Thursday's Leadership Insight The Practices of High Road Leaders Part I: Bringing People Together, Valuing All and Adding Value to All

I experienced one of those "Perspective" setting experiences this past Tuesday. Our Kiwanis groups in the southwestern Chicago suburbs had volunteered to meet at Abraham Lincoln? National Cemetery the Tuesday after Memorial Day. Our job was to collect flags from headstones that would be stored for the next Memorial Day remembrance. We spent a few hours picking up and carefully wrapping flags for storage. While ?I collected flags, I spent a moment studying the various headstones. I noticed how many were younger than me. There were ?Air Force Majors buried next to Marine Corps Lance Corporals, Navy Seaman and Coast Guard, Army veterans, and even members of the Army Air Force ( World War II). Their branch of service did not separate them.

I saw Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and Greek Orthodox symbols on headstones all together and next to each other. Their chosen faith did not separate them. I ?saw the headstones of veterans of two wars, Mostly World War II and Korea, and single conflicts like Vietnam and the Persian Gulf or no wartime service at all. They were not separated by their service in a war or not. I imagine the headstones represent all manners of socioeconomic status, race, and gender. They were all different in many ways yet had two common traits. They all had come together to serve all of us at different times in their lives. They all came together forgoing some years of their choice to serve and to add value to my life and your collective freedoms. It didn't matter how seemingly different the many World War II veterans were or the smaller number of Korean, Vietnam, or? Persian Gulf veterans were in life. They all chose to come together and risked everything for something bigger than themselves to add value to all of us. They should be remembered every day.

?My experience gave me a perspective on how the most powerful things can be accomplished by bringing people together, valuing all, and adding value. It also provided a pause to think of leadership. These people were not raised in ideal times, but they came together. Leadership had a lot to do with this. In High Road Leadership: Bringing People Together in a World That Divides , John Maxwell writes that "everything rises and falls on leadership." He notes that today's leadership environment is marked by disrespect and divisiveness in the United States and the world. He refers to this as a leadersad situation. Maxwell describes a trio of Leadership paths available for leaders. High-road leaders who bring people together and build people up. A middle-road leader who is transactional, seeking negotiations to create winners and losers getting their way. Maxwell describes a low-road leader who divides groups, causes division, and manipulates people and situations to get the best for themselves and their cronies.

"Unfortunately, most of these leaders are, bluntly speaking, not good, they aren't bad people, they just aren't good leaders, and it's not really their fault because the way that we teach and talk about leadership is extremely antiquated."

Jacob Morgan

This situation is evident in many other reports. Jacob Morgan, in a May 29, 2024 blog post We are facing a Massive leadership gap today , writes By 2030, we're going to have around 240 million leaders around the world; these are people who are responsible for the lives of other people at work.?Unfortunately, most of these leaders are, bluntly speaking, not good; they aren't bad people, they just aren't good leaders, and it's not really their fault because the way that we teach and talk about leadership is extremely antiquated and that's largely what leaders today are familiar with and practice. In his article, Morgan notes research from Randstad that supports his findings: 60% of employees have left jobs or are considering leaving because they don't like their direct supervisors (Randstad). Gallup notes poor leadership accounts for 70% of the variance in employee engagement reports, which are at record lows. He also cites Developmental Dimensions International leadership studies that show that only 14 % of organizations have strong "bench strength "to develop leaders.

In his book High Road Leadership, John Maxwell writes that it doesn't have to be this way. Leaders can learn to become and practice high-road leadership. He writes that leaders can adopt twelve practices to follow the path of high-road leadership.

This Thursday's leadership insight will describe two practices fundamental to high-road leadership. The first two practices are to bring people together and value and add value to all people. Each tenant will be described, and five practices will be shared to implement both.

"High Road Leaders build bridges, not walls."

John Maxwell

Maxwell writes, "high road leaders don't focus on the chasm between people. They focus on connection." They build bridges instead of walls. They find common ground so they can get to where other people are.

?Five practices of bringing people together? are;

1. High-road leaders seek to develop and are committed to a mindset of unity and a motivation and purpose of serving all.

2. High–road leaders develop and build on leadership by seeking a shared, common, intentional practice of communicating and over-communicating a shared picture of the organization's vision and actions to support all moving forward. In that shared vision, bigger than any one person

3. The high-road leader's actions model their words and build trust. They do what they say they will do and communicate clearly to all. The high-road leader strives to communicate the same messages across all levels of the organization, ensuring everyone is aligned with common goals. These leaders make sure that communication is appropriate to all in the organization to ensure all can be informed and heard

4. These leaders encourage a collaborative, psychologically safe climate of inclusivity and diversity. Leadership promotes Interactive open meetings with open communication. There is also an intentional effort to involve all, practice present listening, and follow through.

5. These leaders unite people by establishing and encouraging productive conflict management norms and practices to leverage ideas through healthy discussion and respectful disagreement. These practices encourage a common ground based on what ?is ?best for all in the organization and respectful discussion guidelines in training and practice

These five practices will start or enhance the process of bringing people together by building connections and relationships built on mutual respect. Connections and relationships are made and nourished by intentionally developing the practice of respect, trust, and psychological safety in all relationships over time, even in disagreement and a commitment to the common good.

" Connection is the energy between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued."

Brene'Brown

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Connections and relationships are solidified in high-road leadership practice by intentionally valuing all people and adding value to all people. Maxwell writes in High Road Leadership, "High-road leadership is about valuing people according to their potential. I have always found that it brings out their best when you believe the best about people and give them your best. When you value people and add value to people, you create a world of value."

It is important to note that this practice has two facets: first, it values all people, and second, it acts to add value to all people.

Five practices a high-road leader can use to demonstrate that they value and add value to all people are below.

1. High-road leaders embrace the value of all people.

Maxwell refers to this as the start of everything for a high-road leader. He writes you must embrace the idea that all people have value and deserve to be treated with dignity." He often says to consider everyone you meet has a "10" on their head. The co-founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, Mary Kay Ash, often said to her leaders, "Consider that everyone wears an invisible sign? saying "make me feel important." ?

2. High-road leaders are curious about more than work projects in their follower's lives.

Getting to know those you lead and serve creates a connection. In his book FOR , Jeff Henderson writes that leaders should "Ask how they are doing before you ask what they are doing. "This awareness of the factors influencing those you lead and your genuine human response to them builds connection.

3. High-road leaders listen and ask and affirm to add value

Those you lead want to know they are valued and listened to. The key is to remember that listening to be effective requires a reshuffling from

L I S T E N to ?S I L E N T. Curious silence and observation demonstrate respect and help one gain understanding. Respect and understanding build connections. Remember, ask = A. Always, S.Seeking, K.Knowledge, and pause to allow for response. Practice matching mood and energy to seek understanding and affirming that understanding.

4. High-road leaders embrace candid conversations and shared accountability of all, including themselves, to enrich people and the organization.

All people need uniform, fair, and equitable guidelines and to learn to hold themselves accountable for being their best. This process is uncomfortable yet necessary for all growth as it helps people grow and correct themselves to be their best.

"One of the best ways to value all people and add value to people is to provide them with teaching mentoring and modeling high road leadership principles and practices. "

5. High-road leaders develop intentional programs of leadership development based on high-road principles and practices by learning and delegation.

This leader demonstrates the value of all and adds value to all by equipping others and their belief in others by delegating leadership-earning experiences and building a solid bench strength of high-road leaders. Jacob Morgan's recent article, as noted above, referred to a need for organizations to better train prospective and emerging leaders. One of the best ways to value all people and add value to people is to provide them with teaching, mentoring, and modeling high-road leadership principles and practices.

Leadership is a learned skill that starts with a continual inside-outside process of the leader getting better. Leadership Expert Craig Groeschel notes that "when a leader gets better, everyone else gets better. "Learning and intentionally applying these first two tenants of high road leadership are the start. Bringing people together valuing all, and adding value to all in this day of low-road leadership division and disrespect will be difficult. Today's middle and low-road leaders must be replaced or choose a different road. Learning and enhancing one's high-road leadership practice will produce results and change for all.

The Leadership Question for you then.

1. Are you committed to high-road leadership practices of bringing people together and valuing and adding value to those you lead and serve?

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