Background

Leadership has been a lifelong interest of mine. It may be helpful to anyone who may read this weblog to have some background on me explaining my interest in leadership.

I began taking a leader role as a child. I could say I started at birth since I was the first-born. What I had in mind, though, was my position as lieutenant of my elementary school’s safety patrol. As a teen I was the first Master Acolyte of the Episcopal parish of which I was a member and served as Captain of the Acolyte Guild. In college I was president of my fraternity. While still a graduate student, I initiated the start of a community action group for the community in which I lived; this lead to my later election to the Village Board. During this time I also was elected to leader roles in my church. Professionally I have served as chapter president of several professional associations and been formally recognized by my peers for my leader abilities.

Leadership also has been a focus of my work as a consultant and teacher. I have provided leadership training for audiences from North America, South America, Asia, Australia, Africa, and Europe. I founded the Center for Transforming Leadership. I teach leadership courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

I do not consider myself a leadership expert. I will always have more to learn. To say I “know” leadership is to confine myself to the past and present. We can only know what is or has been. If we expect to lead others we must first lead ourselves. We must move beyond our own personal boundaries into the realm of the unknown. It is there that learning takes place.

This journal is to document my own explorations into the realm of my unknown. Others have already journeyed to places I have not yet been. I welcome hearing from those who may wish to share what they have learned about leadership. “To know the road ahead, listen to those coming back.” (Yang Li An) I look forward to sharing and listening.