THE LEADERSHIP PROJECT

I'm Kelly Gerling, and I've got a question for you:

How well does your organization
actually practice the values you believe in?

If you have an interest in moving your organization
in the direction of becoming more healthy,
more creative and more productive
then please contact us.
Let's explore how our leadership development services
may support your efforts towards improving
your organizational culture
and enhancing morale.

See Kelly's recent article in Fire Chief magazine
about using Values Based® Leadership in organizations . . .

"Values Fulfilled" article by Kelly Gerling

The article summarizes my values based approach to leadership to help improve the culture and enhance morale in organizations. While the article focuses on fire departments, the methods would apply to other organizations as well. The article was published in January, 2009. Here's how it begins:

Fire departments all over the world have adopted values to which they proclaim their dedication. For example, the Los Angeles Fire Department attests, “We owe each other a working environment characterized by trust and respect for the individual, fostering open and honest communication at all levels.”

Trust, respect, and open and honest communication are some of the most commonly stated values by fire departments. These openly stated cooperative values are not mere verbal decorations. Rather, they are a call — a call to attend to the wants, desires, needs, issues and concerns of a department's employees. They are a call to achieve higher morale; a happier, more creative culture; greater employee satisfaction; and a stronger ethic of service to the community.

But a call to the moral leadership of living by such values does not automatically lead to their actual fulfillment. There often is a gap between ideal and real, stated and practiced.

Why does such a gap exist?. . . Read more