Creative Energy Options, Inc. (CEO) and The Country Place Retreat and Conference Center had exciting times this month. Mother Nature made her presence known and reminded us that she still rules! The recent snow storms that you have read/heard about on the news (or experienced first hand if you are from eastern PA) created quite an impact-gorgeous winter scenery and a reminder that The Country Place certainly is a country place. It is so easy to take all the modern day conveniences of work and home for granted, and forget that the basic forces of nature are a much larger part of our life. The resulting beauty and serenity is the wake up call that we all need once in a while. There is more to life.

This month's PEPtalk brings:
• Our team adds a Leadership Development Coordinator
• Women Executive Leadership Learning (WELL) program announces continuing education credits
• Breakthrough leadership
• Gettysburg lessons

    Bill Koch, a facilitator, leadership educator and marketing specialist with more than 20 years experience in corporate, small business and academic environments has joined the Creative Energy Options (CEO) sales and marketing team. Bill is the new Leadership Development Coordinator and will work with Mary Jane Saras, Director of Business Development.

    According to Herbert Kaufman, Chief Executive Officer of CEO, adding Bill to the sales team was a natural. "An important component of CEO's strategic plan is to expand our ability to impact global leadership. Bill's background and skills will help increase our client base and provide more opportunities for CEO to reach out to a broader market. Our vision really seemed to mesh with what Bill has been doing."

    Bill agrees. "When I began to understand the creative approach and leadership model that CEO offers, and realized the impact that it has had with its clients, I was excited."

    Born and raised in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Bill, his wife Lorene and their three daughters Andrea, Lindsey and Sarah currently reside in Honesdale, PA. Lorene is a high school teacher and when Bill isn't at The Country Place, the headquarters of CEO, he is busy trying to keep up with his daughters who are "passionately busy with music, horses, ballet and field hockey.

    Bill can be contacted by emailing bill@ceoptions.com or by calling 570-636-3858.

• Breaking the Gender Politics Barrier: Transforming the Glass, Brass or Bamboo Ceiling into Partnership
• March 21 - 23, 2007

    Few issues initiate more debates, misconceptions and unsupported opinions than whether women perform as well on jobs as men do. Organizational Behavior research has put this (and many other) gender myth(s) to rest. Today (based on extensive scientific research) everyone should operate on the assumption that there is no significant difference in job productivity between men and women. Then why do we still feel uneasy about potential gender-based barriers? After more than 35 years of increasing female participation in the workforce and rethinking what constitutes male and female roles, shouldn't there be a different paradigm where barriers (such as glass ceilings) shatter and opportunities for growth is for everyone. The success of an organization depends on a collaborative blending of the best that male and female leaders can provide.

    Learn how to shatter the glass ceiling, develop partnerships where everyone wins so no one loses and become the leader you have always wanted to be.

    Call 570/636-3858 or visit our website at www.womenexecutiveleaders.com

    WELL is approved by the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) for 15 continuing education credits for Human Resource Professionals.

    There have been many debates on what shapes great leadership. Does it come from within or can it be developed?

    At Creative Energy Options, Inc., a leadership development firm, we believe extraordinary leadership can be developed by an individual who is willing and motivated to become a breakthrough leader. You know, that very noticeable person who leads with integrity and authenticity, creating a culture of success for the benefit of the employees and the organization, not for themselves. We believe by identifying patterns, i.e., personal strengths and challenges and exploring how our patterns were shaped by family, culture and crisis, a leader can be developed.

    A breakthrough leader engages, inspires and motivates. It's about first understanding ourselves and then what motivates others and utilizing the insight to transform office politics into high performing teams. Empowering others builds a sense of being valued. Breakthrough leaders integrate the organization so everyone feels included.

    A breakthrough leader is a visionary. One who sees, verbalizes, lives the vision and excites others to join in. Visionary leaders get others to accept the vision as real and attainable. If the team doesn't believe in the vision, it will be a slow road to success. Visionary leaders live the vision as if it already exists.

    The breakthrough leader is a mentor who leads others to reach their highest potential. As a coach or mentor, the leader takes employees on the venture of professional and personal development. This means exploring with others what are their goals, what drives them, what are their strengths, challenges and what is their vision. It's about getting to know the folks you lead.

    A breakthrough leader is a realizer. The realizer makes things happen; moving from abstract ideas to action plans. Being able to provide the safe, supportive environment for a team to move ideas forward into action is someone who really makes it happen! Breakthrough leadership is the extraordinary leader who is self-aware, engages others in the vision, mentors and creates new leaders.

    This past September, Sylvia Lafair, Ph.D., President of CEO and I participated in a two-day leadership program offered by The Conference Board in Gettysburg, PA. We were on a research mission to observe the impact this Gettysburg adventure would have on me.

    As a facilitator for CEO's flagship program, Total Leadership Connections™, I am aware of the power that family history has on one's present personal and work behavior.

    For me, Gettysburg was a trip back in time to observe and understand some of the influences that show up in my choices of work and my core values.

    This experience had particular significance. You see my great, great, great uncle, General George G. Meade, commanded the Union Army, successfully defeating General Robert E. Lee's army in its northernmost advance and driving them back to Virginia.

    I came away amazed at how General Meade's ways of handling conflict by first reflecting and then responding are so similar to mine. And how the ideals of freedom, justice and equal opportunity for which he fought have been embedded in my family going forward to my three children.

    Here is an overview of the exceptional job The Conference Board did to make the Battle of Gettysburg come alive.

    What struck me most deeply during our two days on the battlefield was feeling the commitment and passion exhibited by so many men fighting for their ideals on both sides of the conflict. Colonel Chamberlain of the 20th Maine Regiment particularly exemplified leadership by character or moral courage encompassing the qualities of trust, integrity, clarity, decisiveness, respect and compassion. He consistently honored the men in his charge demonstrating his care and concern and aware of the impact of his words and actions. Such leadership inspired their alignment to a greater purpose.

    Stonewall Jackson, though daring and inspiring as a military commander, did not focus on developing strong leadership qualities in his subordinates. He did not empower them to make their own strategic assessments and take initiative. When Ewell assumed command of Jackson's Corps upon his death, he lacked the strength and confidence to take the bold actions required at critical moments. Additionally, Lee failed to modify his style of communication and command to adapt to the cautious, calculating character of this new commander. General Lee relayed his commands to him in a manner that presumed his acquisition of the qualities of his former commander and did not achieve the results he intended. This failure highlights the importance of knowing the strengths and weaknesses of the people you are leading and guiding them accordingly.

    Several other principles of leadership were illustrated by analyzing other mistakes in General Lee's command. Lee's first mistake was his over-confidence based on his past experience and he transmitted his instructions to his commanders individually and rather loosely, leaving much to their discretion. He did not gather them together to solicit their various perspectives, inspire alignment or synchronize their actions even after changes in the make-up of his senior command. This resulted in uncoordinated attacks, which failed in achieving his objectives. He also did not clearly communicate his expectations and objectives, failing to distinguish between what was important and what was essential. Furthermore, had Lee made his intention behind these objectives clear - the big picture - his commanders would have understood and been more committed to the plan of action and empowered to take greater initiative.

    Great leadership recognizes opportunities, weighs the risks and acts on them in a timely manner. This requires maintaining focus on the big picture and not getting caught in details or being preoccupied by fear of failure or other emotional concerns. Following Ewell's overwhelming victory and occupation of the town of Gettysburg on the first day of battle and the disorderly retreat of the Union troops, his opportunity to take Culp's Hill and possibly Cemetery Ridge was clear. Ewell hesitated, however, and lost the momentum of the moment, failing to achieve a very critical potential success.

    Another interesting lesson was provided through our discussions about the renegade move by Union Major General Daniel Sickles on the second day of battle. Sickles is a maverick whose sense of entitlement through his political connections led him to challenge the new command of the Union Army by General Meade. Though mavericks can offer dynamic, out-of-the-box thinking, they can be disruptive when not channeled by strong, clearly defined boundaries usually on an isolated project. Fostering a climate of openness, respect and appreciation and embracing the failures or shortcomings as well as the unique contributions of individuals generates community-mindedness and intolerance for aberrant tendencies.

    Meade was not noted for an inspiring personality and was thrust on short notice into the commanding position at a critical point for the Union Army. His success was founded in his ability to quickly assess the situation, coordinate his team of commanders, solicit and listen to their input and implement a conservative but astute strategy.

Here are a few final lessons or guidelines I noted in the course of our discussions during the program:
• Inspire confidence by communicating clearly and acting decisively.
• Be a constant learner - there is always one more thing you can do to improve your situation.
• Take time for personal reflection, tactical reassessment and to check your intentions.
• Know yourself and those around you. Be clear about your intentions and expectations. Trust your instincts.
• Put your best efforts where there is the greatest opportunity for success.

    Beyond these valuable lessons on leadership, however, I appreciated the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of my ancestors, feel more directly the legacy or life print I have inherited from General Meade, my family and culture and integrate the lessons from their experience into my life. The ideals of freedom, justice and equal opportunity for which they fought and their commitment to make this world a better place have become guiding principles of my life. The perspective I have gained through my participation in the programs offered by CEO elevated my "Gettysburg Experience" to the level of personal transformation.

PEPtalk is a free monthly eNews from Creative Energy Options, Inc. (CEO)—a global leadership development, consulting and coaching company on the cutting-edge of business transformation. We provide the solutions you need to apply the Pattern Aware Leadership Model^TM to your daily work and home life. It is published every month and filled with leadership news and views, success stories, special events and valuable tips to energize your leadership.