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The Twelve Principles of Personal
Leadership
Principle #1 –
The Right Visionary Goals
-One Leader’s Perspective
By Greg L. Thomas
Through
the ages many people have dreamed about making the world a better place. If you
are like this, you too may have wondered how you can help to change our world, especially when we see
all the suffering and misery in much of the globe. Perhaps you have felt that
there is something you can do! You
may have even wondered how you can lead
this change? Most people make the terrible mistake of
thinking that money or material possessions will magically give them the
influence or power needed to become a
leader. You will begin to see that great
leadership…the kind that can powerfully change the world…begins on the inside inspired by a deep desire to
serve others, and then grows to
outwardly lead positive change.
Right
Visionary Goals
The title of this chapter is
“The Right Visionary Goals”. Let’s break down its meaning to understand it
clearly. First, a right goal is one
of benefit to ourselves and others. It is
something we desire that is productive and fulfilling. But, if a goal is a
benefit to ourselves at the expense or manipulation of others, it is the wrong goal. We must
candidly ask ourselves what the motive
and real reason is for our goals. If these desires are genuine, ethical and
constructive, they are right goals.
If our desires are to hurt, control or harm others, they are wrong. Secondly,
our goals must be visionary because
it takes vision to have the steady perseverance needed to achieve our long-term
goals over time. Vision is a different
task than simply establishing our goals. Goals are the end-result of a path
that achieves something we deeply desire to accomplish. Whereas vision is the mental picture that prods or inspires us to get there. This vision is the inspirational snapshot of a future we hold dear, that
helps us overcome barriers or to continue when all appears to be lost. It
reminds us of why the goal is
important and worth struggling for!
It is said that within the
human mind, perception is reality.
Vision is what we perceive and believe a better future can be like.
What is a goal? We can find
out the definition of a goal by opening a dictionary and reading its meaning.
It will tell us that a goal is an "aim" or an "objective."
But a goal is much more than just an
aim or objective! The reason is that when goals are properly developed, they
become a guiding force that motivates
us toward greater personal accomplishment. They can give us the ability to
accomplish new feats which may have never even existed before! They also have
the remarkable ability to change us
forever! Goals can become an essential
tool that provides direction to our lives. This happens when our goals become a
clear reflection of our values.
I'd like to quote to you a
small part of an article written by Ernest A. Fitzgerald from his little known
inspiring book entitled "Keeping Pace." Dr. Fitzgerald is now deceased, but I first
became aware of him in the 1980’s when he wrote a series of lead articles in an
airline magazine called PACE. In his book he writes a short chapter entitled
"The Happiest Place on Earth" about a historical event that occurred
during World War II.
Here is what he has to say
about goals and how they relate to our purpose.
"First,
happiness depends on something to hope for.
Dr. Karl Menninger in his book 'The Vital Balance' tells of visit to the
Buchenwald prison camp a few days after it was liberated during World War II.
Thousands had died in the brutal camps from beatings and starvation and
overwork. One group survived. It was a
group of doctors who got together and organized a medical society. They
prepared papers and presented them to one another. They treated sick prisoners
and made plans for improving health conditions. They even made medical
instruments including an X-ray machine. Said Menninger, "These doctors
suffered the same difficulties others faced but they survived, they were kept
alive by hope."
These doctors had a goal to survive the holocaust. Their
goal was to continue to live prompted by serving and caring for others. It was not just to survive, but to be as productive
as their situation would allow. People without hope are people without any real
goals! Establishing proper goals is
about reaching out as far as we presently can and then visually stretching out even a little farther to
achieve something we desire. Goals motivate and inspire us to transform our
deepest hopes into reality. Proper goals can ignite within us the inspiration
to change ourselves and the world around us. Realize that all of us have different personal goals and
objectives. For example...one person’s
highest goal may be having a fulfilling career. For another it may be enjoying
a happy marriage or raising a successful family. For certain folks it may be working in an
influential position in the government or business to make life better for
others. For another it may be the goal of creating their own company, or it may
be producing a great work of art or an important scientific discovery. We all
have different backgrounds, talents and personalities and therefore our goals
will be different.
First
Stumbling Block
But before we begin the
actual process of establishing our own goals, we need to discuss a few barriers
or “stumbling blocks” which can thwart our goal development. Let’s discover
what some of these stumbling blocks are.
Number one, I strongly encourage
everyone to write down their goals. It’s incredible to me the number of people
who just won't do it! It is very much like pulling
teeth to get some very sincere folks to write down their own personal goals.
One reason for this is because many people find that writing down their goals
can be difficult or even intimidating!
We are naturally
uncomfortable about potentially exposing our deepest desires and thoughts on paper. Some hesitate to do this because
of the fear that someone else may ridicule their goals. And after all, our
goals are the innermost dreams,
aspirations, and hopes within our hearts and our minds. We usually don't want other people knowing what's in the inner
recess of our hearts, including our deeply held hopes and ambitions. Maybe you
are one fearful that others may discover your goals, or that you will be
criticized for having goals others
consider to be too ambitious! Don't allow that to happen. You don’t need
other folks approval if your goals
are wholesome and from the heart. It’s vitally important for you to write down
your goals! I personally recommend you
write them down and publicly put them on your desk or a wall at home.
Yet, the only person who
really needs to see and review them
is you! I hope you have a deep and meaningful relationship with someone whom
you love and trust. Someone you are able to share
your heartfelt goals with without receiving criticism or discouragement. If you
feel like you are going to be embarrassed, then make every effort to keep them
confidential in a personal journal. But remember, it is most important to
establish these goals on paper.
Throughout history many people have criticized or ridiculed the goals and
dreams of motivated achievers. Some
individuals criticized the goals of Florence Nightingale, Robert Owen,
Frederick Douglass, Mahatma Gandhi and America's founding fathers. When
criticism happens, you are in "good company"! I believe it was Albert
Einstein who once said that great thinkers have often been assaulted by mediocre
minds. So don't become ashamed or intimidated by others. If you feel it is
necessary, keep the goals that you have written down private and
confidential.
You see, all of us have
different desires and aspirations and this is good! God gave all of us different strengths and personalities
for a purpose. Our unique goals have different levels of importance and value
to each of us. In order for you to
achieve your own individual desires, you must understand this important step in establishing right visionary
goals. Again, what is this step? We must commit
our personal hopes and aspirations into printed
goals...into a written
commitment. They must become so important
to us that their development and achievement becomes a life changing personal commitment. You see... our
goals become reinforced and validated only
when we write them down! It is no accident that the most important agreements within a society become considered covenants when committed to writing,
like a marriage relationship, land purchase, contracts or even a “last will and
testament”. The very act of writing
things down on paper instills a deeper sense of permanence and obligation.
Analogies
To Consider
Visionary goals are only
those that we empower by writing them down on paper. If you are honest with
yourself, written goals are the only
kind of objectives we believe are really important. All people have some rather shadowy goals. Most just have goals that are vague or nebulous, the
..."I'd like to do that someday" type. Those are goals that will never be achieved. Many people tell me
that they have goals... I tell them that an unwritten goal is only a dream, an
undefined goal... only a fantasy.
Allow me give you an analogy
to explain why it is important to write down our goals and have a plan to achieve them. It's the analogy
of a farmer planting seed. If a farmer wants to sow seed and have an abundant
crop, he or she has to properly plant
the seed. Without using the proper planting method, they won't have the abundant,
successful, prosperous crop which they desire. On the other hand, what would
happen if they only meant to plant
the seed someday? Or what happens if they don’t prepare the field for planting and simply take a handful of seed
and throw it on the hard ground? How much of a crop do you think they will
reap? Sadly, they will both sow and
reap a crop failure. The same is true of our lives. We must have a visionary
goal, prepare for the goal, plan on how to achieve the goal and methodically
grow it into a reality. When you and I write down our goals...empowering them
down on paper so that we can read them, review them, and remember their
importance...we properly plant the mental "seeds" of commitment. And
just like it’s important for the farmer to plant his seed at the right depth in
the soil, writing down our goals visually plants them in the depth of our minds! Then they can grow from being a “someday dream” to a
real achievement over a period of time.
If you were building a home, you would
want that home to be built to the highest standards of quality. Assuming you
wanted every wall and ceiling in that home to fit together properly, you would
expect it to be designed with the aid of a set of architectural blueprints.
These blueprints are the designer’s vision
of what the real home will look like. You wouldn't allow the builder to come in
and say "Well, I think we'll just throw up a wall over here. And yes... I
think we'll just stop the wall right here and start the ceiling!" If homes
were constructed like that, they would be disorganized, dysfunctional and risk
collapse. Yet, unfortunately most people plan and live their personal lives
this way! Just as it is important to design "blueprints" for the
proper building of a home, it is equally important that we design our future by committing our goals to paper.
This in turn will build our dreams into real
accomplishments. Being committed to visionary goals is the
"blueprint" of your future. They are what will give you direction,
and a greater purpose. Writing them down helps us to design our desired future. They are what
provide us with the motivation and intensity to achieve the awesome potential
we all possess.
Personal
Mission Statement
However, before you begin to write down even a single
goal, there is something far more important for you to create and put in
writing, and that is a personal mission
statement! Why am I delaying the discussion about our individual goals and
turning toward a discussion of your personal statement? We can’t get the “cart
before the horse”! Our goals must be aligned
with our personal mission statement. If they conflict or contradict one another
failure can be the result. As Steven Covey has said, goals are invented to make
your personal mission statement happen. Covey also uses the analogy of a ladder leaning against the
wall. The wall is our personal mission in life. The ladder represents our
individual goals to reach our mission. If the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall, it doesn’t matter how high
you climb! The most important thing we can do is first create our personal mission statement. Then we can invent our
individual life goals making sure they are aligned together. We want to make
sure the ladder is leaning against the right
wall!
If you have not already created your own personal
mission statement, do it now before
writing down your individual visionary goals. What is a mission statement? It
is a term borrowed from the business world. Business today is complex and
vulnerable. Any organization that wishes to survive must have a clear “mission
statement” and an unquenchable drive to achieve it. A mission statement
for a business describes the purpose of the organization and outlines the types
of activities to be performed for constituents and customers. It should also
mention what unique value or services the organization offers as a byproduct
of its work.
Our,
lives are also very complex in today’s modern world. To maximize our
individual potential and opportunities we must also have a “personal mission statement”.
What is yours? In a special way your
personal mission statement will define your purpose in this world along with
the major goals and values you seek to achieve. It is your own
particular “constitution” that reflects your unique purpose and values! It will help to focus your
energies and resources. It will also provide a sense of orientation, and unify
the fragments of your life. If you haven’t done so until now, please do so now!
If you already have a personal
mission statement, this may be a good time to review it against the model outlined below.
Why
should you create or review your personal mission statement right now”? Here
are some important points to ponder…
1. It
defines what I value. (Moral compass). This is a great aid, particularly during
difficult times in life when your ethics or standards are
under
assault.
2. What do I
stand for? (Belief system). This includes deeply held principles, including
your degree or level of spirituality.
3. What is my
essential mission in life? If you have
yet to articulate your own essential mission, the process of creating your
personal mission statement will prod you to ponder this essential question.
4. What are my
responsibilities? Many leaders
ultimately fail because they either forget their personal responsibilities to
others or falsely
believe they
are “above” the normal expectations required of others.
Here are some things to remember in its creation. It is yours only and not meant to please
anyone else! Personalize it for you.
This is your
special assignment and unique creation. Take the time to ask yourself some
heartfelt questions and articulate some clear responses. Your personal mission
statement is supposed to be different than everyone else’s.
Make
it as short, or as long as you want. There is not a “hard and fast” rule on its length,
but if you want to frame it to hang on a wall, it will need to be succinct to
be readable in limited space. Be patient and work on it until it inspires you. The idea is for this
document to motivate you when it is referred to in the future.
It is a written reminder of who you say you are, and what your life is
all about.
It
should reflect not just the way you are today, but what you hope to become in a preferred future! Remember that
leaders are visionaries who seek to improve themselves and the world they live
in. How would you like your world to become better and more fulfilling for
yourself and others?
What do you do with it when you are done? Don’t just
file it away somewhere or it will rarely remind you of what you value most in
life. As the old saying goes, “out of sight, out of mind”.
It should be written and made public at home! Take pride and
ownership in this document of your creation. It should provoke a humble self-analysis.
Your personal
mission statement will provide a “benchmark” to evaluate your present level of growth and
development. This should not only include reflection on what yet needs
to be done, but on your achievements that have been accomplished at this point
in time. I encourage you to
review it at least once per week. A good suggestion is to do this as part of a weekly
meditation. If you are a spiritual person, perhaps the time you set aside for
religious meditations would be ideal. This is not a tool to discourage
or belittle yourself as to how little you have achieved. Remember a glass that
is half empty is also half full! Focus on what you have achieved and
motivate yourself by reviewing what you have done. Finally, your personal mission
statement should
be allowed to be re-written as we grow and change. In time we all
change and hopefully mature as we grow through life’s experiences. Expect to
occasionally make adjustments to your mission statement. However, don’t be like
many of today’s politicians who change their missions statements
depending on what today’s opinion polls tell them!
What are the vital steps
to creating your own personal mission statement? When sitting down to write
your own mission statement, remember that it should be composed of at least four basic parts. If your
mission statement is too short it will be ambiguous and have very little
real meaning (some organizations suffer from the same problem). On the other
hand, if it is too long it will lose its motivational impact and read
like a journal. Four to five paragraphs is a good readable length.
Here are the four basic
parts we
recommend be included as part of your document.
PART 1 – Your beliefs and values.
PART 2 – Your
personal family goals…parent, spouse, child relationships
PART 3 – Your
personal career goals…why you work, your career’s purpose, skills needing to be
developed
PART 4 – Your
personal life goals…education, spiritual development, extend talents, maintain
health, serve others, proper attitude, loving relationships, philanthropy, etc.
Here are some more
details on what each of these parts can include:
Your beliefs
and values. What is your moral code? What
values give guidance to your daily life? Whether it is the “golden rule”,
religious scriptures or another source, this is where you should begin! In this
opening paragraph of your mission statement, strongly state your
deeply held ethical principles and moral code. If you haven’t
thought intensely
about this before, it could be the most revealing part of your mission statement!
Your personal
family goals. This includes your relationship
with your parent(s), spouse, and children. If you want a happy and balanced
family life you also need to have these essential goals. Of course, input from
all family members will make these goals more attainable and fun to achieve!
How do you want to “coach” and encourage each member to become all they
can possibly be?
Your personal
career goals including job fulfillment, purpose, and skills. Why
do you work? Is it to find personal fulfillment or simply to generate income
for other interests in life? Do you want to change your career path? If so, how
do you plan on making this change? Are there career skills you want to enhance
or acquire? At the end of your career, what do you want others to say about
your contribution in the workplace?
Your personal life goals including your
education, developing talents, maintaining health, philosophical attitude,
loving relationships, philanthropy, etc. This part includes
some of the most satisfying aspects of human life, and sadly most people put
these off until retirement or forever! How do you plan on maintaining a healthy
body and mind? Do you need more education to fulfill a lifelong personal goal?
Do you desire to “give back” to others for the blessings you have been granted?
What would you do for the rest of your life if money was not a
limitation?
If you have never before
created your own personal mission statement, now it is time to sit down in a
quiet environment and write it. Don’t rush the process, let your creativity
express what is in your heart. Allow this document to be a vital extension of you! Take pride and
ownership in what you write. If you get a feeling of mental gridlock, step away
for a few hours and come back to it later. Work on it until the document
reflects what you truly feel and believe. Allow your personal mission statement to
inspire you!
Once you have completed a
personal mission statement and are ready to write down your individual
visionary goals in more detail, be aware of some other stumbling blocks to
achieving our goals.
Second Stumbling Block
The second stumbling block is that many
people establish goals that are just too
overwhelming. An improperly defined goal
can seem so large… we become discouraged
by looking at the enormity of it. If you have a single goal which is too large, one that seems like you're
"reaching for the moon," you are going to become de-motivated. It is normal
to lose all personal incentive and motivation to achieve a goal that appears impossible or unachievable.
Don't worry though; shortly I'm going to tell you how to make that seemingly impossible goal a reality.
Again the second stumbling block is fact that most people establish goals that
are too overwhelming. The answer to
how we can avoid this problem is revealed as part of the solution of the third
stumbling block.
Third
Stumbling Block
A third stumbling block is that many people do not understand the
importance of creating both long-term goals and short-term goals. They usually begin by “jotting down” a
long-term life achievement goal. Some individuals write down a massive vague
goal without thinking about how they are ever going to get there. The process
of accomplishing a major goal is a journey, not a conclusion. Many folks don't
understand the important interaction
between long-term goals and short-term goals and why it’s necessary to have
both! It’s not enough just to simply create a list of your goals. If done improperly,
you may convince yourself they are unattainable. Larger goals can only be
effective if you dissect your long-term goals by creating a series of
short-term goals.
I now want to discuss the
importance of both long-term and
short-term goals. Earlier I used the
analogy of how writing down our goals was much like a farmer planting his seed.
I'm reminded of a story from a book which was very popular in the mid
1970's. The book was entitled "If You Don't Know Where You Are Going You Will Probably End Up
Somewhere Else" by David Campbell.
There was a section in his book that I found quite thought provoking,
and I am just going to paraphrase
it. David Campbell relates the story of
a man whose friend had suddenly struck it rich. His friend’s father had bought
some stock investments everyone had forgotten about. Then one morning a check for $85,000 was
suddenly sitting in the mailbox. In the story, the now envious best friend was
thinking to himself, “what could possibly happen to me to bring such a wonderful event in my life”? He thought a while and concluded "well I
haven't bought any old stock, and I haven't purchased any land anywhere, and I
don't have any paintings hidden up in the attic or anything else of that
nature." So he came to an
interesting conclusion. His conclusion
was, "If you want something like that to happen in your life, you've got to plant some seeds, and you better plant many of them, because you can never tell which ones will sprout."
Short-term
and Long-term Goals
That's an important story
for us to remember and think about as we begin
to develop our long and short-term goals. A farmer organizes his fields and
plants more seeds than will sprout to
ensure a good crop. He then proceeds to advance through several stages to get the most out of his
fields. He tills the land, fertilizes the soil, plants the seed, nurtures the
plants, maintains the equipment and then finally
cultivates the harvest. He knows that these steps are all important to reach
his goal of an abundant crop. Our goals also need to be planted, nurtured and
cultivated with a "step by step” approach.
A long-term goal is a one we
establish for ourselves that normally takes years and great effort to achieve.
Sometimes 5 years, 10 years, 20 years, or perhaps even a lifetime. These long-term goals are the major objectives
that you want to achieve in your life. Now how do our short-term goals interact
with these major objectives? Short-term goals are the smaller targets or
"stepping stones" which we establish to achieve these long-term
objectives. Each short-term goal leads us toward the direction of our larger
goals because they are a smaller part (or piece) of a bigger goal!
Short-term goals are the
"rungs of a ladder" we climb to reach a long-term objective at the top of the ladder. These short-term goals are usually
established for a period from a few days to perhaps a few years. Our written
goal outline should be organized with a major heading followed by the
short-term goals that will achieve it. Here our major heading is our first long-term goal. So write down
something like "I desire to" ...whatever your goal of highest
priority is. This goal should be your highest
priority, and of greatest personal importance in your life. This will be your first long-term goal. This
goal should reflect the highest aspiration and objective you desire to achieve
in your life. Again... as I mentioned earlier, this goal
will be something different for each of us. Begin to think about it now and
start to commit it to writing! Envision why this goal is important to
you. Picture in your mind how it would feel
to have this goal completed and accomplished!
Let’s say you had a goal of
losing 60 pounds of body weight, and you promptly established that goal as a highly important goal. When you review
that goal later on, you may to be incredibly discouraged! Sixty pounds is a lot of weight to lose! But, here's how you can do it. Establish a
long-term goal "to lose 60 pounds," and then begin to construct
short-term goals or small steps to help you achieve that long-term objective.
Suddenly the impossible becomes very achievable. Your goal becomes something
that you can literally and realistically do. The seemingly impossible becomes
reasonable. Here, your first short-term goal might be stated: “Begin to walk 1
mile per day, 4 days per week." Perhaps your second short-term goal would be: "During week 2 my goal is to
eliminate all processed sugars from my diet”. This is a goal outline that will work. As each short-term goal or
stepping stone is achieved, they actually motivate us to go on to the next step
and the next mountain. Achievement breeds success and further motivation! Here
is just a sample outline to dissect this major
goal by breaking it down into doable
short-term goals. This sample outline is only the first four weeks of what
could possibly be a 26 week (or more) program.
Goal – I desire to lose 60 pounds of weight because it will make
me feel better about myself and I will be healthier.
A. Week 1 – begin to walk 1 mile per day,
4 days per week.
B. Week
2 – eliminate all processed sugars from my diet. Use natural sugars or other sweeteners as a supplement.
C. Week
3 – begin to minimize the carbohydrates in my diet and eat more leafy
vegetables and salads.
D. Week 4 – begin to work out using resistance
weights for 30 minutes, 4 days per week.
E. Etc.
Can you now see how
realistic and achievable these long-term goals become when we break them down into short-term goals? A similar
outline can be created for achieving a college degree, saving money for
retirement, starting your own business, hiking through a great mountain chain,
or even writing a book! Set long-term goals that are out of your grasp but within your reach by using many smaller steps.
I encourage you to write
down your major goals in order of priority. The first,
should be the most important long-term goal we have, and following this
heading, the short-term goals or steps we will take to accomplish it. Next, the second most
important long-term goal and the necessary short-term goals or steps to achieve
it. Do this for three of four major goals. I also want to encourage you
to stay focused. Don't distract yourself by making your goals too complex or
lengthy. It is not necessary to write a “thesis” to explain your hopes and
desires. A well thought out paragraph is fine. Make sure you focus in on what you really desire.
Obstacles
Are Inevitable
There are going to be many
difficulties that arise to hinder you from achieving your short-term
goals. Of course we know that anything
that blocks us from fulfilling our short-term goals will impede us from
achieving our long-term goals. To stay focused, you are going to need to look
at problems as opportunities. As you face each problem or obstacle, be
determined to go over it, go under it, or if necessary to go through it! Realize it’s important to view these
problems, not as insurmountable obstacles... but as temporary barriers or road blocks. Greatness is the ability to learn to overcome personal adversity and
break through barriers. This is why
vision is so important. When you collide with obstacles or barriers to your
goals, there is the temptation to get discouraged and just quit. During these
difficult times, withdraw from the disappointment and get alone to mediate.
Remember why that goal is so important to you. Picture again in your
mind how it will feel to have this
goal completed and accomplished! Review your personal mission statement and
make sure you are truly committed to what your stated purpose and values are. Then you can chalk it up to
experience, and get back on the right
path toward your goal with renewed
dedication.
Life
is a Process of Change
Another subject we need to
understand is that our goals are going to change
throughout our lifetime. This maturing
process is normal and natural. Some of
the goals you have if you are 20 years old will not be the goals you will have at age 35. And some of the goals you have at age 35 are not going to be as important to you when
you are 50. And at 50 you may not
possess the same exact goals you will
have at age 65. Finally, some of the
goals you have at age 65 will not be as valuable
or worthwhile to you when you are 80 years old! Yes, some essential goals might
remain fixed throughout life, like some spiritual or family goals. But
we need to recognize that life is meant to be a maturing and changing process.
As
you grow older and our perceptions or circumstances change, you are going to
find that previous goals you once thought were very important, are not really
all that important any more. When this happens...seek to understand why, and reevaluate the importance of these
goals. We should occasionally read aloud
our goals to ourselves in a private
setting. They should have the same meaning and importance as they have
previously. However, every 6 months to a year it is a good idea to privately
sit down and reevaluate all the goals we previously established. Ask
yourself; is this goal still important to me? Am I focusing on the right goals or expending energies on a
goal that is no longer important? You will discover there are times when you
actually eliminate a goal which is
not really important anymore. At the same time, also review your accomplishments to encourage and motivate
yourself. Remember, these changes are healthy and normal due to life
experiences and maturity. Don't allow yourself to become discouraged at the need for change. Some of the issues and
material possessions that seem so
important to you now, will most likely change as you gracefully mature.
Remember that our goals must
be aligned with our personal mission statement. If they conflict or
contradict one another the result can be unhappiness or failure. Be sure your
ladder is leaning against the right wall! Next time we will discuss how to deal
with the times when our goals appear
to be doomed! We will also look into various insights we need to understand in order to advance our own degree
of personal leadership.
Comments
to: editor@leadingtoday.org
To see
all Greg’s articles click
here.
About the author:
Greg has an extensive thirty-five years experience in public
speaking and has spoken to hundreds of audiences worldwide. Greg has a Master
of Arts degree in Leadership from
Bellevue University, where he also has served as an adjunct professor teaching
courses in business management and leadership since 2002. His first book, 52 Leadership Tips
(That Will Change How You Lead Others) was published
in 2006 by WingSpan Press. His second book, Making
Life's Puzzle Pieces Fit was published in March 2009. Both are available at
amazon.com. Greg is also the president of Leadership
Excellence, Ltd and a Managing Partner of the Leadership Management
Institute. Leadership
Excellence, Ltd. effectively builds
individuals and organizations to reach their highest potential through enhanced
productivity and personal development using a number of proven programs. He is also the president and founder
of weLEAD Incorporated.