How Great Leaders Inspire Action: Simon Sinek on TED

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Chris Hitch

I saw this 18 minute TED talk by Simon Sinek on how great leaders inspire action. When I listen (and listen again), I am inspired on how this three circle concept that he articulates helps shape and guide decisions on a daily basis.

When you are either leading or a key contributor to any improvement effort, you want to maintain your core values in your daily decisions. What I see as important is that the three circles help you frame and guide decisions you make on a daily basis. Whether you are working in a non-profit or commercial organization, this model can help serve as a filter for the decisions you make, especially when you are trying to improve in certain areas of your work or personal life.

Which key point from Mr. Sinek’s talk do you find most powerful?

How have you seen this work (or not work) in your work?

How the Shelton Leadership Center exemplifies Porter’s management classic-What is strategy?

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Chris Hitch

Dr. Michael Porter, in his 1996 Harvard Business Review classic, “What is Strategy?”, outlines a key difference between strategy and operational effectiveness. Doing things well and effectively is necessary but insufficient as a strategy. Strategy focuses upon unique activities or same activities done in a unique and value creating manner (quicker, better, or cheaper). These differentiators make an organization valuable, rare, and hard to imitate.

At the Shelton Leadership Center, we invest in and grow values based leaders across the generations. Our award winning Shelton Challenge launches each June for a week-long life changing experience for both high school youth who attend and the collegians who serve as mentors, counselors, and peer leaders.

We provide educational scholarships for deserving high school seniors and NC State students who exemplify the center’s mission, “to inspire, educate and develop values-based leaders committed to personal integrity, professional ethics, and selfless service.”

We provide executive education for emerging and current leaders in organizations who want to focus their leadership team upon values-based leadership. Our signature event, the annual Shelton Leadership Forum, has had over 600 attendees for the past several years, ranging from senior leaders to those who are emerging leaders at the collegiate level or in the early parts of their career. We also provide customized executive education in partnership with NCSU’s Poole College of Management for our clients who want a values-based approach to practical executive education.

One of the hallmarks I’ve learned in my short time here at the Shelton Leadership Center is that three of our differentiators from others who focus upon leadership development are that:

(A) we clearly articulate, focus, and embed the five values that GEN Hugh Shelton outlined as cornerstones of values-based leadership:

Honesty
Integrity
Compassion
Diversity
Social Responsibility

(B) the impressive focus and energy from our Board of Advisors. Each board member is focused on how they can contribute to the greater good of helping implement the Shelton Leadership Center mission.

(C) The way those who serve as a part of the Shelton Leadership Center live the values that we espouse. I’m singularly impressed by the level of passion, drive, and focus that our team has to ensure that we are providing.

It’s an exciting time to be here as a part of the Shelton Leadership Center