What is Courage & How does it relate to True North?

By Pascal Dennis (bio)

Let me build on my earlier blog on Lean, Leadership & Ethics

The ancients defined Four Cardinal Virtues:

Prudence, Temperance, Justice and Courage.

Courage -- the capacity to overcome fear -- is perhaps the most admired.

In Getting the Right Things Done, I defined True North, our strategic and philosophical purpose, as follows:

"Something for the head, something for the heart..."

How does courage relate to True North?

Breakthrough -- transcendent, enduring achievement -- requires all the Cardinal Virtues, and courage most of all.

Courage, like True North, entails head and heart. Courage without the head is simply foolhardiness.

Courage means you understand the risks, and do it anyway.

Is courage a virtue under any circumstance? I'd say not. (Is a courageous terrorist admirable?)

Courage is admirable when exercised in the service of others, of a greater good, of True North.

In summary, achieving True North requires all the cardinal virtues and none more than courage.

In fact, all the virtues depend on courage.

Best regards,

Pascal

Reflections on Leadership & Ethics

By Pascal Dennis

LPI Leadership & Ethics Series

Last time I gave y'all a home work assignment around the Cardinal Virtues -- Prudence, Temperance, Courage and Justice.

Today I'd like to zoom out..

How are Leadership & Ethics related? Why do they matter?

Some initial thoughts.

Can you have the former without the latter? Will people willingly follow swine for the long term?

Long-time readers will know where I stand.

The leader's job is to get business results -- by building capability & reinforcing values. (Tip of the hat to Peter Drucker.)

Thus, Ethics enables Leadership. Leaders represent what's best in us. We take part in their journey because we believe in what they stand for.

A bastard can be successful, rich, famous - but he's unlikely to be a leader, at least not for long.

(How bitter our disappointment, when a leader we admire turns out to be a fraud...)

What is Ethics? In my view, it's the study of right & wrong.

How do we know one from the other? By the application of Ethical standards.

The Cardinal Virtues are perhaps the best known example.

Temperance, Prudence, Courage, Justice -- all major religions & systems of philosophy contain them.

Lean practitioners will know that a standard is an image of "What Should be Happening" (WSBH).

Thereby, standards make problems visible. "Hey, we're not doing what we're supposed to be doing!"

Of course, we mere mortals are tricky, lazy, dishonest, and rarely live up to the Cardinal Virtues.

In business, following standards minimizes hassle & helps us achieve our goals. In life, doing so also helps reduce human suffering.

But by making the problem visible, they've done their job. At the very least, they blunt our excesses.

Leaders at all levels who lock them in are well on their way.

Next time, what to make of Martin Scorcese's latest -- The Wolf of Wall Street?

Best,

Pascal

LPI Leadership & Ethics Series - What is Courage? (Homework Contest)

By Pascal Dennis

HOMEWORK CONTEST - TOP THREE DRAWINGS WILL RECEIVE A FREE COPY OF PASCAL'S LATEST BOOK! (Details below)

In our recent Leadership & Ethics blog, I introduced the Cardinal Virtues.

Prudence, Temperance, Justice & Courage are enduring standards of ethical behavior recognized by all major religions & systems of philosophy.

Today I'd like to give you all some homework.

HOMEWORK CONTEST!

Here's your assignment.

Draw a picture in answer of the following:

What is Courage?

Have fun! Don't worry if you 'can't draw'.

Stick figures, arrows, circles are fine.

Please send your efforts to Holly Simmons at holly.simmons@leansystems.org

Deadline: January 31

Top three drawings will receive a free copy of Pascal's latest book.

Let's see what happens!

Best,

Pascal

Upcoming Book by Pascal Dennis

By Pascal Dennis

Reflections of a Business Nomad - Stories & Poems from the Road

I'm thrilled to announce a new book coming out in June.

As you may know, I make my living on the road, teaching the Toyota Way.

An odd life, perhaps, but one I’ve chosen and very much enjoy.

To help make sense of all I've seen and experienced these past twelve years, I've kept a journal.

Hundreds of pieces written in airports, restaurants, and hotel bars.

Leafing through my notes these past few years, I realized there might be a book here.

So I polished and organized the best pieces.

What's Reflections of a Business Nomad about?

It's a book of stories reflecting the exotic, exhilarating, and sometimes poignant, world of international consulting.

Leadership & ethics is a core theme: people in tough situations, doing the right (& wrong) things.

The book is a departure.

Up until now, my books have been prescriptive: "Here's how you do X..."

For example, here's how you transform a struggling auto plant -- (Andy & Me).

Or, here's how you transform an entire auto platform -- (The Remedy).

Reflections, by contrast, is a decidedly non-prescriptive book.

As always, I ask plenty of questions, but leave the answers to the reader.

(My publisher asked, "Are you sure business readers will respond to stories & questions? Usually, they usually want answers.")

I guess you'll let us know...

Target launch date: June 4, 2012

More to come.

Cheers,

Pascal