a position of authority given to them by the company, and their subordinates work for them and largely complete the task of which they have been told. Management style is transactional, in that the manager tells the subordinate what to do, and the subordinate does this, not because they are a blind robot, but because they have been promised a reward (at minimum their salary) for doing so. And ask anyone; I paid some of the highest wages in the business. But the point should be clear. Those individuals in my company that showed true leadership were those who could think beyond what was seen and be catalysts of change. This change had to be carried out. When this was to be done, we entrusted trustworthy workers to manage, or see to, the day-to-day operations. Every business needs good managers. However, being a true leader is all about developing people. Growing successful, productive, capable people is a long-term investment in growing your organization. Newer technologies will always be on the rise. These will surely create great advantages to help you grow your organization. However, the greatest investment in any organization is people. Grow them and you will grow yourself!

Failure: One of the Leaders’ Greatest Gifts

Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.
- Henry Ford

This is another important issue that is excluded from so many leadership books, as if we are to expect things will always go our way. Few people know that the Ford Motor Company was not my first crack at the automotive industry. While growing up on the farm, I took a keen interest in machinery. When my mother passed, I decided it was time for me to pursue those passions, so in 1879, I left home to work as an apprentice machinist in the city of Detroit, first with James F. Flower & Bros., and later with the Detroit Dry Dock Co. In 1882, I returned home to work on the family farm and truly had a passion at operating the Westinghouse portable steam engine. I was later hired by Westinghouse Company to service their steam engines. These endeavors lead to a deal with William H. Murphy that allowed me to establish the Detroit Automobile Company in 1899. However, these cars were more expensive of and lesser quality than I would have liked. This led to a company that wasn’t very successful, and just after two years, it had to be dissolved.

However, my set back was only temporary. It wasn’t until 1901 that I built a product that was truly successful. It was these failures that allowed me to figure out better ways of doing things. As a leader, you need to be able to always envision where you are and if what you are currently doing is the best way of accomplishing you goals. If not, you have just learned one of the best ways NOT to do something!

A True Leadership Book for Leaders

Find out how my company has now weathered the storm of the economy. Find out how common sense was made common practice. All Americans have tough choices to make, and I feel current leadership has done the same to get Ford back on track. Don’t settle for a leadership book that focuses primarily on steps. See if you have what it takes to truly Return to Greatness.

Only the Best,

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“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.”

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

From every mountain top. From every valley. From the mighty Mississippi to the towering mountains of Colorado. My dream was a dream that was and still is rooted deeply in the American Dream. A dream that defines the very character of our country. A dream that if allowed to become flesh, should become the very focus of any true leader. The creed of this dream defines leadership not only by a series of principles, but also asks each leader to look deep with-in themselves and asks the tough questions. While most books on leadership focus primarily on a series of principles, I ask the question: “What happens when the leader lacks the very character necessary to lead?”

While it is important for leadership books show a basic understand of the fundamental principles of leadership, what happens when the person doesn’t have the morality, the courage, perseverance or even the focus, to carry out such principles? Return to Greatness is one such work that allows the up and coming, or perhaps even the seasoned leader to look deeper and ponder the possibilities of what could be if true moral strength were applied in times of pressure and prosperity alike. Like many of us that have come before you, do you have the mental as well as physical toughness needed to truly be a good leader?

Choose This Day: Leadership or Comfort

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Every man lives in two realms, the internal and the external. The internal is a realm of spiritual ends expressed through art, literature, morals, and religion. The external realm is complex with devices, techniques, mechanisms, and instrumentalities, by means of which we live. Our problem today is that we have allowed the internal to become lost in the external. We have allowed the means by which we live to outdistance the ends for which we live.

So much of modern life can be summarized in that arresting dictum of the poet Thoreau1: “Improved means to an unimproved end”. This is the serious predicament, the deep and haunting problem confronting modern man and future leadership. If we are to survive today, our moral and spiritual “lag” must be eliminated. Enlarged material powers spell enlarged peril if there is not proportionate growth of the soul. When the “without” of a leader’s nature subjugates the “within”, dark storm clouds begin to form in the world. In this darkness many leaders have reached a position of comfort, which renders them helpless and lost. In many regards they see the cause. They see the problems. However, to avoid personal pressure, and inconveniences of life, many choose the vices of external pressure and pursue the ‘status-quo’ as opposed to being the catalyst of change that will ultimately improve the end result.

Leaders Must be Courageous

When leaders choose personal comfort over the future security of the organization or the greater good, they simply become puppets on a string offering no real contribution to the long-term progression to that improved end. To this effect, they do not choose true leadership at all.

Leadership Means Meeting Adversity

A nation or civilization that continues to produce soft-minded men purchases its own spiritual death on the installment plan.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

As I organized the Montgomery bus boycott those many years ago, I was never disillusioned about the task at hand. With so many depending on this mode of transportation, I had to be very specific and clear about the vision of this protest and how it would benefit all those involved. You see, true leadership transcends the leader. It is one thing to dream. It is another to put your personal dreams into action, however it is a totally different challenge to get others to see why they should follow your dream.

Can you make others see why they should risk personal security, personal comforts, and make personal sacrifices based only upon your words? Are your dreams, your plans, thought out to such an degree that they create a since of purpose even when everyone involved knows that the path that lay ahead is full of difficultly and opposition? Ours was a long and winding road with little in the way of rest stops to ease our pain. Leaders have to be willing to stay true to the course long after the cheers of the initial rally have ignited the flames of change.

Leaders who look to receive only cheers and accolades for great speeches and presentations and choose to ignore the jeers and criticisms that are sure to come, only prolong the realities of true leadership. These individuals are sure to fall short the goal and become captives of compromise when the fires of opposition arise. While many leadership books reinforce “principles,” few books will ask you to examine your moral character and personal courage to handle the tough times.

Leaders Persevere Under Pressure

“Cowardice asks the question, ‘Is it safe?’ Expediency asks the question, ‘Is it politic?’ But conscience asks the question, ‘Is it right?’ And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but because conscience tells one it is right.”

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

“The trying of our faith brings forth patience. And when we have been tested, we become mature lacking nothing.” Pressure. The very thought of this word creates fear in many of those who would call themselves leaders. Pressure is the device that will be used to separate a strong, courageous leader from a weak minded, meek leader. There will be many times that you have shaped and conveyed your vision in such a way that all that take heed to your words will be impressed and motivated to action.

Leaders are Guided by a Moral Compass

During these times, an overwhelming feeling of confidence and purpose will arise. However, if one is not careful, this feeling of worth will soon overshadow the reality that is soon to come. True leadership can never be truly realized when things are going in one’s favor. It is when the fires of hell blaze boldly at your doorstep, and the leader’s reaction to such flames, that the true potential of a person will be realized. To do what is right in the face of internal and external pressure should surely be apart of the leader’s moral compass.

This compass should point steady and true regardless of the winds of change. Always remember, the hardest and most valuable of all stones was created through thousands of years of intense heat and pressure. As such, the true test of your character, your true ability to lead, will not go without such a test.

Only Just Leaders Produce Justice

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”?
- Martin Luther King

Mine was a road to challenge the social structure of this great nation. While every leader’s role may differ from goal to goal or even from generation to generation, there is an irrevocable need for every leader to express and be an instrument of justice. During a time of civil injustice to the Negro, my dream lay in the expression of justice not only for the Negro, but for every man, woman and child that would share their lives in a land were “we hold these truths to be self evident that all men were created equal.”

However a dark cloud has overshadowed the institution of justice in favor of social and even racial promotion. It was my dream that my four little children grow up in a nation were they would be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. Ironically, in the name of social diversity and the idea of being politically correct, my children could be advanced not by their character, but by the very color of their skin. How quickly we forget of the days when leadership would advance a white man not because he or she was better suited for the job, but because they shared the same racial background.

If African Americans today, promote based on things a person cannot control: race, gender, or ethnicity, they have reduced my dream to a nightmare and have not lived out the true meaning of our struggle. Show fair treatment to all people. Prejudice is the enemy of justice. Display empathy by being sensitive to the feelings, values, interests, and well-being of others.

A Leadership Book that Dares You to Dream

Dare to stare down the injustices of any realm and confront them head on. This leadership book will ask you to denounce the cowardice that cripples so many who would call themselves leaders. This book has the power to help you make common sense common practice and allow the virtues of leadership and the American Dream to return to greatness.

Looking Forward,

Martin Luther King, Jr.

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General Douglas MacArthur

“Duty, Honor, Country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be.”

-Douglas MacArthur

Dear Future Leader,

I am writing this letter with a heartfelt concern for the direction our country. In this current age, leadership has seemingly turned into an institution where individuals feel that a title has entitled them to privileges and situations that have little to do with the act of service to the cause. In my years of service to this great nation, there have been many ups and downs to my career. However, through times of war, and even times of peace, my dedication to life and leadership has never changed. In this life, there are no guarantees, only opportunities. In my experiences, the best luck is the luck that you make for yourself, and the best leader is the one who chooses to be a servant as apposed to being served. With this heart, I desire to share with you some principles that have served me well in leadership and life. I have broken these principles down and it is my prayer that they serve you well in your quest to becoming the best leader possible.

You may also read more about them in a leadership book called Return to Greatness Driving the American Dream.

Leaders are Loyal

Loyalty: “Bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. constitution, your organization, and your subordinates. Be loyal to the nation and its heritage.”

While serving my country, I understood the importance of a devotion to her goals and ideals. Loyalty always provided my framework for action. My interests lie not in what I could get out of war (medals, recognitions, or promotions), but how the result of war would be used to gage the greatness of the land I called home. Today’s leaders seem to have loyalty only to themselves, which produces a selfishness that can take away from the bigger picture. Imagine how World War I might have ended differently if I looked out for my own interests and not that of my soldiers and my country. Without loyalty to the greater cause, victory, or success can never be realized. Trust me, when bullets are flying and the enemy is near, I want soldiers/followers that have a conviction that they are fighting for the right team. When things get rough, being a loyal leader will produce loyal people that will work hard on your behalf.

Read more in one of the best Leadership Books Return to Greatness.

Leaders are Accountable

Duty: “Fulfill your obligations. Accept responsibility for your own actions and those entrusted to your care. Find opportunities to improve oneself for the good of the group.”

Nothing is more dishonorable, than a leader who does not do what they are expected to do. As a future or continuing leader, what greater way to show your loyalty than to complete those things which have been entrusted to you? True leaders quickly realize that those whom you serve follow the example that they are given. How can you expect great things from others, if you yourself have not modeled how this is to be done?

Leaders Show Respect

Respect: “Rely upon the golden rule. How we consider others reflects upon each of us, both personally and as a professional organization.”

This is the place where many so called leaders fail. Because of their “title” they feel entitled to voice their opinions without question. But the true sign of a good leader is not the follower’s obedience to the letter of the law, but to the character of the one who gives it. Allow the content of your wisdom shine, not the nameplate on your desk. Showing true leadership continues to foster the trust that put you in that position to begin with. To respect others is the catalyst by which others will respect you. To esteem the opinions and contributions of your followers, will be reciprocated in a group that honors and esteems you. Mutual respect produces an atmosphere of success.

Leaders are Selfless

Selfless Service: “Put the welfare of the nation, the Army, and your subordinates before your own. Selfless service leads to organizational teamwork and encompasses discipline, self-control and faith in the system.”

The painful truth of war is that the actions of a few can affect the lives of many. Though many of you have not tasted the cruelties of war, a leaders ability to carry out a particular goal definitely would have affected the whole nation. The same can be said in business. Any leader should stand at the mirror of reality and consider how his or her actions can and will effect the whole. It will be a sad day when personal achievement, not the success of the organization, becomes the motivation for action. Sometimes one must ask the question: “Am I willing to win a personal battle at the cost of the war?” True leadership has discovered that when you put others before yourself, the act becomes contagious. Before long, you will again find yourself being pushed to the front of the line.

Leaders Have Honor

Honor: “Exemplifying honesty, fairness, or integrity in all beliefs and actions.”

When our Forefathers formed the framework of our great nation, the result was a testament not lofty ideals, but that of character. Honor fills me with an emotion I cannot express. But any award or accomplishment is not intended primarily for a personality, but to symbolize a great moral code – the code of conduct and chivalry of those who guard this beloved land of culture and ancient descent. That is the meaning of this word. When you realize you are not greater than the cause in which you serve, you have realized the truest form of leadership character and the greatest sense of honor.

Leaders Have Morals

Integrity: “Do what is right, legally and morally. Be willing to do what is right even when no one is looking. It is our “moral compass” an inner voice.”

This characteristic is simple. I did not say it was easy to come by, but it is simple. Be who you are. Or more importantly, be who you tell people you are. A leader that first expects great things from his or herself can be the first in line to expect great things from others. And sure enough, when you express integrity, and those whom you lead see your integrity, they will be among the first to give you integrity.

Leaders do it Anyway

Personal Courage: “Our ability to face fear, danger, or adversity, both physical and moral courage.”

Duty, Honor, Country: Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying points: to build courage when courage seems to fail; to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith; to create hope when hope becomes forlorn. Unhappily, I possess neither that eloquence of diction, that poetry of imagination, nor that brilliance of metaphor to tell you all that they mean.

The leader you decide to be on a personal level, will also be the measure of how far your organization will go. One cannot assume that he is greater than the whole. And one cannot practice bad behaviors and expect excellence as a result. I pray this letter has caused you to look deeper than the plaques on the wall and the pats on your back. I pray you have now considered the measure of a leader, and so forth decided to rise to the occasion and return to greatness.

With Regards,

Order a copy of the best leadership books featuring many of America’s greatest leaders from our history. Watch this video about how these leadership principles helped the Turnaround Ford. Learn more about this relevant leadership book Return to Greatness

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PRESS RELEASE

Imagine Media Publishing Presents Premiere of the New Book

RETURN TO GREATNESS:  DRIVING THE AMERICAN DREAM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, CLARKSVILLE, TN, January 26, 2010 — Imagine Media Publishing of Clarksville, Tennessee, announces the premiere release of the business novel, soon to be made into a motion picture, Return to Greatness: Driving the American Dream, by Clifton Lambreth with Mary Calia and Patrick Doyle. The book is available at www.thereturntogreatness.com.

Return to Greatness tells the story of a man who learns timeless business and management practices from the ghost of Henry Ford. What’s more, Return to Greatness challenges the reader to consider that many of the common-sense ideals apply not only to business, but also apply to the very fabric of our great country itself. Simply put, Return to Greatness reminds us to make common sense common practice.

Return to Greatness: Driving the American Dream will challenge and inspire anyone in today’s business community and anyone who is interested in our country’s roots as an industrialized nation – propelled forward by the automotive industry. Billed as a “creative non-fiction” by the publisher, the book acquaints us with the very people who are responsible for bringing Ford Motor Company back from the brink of bankruptcy just a few short years ago and into profitability — the only “Detroit 3” automaker that did not accept a government bailout.

According to Professor Joseph J. Lescota, Chairman of Automotive Retail Management at Northwood University, the premier school in this specialty area, “Ford is definitely back on track and the marketplace is feeling the positive energy. This new book sums up the potential that we all have when we look in the mirror and recognize our challenges, identify a great leader, form a plan and execute with focus and passion. Ford is facing its challenges head-on just like our country needs to do. Readers will not only draw the same conclusion as I did, but they’ll enjoy the relaxed way historical facts are presented. It is a perfect case study for students of the retail automotive industry. That’s why I’m making Return to Greatness a required read for the Automotive Retail Management majors of Northwood University. What’s more, it’s a must read and a breath of fresh air for businesses everywhere.”

Return to Greatness is more than an intimate look at the events culminating in the re-emergence of Ford as a leader in the American Automotive Industry. Its time-honored principles are the very keys to drive the American Dream itself. Ford, as one of the companies designated “too big to fail,” demonstrates how this incredible turnaround effort was achieved without a penny from the American taxpayers.

Return to Greatness will appeal to the very heart of American society, and will challenge the reader to consider that its principles are as timeless as they are practical for the way we live and govern ourselves. This book will remind every American about the power of staying positive in a very challenging world, whether they’re corporate executives, managers, or just entering the workforce. It’s not only a book about leadership and accountability; it’s about the very future of America.

Return to Greatness: Driving the American Dream is illustrated by the world renowned artist, Igor Babailov, who has painted world leaders, celebrities and distinguished individuals including two Popes, Presidents, Prime Ministers and global leaders. His portrait painting of George Washington featured in the book, hangs in the permanent collection of George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Museum, in Alexandria, Virginia. www.Babailov.com

Imagine Media Publishing is very excited about this book and it is their premier release for this year.

www.thereturntogreatness.com

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Contact for more information:

Publisher: David W. Shelton — dwshelton@imaginemediasolutions.com

(931) 648-1788

To request a copy of the book call (931) 274-0920.

Book specifications: 224 pages, trade paperback, 6” x 9”

Release date: January 26, 2010

ISBN-10: 0578043610

ISBN-13: 978-0-578-04361-6

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The book is currently available. For more information, please contact Imagine Media Publishing.

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