The Art of Detachment Project

A United States Marine turned business professional, Damian D. “Skipper” Pitts, President-CEO at The Bison Group Corporation, has been inspiring professionals in the business marketplace on the topics of leadership, organizational behavior, strategic planning, project management, team building, performance management, and Flawless Execution for more than 10 years. Throughout his professional career, he experienced his share of business failures, disappointments, dysfunctional behaviors, and frustrations as he struggled to find purpose in developing his personal leadership signature and voice.

To help others in similar situations, Pitts developed a project that has become a life within itself. The project’s design is to inspire and encourage individuals in leadership to step away from popular culture, face the challenges of leadership and organizational behavior, and convincingly acknowledge that many of their personal and professional problems exist because they simply do not adapt well to the changing circumstances of modern day strategies and best practices to become a Champion of Change.

The constructs of the project includes the following:

Publications

▪ The Art of Detachment: Breakthrough Principles to Transformational Leadership
▪ Building Great Teams: Charting the Path of Organizational Politics
▪ The Art of Detachment: 25 Strategies for Organizational Effectiveness (Jan 2008)
▪ The Elevator of Achievement: Determination Requires a “Choice” with author Renee’
Amoore (For Women, By Women)
▪ The Quilt: Cultural Voices with authors Patterson, Silverthorne, and Shird
(Contributing Author, Chapter 2 Transformative Education: Diversity Management:
Facing a Giant!)
▪ The Art of War & Business: Four Laws to HumanSigma (2008)
▪ Flawless Execution: Project Management the Marine Corps Way (2008)

White Papers

▪ Diversity Management: Facing a Giant!
▪ Building Great Teams: Charting the Path of Organizational Politics
▪ Conflict Management: LeaderShaping Open Doors
▪ The Art of War & Business: Four Laws to HumanSigma (2008)

Training (Personal & Professional Development)

The LeaderShaping Executive Development Program (Includes 35 different program topics in the areas of leadership, organizational behavior, transformative education, strategic planning, project management, Flawless Execution, diversity education, and team building maneuvers)

Performance Management Assessments

The Breakthrough TTI Performance Management Assessment Protocol (Includes 40 assessment instruments in the areas of executive & management coaching: leadership-organizational behavior, behavior and values, staff development, sales development, team building, customer relationship management, time management, communications development, tasking: maximizing workplace performance and best job, career planning, transformative education: administrator, teacher and student versions, family relationships: adult and young adult versions, organizational development and effectiveness: 180° & 360° view, organizational development, organizational health check: “BTO Proprietary Instrument,” general employment, health care management, emotional intelligence, and personalized coaching).

Keynotes

▪ The Art of Detachment: Breakthrough Principles to Transformational Leadership
▪ Building Great Teams: Charting the Path of Organizational Politics
▪ The Art of War & Business: Four Laws to HumanSigma
▪ The Art of Detachment: 25 Strategies for Organizational Effectiveness
▪ Workplace Motivators: Six Value Categories that Influences Greatness within your
Environment
▪ The Elevator of Achievement (with author Renee’ Amoore: For Women, By Women)
▪ Dynamic Communications with Style

The Project Benefits

▪ Tips for being a good team member in a high-stress environment
▪ How leaders can diffuse inter-office politics
▪ How to avoid office politics and succeed in today's team-based workplace
▪ Why understanding organizational dynamics is the key to building better teams
▪ How leaders can build quality teams in unique work environments (virtual
workplace, etc.)
▪ What the Elevator of Achievement means for women in the workplace
▪ How to head up a few floors on the Elevator of Achievement
▪ How to set business resolutions and become an achiever into the future
▪ Ten tips for getting the promotion you have been seeking
▪ How to incorporate positive self-talk into your workplace
▪ How workplace conflict is created and how it prevents the elevator from heading up
▪ Quiz: Are you toxic or nourishing in your work environment?

Understanding the criticality of performance management, The Art of Detachment Project engages participants with leadership and organizational behavior skills training and reward leaders who can improvise skillfully, rather than follow out-dated routines that deliver the same results. The program instructs through a nontraditional approach to learning strategy-execution. The project is committed to provide the tools to help participants with learning the outlined strategies, principles, tactical-philosophy, and application: Leadership Development & Organizational Behavior, which is grounded in the rigors of the United States Marine Corps discipline and training ethos.

The time has come for you and your organization to “conquer” challenges with a refreshed perspective to win in all you set out to achieve. The Art of Detachment Project offers an extensive bridge between the “what-is” (theory) and the “how-to” (practice) for immediate application – at a pricing point that limits your risk, but increases your abilities to begin a process improvement strategy.

The Art of Detachment Project and its “LeaderShaping Guiding Precepts” are “not” business as usual and offers one of the most stimulating “leader-to-leader” forums in the marketplace. Contact us by email today at: Tools@ArtofDetachment.com to sign up and/or to sign your organization up and become a proactive “Champion of Change” for every voice across your organization, community, and household!

Media Contact: Amber Childres, Publicists

Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists
2100 Kramer Lane, Suite 300
Austin, Texas 78758 (512) 478 – 2028 x203

Refresh Your Leadership Signature as a New Year's Resolution

“LeaderShaping the Leader in You!”
The Bison Group’s Executive Education Programs
Executive Education Training Division
11 February 2008 – 1 May 2008
Philadelphia, PA

Leadership and organizational behavior can be a key differentiator of successful individuals and organizations. This program explores the personal leadership journey and the role that leadership plays in sustained growth, enabling you to rethink your approach to management, leadership, and leadership development. By examining and comparing leadership practices across a range of complex issues, you will acquire the tools and techniques to realize your leadership potential, establish your leadership signature, and drive measurable growth within your personal and professional lifestyle.

LeaderShaping is “not” business as usual and offers one of the most stimulating “leader-to-leader” forums in the marketplace. Send us an email today at: Sales@BisonGroupUS.com to sign up and/or to sign your organization up and become a proactive “Champion of Change” for every voice across your organization. You will not be disappointed!

Press Release Info!

The Art of Detachment: Breakthrough Principles to Transformational Leadership
By Damian D. "Skipper" Pitts

Posted: Friday, 18 June 2007
PRESS RELEASES
The Bison Group Inc
Publication Date: August 2007

"There is one thing worse than an overstressed organization or community; that is an overstressed and defeated feeling expressed within the ranks of leadership, responsible for being flexible in its approach for successfully influencing choice and change. "I can't – we can't" present pessimistic views that tear at the fabric of excellence." Your Paradigm of Choice influences your Paradigm of Change; an unspoken counseling to cynicism." – Damian D. "Skipper" Pitts, Author

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, 18 June 2007
Proceeds from this project will be donated to the families of fallen U.S. Marines in Iraq – www.FallenHeroesFund.com

Leadership development and Organizational Behavior is a companywide responsibility, stretching across all departments and functions. Damian D. "Skipper" Pitts, entrepreneur, executive trainer, and author of The Art of Detachment steps away from popular culture to face the challenges of organizational leadership and convincingly asserts that many of their problems exist because organizations simply do not adapt well to changing circumstances. This publication is designed for anyone who is charged with developing talent, leading a team, or achieving growth – no matter what industry or discipline. It bridges the gap between the "what-is" (theory) and the "how-to" (practice) in transformational thinking and cutting-edge research delivered through a nontraditional approach to learning strategy-execution.

The author describes a discipline of leadership that removes the harness away from performance management. The discipline helps its reader to gain a full understanding on how to realize a state where people come into a single way of thinking, without losing their individuality, creating a "shared-vision" that achieves a predetermined objective. In doing so, deconstructing types of influence, stratagem, and execution requires a level of leadership far above current reality and a way of thinking within popular culture. The end result remains on a continuum that instructs a systematic approach to acknowledging the multiple dimensions of process improvement: people, process, product, and productivity – how to integrate educational leadership as an everyday event; a journey that finds a "voice" and influences people to find theirs.

Throughout the book, Pitts demonstrates the value and importance of implementing democracy, organizational behavior, and leadership, the same amount moving in the same direction at one time, which articulates a journey that achieves an end-state of flawlessness. He also shows how to accomplish team building using strategies derived from the United States Marine Corps. But the linkages between those components, which are arguably as important as the components themselves, are sometimes left for the reader to discern.

Leadership on every level will have an opportunity to look through a lens of executive education unlike anything before. The discipline is used to increase value, strategy, principle, and trust that captures the essence of team learning to organizations seeking to: detach from negative behaviors and habits; create new paradigms; overcome resistance to change; and control outcomes within the future picture. This is achieved from a three-tiered approach; the individual, the team, and the organization. The "art" lies in the ability to instruct on the "whys" of the individual and organizations approach for reaching peak performance while integrating the tools used to optimize results. Pitts offers an examination into the many segments that births the constructs for building a Democratic Leadership society. The inherent conceptualized modeling is designed for overcoming the sectarian struggles of life and organizational development as a prescription to failure.

The publication also looks through a difficult lens of diversity and tackles the topic as a prominent disposition for leadership prospects to promote healthy environments of positive organizational behaviors. The discipline of Democratic Leadership integrates Flawless Meritocratic Systems, Microinequities -VS- Social Intelligence: inherited social systems which unfairly advantage some, and limits others (progress based on ability and talent rather than class privilege or wealth).

Throughout the book, Pitts demonstrates the critical importance of achieving personal mastery as the most sustainable means for achieving superior performance management. He also shows how to LEAD an organization with strength and confidence; THRIVE as a team across units and departments; THINK creatively, strategically, and with transformative thought; MEASURE an organization's determination, commitment, and innovation; and CONQUER challenges with a refreshed perspective to win as individuals and organizations build the components of a Democratic Leadership environment.

Indeed, the reader must work hard in other places, too, to make conceptual modeling and gaming theory the central focus for integrating solutions across the multidisciplinary approaches. In addition, the text helps its reader to UNCOVER the secrets of today's future leaders; learn to NETWORK with peers across various disciplines; how to INTERACT with small dynamic teams for tailored take-aways; HEAR personal accounts of what works and what does not; and RETURN to the workplace motivated, inspired, and transformed in thought to LEAD into greatness by finding a voice – and help others to find theirs! Media InquiriesDamian D. "Skipper" PittsThe Bison Group CorporationPhone: (610) 809 – 6909

The Camp Carnegie Experience wants to invite you to get LeaderShaped!

Have you wished for a program that achieves excellence in performance management by harnessing the power of leadership and organizational behavior in your students – or even your own staff – in a highly compressed period of time?

If so, that's where Camp Carnegie's upcoming "Boot Camp" experience can help.

Finding and unlocking the leader in you; this is the theme for all participants who attend the Camp Carnegie Experience. Our students learn how to tap the untapped potential that's waiting to surface for transitioning them into "Champions of Change."

And, they come away more confident… more productive… more in-control… and better equipped to execute personal and professional strategy flawlessly! In short, students learn to take their leadership abilities to a new level.

LEAD your campus with strength and confidence;

THRIVE as a team across all departments and colleges;

THINK creatively, strategically, and with transformative thought to maximize academic performance;

MEASURE an individual's determination, commitment, and innovation; and

CONQUER challenges with a refreshed perspective to win in all you set out to achieve – in and out of the classroom!

Learn some of the most powerful leadership & organizational behavior strategies available today.

Life requires us to excel under ever-changing and often extremely stressful conditions if we are to succeed. Student leaders rise to optimal levels of greatness when they develop dynamic methodologies and strategies for dealing with change. Clear paths to personal and communal betterment are essential through the concepts of eight C's of the Social Processes of Leadership "SPL." They are: Common Purpose, Consciousness of Self, Congruence, Collaboration, Citizenship, Controversy with Civility, and Commitment. No matter how much one plans, the landscape of life presents unpredictable obstacles. Timeless, underlying standards of worth and conviction – the foundation for achievement – are tools for facing the daunting task of leadership growth through change.

Looking through a lens of operational excellence, the Camp Carnegie Experience engages each student and participant with leadership and organizational behavior skills training and rewards those leaders who can improvise skillfully, rather than follow out-dated routines that deliver the same results. The experience is designed to help students create new paradigms for overcoming the fear of change; helping them to become dynamic leaders capable of delivering excellence and controlling outcomes relating to expected goals. Having an opportunity to be "LeaderShaped" offers one of the most stimulating "Leader – to – Leader" forums for students seeking to graduate ahead of their peers as they head into the workforce.

Professional Development Opportunities

The Camp Carnegie Experience takes the needs of the marketplace very seriously. Students are exposed to an in-depth education that goes beyond frameworks and theories – and prepares them to leverage immediately their enhanced leadership capacity to build sustainable advantage for themselves and their institutions. The program is delivers both Continuing Educational Credits "CEU's," Professional Development Units "PDUs," and non-credit certification (Certificates of Completion) to each student who successfully completes the Camp Carnegie Experience.

Discover the difference today, become a Champion of Change!

Contact me today to learn the many ways of integrating this dynamic program into your scope of work. E-mail: Tools@ArtofDetachment.com.

Try the Morale Constructs Strategy to Build Great Teams – Part IV

As we continue on with the series, "Building Great Teams using the Morale Constructs Strategy," part four goes into the "The Law of SPACE (Developing Community: Situational, Presence, Authenticity, Clarity, and Empathy)." This law requires you to pay very close attention to detail. It provides explicit importance to the makeup and success of a community and team-centric environment – how individuals treat and deal with one another. There are five dimensions to this law and is paramount to "Social Intelligence."

The dimensions are based on the breakthrough work of Harvard University's Howard Gardner on the topic of human intelligence; however, as we think about building dynamic teams, adopting the works of author Karl Albrecht's publication titled "Social Intelligence, The New Science of Success." Social Intelligence provides a simplistic explanation and leadership perspective on why people treat others in ways that may or may not be acceptable. As you can imagine, this is a discussion that can achieve no end road as it relates to the dynamics of building great teams. The five dimensions of Social Intelligence, also known by its short name "SI," are outlined to identify perceptiveness, situational savvy, successful interaction, and transferable skills as the drivers for successfully interacting with people across a community.

Sometimes, as we begin to learn something that comes across as phenomena, we quickly realize that the paradigm it presents is not rocket science. In most cases, it presents knowledge that is common sense and probably has been in use by the learner for some time but known by a different name or technique. Social Intelligence poses no difference. The dimensions found within the Law of SPACE have been grouped into a knowledge paradigm to instruct on the topic of 'trust' from an even deeper perspective.

The Law of SPACE can be summed up simply as: having the developed potential, when applied correctly, to engage everyone within a community in a lively, insightful, and compelling exploration of the most crucial of human competencies. SI offers a 'real-life' framework filled with examples and practical tools and skills. This law is your guide for navigating your way through the sometimes mystifying, sometimes hilarious, and always stimulating world of person-to-person interactions. This explanation was inspired after author Albrecht conducted exhausting research for his publication. Social Intelligence, SI, and/or the Law of SPACE have been adopted within most successful organizational communities for building great teams. It offers a dimensional approach for growing into the immediate future "stronger," as a team, and places a significant focus on behavior and action from every individual within the community.

The Law of SPACE places a set of keys within the hands of life – for everyone to drive humanity – into greater levels of accomplishment. The Law of SPACE outlines the five dimensions as followed:

S: Stands for Situational Awareness – Building the skills of SA.

P: Stands for Presence – Building the skills of P.

A: Stands for Authenticity – Building the skills of A.

C: Stands for Clarity – Building the skills of C.

E: Stands for Empathy – Building the skills of E.

It all begins with Situational Awareness "SA"

Situational Awareness, or by its short name "SA" is a human factors term which of late has become something of a buzzword. There is more to situational awareness than simply being 'aware of your situation.' Despite its popularity and ubiquity as it relates to Social Intelligence, there is much debate within the scientific literature about what SA is, how it works, and whether we need such a concept at all. Situational Awareness is described as comprising three focused levels:

Level 1. Perception of elements;

Level 2. Comprehending the meaning of the elements; and

Level 3. Achieving an understanding to project manage future states.

Situational Awareness can be described variously as having a 'situational radar;' knowing and understanding what is going on around you and predicting how things will change, or, in other words, 'being coupled to the dynamics of your environment.' Your situational radar means that you have a respectful interest in people. If your radar is not working to its capacity meaning, you may be preoccupied with your own feelings, interests, needs, and interactions, people may not be willing to accept you socially and/or cooperate with you in a respectful manner. Let's take a look at how one would go about building the skills of Situational Awareness. As we look at building personal skills and do the things that are necessary to increase a person's capacity and transferable skills, here are a few things that can be employed:

- People Watching: Have you noticed in your travels that watching people out in public offers an entertaining, interesting, and questionable experience? When you're out in a mall, walking throughout the community that you live, or anywhere that people gather, take a look at how people interact with the relationships that are with them. Also, take a look at how people interact with the community of individuals that are within the space. Try to figure out what types of relationships you see. Do they affiliate their affection to one another or do they seem cold or antagonistic?

- Identify your own Proxemic Contexts: Proxemic Contexts are the dynamics of the physical environment that people are interacting, the behavioral makeup that stimulates the structure within the space, and the influence the space has on the entire community. It has to do with the informal or personal spaces that surround individuals. This can be classified by three different types of space: intimate space, social and consultative spaces, and public space. Intimate space is the closest bubble of space surrounding an individual. Entry into this space is acceptable only for the closest friends and intimates. Social and consultative spaces are those that people feel comfortable conducting routine social interactions with acquaintances as well as strangers. Public space is the area of space beyond which people will perceive interactions as impersonal and relatively anonymous. Ask yourself a question: how does your behavioral influence effect your physical structuring of space and the way people behave within those spaces? Remembering the three types - do you spend more time in one space over another? For example, when you enter a room in the workplace, where do you navigate to? How does your arrangement within the office communicate your opinion of status, attitude, or authority?

- Linguistic Framework: Practice the various language buzz words heard throughout the day and think about how their meanings influence greatness or cause disharmony within your community. How a person's varying languages identify levels of social status (slang, speech, profanity, etc) and their influence on others?

- Relationship Identifiers: Do you understand the non-verbal signals that people use to define their intentions on relationships? How do you and others within your community convey authority and/or approachability? Practice learning the signals, as they are drivers for understanding behavioral influence.

Here's a Situational Awareness Scenario

You are standing in the parking lot preparing to enter a building. At that moment you witness a man driving into the parking lot, exit his vehicle, and open the trunk of his car. As you continue to watch, you notice the man as he begins to take a firearm out of a case and make sure that it is loaded as it is placed on his waist side. Afterwards, he takes a jacket out of a bag and puts it on to conceal the weapon. At that moment, you've already entered the building and as you begin to speak to the person at the front, the man from the parking lot enters the building walking at a fast pace towards you. He enters your intimate space and a conversation begins.

Questions:

- What are you thinking after reading the scenario?

- What is the non-verbal language telling you about the situation?

- How do you feel about the man entering your intimate space?

- By the way, the building is a police station; the man is a police officer; you are responding to a call from an officer about what you witnessed at a crime scene; and the man is the person who contacted you.

- How do you feel now?

What is Presence "P"?

Presence is one of my favorite dimensions identified within the SPACE model for the simple reason of "bearing." As a United States Marine turned business professional, my entire life as a Marine depended upon my professional bearing – my external sense of "self" that those individuals around me perceived: my level of confidence, self respect, and self worth all have to do with my bearing or "presence." My bearing or presence is also the way my appearance, attitude, and demeanor all influence the relationships within my community. Presence can also be defined as your physicality that allows for and provides the necessary "give and receive" respect and attention.

Presence also involves listening, but not only as it is defined, but also to listen and hear a person with the necessary skill set that creates and provides a quality of self-assurance and effectiveness achieved by the receipt of knowledge that allows one to connect with other people. As a person responsible for building great teams, it is very important that individuals convey confidence, professionalism, and friendliness to those within the community and who are influenced by your personal bearing.

Let's take a look at how one would go about building the skills of Presence. Although I am biased in my opinion, I can't discard my experiences as a U.S. Marine to outline ways of building the skills for bearing or "presence." As we look to increase a person's skill set in the dimension of Presence, here are a few things that can be employed in doing so for building great teams:

- Be Yourself: It is very important that you believe in yourself and be who you are as a person. Have the confidence to act in a fashion that presents you to others keeping an honest presence at all times. Find your natural self (walk, talk, stand, dress, speak, and interaction with others) and express your own voice. Imagine yourself meeting "you" on the street. How would you like to be represented? How would your first impression leave a lasting impression on you in the meeting?

- Self Description: If you were to ask someone to write a description about how they see you as a person, what do you think they would write? It is important to begin working on the areas that require improvement so that you can build a solid image for the way others perceive you and expect you to act by your history and actions.

- The Phone Message: All of us hate the way we sound when we have to setup a new outgoing message on a new telephone. If you're anything like me, you have to record your new outgoing message several times before choosing on the one that best fits your taste at that time. Try listening to your voicemail outgoing message to see how others hear you and perceive you if a caller don't know you intimately. Make a note about the changes you may want to make and execute those changes accordingly. Try doing this at least a few times per year.

- Relationship Mirror: Ask a close friend about their (brutally honest opinion) perspective when they met you for the very first time. It is important to be prepared to receive information that you might think is unfavorable, but don't get caught up in the personal conflict trap that you may create for yourself.

What is Authenticity "A"?

Authenticity refers to the truthfulness of origins, attributions, commitments, sincerity, and intentions; not a copy, phony, or misinterpretation for a way of behaving, which engenders a perception that one is honest with one's self as well as others. Author Karl Albrecht states it best; "when people respect themselves, have faith in their personal values and beliefs, and are 'straight' with others, they are likely to behave in ways that others perceive as authentic. However, in the context of SI, Authenticity involves more than simply being oneself and includes the ability to connect genuinely with other people, which demands empathy and compassion."

Let's take a look at how one would go about building the skills of Authenticity. As we look at this segment within the Law of SPACE, the dimension realizes how honest and sincere you actually are with people. In order to build on the skills that allow you to be honest with yourself first and others, one must first examine "narcissism" and "altruism," as they both relate to how we are as people. Narcissism can become pathological if it renders a person incapable of dealing with people in a responsible manner – respectful encounters. Whereas, altruism is defined as being completely unselfish for the welfare and concern of others. Here are some signs that relate to people who may exhibit qualities of narcissistic behaviors:

- Self focus during interpersonal communication.

- Difficulty maintaining and creating relationships.

- Lacking within the dimension of "Situational Awareness."

- Lack of empathy.

- Having difficulty seeing themselves as others see them.

- Vulnerability to shame over guilt – the mirror effect.

What some my see as narcissistic behaviors can easily be identified as lacking Authenticity. Things you can begin practicing and incorporating into your daily routine to increase your own dimension of Authenticity and those transferable skills for building great teams may include:

- The Past Represents the Future: Think about something you've done in the past week or moth that completely went against what you actually wanted to do instead. Did you give into yourself? Did you go along with something to reduce the amount of potential conflict within a group? How did popular culture influence your decision that caused compromise within your mind?

- Reference: The book store has become one of my favorite places to shop for materials that help me to grow in different areas of my life. Try doing this for yourself. Get yourself a great book on vales, behaviors, attitudes, etc. Review the areas that you feel may help you to improve on. If you agree with the information that is gathered from the publication, look to see if your own behaviors reflect the information you find as intriguing process improvement.

- Life's Business Plan: Learn how to develop a business plan (abbreviated) and make one for yourself. The "executive strategy, mission statement, posture statement," etc all lead to a specific objective. Developing one for your life helps to define areas that may not be aligned with your life's objectives. Review the information daily and ask yourself if you are meeting the objectives outlined by your newly defined strategy, mission and posture statements.

What is Clarity "C"?

What are your thoughts when you think about Clarity? The answer to this question has festered on my mind in troubling ways. As an entrepreneur, I've come to understand the critical importance for the dimension of Clarity. It's amazing to me how Social Intelligence is so apparent within my current reality, especially this specific dimension. I believe that Clarity may be the greatest dimension within the SPACE model. Clarity is defined as the ability to express one's self "clearly."

This is only successful when the use of specific language becomes effective in its translation that explains meaning, definition, and concepts clearly. Allow me to use my own reality as an example. Within the business dealings for my organization, I've been approached by community activists to bring our experience and program models into their community to instruct on the lessons of strategic planning and transformational thought. In order to successfully accept and complete the assignment, a decision was made to reach out to colleagues for assistance. Knowing that no compensation would be received, my position on the issue required me to express to my colleagues that compensation is not the driving force but the company is accepting the assignment to help the end users reach greater levels of personal achievement. The team was assembled and the assignment went off without fail. Everyone was happy at the end of the day, or so I thought.

Weeks after the event, conversations were presented to me about my colleagues joining the firm as full time associates. I was elated; as I believed that our synergies presented opportunities that future interactions would be aligned with developing greatness for our community and the communities we service. The discussions led to further articulating how individual experience levels, attributes, personal levels of mastery, and future goals and objectives would add value to the organization. I believed that my level of Clarity was explicit, defining my intentions with specificity. I learned that I had not been as clear as I believed. The business of human interaction is one that requires effectiveness within the paradigm of "tacit knowledge." Tacit knowledge is the science of "learning by doing."

The challenge lies in the learning aspect; meaning, if you have 'learned' to do what you believe is right, it is your responsibility to ensure that the 'doing' reflects the absolute correct way for completing the tasks and not the right way that you have been shown to do something. What am I referring? Most of us have come across a team member that is responsible for showing us how to complete a task on the job. In some cases, the demonstration is shown with a shortcut that eliminates steps and processes. We all know that the steps and processes are there for a reason. As this example relates to Clarity, each one of us can think about a common mistake made in the past when communicating with other people; we sometimes make the assumption that people automatically understand our intent, effort, and a passion for completing a task and our explanation to them about doing the same.

It may seem like I am leading you down a path that is beginning to become unclear. I am doing this on purpose to make a point. After reading the previous statements about tacit knowledge, I understanding what I am talking about, but you may not as it pertains to the context of Clarity. It is so important that all members within a community seeking a shared-vision that meets specific outcomes to understand the power of language as a medium of thought and expression and to use it as a strategic and valued asset when interacting with people. Back to my dilemma; although I believed that I was very clear within my dialog with my colleague, I lacked in my behavioral social influence that spoke louder than the words that were coming out of my mouth. By allowing my colleagues to continue to be a part of the dealings of the organization and then engaging within the human resource elements for the company, my colleagues had already moved past that point because my actions demonstrated that they had already been accepted within the company successfully.

My behavioral elements allowed for my colleagues to enter my intimate space – whereas in my mind, they were still operating within my social and consultative spaces (refer back to Proxemic Context). So, as I traced my mistakes back to understand that my own Clarity issues caused a significant problem amongst individuals that I respect and keep in high regard. The result; my colleagues and I ended up in public space – the area of space beyond which people will perceive interactions as impersonal and possibly anonymous, as communications between a team of very good people went cold.

This situation within my own personal community caused me to have to look deep within myself to decide if loosing relationships over a lack of Clarity was worth the loss of respected friendships. My answer was "no!" You see, when you experience a lack of Clarity in your dealings with people and in most cases, it's not done purposefully, it is very important to clear the way that articulates further dialog to explain intent. At this point, your own 'Social Processes of Leadership' must work to bring the other dimensions of the Law>to the forefront. Albrecht states, for example, "Those with high SI Clarity have mastered the ability to move from a "sky-high" level of abstract communication to a ground- or concrete-level. In simplistic form, they can pilot a "verbal helicopter," choosing terms, figures of speech, expression, analogies, and metaphors that position the listeners thinking process at the desired altitude."

It is critical that your understanding within a conversation is at the same level of the person you are interacting. Thus, they are capable of taking their listeners down to the lowest level of detail or up to the highest level of generality. This past summer, I reached out to a highly successful marketing firm to assist me in developing our company's elevator pitch in the marketplace.

In the context of "high SI Clarity," people that already possess the high, in most cases (this is not to say that people who do not have high SI Clarity can't be successful), will have an easier time in mastering the elevator pitch. I learned that my ability to master this concept for my organization and teams required practice in developing my own brief, compelling distillation of my important business idea, course of action, and point of view that conveyed my organizations intro before reaching the desired floor. In working with the marketing company, it was clear to me that the lofty $20 words didn't relay Clarity within our message, yet learning to express our messages in a compact and effective way became increasingly useful and clear to the end user – and to me as the individual responsible for developing the message.

Albrecht believes that when people become aware of the value and impact of a semantically flexible way of expressing ideas, they see how the smallest word can influence communication and understanding. For example, because the subtle effect of the "but" word ("my belief is that the way to conduct training should be done this way and not your way, but ..."), can cause conflict and create difficulty for people to successfully interact on an issue of importance. He also notes that owning up to your personal mistakes made in dialog (e.g. saying "I don't know," "I made a mistake," and "I changed my mind,") freely, appropriately, and without guilt, increases semantic sanity and cleans up one's language. Let's take a look at how one would go about building the skills of Clarity. Here are a few things that can be employed in doing so for building great teams:

- Articulation: Study how people with high SI Clarity present themselves by watching television and the way they present ideas, dialog of business concepts, etc. Watch how they sequence their elevator pitch, metaphors, use of facts and ideologies. Increase your level of intellect to prepare for your future.

- Personality Assessment: Take a personality assessment, such as our performance management assessment tool known as the "Breakthrough TTI 'PIAV' Assessment" to measures responses in each of the six attitudes all of us possess. The results demonstrate the "why" of your actions, which with application; can tremendously impact your valuing of life and level of Clarity. Once you know the attitudes that drive your actions, you will immediately be able to understand potential causes of internal conflict. You'll understand and appreciate your relationships more as you recognize and value the attitudes of other people. You will see how their attitudes might interact with your own that also adds Clarity across the community at large.

- Communications Development: try to learn ten new words per week and use them within your dialog when interacting with others. Learn clever metaphors and introduce them into your conversations, but be certain that they are expressing your intent to influence specific "spaces" affected by you and within your community relationships. Train yourself through learning the messages found in newspaper cartoons like "Dilbert" that express people interaction. The humor may add to the learning of something new.

- Practice Innovation: Use innovative ways of interacting with people. This is not to say that you go about trying methods that require you to understand the complexities that may be above your acumen, however; learn new techniques (e.g. thinking before speaking, or tacit knowledge – learning by doing).

What is Empathy "E"?

As we look at the last of the five dimensions of the Law of SPACE, the time has come to examine Empathy. This dimension looks at how individuals are truly aware and considerate they are of others feelings and their ability to become intertwined with people's individuality. In its normal subtext, being an empathetic person can be defined as a means for identifying with another person and appreciating and/or sharing their feelings. However, in the context of SI, there is also a sense of connectedness that encourages and strongly inspires people to cooperate within each other.

Thus, Albrecht defines empathy as "a state of positive feeling between two people, commonly referred to as a condition of rapport." Another way of looking at the dimension of Empathy is achieving synergies within relationship wavelengths that invite people to journey with you towards a shared-vision. This dimension may be lacking in organizations that are employing change models throughout the system. In most cases, the organization experience resistance from a change agent's naysayer who simply resist any transition from old to new methods for getting things done. Killing other people's ideas by saying things such as, "it won't work here, or we tried it before" is particularly toxic.

However, taking the proactive approach identifying reasons why a change model can work based on theoretical underpinnings and past successes will offer opportunities for successful acceptance that has a greater potential for getting people to listen and respond with greater receptiveness. According to Albrecht, another step in building the Empathy dimension involves the adoption and increased use of positive and nourishing behavioral influence that requires more than avoidance of toxicity. Empathy requires a significant investment and long-term commitment rather than an episodic application of wit and charm. By not making the proper form of commitment or investment, eliminating toxic behavior only produces apathy. Take a look at the "Toxic vs. Nourishing Behavioral" chart to identify the two as they play within the dimension of Empathy.
Figure 1. "Toxic vs. Nourishing Behavioral" Chart
Chart

..>..>..>

"Toxic" Behaviors	"Nourishing" Behaviors
Without "stokes"	Giving positive stokes
Throwing verbal barbs, "zingers"	Kidding positively
Giving non-verbal put-downs	Giving positive stokes
Patronizing or "parenting" a person	Treating a person as an equal
Seeking approval excessively	Seeking and acting assertively
Flattering others insincerely	Giving honest compliments
Loosing one's temper easily	Deferring ones automatic reactions
Playing "games" with people	Cooperating: giving positive stokes
Disagreeing routinely	Agreeing where possible
Speaking dogmatically, inflexible	Using "semantic flexibility"
Bragging, scoring "status points"	Sharing another persons successes
Violating confidences	Keeping confidences
Breaking promises and agreements	Making only promises one will keep
Joking at inappropriate times	Joking constructively
Monopolizing the conversation	Sharing "air time"
Interrupting others frequently	Hearing others out
Changing the subject capriciously	Sticking to the subject
Complaining excessively	Giving constructive suggestions
Giving someone the "hard sell"	Suggesting, advising, negotiating
Insisting on having one's way	Compromising, helping others
Attacking or criticizing others	Confronting constructively
Inducing guilt in others	Persuading honestly; negotiating
Ridiculing others	Supporting others; sympathizing
Shooting down ideas	Deferring judgment; listening
Giving unwanted advice	Offering information and ideas

 

The "Toxic vs. Nourishing Behavioral" chart is taken directly from Karl Albrecht's "Social Intelligence" publication, Pg. 140, Exhibit 6.1, "E" Stands for Empathy segment.

Here are a few ways to build empathetic connection between people: being attentive, appreciative, offering affirmation, sustaining process improvement thru supportive behavior, and adopting our silver lining: doing what is right always extends confidence in others by your actions, and instills positive actions to add value through their own behavioral influences – tacit knowledge. Within the workbook segment for learning the Empathy dimension, further articulation for Empathy is found in a short exercise that we developed known as the L.E.A.P.S. Factor: Empathy by Design.

The exercise is derived from Dr. George Thompson's "Verbal Judo" concept used within his training seminars and publications based at his New Mexico facility. Similarly, our exercise is designed to instruct people how to deal with angry, irrational, or even dangerous individuals within a specified community using "tacit knowledge" as a paradigm for foundational approach. Its design is dynamic for law enforcement officials, teachers, youth development specialists, and other high risk professionals in our society. The exercise uses the word as an acronym: L. Listen, E. Empathize, A. Ask, P. Paraphrase, S. Summarize. The L.E.A.P.S. Factor: Empathy by Design exercise promise to be fun in nature but stimulating in its approach for successful application. Please contact us at Tools@ArtofDetachment.com to get your copy of the L.E.A.P.S. Factor: Empathy by Design exercise.

Let's take a look at how one would go about building the skills of Empathy. As we look at building personal skills and do the things that are necessary to increase an individual's dimension of Empathy, here are a few things that can be employed in doing so for building great teams:

- Bird Watching: As in bird watching that allows the study of behavioral actions, try looking at people within your community who seems to have challenges connecting with others. Try to observe their behaviors to identify reasons that may be contributing to their inability to connect with proficiency. Establish a relationship, keeping your "toxic" and "nourishing" behavioral contexts at the forefront, and see if you can successfully suggest ways they may be able to improve. Also, try to identify how people that connect easily with others use behavioral and attitudinal approaches to their advantage in doing so. Make a list of their attributes and characteristics that you feel can assist you and others for improving in the area of empathizing well with others.

- Dead Man's Stare: In the U.S. Marine Corps, it is rare to see a Marine smile in their photographs. This would lead others to believe that Marines are not the funniest people in the world. Keeping this picture on your mind, imagine meeting a U.S. Marine in a social setting; he/she has the face of stone or what we call the "dead mans stare" (meaning, their stare seems to go right through you). How would you approach this type of person? What are some of the things that you would say to loosen them up for the occasion? How would you go about getting them to laugh or loosen up? Write down a few things that would offer suggestive ways of supporting this person's ability to become a social butterfly.

- The Conflict: This is a tough one. The next time that you find yourself within an argument or conflict with another person – a spouse, personal acquaintance, etc, after you walk away and calm down, write down the "toxic" behaviors from each participant during the conflict. Remember that toxic are empathy-destroying things in a relationship. Afterwards, take a look at the list and determine at what point you could have contributed to a "nourishing" comment that may have concluded the conflict sooner or with a greater outcome. This is a great exercise to do within your professional relationships. It will help you to further understand the people you work with and empathize with their short comings, if any, and create strategic advantages to the team instead of matriculating strategic vulnerabilities into the future.

Summation

Building great teams is not an easy feat to accomplish. If it were, we would have them across every single organization and community. There would be less complexity in our communities and organizations and greater levels of leadership. The challenge with motivating people is that each person is different. They come from different backgrounds, speak and think differently, act and react differently, and most of all, each person has a different agenda. The critical part to building a dynamic team of individuals that all share the same vision is to get them to understand their survival ultimately depends on their success as a unified front.

Moving them into the Law of SPACE creates opportunities for every team associate to be influenced with a positive and creative perspective and opinion due to their understanding of each other perspective within the community. Be warned; the Law of SPACE is optional and allows the individuals and the team to become a greater influence and motivator of excellence using leadership as the stimulus and a shared-vision for execution. Allowing the team to witness the actions of their leader(s) and not just hearing second hand the orders coming down through a third party places a level of respect in the minds of the entire system. As they continue to see leadership's actions reap significant benefits to themselves, the organization, and the team, an increase in morale and trust across the system will become apparent and you will benefit from the constructs of a dynamic team-centric environment.

The Recap of the Morale Constructs Strategy

Paradigm: "The Morale Constructs Strategy." The secret to building a shared-vision across an organization is to get the associates to think less of their motives and more of the mission at hand. Achieving this measure requires trust, credibility, character, and an understanding of your situational awareness at all times. Ensure the members of the community each understands the competitive forces against the system and the potential outcome should the forces breach the talent fields of the organization. Turn the mission into a crusade that everyone is a major influence to narrow the competitions base of support and room for tactical maneuvering. Always lean on "right," as the good guy's white hat never hits the ground due to his convictions and disposition for righteousness.

"There always are concrete human groupings which fight other concrete human groupings in the name of justice, humanity, order, or peace. When being reproached for immorality and cynicism, the spectator of political phenomena can always recognize in such reproaches a political weapon used in actual combat."

- Carl Schmitt (1888 - 1985)

For additional information on the "Morale Constructs Strategy" and using this tactic as a means for influencing greatness within a team-centric environment, our Art of Detachment publication (Available at: www.KendallHunt.com, ISBN10: 0-7575-4360-X and ISBN13: 978-0-7575-4360-9) is available pre-orders now. The official release date is Wednesday, 1 August 2007. The publication provides additional value to the subject of building great teams and more. This is one that should not be missed and an absolute "must" have for your leadership and organizational behavior library.

A Personal Letter from the Skipper

Hey my on-line friends, it's the Skipper asking for your support and assistance. For those of you who don't know me, my first book: "The Art of Detachment: Breakthrough Principles to Transformational Leadership" is due out on 1 August 2007. After speaking with over 100 publishers (turned down) and 130 emailed publicists (no luck), the project was finally picked up by Kendall Hunt Publishers in Dubuque, Iowa. This project is my life's work, part motivation/part leadership-organizational behavior for individuals and organizations to move their personal and professional leadership abilities into greater levels of achievement.

At present, the leadership community is populated with icons such as Blanchard, Covey, Drucker, Maxwell and others. This list, however illustrious (I am a student of them all and a big fan), are reasons for successes at all levels of humanity and will continue to inspire greatness in people and organizations around the world. God knows, I am very grateful for each of them in my quest for knowledge, growth, and inspiration. I believe that there is a market for yet another published works to inspire greatness as well. That marketplace is within the African American community (including all others) by one of its own from the Philadelphia area. During one of my pitch meetings for the project, I was told that there's really no more room for a new author regurgitating the lessons from the outstanding authors named here (WRONG; they obviously did not read the manuscript!). They said that I was proposing a book that won't do well in the retail market because no one knows my name. And believe it or not, one of my colleagues from my own community told me that I should remove any reference of my ethnicity if I wanted the book to go main stream.

I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE TO HELP ME TO PROVE THEM WRONG.

The book culminates three years of grueling research on my behalf and has withstood a very tough defense from a board of collegiate professors to ensure the information can stand strong on its findings with its proposed readership base. The Art of Detachment introduces a new discipline of leadership, "Democratic Leadership," using math and science to support its development. Imagine taking the rigors of leadership and character training from the United States Marine Corps, the discipline of Organizational Behavior "OB," and the lessons of an entrepreneurial minority startup that failed more times than it would experience a successful benchmark. Now, place all of this into a blender, mix it up and pour it into a glass for drinking. Once the lessons are in your system, the outcome is a leader who is willing to go the distance for something he/she believes in without worrying about the words spoken in and around popular culture. In other words, you learn to find your voice while inspiring and encouraging others to find theirs!

For some of you, this book is the ingredient that you have been searching for. For others, it will be the tipping point to move you into greater levels of achievement in your personal and professional commitments. I hope that it will become a gift from some of you to another person who may be searching for their voice in life – much like a gift from a friend in 2005 to me that became the stimulus for this project. During my darkest moment, I was inspired to read the John C. Maxwell Leadership Bible, Psalms 91. I have yet to put the book down and it began a completely new chapter in my life that has become the second part of this project titled, "The Art of Detachment for the CHRISTIAN Leader." And by the way, I still read Psalms 91 today.

Our publisher will only get behind it if this book sells well. Please pre-buy multiple copies and gift them to anyone who is growing in their personal and professional life. The project is dynamic for "Executive educational" purposes within all realms of business and organizational leadership. The book is currently available through our publisher Kendall Hunt Publishers http://www.kendallhunt.com/) at a pre-sale price. Please pre-buy and FORWARD THIS E-MAIL to others and ask them to pass it along as well.

The Art of Detachment (ISBN: 978-0-7575-4360-9), I promise, will change the direction in your life and provides the needed tools to achieve your "Victory" from the "Defeats" in your life. It's not always about the dollars; most of the time, its only about achieving your dreams. When that happens, the rest will come anyway. Please continue to follow the Blog series. It gleans insight from the lessons outlined in the book. I hope that you enjoy the reading.

Thank you so much for all of your support,

Damian D. "Skipper" Pitts

Notice: If you don't have the John C. Maxwell Leadership Bible, I strongly encourage you to get it! It is fantastic, and I think that it will change the course of your life due to its firm understand of how we are built to live and lead others to do the same.

Coming to AMAZON.com and other online retailers in August 2007

E-mail me at: BookRequest@ArtofDetachment.com
Website: Http://www.ArtofDetachment.com
Training: (LeaderShaping) Training@ArtofDetachment.com
Assessments (Breakthrough TTI) BTTI@ArtofDetachment.com
Resources: Tools@ArtofDetachment.com

Try the Morale Constructs Strategy to Build Great Teams – Part III

As we continue on with the series, “Building Great Teams using the Morale Constructs Strategy,” part three goes into the “Law of the BENCH (Balance, Enforce, Navigate, Challenge, and Hone).” This law is used for adding depth in teams for all stakeholders seeking to influence greatness. So far, we’ve examined the key element that binds through trust and credibility. Then we examined the six characteristics, which allow the blood to flow that also lends value to trust and credibility. Now, it is important to discuss the nature of depth. It is defined as intensity or a degree of deepness and for the sake of the context that we are speaking; I am referring to the depth of leadership’s ability to influence a shared-vision within the construct of the team environment. The Law of the BENCH focuses on goal orientation and expectation of behavioral perspective from the individuals and the team as one unified front.

Let’s be clear; goals are choices made in the scope of shaping the future and offer a competitive posture to achieve purpose and objectives. It is almost impossible to make sense of a community’s ability to grow within its scope and posture without first possessing a strong sense of knowledge of its goals. Consideration of goals ultimately leads to a few central questions to be asked by everyone involved in building great teams. Here are a few:

- What does leadership expect its team unit(s) to achieve?
- What are the benefits, features, and expectations from its stakeholders and team unit(s) at large?
- What are the timelines expected to meet changing paradigms?
- What type of differentiation are they hoping to achieve?
- What degree of customer (internal and external) satisfaction and value are they seeking to provide the environment influenced by their actions – in what ways are they hoping to become a good citizen for others to follow?

These and other questions are just the beginning for defining goals for a well constructed team. Each team unit(s) has an explicit or implicit hierarchy of goal orientation that involves some mixture of marketplace, finance, technology, or other factors to take into account. In building depth (balance, enforcement, and navigation) that goes into trust and constructing a shared-vision (the ultimate goal of any team working towards a common objective), four levels of goals need to be considered: (1) strategic intent/ the vision to impact environmental circumstances; (2) strategic thrusts; (3) objectives (mission strategy), and (4) operating goals (mission execution). Allow me to discuss the four briefly, as they all attribute to the development and characteristics for adding depth within a team.

Leadership requires goals at each level of strategic intent that defines the vision of the team to impact environmental circumstances. They are used for examine short and long-term conceptualized modeling to change what a community is hoping to achieve in terms of client relationships. Everything is based on relationships; whether people, systems, organizations, or more. In some cases, the intent or vision embodies a goal of reshaping and reconfiguration of the means for achieving expected outcomes. Reshaping and reconfiguring (navigation) identifies goal orientation by expressing a fresh IDEA. Ideas influence your paradigm of choice that adds spark to ignite your paradigm of change. It is important to that everyone across the team to fully understand the critical importance for becoming a “Champion of Change” for reshaping and reconfiguring process and protocol that graduates effectiveness to greatness.

When this occurs, everyone involved gains a feeling that their voice is considered for navigating a balanced direction that wins the challenges that determines the enforcement of actions and behaviors from the team. The outcome to the environment becomes significant, as the experience “sharpens” the community’s vision for taking on the responsibilities to lead the way that ultimately inspires greatness. Fresh ideas are honed for efficient and effective integration as a model for reproduction using the idea(s) as the required modeling to learn, teach, and lead into the future. Ideas can easily become the model that motivates intent or vision within a team and it is critical that the participants become fully aware that their voice is significant for influencing greater outcomes by expressing their own ideation. Let’s examine how an “IDEA” can be developed into a model for leaders to examine and articulate a valued dimension within the reshaping and reconfiguring process:

I – Instruct a shared-vision by influencing trust through balance.
D – Demonstrate by example the benefits and features found in success.
E – Experience the glory after executing process and procedure flawlessly.
A – Assess all areas of reshaping and reconfiguring to ensure success.

Ideas can easily be construed as a model of investment. It will be the ability of the team leader to ensure that the applied strategies have been influenced by all stakeholders. Ideas that are successful add value and depth to a community and environmental circumstance. Here’s something to consider as you look to use the Law of the BENCH; “why change something that works if the influence creates a dynamic stimulus across a community and the
leadership behaviors that demonstrates high levels of competence for achieving a win?”

Now, well look at Strategic Thrust. Strategic thrust refers to the significant investment commitments that a team has decided on (the buy-in) or plans to undertake to realize its intent or vision. Some examples lead to a high level of competence to include an investment through alliance or collaboration. Selecting the proper alliances and collaborating relationships adds value to all teams seeking a competitive edge. This selection requires a significant
level of competence in human behaviors and attitudes. The time that it takes to gain the competencies requires a significant commitment and investment from all participants within the team.

Competencies are classified as leadership gifts that others tend to watch and glean insightful ideas to improve their own abilities. Without ever knowing it, success is influenced across a team by each leadership attribute. Individuals selected within the team or chosen to collaborate with a team will seek to answer four specific questions based on knowledge, desire, ability, and trust. Each question addresses strategic thrust as it relates to an individual’s competencies as an investment made on behalf of the team. They are:

1. Knowledge: Does a leader within the team know where he is going and how he is going to get there?
2. Desire: Do others seek to journey in the direction of the team leader?
3. Ability: Does the leader have the ability and competence to get his/her teammates where he is heading?
4. Trust: Does the team leader trust him/herself first, then the ability of his/her teammates for influencing a responsible journey into the future?

“Waste no time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.” – Marcus Aurelius

One way to answer to the four outlined questions that goes into the development of depth within a team environment is the use of a Five Paragraph Order. This dimension is derived directly from the United States Marine Corps. It specifies instruction across a team as they are preparing to engage a mission. It provides a structure for the unit to be able to understand and execute the mandates within a mission established by each leader within the team –
everyone! It is different from other instruction of higher authority in that it could be given orally instead of being issued as a written order. Officers and non-commissioned Marine Corps officers also use it informally in order to communicate relevant information prior to non-combative movements (e.g. administrative travel/convoy, field exercise movements, weapons instruction, liberty, etc).

So why am I referring to this element of the Marine Corps for teams to add balance for shaping future actions to influence greatness through change? For the simple fact that it offers unwritten protocol, discipline, accountability, execution, and tactical excellence for teams to win.

The characteristics within a Five Paragraph Order further articulate collaborative methods for building great teams on the individual level. For the sake of time, I’ll only examine the quintessential characteristic and trait oriented perspective for teams to use the “order’ for influencing positive change within the heart of each participant leader. Possessing the right amount of both – characteristic and trait –heads off personal conflict and combative engagements that stunts personal growth within team environments and other relationship building measures.

The characteristics and traits can be commonly referred to and remembered by the acronym SMEAC. When applied within a team members own life, it defines a pragmatic approach, guided by practical experiences for them to make decisions for future successful behaviors and actions. They also add depth across a team as each person increases their own capacity to lead effectively. They will ultimately result an individual achieving strong personal character and the necessary traits instilled for promoting excellence for the teams benefit. This simply means that a Five Paragraph Order can and will become a significant part to a persons individual makeup for achieving successful growth – day in and day out. The acronym can be defined as: “Situation, Mission, Plan and Method of Execution, Administration and Logistics, and Command and Signal Information.”

The characteristics and traits are used as 14 distinguishing qualities that each individual on a team should possess as critical leadership traits. As a unified, shared-vision (buy-in) is achieved; the team will lead solution-centric qualities across any environment that they are responsible to lead. SMEAC is also used for establishing a clear message for building depth in trust and credibility by everyone that has a stake in the team’s performance.

Five Paragraph Order Traits

1. Bearing. This is the greatest attribute that all U.S. Marines learn early in their career: general appearance, carriage, deportment and conduct. It is the foundation for the individual seeking a change to look, act, and speak like a leader through a state of flawlessness. It is an essential element in a leader's effectiveness and should be cultivated by maintaining impeccable personal appearance, avoiding the devils tongue, remaining true to your word, holding your temper, speaking clearly, and walking upright.

2. Courage. This is a state that enables recognition and fear of danger or criticism, while still allowing calm and firm action. It exists in a moral, as well as physical sense. Moral courage means knowing what is right and standing up for it in the face of popular disfavor. At a time that the individual accepts his call of higher purpose, accepts his/her wrongs, he accepts blame and full accountability for his actions – good and bad.

3. Decisiveness. Assessing your personal situation requires you to have the courage and professional bearing to make decisions promptly; gathering all of the facts, weighing one against the other, then calmly and quickly arriving at the best decision established by best practice. Decisiveness is largely a matter of practice and experience growing out of self-confidence and competence.

4. Dependability. This allows the owner to assign specific tasks with a full level of confidence that your personal talents will complete the tasks influencing maximum effort. Once a decision has been made, the owner must be prepared to give it their best effort, supporting personal conviction and policy, to achieve the highest standards of performance.

5. Endurance. This attribute is akin to courage. It is the mental and physical stamina which is measured by the ability to withstand pain, fatigue, stress, and hardship. Subordinate Marines may view a lack of endurance in combat situations as cowardice. When this occurs, leadership types must display an acceptable, if not superior, level of endurance. In the same light, individuals seeking proactive and positive change must stand firm on the decisions that directs forward movement. Endurance and stamina should be developed by regular participation during strenuous mental activity.

6. Enthusiasm. This attribute is the display of sincere interest and zeal in the performance of duties. Displaying interest and optimism in performing a task greatly enhances the likelihood that the task will be successfully accomplished. Enthusiastic leaders are optimistic, cheerful, willing to accept the challenges of their mission and profession, and determined to do the best job possible. Enthusiasm is contagious. Nothing will develop it more than past success.

7. Initiative. This attribute allows you to take action in the absence of written direction from another person. Leaders who meet new and unexpected situations with prompt action instill respect and trust in them and in those that their actions influence. Closely associated with initiative is resourcefulness – the ability to deal with a situation in the absence of normal resources or methods. To aid in the development of initiative, individuals must remain alert at all times, recognize the task that needs to be done, and then accomplish it with caution, judgment, discretion, and flawlessness.

8. Integrity. The uprightness and soundness of moral principles and the qualities of truthfulness and honesty comprise integrity. An upright individual places honesty, sense of duty, and sound moral principles above all else. Nothing less than complete honesty in all dealings with superiors, subordinates, and peers is acceptable.

9. Judgment. This attribute provides the ability to weigh facts and circumstances logically in order to make decisions. Anticipation of situations, avoidance of the "easy" decision, and the application of common sense are characteristic. Tacit Knowledge,’ the science of learning by doing frequently plays an important role, as well. Individuals that make sound decisions either have personal knowledge essential to solving a particular problem or have the presence of mind to confer with experts.

10. Justice. A just individual gives reward and self punishment to themselves according to the merits within the circumstance at hand. Impartiality is exercised in all judgment situations, and prejudice of any kind is avoided. Because each decision is a test of fairness which must be observed the decision maker must remain fair, consistent and prompt. Individual consideration should be given in each case.

11. Tacit Knowledge. This attribute defines the science of learning by doing – acting on your faith through experience of prior actions. It then becomes a range of one's information, including professional knowledge. Individuals are required to develop programming to remain abreast of current developments relating to their specialty, personal conviction, and circumstance. Individuals must be leaders of self first.

12. Loyalty. This attribute is required to keep the individual loyal to themselves. It is the quality of faithfulness to a mission, which should be reflected in every action. An individual’s good reputation becomes widespread when it is based upon actions taken to protect and secure from flip-flop decision making or “personal abuse.” Individuals seeking greatness do not allow personal opinion to interfere with a mission, nor do they give the impression of indecisiveness along the journey.

13. Tact. This attribute provides the ability to deal with others in a manner that will maintain good relations and avoid offense. During conditions of stress, the use of tact becomes challenging when delivering personal criticism to self or to those influenced by your actions. An inexperienced person who may not be used to dealing with conflict on their own may feel that politeness implies softness. On the contrary, a calm, courteous, and firm approach usually
will bring a cooperative response without unnecessary unpleasantness to those around your employ. Consistently treating yourself with the highest level of respect and courtesy regardless of conditions or true feelings is a sign of maturity required of leaders.

14. Unselfishness. This final trait is the avoidance of providing for one's personal comfort and advancement at the expense of others. The comfort, pleasure, and recreation levels should be placed above everything. Looking out for the needs of others is the essence of ‘self-leadership.’ However, keep in mind that accomplishment of any mission has priority – and that priority is to the mission and those influenced by the outcome first and foremost. Individuals that see themselves as flawless leaders give themselves lowest priority and share the dangers and hardships with those affected by their decisions.

At this point, it is critical to examine objectives and operating goals combined. Objectives refer to goals that transform strategic thrust into action programs. They tend to specify results that embrace a time horizon and represents benchmarks or broad targets and milestones that a team strives to achieve. For example, as the CEO of my organization, our strategic thrust to penetrate new markets were guided by objectives such as: program launch within the chosen markets based on focused timelines to achieve a specific market share for the organization and our ability to achieve average gross margin established by the planning team. Operating goals are short-term targets that are measurable, specific, and detailed. They are viewed as significant accomplishments that contribute to the achievement of objectives.

Typically, operating goals include (using the context in the example above): achieving a particular market share for each market or, for different specific client relations, improve planned margins by significant amounts to enhance client satisfaction based on scale and measurement.

In closing, goals make sense within the actions of a team using the Law of the BENCH to influence levels of trust within the depths of its accomplishments. When you think about an explicit or implicit hierarchy of goal orientation, we must take into account how goals facilitate coordination of what otherwise might be disparate and conflicting activities. They motivate and stimulate a team’s ability to rationalize its actions so that each stakeholder can contribute to a winning cause.

Achieving goal orientation, individuals within a team environment must be prepared to undergo the seven “D’s” of courage. This approach is also defined as the “balance of time” affect. This dynamic is similar to a heavy weight fight night. The win requires preparation through the successful execution of a desire to achieve a dream (shared-vision) with the required decisiveness that dares a dedicated direction that is dependant on individual and collaborative skill, leadership, and competence to achieve success. Use them wisely, as a team who works as one through “choice” of becoming a force of one, is a team who wins in battle by never striking a single blow to its competing force.

1. Desire: Become a champion of change; a major part of a solution.
2. Dream: Achieve a preferred future picture with just leaders.
3. Decisiveness: Recognize the process of trust, competence, and influence to encourage and inspire a journey to find your voice.
4. Dare: The courage to act outweighs the fear to not!
5. Dedication: Remain committed to fulfill the responsibility within a call.
6. Direction: Achieve a clear plan of influenced and proactive change.
7. Dependence: Rely on achieving greatness – not effectiveness.

More on the Morale Constructs Strategy can be seen in the publication, the “Art of Detachment.” Part 4 in this series, the Law of SPACE (Community), provides additional value to the subject of building great teams and should not be missed. More on the Law of the BENCH can be seen in the upcoming publication release, the Art of Detachment, published by Kendall Hunt Publishers (ISBN10: 0-7575-4360-X and ISBN13: 978-0-7575-4360-9).