Introducing Ethics Legislation: The Courage to Lead After 200 Years of Silence
The Honorable Jill Long Thompson, U.S. Congresswoman and Indiana Gubernatorial Candidate

The test of a good leader is staying in the fight despite the popularity or lack thereof of the issue. Long Thompson reflects that this message is the result of a combination of a good work ethic, a solid supportive group of family and friends, and commonalty of purpose. She opines that voters elect representatives to use good judgment and fully research issues before committing to a particular course of action.

Conscious Leadership: Transformational Approaches to a Sustainable Future
John Renesch, Author, Getting to the Better Future

There is no room for the status quo. Apathy and lack of true leadership will simply perpetuate the unsustainable, self-destructive course we have embarked upon and continue to perpetuate. Renesch passionately calls to end any legitimacy given to dysfunctional systems; to seek long-term approaches necessary to achieve a sustainable future; to terminate polarization in order to seek common ground; and to take corrective measures without fearing failure.

Earning the Right to Lead in Defining Moments: The Act of Taking Leadership
Tom Karp, Oslo School of Management, Oslo, Norway
Jon-Arild Johannessen, School of Business Management, Harstad University College, Harstad, Norway (residing in Holstebro, Denmark)

True leaders emerge and earn their right to lead - not as a result of an organization's day-to-day activities - but through courageous acts exhibited during the organization's defining moments, whether such moments be characterized as stable or disastrous. Remaining strong and steadfast in testy situations while demonstrating the ability to bond with and earn the trust of others are the predominant emotional and interpersonal characteristics on display when a leader earns his or her right to lead.

The Moral Foundations of Ethical Leadership
Joseph P. Hester, PH.D., Claremont, North Carolina
Don R. Killian, M.A., Mount Holly, North Carolina

Hester and Killian stress that principled leadership does not necessarily require discarding past practices; rather, they emphasize the importance of using what is good about the past, excising self-interest, and injecting passion into contemporary, values-based leadership. Passion, as used by the authors in this sense, refers to neither rage nor anger; rather, it is an excitement and enthusiasm that comes from leading with vision, integrity, and respect for others. Subsequently, when such passion is coupled with moral purpose, the idea of serving others, and building and sustaining relationships, the organization will inevitably experience positive growth - one person at a time.

Gurus on Leadership (A Book Review, Mark A. Thomas, Author)
M.Srinivasa Rao, Reviewer, Sri Krishna Nagar, Hyderabad, India.

Author Mark A. Thomas examines in his best seller Gurus on Leadership the many styles and contributions associated with noted leaders and experts on leadership throughout history. Rao's review points out the salient features of each style and reasserts the author's desire for the principled leader to choose the best characteristics and managerial traits offered from this vast repertoire of experiences and philosophies.