I created "Meaningful Questions for the Minds and Souls of Today's Leaders" because I wanted leaders to have an authentic forum for self-reflection and the opportunity to share with others the essence of who they are as leaders. There is a tremendous amount of insight that can be gained by honestly answering the questions provided in this book, let alone being able to openly discuss these with other leaders.

Q: Who is your primary audience?
A:

The primary audience for this book is people who are in a position of responsibility (past or present) that involves leading and directing people towards a desired outcome.

Q: What does "authenticity" have to do with leadership?
A:

I believe that the most effective leaders are those who lead by a set of core values that reflect both who they want to be in the world and the contribution that they want to make. These leaders show up in all endeavors as the same person guided by the same principles. They lead with integrity, passion and an unresolved commitment to make a difference in the lives of those they touch. This to me is authentic leadership at its best.

Q: How are these questions going to make me a better leader?
A:

The questions themselves will not make you a better leader. However, if you are able to honestly and openly respond to the questions, you will likely have a surge of self-awareness about who you are as a leader, where you are headed, and who you need to be in order to get there. It is this "awareness" that can help make you a better leader and express your true essence.

Q: Is there a "right" answer to the questions?
A:

There are no "right" answers to the questions because the questions are about you, your perspective and your experiences. Authenticity is more about self-expression than about being right.

Q: Do you recommend we answer the questions alone or with other people?
A:

Both. There is value to working the questions by yourself and taking all the time you need to reflect upon them in an in-depth way. However, it is equally important to hear other perspectives on the same questions and for others to hear your responses as well. After all, aren't we all students and teachers for one another?

Q: Give an example of how you would use these questions in a team building and/or leadership retreat?
A:

One way would be to put participants into small groups of five or six and provide each group with a copy of this book. Once the groups are together, ask for one member of the group to read a particular question from the book that he/she would like everyone in the group to answer, including the reader. After everyone in the group has answered the question, pass the book to the next person and repeat the process. Once every member has had the opportunity to pose a question to the group, the activity can be concluded.

Q: I'm new to leadership and really have no experience to draw upon. Am I wasting my time in trying to answer the questions in your book?
A:

Not at all. Certainly there will be a few questions that you may not have enough experience to answer completely, but I think you will find that with the majority of questions you will have no problem in both answering and in drawing insight from them. But more importantly, even the questions that you cannot immediately address will still give you a lot to think about regarding the kind of leader that you will want to become. That alone is a valuable reason to get this book.

What Leaders Are Saying About Creating Authenticity: Meaningful Questions For the Minds & Souls of Today's Leaders