It’s not about you

Gen. Hugh Shelton

Chris Hitch

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the final post in a six-part series exploring values-based leadership by Chris Hitch, director of the Gen. H. Hugh Shelton Leadership Center. 

Gen. Shelton emphasizes that all values-based leaders have an obligation to give back. It doesn’t matter whether you are a student or a working professional; you have an obligation to work to make your corner of the world a better place. He urges us to “be bigger than ourselves, to give back to our community, and to our state, and even to our nation.” 

He reminds us that there are multiple opportunities to do this in small and large ways. Corporations and nonprofits mutually benefit from these partnerships. Corporations’ reputations are enhanced by giving back to the community. Nonprofits, by their very existence, are known for their mission-driven programs to the community.

A signature programs at the Shelton Leadership Center is the Shelton Challenge, which has selfless service as a key program component. Twice a year (in addition to their other volunteer efforts), our Shelton Scholars go to a particular town for a Weekend of Service, where they partner with local civic organizations to build wheelchair ramps, clean blighted areas or help in other ways. We partner with NC State’s Center for Student Leadership, Ethics & Public Service to support them in their student service learning and leadership efforts. I’ve been in awe of high school students who volunteer to help those with disabilities in and out of school.

I’m not highlighting these to boast about different Shelton programs are doing (although I am incredibly humbled and impressed with our tireless staff , board and many students and how they each live out this cornerstone daily). I’m emphasizing that there are lots of ways to give and give back in a community. As Gen. Shelton urges, “that is a part of what each and every one of us from the corporate level right down to the individual should be doing.”

Values based leadership—It’s not about you. 

What situations have you found where giving back to the community gives you an even greater gift?

Chris Hitch, Ph.D., is director of the Gen. H. Hugh Shelton Leadership Center and program director of the Poole College of Management Executive Education at North Carolina State University.

Should you ever lower your standards?

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the fifth in a six-part series exploring values-based leadership by Chris Hitch, director of the Gen. H. Hugh Shelton Leadership Center. 

Gen. Shelton notes in his book Without Hesitation that “an effective leader is not a hands on micro-manager; in fact, the freer rein you give your people, the more they will excel — as long as you’ve communicated your objectives and expectations and surround yourself with good, independent thinkers who are not afraid to speak up” (p. 112).

He’s talking about how a values-based leader has high standards. The values-based leader always strives to do what is right. Yet, Shelton also shows that a values-based leader mixes in a generous dose of compassion with standards: 

“You have to understand that, for a certain reason, individuals might have certain things they are wrestling with in life. For example, you may be on a school bus riding to school, and the person next to you is having a bad day. For whatever the reason, they’re not their self. But you’ve got a compassion for them because you recognize that something is going wrong. When you have someone who has had a tragedy in their family, you recognize that you know they’re a great employee, but they’re not having their best day or their best week because of this tragedy.”

The lesson for me is that you don’t lower your standards. You expect everybody to do their best and achieve their personal and organizational goals. You do recognize, however, that you have to get to know the members of your team, to know what is going on with them, to the extent that you and the other person feel comfortable sharing. That knowledge helps you to understand how much they have on their plate and whether you need to adjust and give some additional time, if possible, to help them reach their 100% goal accomplishment for themselves and for the organization.

That’s compassion. 

Where have you seen a values-based leader keep standards high while simultaneously demonstrating compassion?

Chris Hitch, Ph.D., is director of the Gen. H. Hugh Shelton Leadership Center and program director of the Poole College of Management Executive Education at North Carolina State University.

Does your team look just like you?

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the fourth in a six-part series exploring values-based leadership by Chris Hitch, director of the Gen. H. Hugh Shelton Leadership Center. 

Gen. Shelton views leading with diversity as a great attribute for values-based leaders. When we listen to Gen. Shelton talk about his strong belief on diversity, we come to understand that he views diversity in a much broader sense than what is traditionally viewed. He talks frequently about how the differences in people-different qualities, attributes and perspectives result a much better solution than does an internal echo chamber in which everybody is alike.  

He notes that there are multiple differences (for example, age, education, ethnic background, nationality, gender, work history and perspectives) that we need to embrace and bring to the table in order to identify the challenge or opportunity and come up with the best solution. Gen. Shelton likens this to his work as the 14th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He notes that "The Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force are all different. They have their own different cultures and ways of doing things, yet they come together to create the greatest fighting force in the world." He’s also seen from his work with corporate boards that a board’s effectiveness comes from different perspectives that help the organization continue to move forward. Each board member’s diverse expertise is tapped to help shape the direction of the organization.

One key point I take away from GEN Shelton’s ideas on diversity is that a key role of a values-based leader is to, as he states, “merge and meld the talents and complimentary capabilities of people from a diverse point of view.” We thereby grow a much stronger, capable and nimble team than we would if we only selected and worked with people who were just like us. I’ve learned and re-learned that a key function of a leader is taking the time to bring people in from different points of view and backgrounds, and then listen.  

An analogy I’ve picked up from watching, listening and learning is the leader serving as a host or hostess at a large party. The host or hostess first learns each guest’s interests and backgrounds and then connects them with other people to create interesting conversation. Similarly, a values-based leader needs to consciously and continuously look for ways to connect and bring people together from different backgrounds and interests to solve large and complex challenges and opportunities across organizations.   

Where have you seen diversity work as a strength in your personal or professional work?

Chris Hitch, Ph.D., is director of the Gen. H. Hugh Shelton Leadership Center and program director of the Poole College of Management Executive Education at North Carolina State University.

How can stopping in the desert make you a more trusted leader?

Chris Hitch 

Special to Philanthropy Journal

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second in a six-part series exploring values-based leadership by Chris Hitch, director of the Gen. H. Hugh Shelton Leadership Center. 

Gen. Hugh Shelton defines a leader who leads with honesty as a person who is “always going to recognize the difference between right and wrong. You can count on that leader to make a decision based on doing what is right. Honesty and doing the right thing leads to trust in a leader.”

It also leads to trust from your manager or board that you will do what is right without having to check on you frequently. That concept of trust and honesty help increase action and focus on your stakeholders and mission, not whether others are doing the right or wrong thing.

Gen. Shelton gives an example about leading with honesty. He discusses that honesty crops up in many seemingly small decisions that you make on a daily basis. He talks about going through the Arizona desert and coming to a stop sign. Do you stop, even though you see that there is nobody coming from any of the other three directions? If you’re honest, you come to that full and complete stop, because it is the right thing to do. You don’t have to think about it; you just do it. Honesty and trust go hand in hand.  

Leading with honesty means doing the right thing all the time even when nobody is looking. I believe that these values, like honesty, are like a part of leadership “fitness.” Psychologists talk about muscle memory and how repeating the same action over and over in practice make it an unconscious positive act when the actual event takes place. I believe the same holds true with values-based leadership fitness. You make decisions (repetitions) in seeming small ways so that when a situation comes up, you automatically know what to do and simply do what you’ve practiced (ethical leadership muscle memory). As leaders, we are always being watched. You lead with honesty on a daily basis. Others pick up on what you do and how you act, and they begin to act toward you with increasing or decreasing trust, depending on your actions. 

Gen. Shelton also recognizes that, if you are an honest person, you also realize that honest people can make a mistake. He talks about underwriting mistakes. If you make a mistake for the right reason and it’s an honest mistake, you’re willing to underwrite or forgive that mistake. You underwrite it and move on. But if you don’t have a reputation for honesty, others look toward you with a much more skeptical eye. If others think that you make a decision for the wrong reason, they are unwilling to underwrite or forgive that person.

Where have you found leading with honesty in seemingly small situations translate to that same honest behavior in more significant decisions?

Chris Hitch, Ph.D., is director of the Gen. H. Hugh Shelton Leadership Center and program director of the Poole College of Management Executive Education at North Carolina State University.

What is a values-based leader?

Chris Hitch 

Special to Philanthropy Journal

Gen. H. Hugh Shelton

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first in a six-part series exploring values-based leadership by Chris Hitch, director of the Gen. H. Hugh Shelton Leadership Center. 

We are fascinated by learning from leaders. The basic formula seems to be:

• •   Look at a successful leader of one particular industry or profession.
• •   Interview that person.
• •   Look for lessons from that particular leader in that particular situation.
• •   Try to generalize those themes to a broader audience.

Many fewer of us, however, look at universal or generalizable characteristics that can transcend a particular industry, profession, career or one’s stage in the journey of life (K-12, college, early career professional or executive). 

Gen. H. Hugh Shelton’s values-based leadership model comes from his experience and success in the military, the corporate world and his recognition by others for his leadership and contributions locally, statewide, nationally and globally. He’s outlined the key characteristics of great leadership as being a “Values-Based Leader.” He talks about the five cornerstones of values-based leadership: honesty, integrity, compassion, diversity and selfless service. 

He believes that “any leader should strive to be known as a values-based leader. Values make up our character. They’re things that we believe in. They are things that we strive to make sure that we always include in our thought process when we think about making decisions. A values-based leader will leave a legacy each of us will leave behind if we strive to include these five cornerstones in our daily work. We always try to do what was right and always support those who worked for them. That’s the legacy of a values-based leader.”

It makes sense, then, for us to take a look at what Gen. Shelton has talked about, his methodology and cornerstones for success and how they might be applied to our personal and professional life. During the next series of posts, we’ll briefly explore each of these five cornerstones and how we can implement them in our daily work. 

Chris Hitch, Ph.D., is director of the Gen. H. Hugh Shelton Leadership Center and program director of the Poole College of Management Executive Education at North Carolina State University.