Let’s make it more personal with this sobering question: are the people you lead better or worse off because of you? What is the experience of each person on the other end of your leadership?

Since there are so many leadership responsibilities, let’s focus on just a few that have enormous implications for the people in our wake.

Your Decisions

We’ve probably all complained at one time or another that “management” makes arbitrary decisions and doesn’t understand the impact on the day-to-day work. But then one day we’re put in charge and have to figure it out. By definition, decision-making involves uncertainty and risk. Leaders are responsible for applying not only their insights and fact-based evidence – they must seek to understand the implications at the frontline – and especially at the point of customer interaction.

Your Feedback

Feedback is tricky business – especially when it’s negative. Many times we jump straight in and give abrasive feedback off the cuff or we feel intimidated and don’t give feedback that is truly necessary. Both approaches make a situation worse. It helps to remember there is a real, live person on the other end of our feedback. A curt, one-sided exchange may feel efficient in the moment but create more work and resistance in the long-run than taking the time to have a thoughtful interaction.

Your Commitment to Growth

What got you to where are now won’t get you to the next opportunity. Leaders either grow or they slow. The tricky part is that the more responsibilities a leader takes on, the less time they usually have available to sharpen the saw without being disciplined and intentional. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to chart your growth.

Your Transparency

Leaders tell the truth. Of course it’s not always appropriate to disclose 100% of the information to 100% of the stakeholders in 100% of the situations. But leaders go out of their way to tell their followers what they need to know without making them wait any longer than is necessary. It’s very hard to maintain credibility when followers think you’re hiding something. It’s nearly impossible to maintain credibility after your actions don’t match your words.

Your Vulnerability

In The Five Dysfunctions of Team, bestselling author Patrick Lencioni says that a leader demonstrating vulnerability is one of the best ways to build trust on a team. That means admitting where he messed up or needs help. It’s always difficult to say I’m sorry and no one wants to appear incompetent. But keep in mind, none of these revelations come as a surprise to the people on the other end of your leadership. Appropriate vulnerability builds credibility rather than erodes it.

Your Character

Ultimately, skill can make you leader but it’s character that will sustain you. Unfortunately, skills come much more easily than character. Think about it, would you rather have an employee who lacked skill or who lacked character? Your character is the sum total of the embodiment of your values. It’s not enough to have positive aspirations, character comes through both in the daily grind and the crucible.

Remember, everyone watches the leader. Being a leader is like interviewing for your dream job – every single day. Some days are better than others, but at the end of the day, each person on the other end of our leadership deserves our very best.

Nathan Magnuson is a leadership consultant, coach, trainer and thought leader. Receive his ebook Trusted Leadership Advisor by subscribing to his website or follow him on Twitter.

Dictatorship is alive and well in the world of global politics, but it’s a not-so-subtle organizational management style as well. So if you want to lead like a dictator, here are some unfortunate suggestions for you, including some from Machiavelli. And if you prefer a more serving style of leadership, note the contrasts.

Capitalize on Crises

Crises can be ripe ground for gaining or expanding control, both in politics and business. All you need to do is find a villain or a condition to blame and pronounce yourself the savior. In fact, when a situation is especially negative (think fallout from a corporate scandal), you don’t necessarily have to have a great plan – you can just capitalize off negative public sentiment.

For servant leaders: Caution against emotional reactions to crises and emphasize the need for qualified leaders with thoughtful solutions.

Keep Others Off Balance

In principled organizations, people always know where they stand because they get clear direction and feedback. Dictators thrive on internal instability. Since knowledge is power, they selectively withhold information so no one has the full picture beside themselves. And instead of creating clear expectations and accountability measures, they play the blame game when things don’t turn out as anticipated.

For servant leaders: Over-communicate what is most important, including goals and plans regarding direction. Be clear about expectations. Give frequent and constructive feedback.

Eliminate Internal Threats

By definition, every leader is a potential threat to a dictator’s power. Therefore, they have no option but to squash leaders who stand out – even (and sometimes especially) the competent ones. In their place, dictators install leaders they can control (e.g. tainted leaders they have dirt on). Additionally, dictators are careful to prevent high levels of trust among their subordinates for fear of future opposition.

For servant leaders: Actively support and celebrate the success of others. Recruit a strong team, including people who are smarter or better than you. Work hard to promote trust and collaboration within the team and organization.

Reward Personal Loyalty

Machiavelli theorized that, “It’s best to be loved as well as feared. But if you can only have one, it is safer to be feared.” Dictators can rarely survive long-term without public support, so there are often distinctions between their public and private dealings. PR is a constant priority. Furthermore, rewards tend to be based on public displays of loyalty and commitment to the cause above other factors, such as competence and courage.

For servant leaders: Reward commitment to the values that guide the organization. Despise favoritism. Build a team with diverse viewpoints.

Prevent Criticism

One reason dictators hate criticism is because much of it is just. And since accountability is in short supply, there is no way to right a misstep – only silence the accusers. Ultimately, criticizing a dictator is dangerous business because it’s received as a threat that must be dealt with – often harshly.

For servant leaders: Know the difference between just and unjust criticism. Seek feedback, take it to heart and then act on it.

By now you may have noticed a trend: dictators thirst for power and can never be fully satisfied. It’s a leadership style that is rooted in fear – and ultimately that fear is passed on to followers. It’s an incredibly damning legacy.

So here’s the question: in which areas do you act more like a dictator than a servant leader?

Incidentally, if you find the philosophies of dictatorship and leadership interesting, pick up a copy of The Prince and give it a read. Or check out one of my favorite leadership books titled The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership, which references several of Machiavelli’s insightful concepts as well.

Nathan Magnuson is a leadership consultant, coach, trainer and thought leader.  Receive his new ebook Trusted Leadership Advisor by subscribing to his website  or follow him on Twitter.

But the potency of individual generosity is far surpassed by the momentum organizational generosity can build. The difference is teamwork. One person can make a difference. A team can completely alter an outcome altogether.

Whether you lead an organization or not, I’d like to share several of many ways organizations can act generously, whether they earn a profit or not.

Make Money

It’s easy to be suspicious when we talk about altruism and profit in the same conversation. It can seem like a conflict of interest. But can I point out the obvious? If you don’t have any money to begin with, it’s a lot harder to be generous. Think about it: when businesses aren’t making any money, corporate sponsorships, employee development programming and hiring all come to a standstill. The emphasis is simply trying to stay afloat.

Even if your organization doesn’t have an elaborate charity program, just the tax implications of a profitable business can make a significant difference for a local economy.

At the end of the day, no one should feel guilty for profits that are earned legally and ethically. Among other things, they usually provide the first opportunity for generosity.

Meet a Need

Organizations don’t exist just for kicks and giggles. They have a job to do on behalf of customers, clients, patients, students, constituents – you name it. Although we may occasionally question the purpose of some organizations, ones that use their resources to meet legitimate needs do us all a great service. Does it still count as generosity if they get paid for it?

I like to use my dentist friend Mary Kay as an example. She’s obviously in business to earn a profit, but she places special emphasis on finding dental solutions that are the right fit for each patient’s individual needs, both from a health and financial standpoint. Obviously marketing campaigns and revenue targets matter. But in the “coldblooded” context of capitalism (whether real or imagined), going the extra mile to help a customer win is truly an act of generosity, especially when the need is great.

Share Your Organizational Niche

Not only do organizations provide valuable products and services, they possess significant amounts of knowledge capital. Obviously trade secrets are off the table, but organizations who share demonstrate they care. Banks know about money, so it’s a big contribution when they conduct financial planning workshops. Construction companies can donate not just materials for charity projects, but also expertise. Who better to donate consulting hours to a new humanitarian organization than a consulting firm?

Your organization has something unique to contribute that the average Joe off the street cannot. It’s easy to write a check, but sharing your organizational niche often requires greater participation – and can return a greater reward.

Look for Ways to Reinforce Your Values

Core values matter. And when organizations find ways to be generous in the direction of their values, things really get fun. One of my favorite organizations, Chick-fil-A, places a high value on organizational leadership as well as chicken sandwiches. They’ve demonstrated that commitment by sponsoring one of my favorite annual leadership conferences Leadercast, which helps keep the event accessible and affordable for more people. Many organizations today make contributions toward health, poverty and green initiatives. Don’t ever feel guilty for contributing in the direction of your organizational values – whether you get good press or not.

Do it Together

At the end of the day, I believe each person desires to make a difference and the opportunity to be part of something great. Organizations can give that gift not just through their day-to-day operations but by partnering with employees (and sometimes even outside stakeholders) in the generosity process. Just a few examples are charity campaigns, company work days and matching contributions. If you want an organization full of generous people, involve them in the process. Do it together.

Generosity is a lifestyle. We need generous individuals in our world today. But we also need generous organizations. Can you join me in finding a way to help our organizations become more generous?

Nathan Magnuson is a leadership consultant, coach, trainer and thought leader.  Receive his new ebook Trusted Leadership Advisor by subscribing to his website  or follow him on Twitter.

Mark Miller developed the SERVE model and curriculum and collaborated with Ken Blanchard to publish it in their book The Secret. Each member of our small team presented a portion of the model. I’ll summarize it for you here below.

See & Shape the Future

The first thing leaders must do is be able to envision a future that is somehow different than (and an improvement on) what exists today. Think about it: if the status quo is just fine, then leaders are unnecessary. Next, leaders must be able to communicate the vision to those around them and work proactively to shape the course. After all, nothing happens without someone going first.

Engage and Develop Others

In the course of pursuing any vision, leaders must find a way to engage the people around them so that they are “in it” for themselves, not just falling in line. When followers are engaged, they know what’s in it for them and they also know where they fit in the broader scheme of things. There are many visions out there to follow. Giving your followers the chance to grow is one of the best ways to ensure they choose your vision over the rest.

Reinvent Continuously

The “what” of the vision won’t change (if it does, then it’s a new vision), but the how is always subject to change. Change is often painful but it’s necessary. When times are bad, change is easy – in the sense that there is not much choice involved. Either change or suffer the consequences. It’s much more difficult to embrace a change mindset when things are going well. That’s why constant improvement requires leadership to stay disciplined and look for ways to make things better.

Value Results and Relationships

The brilliant thing about this principle is that it makes results and relationships mutually inclusive vs. exclusive. Instead of pursuing one at the expense of the other, a vision is best served when a high value is placed on both. Many leaders tend to lean in one direction over another. That’s okay as long as there are other leaders to help provide balance, but the most successful teams find ways to win together – as a team.

Embody the Values

According to Mark Miller, someone who embodies the values exemplifies the non-negotiable elements that comprise the organization’s culture. When there is a disconnect between what a leader says and what they do, not only is credibility lost, but so is most of the motivation to follow. Trust is the ultimate foundation for any successful relationship, especially the relationship a leader has with followers. It only works when values, words and actions all point in the same direction.

You’ve probably noticed by now that the main focus of the SERVE model is always other people. A self-serving leader just won’t make it very far. Zig Ziglar famously said that you can have anything you want it you will just help enough other people get what they want. Will you join me in looking for new ways to SERVE?

If you’d like to assess your ability to lead according to this SERVE model, take this assessment from the author’s site.

Nathan Magnuson is a leadership consultant, coach, trainer and thought leader.  Receive his new ebook Trusted Leadership Advisor by subscribing to his website  or follow him on Twitter.

At the end of the day, the organization is going to do what it’s going to do, right? So maybe a better question is: why do we even have core values?

We’ve probably all come across sets of core values that were easy to make fun of or were too vague to impact anyone. But well constructed, specific core values can add tremendous benefit both to organizations and individuals. In fact, here are three ways I’ve seen this happen.

Drive Culture

Every organization is driven by a number of things. Hopefully there is a clear purpose that all stakeholders know by heart. Customer value creation ought to drive action. If your organization is a company, earning a profit ought to be at least one of the drivers. But none of these should come at the expense of core values. Each driver should align and core values should empower the organization to move forward.

Wouldn’t you prefer to work in a values-driven organizational culture? Imagine what could happen in an organization without values. A quick look at the news and you’ll see many examples.

Influence Mindsets and Behaviors

As most of us have observed, nearly every organizations have a set of core values. Sometimes they even get talked about, which a great step. But how often are they referenced or recalled? To take it a step further, how often do they invoke personal change?

If your organization has core values, they need to be part of the corporate conversation. Then you’ve got to relate them to the way people think and act in the context of everyday situations. Point out when the values were present. “Our team did a great job demonstrating ________.” Use values-oriented language to assess future work. “Here’s an opportunity for our team to demonstrate _________.”

Over time, common language begins to turn into common mindsets and common behavior.

Guide Decision-Making

In any organization, there are many leaders who operate at many levels. The temptation for new or risk-averse leaders can sometimes be to push the difficult decisions up to the next level. Once this happens enough times, the leaders at the top start wondering why they have to solve every problem and make every decision that comes their way. What’s the point of having leaders if they don’t take responsibility, they wonder.

That’s where organizational strategy comes in. That’s where training comes in. And that’s also where core values come in. These are the tools every leader ought to be able to use to make the decisions appropriate for his or her level.

Core values enhance leadership responsibility by helping to guide decision-making.

So the next time you look at your core values, ask yourself what difference they make in your organization. If that answer is “not much,” it may be time for a refresh. Or it may be time to simply speak up.

What difference do your core values make?

Nathan Magnuson is a leadership consultant, coach, trainer and thought leader.  Receive his new ebook Trusted Leadership Advisor by subscribing to his website  or follow him on Twitter.

So when I called up a friend who had been associated with the organization this man had led, I couldn’t have been more shocked at what he told me.

“I’m taking a class from so-and-so and it’s really great!” I said. “Did you know him?”

“What??” my friend replied. “You’re taking a class with the boob-grabber??”

“Wait.. what are you talking about?” I sputtered.

“Yeah, he got busted for sexual harassment a couple years back and they gave him the pink slip.”

As soon as I hung up the phone, a quick Internet search confirmed my friend’s claims.

What do you think: did my opinion of this man change?

I’ll go ahead and answer: you bet it did! I was sorely disappointed for one reason. I had expected this man’s leadership character to match his leadership competency. When I found out that it didn’t, I knew I could no longer consider him as a leader worth emulating. I could still learn from him, but ultimately I couldn’t view him as anything less than a bad example.

So what can you and I do to make sure our legacy stays in tact?

Be Humble

I once met with a CEO of a regional bank and found that my seat across his desk was significantly lower than his seat so that I had to look up at him when I spoke to him. It felt as ridiculous as it looks in the movies. And it really seemed to be an intentional message that he was the far superior person in the room.

Author Mark Miller says there is really one question to consider as a leader: are you a serving leader or a self-serving leader? In other words, are other people a means to an end for you or are you in it for them? If we feel we have to convince people that we are better than they are, they may follow us temporarily when they have no other options, but that will be it.

Increase Your Accountability

I’ve heard stories about married leaders who never spend any one-on-one professional time with a member of the opposite sex other than their spouse, even though it can sometimes create a hassle. That’s always seemed extreme to me, although in my college  instructor’s case it would have saved him a lot of grief. But I do know that when it comes to accountability, as leadership authority increases, the standards for ethical behavior should expand, not retract.

When the Founding Fathers of the United States created a limited government with many checks and balances, it was because they understood firsthand the human tendency to abuse power. Don’t play above the system. Look for ways to demonstrate that you operate above reproach, whether it’s in the way you handle relationships, the company credit card, time away from the office, etc.

Treat People the Way They Ought to be Treated

Obviously treating people right goes above and beyond simply not harassing them. All people deserve to be treated with honor, dignity and respect, regardless of their status, position or demographic. If you are a leader, are people more likely to succeed because of you? Do they know where they stand with you and do you make sure they have the resources to get their jobs done and become more in the future than they are today?

Maya Angelou famously stated, “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.”

There are many outside factors that will affect your leadership legacy. But don’t let what you can’t control keep you from what you can control. When your work is finally finished, your legacy is all you’ll have left.

Nathan Magnuson is a leadership consultant, coach, trainer and thought leader.  Receive his new ebook Trusted Leadership Advisor by subscribing to his website  or follow him on Twitter.

I distinctly remember the first time I ever heard Captain Tucker tell us that he loved us. Captain Tucker was the platoon commander charged with instilling in us the art and science of becoming Officers in the Marine Corps. As you might imagine, this raised some eyebrows. Captain Tucker is still to this day the hardest Marine I have ever met. As a Purple Heart recipient, he could have ordered us to follow him to hell and back, and none of us would have hesitated. So why would such a man openly tell a bunch of new Lieutenants that he loved us?

When We Talk About Service and Sacrifice, We Really Mean Love

When one thinks of the military, the idea of service and sacrifice appropriately come to mind. Any Marine would quickly tell you that his motivation comes from a duty to serve his fellow Marines and fellow Americans. Love, however, is perhaps a more powerful and apt identifier of what it means to be a Marine – and also to be a leader. At its most fundamental level, love implies sacrifice, and conversely, genuine sacrifice or service cannot exist absent of love. What good are our claims of loving our neighbor (or followers) if they don’t translate into sacrifice?

Love very naturally translates into the core values on which our Marine ethos is built, that is: Honor, Courage, and Commitment. Honor recognizes, endorses, and protects the dignity inherent in every human being. Courage is the ability to act honorably, even when it seems impossible. Commitment is the resolve to hold on to the other two at all costs. For an elite warrior class where effective leadership is a matter of life and death, we sure do talk a lot about love.

Without Love, Effective Leadership Is Impossible

Anyone with more than a tertiary knowledge of leadership knows the value of servant leadership, which defines the most effective leader as the one who serves those he leads. This isn’t just “a” form of leadership, it is “the” form of leadership. A true leader isn’t driven by what’s in it for him. He cares about how he can develop those around him for their sake and for the team’s sake, rather than his own sake. The leader who cares more about what his men can do for him than what he can do for them isn’t a leader, he’s a manipulator. A non-servant leader does such things as lie, unjustly accuse, and cut corners in order to enhance his position for the most profitable gain – all at the expense of those he is supposed to lead. Unfortunately, in many occupations this is such a subtle deviation from true leadership that it has become normalized and acceptable. In my occupation, dishonesty, a lack of justice, and cutting corners means Marines die. In your occupation, inept leadership may not result in lost lives, but rather losing the breath of life that powers your organization. The price is simply too high not to love and sacrifice for those you lead.

True Leadership Isn’t About You

As an Officer of Marines, my sole purpose for existence is to accomplish the mission and to serve my Marines. Enlisted Marines (i.e. non-officers) are the ones who get stuff done. To not serve them undermines both justifications for my existence (i.e. the mission and my Marines). Ask any enlisted Marine and he will tell you that if you care about him, he’ll follow you to hell and back. My job as an officer is to set the parameters (e.g. timing, tactics, rules of engagement, etc…) within which they can work and then support them in every way possible. In the same way, a healthy organization doesn’t run simply on the competence of senior leadership. It runs because the average employees have enough buy-in to put their nose to the grindstone and get the job done. I promise you that if you let Joe Employee know you sincerely care about him (and by that I mean support as well as sentiment), you’ll see a level of buy-in and output that you never knew was possible.

True leadership isn’t about you. It’s about leveraging your influence to love and serve those you have the privilege to lead. Ruthlessly holding yourself to this standard is your duty to yourself, your coworkers, your family and your country. And it is the lifeblood that makes all of these institutions successful.

Semper Fidelis.

The value that stood out the most was “believing the best” about other people. Think about that one for a minute. What does believing the best actually mean? How often when we talk or relate with someone do we believe or assume the absolute best about the other person? What could happen if we did? What would it take to get there?  I believe there are three areas we can all improve that will make the difference.

How We View Ourselves

It’s impossible to believe the best about anyone else if we are unable to believe the best about ourselves. Think about it – it’s on the inside that our beliefs are formed and held. Our standard usually starts with us. Zig Ziglar says, “It’s impossible to consistently behave in a manner inconsistent with how we see ourselves. We can do very few things in a positive way if we feel negative about ourselves.” If we’re going to believe the best about anyone, we need to start with the way we think about, talk about, and believe about the person we see in the mirror everyday.

How We View Others

Joyce Landorf Heatherley gives a simple illustration in her small book Balcony People that spoke volumes to me. She differentiates between two types of people: people who evaluate and people who affirm. We’ve all been around people who tend to critique our words, actions, and even our existence as a person. It’s like we are being compared to some unspoken ideal or standard. Nobody appreciates this. It’s near impossible to stay authentic and positive around people who always meet us with scrutiny. Take affirmers on the other hand. These are people convinced that we are up to something good and would love to hear about it. They are incredibly interested in our lives and often take the opportunity to suggest that we are capable of much more than we think. In short, they always believe the best.

Here’s the word picture that Heatherley uses. She calls the affirmers “balcony people” and the evaluators “basement people.” Basement people (whether they realize it or not) are always pulling us down to their level. Ultimately, they fear the worst about themselves. On the other hand, balcony people stand tall and lift you up (where they are). They are smiling down on us encouraging us to press on. Sometimes they are even hollering and cheering!

How We Relate and Communicate With Others

So how can we become balcony people and show that we believe the best about others? Samuel Johnson once commented that, “the applause of a single human being is of great significance.” Wouldn’t it be unfortunate to never take the opportunity to significantly influence the lives of others? Here are some approaches we can use:

Be proactive. Speak up. Any word of encouragement is better than no word at all. Your first attempts may be awkward, but each new time you will become more articulate in communicating that you believe the best.

Be specific. This goes beyond merely catching someone else doing something right. When you notice someone doing something especially well, instead of just stating the obvious, point out what about the particular action you noticed and the benefit it brought to you or someone else.

Assume and affirm noble motives. When you encourage someone, make sure to place the most emphasis on how it reflects a part of their character, not just their actions. Don’t just appeal to the noble motives, like Dale Carnegie said. Call them out when you see them.

Embracing the value of believing the best can potentially accomplish a number of things. It develops discipline to see the positive instead of the negative. It increases our capacity to genuinely care about others. And in many circumstances, when we are “hearty in our approbation,” others are inspired to reach for greater heights than they previously thought possible.

Whose balcony can you step into today? How can you take time to creatively communicate it?

Nathan Magnuson is a leadership consultant, coach, trainer and thought leader.  Receive his ebook Trusted Leadership Advisor by subscribing to his website or   follow him on Twitter.