Leadership Insights from the Apostle Paul

The Pauline letters were addressed to small groups of people that he knew by name (Timothy, Titus, and Philemon) as well as large audiences (Romans, Corinthians, Galatians). These letters provide insight into why leaders exist and what knowledge, skills, and abilities are important to leaders today. In each letter Paul attempts to answer questions about the 'meaning of life' such as sin (Romans 3:9), faith (Romans 3:22), marriage (Romans 7:2, 1 Corinthians 7), unity (1 Corinthians 1:10), spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12), and freedom (Galatians 5:17). After carefully dissecting Pauline letters to the Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Thessalonians, and Philemon I identified a set of characteristics that he viewed as being critical to the development of Christian leaders. Effective leadership traits are as varied and numerous, not to mention subtle, as the human mind and heart themselves. No list will ever be complete, nor will it be the best suited for each individual reader - these 5 characteristics are by no means exhaustive. However, they serve to communicate the power and promise that Paul offers: compassion, self-Awareness, righteousness by faith, commitment, and community. The biblical quotations in this article are from the King James Version of The Holy Bible.

Compassion through Spiritual Unity

Millions of American mailboxes are stuffed daily with letters from non-profit organizations in order to raise funds for the less fortunate. The Jewish Christians near Jerusalem were reportedly on the edge of starvation. Paul referred to them as "the poor saints" which are at Jerusalem. (Romans 15:26). In taking his collection for the poor, Paul mainly appealed to the Christian responsibility to help those in need. He sought to seize the opportunity for Gentile Christians to reach out in compassion and demonstrate spiritual unity. Paul did not engineer a mass mail charity event but he did present a direct appeal for funds (Romans 15:25-26, 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2 Corinthians 8:1 - 9:15). He takes his appeal a bit further in 2 Corinthians 9:6 by illustrating the bonuses of giving - "He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth boutifully shall reap also bountifully." Paul shows that generosity benefits the giver in that a gift can serve as an act of worship to God and inspire the faith of others.

Leadership Insights from the Apostle Paul

Compassionate leadership is acting in the interest of your followers, your peers, and your organization. This is the boss for whom the employees are willing to work their hardest. "Loyalty and devotion to task and grow out of trust and the knowledge of protection that comes from the employment relationship." (Winston, 2002). The employees can feel the support for them and are compelled to give their full support in return. This manager brings out the best in her subordinates by their example.

Self-Awareness

General awareness, confidence, and especially self-awareness strengthen the Christian leader. "The leader must first make peace in his own life before he can successfully make peace in his organization. A leader in conflict with himself is a house divided." (Winston, 2002, p. 82). Leaders must be willing to carefully explore their values and how they can move their organization in the direction of a vision that is unwavering. Effective Leaders lead with a purpose rather than "run like a man running aimlessly" (1 Corinthians 9:26-27). From the biblical sense this means that we live for His purpose, not ours. As Christians, we recognize that our need for Christ will bring us beyond our failures so we can grow increasingly effective. As we grow in Christ, we will become aware of our futility and inadequacy as human beings.

In Romans 14:1-2, Paul reminds us that Christians do not have to agree on all matters pertaining to the Christian life and continues by describing the difference between a strong and weak Christian. In an attempt to explain the role of diversity in God's overall plan of redemption Paul uses faith as a sense of assurance of confidence where the proper understanding of the gospel allows the strong Christian to recognize that his diet has no spiritual significance. (Romans 14:2, Colossian 2:16).

Righteousness by Faith

Paul uses the Greek verb "justified" 27 times, mostly in Romans and Galatians. The term describes what happens when someone believes in Christ as his Savior. Paul emphasizes two distinct points. First, no one lives a perfect life. "For all have sinned, and come short of the Glory of God." (Romans 3:24). Secondly, even though we are all sinners, God will declare everyone who puts his trust in Jesus not guilty but righteous. The central thought in justification is that, although we deserve to be declared guilty (Romans 3:9-19), because of our faith in Christ God declares us righteous. In Galatians 2:16 Paul uses the verb justified three times, three times this verse tells us that no one is justified by observing the law, and three times it underscores the indispensable requirement of placing our faith in Christ.

Commitment to the Growth

Christian leaders believe that people have an intrinsic value beyond their tangible contributions as workers. As such, leaders are deeply committed to a personal, professional, and spiritual growth of each and every individual within the organization. Every Christian is obligated to be the best he can be for God. Like any other worthwhile activity, if leadership can be improved, we should seek to improve it. In doing so, we prepare ourselves for higher service that may be just around the corner. Romans 12:1 issues an imperative to leaders: "present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." The verb "present" is followed by 36 verbs that specify what happens when we obey one of which is noteworthy here.

First, exert yourself to lead - "Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation...he that ruleth, with diligence..." (Romans 12:8). This is a summons to dive wholeheartedly into leadership. Exhort others with an uplifting, cheerful call to worthwhile accomplishment.

Building Community

Christian leaders are aware that the shift from local communities to large institutions as the primary shaper of human lives has changed our perceptions and caused a sort of loss. 1 Corinthians 1: 10-13 begins the theme of being united in mind and purpose. "Divisions within the community betray the purpose for which Christ was crucified: to unite everyone in one body, the body of Christ." (Matera, 2001, p.10). Leaders should seek to identify a means for building community among those who work within a given institution. I believe that Paul was conveying one body working together - emphasizing unity - but I also believe that he illustrates the lessons to be learned from the community. "If I were a single member, were would the body be...The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you'..." (I Corinthians 12:19 - 21). Can we get along in life without hands? Yes, but we would have to make adjustments...learn to use prosthetic limbs or find alternative methods to picking up objects. Though the body remains incomplete, it survives. However, the strongest hands are worthless without the body. The hands need the signals generated by the brain and the nourishment provided by the blood.

The bottom line is that a body without hands can manage, but a hand without a body is inconceivable. Diverse churches such as Corinth are aware of the differences among its membership, which is why Paul's letter stressed unity issues that still plague churches today. The solution is to respect each other and take direction from Jesus Christ, the head.

ORGANIZATIONAL TRANSFORMATION CONCEPTS OF PAUL

How do leaders address the people side of change without jeopardizing the business side of change? How can a leader make the tough decisions without losing sight of the emotions and concerns of his followers? Leading change is largely about making sense of competing views. "Change cannot be managed, it emerges. Managers are part of the system, not outside the system." (Cameron, 2004, p. 123). It is about developing a style that builds trust through authenticity and careful balance. Of course, given the tensions that are continually in play, there will be circumstances that require more emphasis on one of the competing competencies than on the other. It's not possible to be perfectly in balance all the time. But it's an ideal worth striving for. "When leaders focus on establishing trust, they are better able to deal with both the structural and the human elements of change. Instead of taking a one-sided approach, leaders find they can be both tough and empathetic, committed to the plan and understanding of the pain. They become agile and resilient, and able to do what it takes to lead through change and transition." (Bunker and Wakefield, 2006, p. 3).

DIVERSITY CONCEPTS OF PAUL

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul reveals the equality of Christian life very optimistically. Paul does not describe the sins that that took place in Corinth. But rather he observes other dangers in the Galatians' thinking: "I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another Gospel." (Galatians 1:6). By some unnecessarily stressing their Jewish heritage, the sacrifice of Christ would begin to diminish -faith in Christ would become one of the many steps in salvation and not the only one. Paul feared that subtle differences between Christians would begin to have priority as observed in Galatians 2:12 when Peter spurned the Gentiles because he feared the Judaizers.

Paul also stresses that those baptized in Christ are "...neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female..." (Galatians 3:28). Jesus came to tear down walls between people - the unity in Christ transcends ethnic, social and sexual distinctions. (Romans 10:12, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 2:15-16). We are called to faithfulness in our relationships - supporting and encouraging each other, accepting one another recognizing there are no second-class Christians. Faith in Christ and not anyone's set of laws opens the door to acceptance by God. (Galatians 2:16).

STRATEGY FORMATION CONCEPTS OF PAUL

In a time when the church is threatened by interest groups and ideologies, and when parishes are in danger of being divided by the same, the Pauline letters summons contemporary congregations to find their unity in the crucified Christ. Christians in Paul's day debated such issues as vegetarianism, eating meat sacrificed to idols, and celebrating pagan festival days. Even today we continue to quarrel over issues such as smoking, urban music, and hip-hop clothing. The advice Paul gives in Romans 14:1-4 to both weak and strong Christians of his day applies to people in all cultures who debate questionable issues - do not judge another.

Strategy formation (thinking, planning, and implementation) is a characteristic that enables Christian leaders to understand lessons from the past, the realities of the present, and the likely consequence of a decision in the future. It is deeply rooted in the intuitive mind. Strategy formation involves the leader's ability to visualize the end result of the policies and methods he advocates. The leader looks to understand how the policies will affect future generations. "[Strategy formation] is a clear picture of what the leader sees his or her group being or doing" (Maxwell, 1993, p. 149).

Paul Among Jews, Gentiles, and Modern-day Christians

The issue of whether to engage in the Gentile mission and the question of how to receive the Gentiles caused serious tensions during the early Christian Church. Paul's struggle was to defend the gospel of which the fundamental principle is to accept others as they are. In Paul's case this consisted of the Gentiles. For the contemporary church the basis of acceptance revolves around such issues as race, gender, ethnicity, and social status. The Pauline letters play an important role in the New Testament and in the modern-day congregation. Of the 27 writings that make-up the New Testament, nearly half are attributed to Paul. "Paul's unfolding theology of inclusivity still has much to contribute to our effort to remain faithful as Christians and at the same time become good citizens of the global village - citizens who are willing and able to see essential authenticity in others, as Paul saw a glimpse of it long ago." (Park, 2003, p. 80).

REFERENCES

Bunker, K. A. and Wakefield, M. (May, 2006). Leading in Times of Change. Boston, MA: Harvard Management Update Article Volume 11, No. 5.

Cameron, Esther. (2004). Making Sense of Change Management: A Complete Guide to the Models, Tools and Techniques of Organizational Change. London, GBR: Kogan Page, Limited.

Holy Bible. (1997). King James Version. Grand Raids, MI: Zondervan Publishing.

Matera, Frank J. (2001). Strategies for Preaching Paul. Collegeville, MN. The Liturgical Press.

Maxwell, John C. (1993). Developing the Leader within You. Nashville, TN. Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Park, Eung C. (2003). Either Jew of Gentile: Paul's Unfolding Theology of Inclusivity. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.

Winston, Bruce (2002). Be a Leader for God's Sake. Regent University, School of Leadership Studies. Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Leadership Insights from the Apostle Paul
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Lieutenant Ken Rice is an Active Duty Naval Officer stationed in Norfolk VA. He is currently assigned to Commander, Naval Surface Force's Warfare Requirments Directorate as the FORCEnet Requirements Officer. Lieutenant Rice is responsible for the program analasys and budget oversight for Information Technology Transformation for the Surface Fleet. He is currently enrolled at Regent University working towards a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership.

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Abraham Lincoln - Leadership Characteristics From Our 16th President

Abraham Lincoln is widely regarded as one of the best presidents in the history of the United States.  He grew up in humble circumstances on the frontier in the early 1800's.  He was mostly self-educated, and became a lawyer in his home state of Illinois.  Although he was elected to the US House of Representatives, he was unsuccessful in two attempts to get elected to the US Senate.  Nevertheless, he was still elected to two consecutive terms as President of the United States in perhaps the most challenging period of our history, the American Civil War.  His leadership was the key to keeping the nation together and offers some valuable lessons for leaders today.  Here are a just a few leadership characteristics from our 16th President:

Persistence:  Lincoln's rise to become the Commander-in-Chief was certainly not a sure bet.  Starting with humble beginnings, he became a self-educated lawyer by sheer will power and desire to succeed. Later, he failed in two attempts to win election to the United States Senate, but still succeeded in becoming the 16th President.  As Commander-in-Chief, he fired a succession of ineffective generals until he finally appointed Ulysses S. Grant to head the Union Army during the Civil War.  In both his personal life and his political life, persistence was a key to his success.  Without persistence, he would have never become a lawyer, never run for office after his first failed attempt to become a senator, and never would have persisted until he found the fighting General Grant to lead the Union Army to victory.

Courage:  As President, Lincoln faced with unimaginable problems including the dissolution of the union and dealing with the issue of slavery.  He had the courage of his convictions to succeed.  While various politicians opposed his policies and personally ridiculed him, Lincoln had the courage to do what was necessary to keep the nation together and end slavery. 

Abraham Lincoln - Leadership Characteristics From Our 16th President

Learning: Growing up on the prairie as a young boy, Lincoln's family moved from his birthplace in Kentucky to Indiana and later Illinois which made it difficult for him to attend school.  He had less than two years of formal education, but he was passionate about reading and learning all during his lifetime.  As a quick study, he was able to learn and apply lessons.  This passion for learning made him a successful lawyer and then again served him well when leading the nation as Commander-in-Chief.   

Humility:  Lincoln never forgot his humble beginnings.  Although he attained the highest office in the land, he remained a humble man throughout his life.  His humility allowed him to incorporate some of his major political rivals into his presidential staff and create what historian Doris Kearns Goodwin called, "a team of rivals." In her book about Lincoln's cabinet by the same name, she defines his genius as his ability to gather a team of high-profile rivals to deal with the issues of the Civil War.  Only his humility allowed him to build a team with men who had big egos and held widely divergent views.

Humor:  Lincoln had a good sense of humor which he used to disarm opponents and to win friends over to his position.  He used wit and humor to teach simple, but profound lessons with parables, short stories, and memorable quotes.

There a many reasons why Americans hold Abraham Lincoln in high esteem; however his personal leadership qualities are one reason why he is often regarded as our best president.  By personal example, he demonstrated how a leader can succeed even in the most difficult circumstances.  A Union victory and ending slavery were never pre-ordained outcomes of the Civil War.  It was only through Lincoln's courageous and steadfast leadership that the nation was saved and freedom was extended to the oppressed.  Lincoln stood tall then, and his legacy still stands now as an inspiration to young leaders facing difficult challenges today.

Abraham Lincoln - Leadership Characteristics From Our 16th President
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Leonard Kloeber is an author and leadership consultant. He has extensive leadership experience as business executive and as a military officer. He has been a hands-on leader in a variety of organizations large and small. Most recently he was a human resources executive for a Fortune 100 company. His book - Victory Principles, Leadership Lessons from D-Day - illustrates seven bedrock leadership principles that all successful leaders use. Download a free summary of the Victory Principles at: http://www.victoryprinciples.com and find other bonus materials for leaders. Contact him at staffride@gmail.com

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How Leadership Affects Culture and Culture Affects Leadership

There has been so much written on leadership that there is very little I can really add. Leaders should be story tellers, communicators, holistic, strategic, encouraging, creative, conservative, risk taking, ethical, competitive, inspiring, and a whole host of other attributes that are too numerous to mention. There are 940 books currently available on the subject and it would not surprise me if you there were close over half a million articles on the subject. It is the bread and butter of every consulting firm throughout the world. With so much thought and insight, why is it still an issue?

The answer lies with culture. The entire purpose of leadership is to create a culture. In a large and well established organization it can be difficult for an outsider to implement a new culture. So, does leadership create a culture or does culture create a leadership? The answer to both questions is yes.

Culture Affecting Leadership

How Leadership Affects Culture and Culture Affects Leadership

"I have been here 25 years." said the director of a large municipality. "I have outlasted 3 City Managers so far and I will outlast this one." That is the attitude that many leaders face, especially when they are brought in from outside organizations to run or manage large, well established ones. The negative cultures especially can undermine positive leadership as initiatives are actively undermined by managers who have a stake in the old culture. Whether it through manipulation or complacency, negative cultures can be create significant challenges for change.

Negative leadership, however, can have a fast, dramatic affect on a positive culture. WorldCom was a telecom leader and very innovative culture until Bernie Ebbers took over. While squeezing every cent he could from the environment and putting pressure on employees to work harder with less, he was pillaging the company. Turnover soared and, within a few years, WorldCom was bankrupt.

Culture as a Function of Leadership

Companies reflect the ethics of the leaders who run them. Bob Page felt like an outsider and had to hide his sexuality. When he built Replacements Ltd. he ensured that it would be a place that accepted diversity not just of lifestyle but of thought and would invest in building their community. Anita Roddick founded the Body Shop to show that you could build an environmentally friendly corporation that reflected her commitment to environmental activism. Jim Goodnight's commitment to work-life balance is part of the culture at SAS, the largest privately held company in the world. Jack Welch's commitment to being the best created an environment of excellence at General Electric. In each of these cases, the ethics of the leader became a central part of the culture.

The Obstacles to Culture Change

The real obstacles to culture change are what we call the internal obstacles. False ego, fear, complacency, and preconceived ideas create a negative environment. When change is introduced there is resistance, even when the change is positive. People learn different coping mechanisms to avoid the change such as hiding behind procedures, 'office cooler' talk or gossip and complaining, or actively undermining the initiative. The question then becomes how can leadership have a positive impact on the culture of an organization.

How can a leadership influence culture

Whether a leader comes up through the organization or is brought in from the outside to change the organization, there are ways that leadership can have an impact on culture.

1. Walk the Talk People observe what you do, not just what you say and the values of the leader, not just what they say, While Enron C.E.O. Kenneth Lay and his management team were stealing from shareholders, many of his traders were laughing how they were going to bankrupt little old ladies for their heating bills. This is the toughest part of leadership. Having worked with people who wrote books on the subject, I can tell you that often times their actions did not match their words and the affect was that a number of people had no respect for them. When you say you are going to do something, you need to follow through and do.

2. Rewards and enforcement are a function of ethics. .
We value what we recognize. How are people rewarded or recognized? For instance, if you want collaboration and teamwork and then reward people for 'hitting their numbers' then their energies will be on what they are recognized for. Jim Goodnight from SAS enforces that people only work 37.5 hours a week because they will be burned out if they work late hours and are therefore less productive. If 'yes' people are promoted, then the culture will see that conforming is the only way to succeed and you will create a hierarchical culture.

3. Be Passionate
Passion is contagious and people like to be part of it. As the saying in the Marine Corp. leadership program goes, "People will follow you because they have to or because they want to and who do you want with a gun at your back?" When you inspire people to make change, you literally reprogram their brains and they will take ownership to ensure success.

4. Get Networked with the Organization
Many senior leaders are very removed from the front lines, which is literally where the tire hits the road. These are the people who ultimately create the culture. Many leaders really only interact with their direct reports, which gives them a skewed sense of what is going on. What is really happening at the front lines of the organization? Who are the enablers and resisters in the organization? That is the one advantage of promoting within the organization - they know the people. Of course, the problems within the organization may call for new leadership. Either way it is important to be networked in the culture. There is the culture you have and the culture many leaders think they have.

A number of years ago, I heard this story from a client. He was upset that the organization was getting rid of their smoking rooms because smoking was being banned by law from the entire building. "Even though I don't smoke," he told me. "I was amazed by what was happening in there. People were really talking without regards to title because they had one thing in common - an addiction. One day a Senior Vice President came to me and told me about this guy he was talking to who had a number of very good suggestions regarding labor relations he wanted to implement. He asked me who he was, I looked it up and found out he was part of the custodial staff. He was literally the janitor."

Leaders need to remove the layers around them and build in "smoking rooms".

5. Communicate clearly
It may sound like an obvious statement but in the absence of clear communication there is unclear and informal communication, i.e. gossip. Gossip can undermine any change and have a negative impact on the culture. People appreciate honest and straightforward communication, even when it is negative. The worst part is not knowing.

How Leadership Affects Culture and Culture Affects Leadership
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Michael Rosenberg is an internationally-recognized thought leader in the area of learning, change and talent management. He is the author of the Flexible Thinker, the Flexible Thinker Guide to Extreme Career Performance and the Thomson-Reuters book Best Practices of Retention as well as numerous publications throughout North America. His is a coach, facilitator and consultant whose programs include the Flexible Thinker, Extreme Performance, The Actor's Way to becoming an Effective Facilitator and Presentation Skills for Sales Professionals. His website is http://www.oyginc.com where you can sign up for his free bi-mohtnly e-zine and he can be reached at mike@oyginc.com.

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Define Your Position: Values, Ethics & Leadership

Some call it wearing one’s heart on the sleeve; others call it wearing their emotions. If the discussion is of values and ethics, leaders must wear them openly, constantly encouraging, mentoring, and coaching others to operate within values-based and ethical standards the leader expresses. Values and ethics exist in a philosophical arena and often mistaken as the same. Values explain that who you are is what you were when. Ethics demonstrates values through behavior. This paper takes the position that values exist on a higher plane than ethics.

Dr. Gyertson6 shares an insight on value and ethic sources. He says throughout human development, there are socio-cultural influences in family and tribe. In the time of prehistory, these values meant survival and extended family. Exploring present value development offers a very different view of family and tribe. Family is nuclear now and connection to extended family is often limited to the July Family Picnic. Tribe, community, is multifaceted people have small neighborhood tribes, work tribes, social tribes, and others. They move among tribes and behave differently in different settings. While core values remain, behaviors shifts when moving among groups. Interacting in work groups is an example. Consider a group of university administrators working to satisfy the needs and desires of applicants and students. Administrators work to put applicants and students at ease as they enter classes. Faculty works with students lecturing, and facilitating to grow students knowledge. The student is the same person yet is interacting with the different elements of the university.

Value deals with the worth, utility, moral virtue, aesthetics, and, may be singular or a collective of each. Values are at the core of what a person believes. In June 2006, article in USA Today, Colorado Rockies pitcher Jason Jennings tells the reporter that players for the ball club hear the value of character and good living from the top of the organization all the way down. In the locker room, one does not see pornographic pictures or magazines. There are sports magazines, racing and car magazines, and prominently seen throughout the locker room are bibles. This ball club believes in Christian values and Christian ethical behavior. A fan tells of not hearing the usual trash talking or player showboating among members of the Rockies. The leadership in the Rockies organization provides evidence of expected behavior in the clubhouse, on the playing field, and among players of other teams. The Rockies are not the "winningest" team in major league baseball; however, they display the near the highest behavioral ethics.

Define Your Position: Values, Ethics & Leadership

Ethics comes from the Greek ethikos, meaning arising from habit. Ethics is a study of living, a study in which we discover things as being right or wrong or true and false based on how we know things. Therefore, ethics is the outward manifestation, the acting out of a belief.

Values versus ethics

Values and ethics do not exist separately from each other. However, they may develop differently over time. A child’s values grow from the values of parents. A child’s ethical behavior develops from observing what parents do. Trust in parents’ grows as a child sees their parents obeying their beliefs (values) through their ethics (what they do) consistently. It is a leader’s responsibility to an organization, workers, and her- and him-self to do no less. Followers of a leader will loose trust quickly if they observe attitudes and behaviors that do not match expressed ethical standards and values.

Values must identify or embody who a leader is. Values are the bases upon which leaders make judgments on what is important. Ethics identifies a leader’s moral compass, the leader’s understanding of good and right. Ethics are a set of moral principles.

Leaders must commit to personal values and organizational values seeking a fit between both. Moreover, leaders must manifest values in a way that leaves the observer fully aware of the leader’s commitment.

A leader studies the community in which an organization exists to know what the community values. Another consideration is the ethical behavior that leaves a leader questioning whether the community acts as it believes. These observations of what a community believes and how it behaves tells a leader the scope of normative order within a community. However, organizational leaders must operate on a higher plane.

A consideration for leader examination when establishing a code of ethics is that ethics and values do not fit a neat categorization into specialty areas. Melissa Ingwersen1 of JPMorgan Chase Bank supports the foundation of ethics at home and school before applying them to business. She says JPMorgan Chase does not want to compromise it banks or bankers by doing business with questionable clients. Therefore, JPMorgan Chase selects clients carefully attempting to maintain their reputation and the reputation of their clients.

What does the above example tell us about values and ethics in an organization? For Chase Bank, the value is honesty, integrity, and character building of clients by selecting clients who have similar values as the bank. Chase Bank does not compromise their core values for the sake of gaining business. Another view of this provided by Brenda Joyner, et al2, is a sense of corporate social responsibility (CSR). CSR includes such elements as economic, legal, discretionary activities and ethics. She says these exist within what are the values of the public.

Working standard - values and ethics

Stated above, ethics is the outward display of values. In some organizations, leaders are content to accept the ethic of responsibility to shareholders. Although this was the generally accepted behavior in economic boom years, most long-life businesses recognize that the bottom line is not an ethically symbolic way to engage.

Joyner, et al, relate the work of Paine (1994). In this, they attempt to put a value on following the letter of the law versus following spirit of the law. While obeying the letter of the law is legally and ethically correct, seeking the higher value to obey the spirit of the law propels a leader to higher trust, reducing cynicism, ultimately adding value to the ethical standard. The ethical standard is a leader and organization’s integrity strategy and values are the core beliefs driving the strategy.

Ray Coye3, writing in 1986 saw the need to differentiate values and ethics. In his view, there are no values for an organization separated from the collective values of leaders and members. He provides a definition of values as, “… serv(ing) as the authorities in the name of which choices are made and action taken.” In greater depth, this 1986 definition is one based on the prevailing attitude toward values and ethics considered correct – at that time (Coye, 1986)

• A value is chosen freely after consideration of alternatives and consequences

• Publicly affirmed, cherished, and prized

• Pattern of action that is consistent and repeated

Conclusion

Values exist at the core of our nature; they are our core belief system. Ethics, our behavior, reveal our values within an operating environment. If we say we cherish (value) our children but behave abusively, value and ethical behavior are incongruent. Within a leadership role, the same is true of our attitude toward workers. Recent history of organizational failure adds to common knowledge of how personal greed over the expressed organizational values ruin business and, worse, the faith workers have in the business and leaders.

Not all organizations are the Colorado Rockies Baseball Club, but trends start one person and one organization at a time. Be a trend setter.

Works Cited
1. Nightengale, B. (2006, June 1). Basball’s Rockies seek revival on two levels. USA Today. Retrieved September 20, 2006 from [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/rockies/2006-05-30-rockies-cover_x.htm].
2. Cook, J. R. Interview: Melissa Ingwersen, Central OH President, JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA. Ethical Leadership, Council for Ethics in Economics (1,1)
3. Joyner, B. E., Payne, D. & Raiborn, C. A. (2002, April). Building values, business ethics and corporate social responsibility into the developing organization. Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship(7,1), pg. 113.
4. Coye, R. (1986, February) Individual Values and Business Ethics. Journal of Business Ethics (5,1), pg. 45.
5. Watson, S. (2006). Personal Values in Business: How successful businesses underpin their success with clear values. Retrieved September 20, 2006 from [http://www.summitconsultants.co.uk/news-detail.asp?fldNewsArticles_ID=126].
6. Gyertson, D. J. (2006). Ethical Frameworks. Presentation at Regent University DSL Residency September 13 to 22, 2006

Define Your Position: Values, Ethics & Leadership
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Some Qualities of Effective School Leadership

Schools today are constantly asked to perform at a high level to improve the achievement level of their students. The school's teachers are on the front line and considered responsible for the majority of reasons why students perform well in school. However, we should not forget the importance of effective leadership when it comes to student achievement and effective teachers. When we look at the big picture, the principal is the person most likely to be responsible for the over-all performance of the school. That's why it's so important to understand the qualities an effective principal should have.

One of the most important steps an effective principal should make, is to surround himself or herself with a quality staff. That staff must include teachers, administrators, and support staff. Principals should realize that they are only as good as their staff. A principal should live by the philosophy that says "two heads are better than one", and no single individual can know everything about everything..

The next step to being an effective principal is to make sure that students perform at a high level. This goal can be accomplished by making sure the climate of the building is always conducive to successful learning. Some of the steps that can be utilized to accomplish this goal include: making sure there are very few distractions throughout the school day, having a clear discipline plan that everyone is aware of, making sure the entire staff is aware of the school mission, developing a strong school improvement plan, maintaining a bright and clean building, displaying student work or/and accomplishments, keeping students informed about the mission of the school, making students responsible for their education and the educational environment in the building, providing effective tutoring services, being a visible principal, and having a positive and courteous staff willing to assist everyone.

Some Qualities of Effective School Leadership

Another important step is to make sure the entire staff is involved in the decision-making for the building, and include students whenever possible in that process. Every staff member must believe he or she is important, even vital, to the over- all success of the school and its students. Try and get the entire staff to be a part of ongoing activities in the building, and encourage them to take on leadership roles in different programs and activities. It is the task of an effective principal to empower the staff to make decisions and become leaders throughout the building,

It is also important to have the school and its students be part of the ongoing evaluation process. This will help identify strengths and weaknesses in the school and curriculum. Diagnostic testing, as well as other evaluative procedures should be a part of this process. All data collected from these evaluative procedures should be given to the school improvement team, this will help the team to be better prepared to develop an effective school- wide improvement plan to govern the school. Whatever plan is decided upon should have input from the entire staff. This will give the staff clear ownership of the plan and ensure its success. Effective leadership should utilize the strengths of the entire staff by always including them in the process ( as individuals and cooperatively as a team).

An effective principal works constantly to improve the school each day. This can be accomplished by having some kind of assessment of students and the staff throughout the school year. Utilizing different assessment tools are helpful with evaluating the overall picture of what is happening in the school. Standardized testing of the students is one form of assessment, and teacher grades, school projects, special activities, and programs developed specifically for everyone school are others. In addition to evaluating students, the staff should be evaluated throughout the school year. The principal can use classroom observation and walk-throughs as tools. Another powerful tool is to have the staff conduct self- evaluations of themselves and the school. This is a good way to encourage the staff to be honest about themselves and their school and what they expect the actual educational outcomes should be. The data collected from these varied evaluation procedures can be utilized to develop professional development opportunities for the staff and to develop the full school improvement plan for the school.

The effective principal must be organized and have a clear mission for the school. They must be clear about what he or she wants to accomplish each school year. The principal must prioritize what he/she believes are the most important attributes of a high achieving school. He should always try to educate students at the highest levels, as well as providing a clean and orderly school. The atmosphere must be positive and conducive to learning. Principals who incorporate the qualities discussed in this article will have made a major start toward being successful. This can lead to having a successful school and having students who are learning at a high level.

Some Qualities of Effective School Leadership
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Ronnie Phillips, a very experienced educator and parent.

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