A Culture Of Leadership
Paul Kearley

I was 19 years old in basic training for the Canadian military and we
were in a place called Cornwallis, Nova Scotia. One day we were on our
7-mile walk/run in full gear out, it seemed, in the middle of nowhere.
The corporal who was leading us or should I say running ahead of us was
running at a pretty good pace that was leaving a few people behind.
Being pretty cocky, and in good shape, I decided to challenge him, so I
ran up to him and passed him... you should have seen the look in his
eyes as I ran past...total surprise. He caught up to me and passed me,
and from there the race was on! For a couple of miles, we both traded
the lead many times. Not a word was spoken except words of determination
and drive.

When we arrived back at camp, there was no one behind us. We turned
around and ran back to the troop who was just cresting the last hill
before camp. I joined back in the troop, expecting to be cheered on for
taking on the Corporal, only to find that the troop was quite upset with
me. Upset because my responsibility, when we started the walk/run
exercise, was to set the pace for the whole troop and in my blind zeal
to challenge the Corporal, I forgot about everything else except
winning. I forgot about the abilities of the others, and only thought of
being first.

Today, over twenty-five years later, I still remember that lesson: *When
you are working in or leading a group, real success happens when
everyone finishes together... and cheering each other on... not just the
one who is in front*. Yes it is important to do your personal best, and
be the best that you can be, just keep in mind that success and a sense
of leadership is much sweeter when you help someone else to succeed
along with you. This done, that person can go on to become an effective
leader as well, with your coaching acting as an example.

One thing is certain though, for any organization to be successful in
the current business culture of "get more done quicker, better and with
less", everyone has to be thinking leadership. In the example above, if
I had of had someone else in a leadership position leading us who was
not out to make himself look good, but wanted to instil confidence in us
and make us look good, then I definitely would have done something
completely different. *Leadership isn't an "It's all about me" game,
it's a "how can I grow the people to higher levels of competence" game.*

Leadership is such a personal thing with all people. What we read in the
paper and see in the news really only scratches the surface of the depth
of the amount of extraordinary leadership that is in every culture and
organization. In trying to define just what leadership is, I have
discovered that leadership is a reflection of the person's values,
beliefs and actions. There are, however, certain qualities that are
inherent in effective leadership that all effective leaders possess.
They are: *Self Confidence*: The ability to make difficult decisions and
make them stick. *Enthusiasm:* The ability to maintain a high level of
energy and focus. *Motivational abilities*: An ability to rally the team
and have them follow willingly. *Clear Vision*: They have a clear
picture of what's possible and can get alignment from all teams
involved. *Follow-up*: can keep people accountable. *People skills*:
able to make people feel like they are a part of the team and does it
sincerely. *Communications*: Can deliver a message clearly and
effectively, able to see other points of view. *Passion:* Nothing
worthwhile can ever be realized without a certain elevated level of
passion... it is the fuel for success.

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