Archive for the ‘Conflict’ Category
Managing Conflict
“The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”
- Thomas Paine
On Sunday I witnessed 25,000 runners take to the streets to participate in the 27th Long Beach International Marathon. My wife and I were not at the Finish Line when the elite runners completed in the opening minutes of the 3rd hour of the race…with mindboggling times. Instead, we arrived at the Finish Line in the fifth hour to await our daughter’s completion of her mission which began several months earlier when she started a training regimen to participate as a runner for Team Mike.
Viewing the messages on runner tee-shirts, it was obvious there were hundreds of Marathoners who courageously (and some, crazily!) ran to support a great cause…raising money, raising awareness, raising hope. But, for Team Mike it was a run to honor the memory of an incredible man, Mike Lamont, a recently retired fireman and paramedic with the Redondo Beach Fire Department, who passed on almost three weeks ago of pancreatic cancer.
Originally, Team Mike formed its purposeful mission to run as encouragement and support for this 57-year old man of wisdom and integrity as he battled with a big enemy. But the mission demanded transformation as family members and friends took on the challenge to run with gratitude, appreciation and immense love for this uniquely special one who used his illness as a teaching story of the greatest quality within the human spirit….transforming the harshest of pain and conflict…with God’s grace.
Were there similar stories being played out in Long Beach by runners who were moving their feet not simply with physical stress but with emotionally focused energy and fragile hearts? No doubt there were. But, for me, watching Team Mike was my personal reminder about the capacity we have to rise to the occasion to embrace and overcome conflict…and celebrate the good that we each carry when we give ourselves to people, causes and movements that are much larger than any one person. Such moments lift us into experiencing the beautiful symphony of the one who touches the many and the many find renewal in giving themselves away to something greater.
Mission Integrity Action
Conflict is here. It’s part of what I manage. Its intention is not to diminish, but to focus me. This week I observe that conflict lets me see what is painful and seek its hidden purpose beyond the moment of harm
Appreciating you on the ethical edge!
Russell Williams, Founder/President
Passkeys Foundation/Ethical Edge
www.ethicaledge.org
Managing Conflict
“The most dramatic conflicts are perhaps those that take place not between men but between a man and himself…”
- Clark Moustakas
It’s in the news with persistent regularity. By their own failings, prominent American male leaders compromise their careers and reputations. Who, beyond now-former Congressman Weiner, are notable examples of men digging an unethical ditch of their own creation? There is David Sokol, likely successor at Berkshire Hathaway; Mark Herd, CEO, Hewlett-Packard; and John Ensign, Senator, NV.
In his recent article, Why Leaders Lose Their Way, Bill George, Professor of Management & Henry B. Arthur Fellow of Ethics at Harvard Business School explores the vast territory of why high profile men make big, moral and ethical gaffes…fracturing their personal and professional lives. He raised four painting-with-a-broad-brush questions about the behavior:
(1) Why do leaders known for integrity and leadership engage in unethical activities? (2) Why do they risk great careers and unblemished reputations for such ephemeral gains? (3) Do they think they won’t get caught or believe their elevated status puts them above the law? (4) Was this the first time they did something inappropriate, or have they been on the slippery slope for years?
Professor George responds to his own questions: “Leaders who lose their way are not necessarily bad people; rather they lose their moral bearings…few people go into leadership roles to cheat or do evil. We all have the capacity for actions we deeply regret unless we stay grounded.”
So what does it mean to stay grounded? George focuses on the story of Values-centered leadership, making two significant observations that underscore the weekly messaging of Letters On Integrity to business professionals…both male and female!
Personal Development: “Leaders can avoid these pitfalls by devoting themselves to cultivating their inner compass or True North.This requires framing their leadership from being heroes to being servants of the people they lead. This process requires thought and introspection.”
Pursuit of True North: “Leaders should seek out people who influence them in profound ways and stay connected to them. Leaders need mentors to advise, be straight and help define and reframe reality.”
Mission Integrity Action
Integrity is not a prize won but a process lived. Transparency is the tool leaders must use on the endless path of personal development, engaging mentors who can offer counsel and accountability.Transparency is today and tomorrow’s leadership tasking on the ethical edge.
Appreciating you on the ethical edge!
Russell Williams, Founder/President
Passkeys Foundation/Ethical Edge
www.ethicaledge.org