ABSTRACT
We all have many opportunities to engage in leadership and management. Leadership consists of aligning an organization’s resources and actions with its stated intentions. Articulating a clearly stated vision and doing what you say can move organizations forward and resolve issues. Conversely, vague or inconsistent missions, statements, and rewards systems can lead to disillusionment, reduced loyalty, and poor performance. Leaders inspire trust, build a common organizational purpose and vision, align their statements and systems, measure outputs, and reward people in order to empower them to achieve the organization’s missions and goals. The most successful U.S. leaders have acted quietly, calmly, and determinedly, pursuing the mission, strategy, hiring, promoting, firing, reorganizing, and managing all other details required for an organization to succeed. Empowered managers exercise individual authority, self-expression, and commitment to the vision. They act in their enlightened self-interest to achieve the vision. Self-interest for employees encompasses performing work that has meaning, providing service for the organization, acting with integrity, achieving impact with your work, and taking pride in mastery of the subject. Authentic tactics include honesty, sharing financial and production information and uncertainty, and using clear language that reflects reality.
