Welcome to our latest issue of Leader Points — Centerpoint for Leaders and The Points of Light Foundation's newest e-publication to give you relevant and concise information on leadership and organizational development.

By Sandra Trice Gray

As outlined in The Passionate Organization by James R. Lucas, leaders and managers must learn how to find and inspire passionate people while maintaining a focus on deeply held core values, mutual trust, and a common vision.

By tapping into what makes people excited about work and committed to a company, passion is a resource that will help people be more effective, more productive, and more enthusiastic about their work. A quote: "We have yet to come across an organization that is not interested in increasing productivity.

The single greatest asset an organization has is its people and their ability to innovate, create value, and solve problems. We have found that productivity short-falls result from well-meaning but antiquated decision-making and delegation processes, and from the misalignment of employee passions with their jobs."

To purchase the book, visit http://www.centerpointforleaders.org/bookstore.html

by John Halstead, ValuesLink.com

It is not our intention to cast judgments on others, but we will consciously work to embody these values in our workplaces, the market place, our employment practices, in our personal lives, and interactions with others.

We earn honorable profits by providing products and services that serve humanity. We do well, by doing the right things well. Profits or surpluses are the lifeblood of our organizations and we earn them honestly through hard work, innovation, and effective management. We take pride in achieving prosperity while honoring our principles.

We serve others by doing what we do to utilize our talents, purpose, and passion to make the world a better place. Being able to be of service to others enhances our sense of doing something worthwhile.

We earn the loyalty of our customers, vendors, employees, and community by actively listening to their needs and consciously dedicating ourselves to meeting them.

Cited and used with permission from valueslink.com. For more information, and to read the entire article, go to http://www.valueslink.com.

If there is a topic on leadership or organizational development that you would like to share or see us address, please send us an e-mail at info@centerpointforleaders.org.

by Tom Peters

Tom Peters did a lot of reading at Canyon Ranch [this summer], nothing more important than Sam Keen's Fire in the Belly. He learned a lot about gender differences and more, commenting, "The following quotes exploded in my head (and heart!) like snipers' bullets:"

• "One day out of nowhere you realize that you don't know who you are, and none of the cards in your wallet provide the slightest clue to your real identity."
• "Little did we understand that by doing the manly thing, girding up our loins, pulling in our guts, pushing out our chests . . . and constricting our breathing, we forced most feelings into exile in our unconscious."
• "Perhaps the greatest price men have paid for their obsession with fearlessness is to have become tough on the outside but empty within. We are hollow men."

Cited and used with permission from Tom Peters!
To read the entire observation, go to www.tompeters.com

by Gene Klann

The tools and techniques to build morale, pride and spirit can't stand on their own. A two-part foundation must be present.

• Easily understood vision, mission and goals.
• A uniform and clear set of operating rules, standards of performance, values, norms, boundaries and conventions of behavior.

These elements should be written, constantly reinforced by leadership and clearly understood by every member, and consistent.

Cited and used with permission from Center for Creative Leadership. To read the entire article, go here.

by Jeffrey S. Nielson

Neilson comments in his paper: "I have realized that there are very few problems in our organizations that genuine communication could not solve . . . yet the problem of poor communication remains. Reflecting on this perplexing and nearly universal problem, I made to crucial observations:

1. Genuine communication will only occur between equals, and
2. Secrecy breeds corruption and abuse of power."

Nielson goes on to list the four key peer-based management attitudes: solicitude, speaking, listening and commitment, and provides a list of 14 principles, including transparency and respect, to guide the peer-based management team.

Cited and used with permission from Jeffrey S. Nielson. To read the entire article, click here and download the pdf. You may reach Jeffrey S. Nielson at mythofleadership@hotmail.com

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