The contest runs through the month of July, so you have some time take a look at the nominees and cast your vote.

The 2008 winner will be announced August 4 on Kevin’s Blog and in his weekly newsletter, Unleash Your Potential.

Kevin says that he and his team "created the contest to give leadership bloggers the opportunity to spread their wisdom more broadly and for readers to gain from that. It was definitely a success last year with more than 1,000 voters and increased awareness about all the nominated blogs."

Very true.

For example, blogger Guy Harris just found Extreme Leadership through Kevin's contest. Take a look at his blog to see his response to the idea of GTY.

Thanks, Kevin.

Gotta love the blogosphere...

Now it's your turn to join in the process of both refining the questions and getting them asked (and answered) by the next president of the United States.

Here's what you do:

1. Watch the five-minute video (below) about the dialogue we've begun.
2. Go to Harvard's Center for Public Leadership site at www.howyoulead.org and read the 15 questions.
3. Tell us (and the candidates) whether you think these questions should be asked by responding on CPL's blog.
4. Forward this post to your friends and business colleagues so that they too can join this conversation about Leadership & the Next Presidency.

I'm honored to say that this site has been named as one of HR World's "Top 100 Management and Leadership Blogs that All Managers Should Bookmark."

Thank you, editors. I'm grateful for the mention.

Your own greatness as a leader (or in just about any other role, for that matter) lies, paradoxically, in your ability to cause others to be greater than yourself.

You could argue that this is just the right way for one decent human being to act towards another, and I'd whole-heartedly agree, but let's set altruism aside for a moment.

Is there a personal payoff for you? A benefit other than a warm, toasty feeling in your chest?

Oh, yeah.

Consider this: If you get a reputation for being the one who elevates people, for being the one who gives freely to others at work, and, as a result, for turning out superstar after superstar, what’s going to happen?

Everyone will want to work with you, that's what. And because of that, you’ll be able to accomplish anything you set out to do. Anytime you want or need to get anything done—any idea that you want to pursue, any venture, you’ll put out the word and they’ll all come running to help. And for good reason: everyone will know that by the time your project is completed, your idea implemented, your vision realized, they’ll be all that much better for having worked with you, because you will have given them far more than they’ve given you.

And so it goes, over and over again. Give; get more. Give more; get even more. Consider the possibilities and you’ll see why keeping others down is eminently unproductive and—to be blunt—just freaking stupid.

So, here's my challenge to you:

Build your GTY legacy. Starting right now.

Don’t worry—I’m going to make it easy for you. Great, lasting legacies are built one brick at a time. All I ask is that you pick one person. Just one. And make that one person your own, personal GTY project. Raise that person up, boost him or her above yourself. Start there and see what happens.

In my previous post I mentioned that Pat Lencioni and Matthew Kelly will be co-writing the forward to Greater Than Yourself.

Now you know why.

Matthew is, in essence, Pat's GTY "project." Pat wants to see Matthew become a more successful author/speaker/consultant than he is. And he's helping him get there.

He really is.

So...who do you have in your life right now--let's focus on work for the moment--who could become your own GTY project?

I've been absent quite a bit from this blog, but now that I'm in the home stretch on the new book, I plan on showing up here 2 to 3 times a week. For those of you who are new to this site, I hope you'll tune in often and respond to the posts with candor and gusto. For those of you who've wandered off while I've been otherwise occupied, I hope to make it worth your while to come on back and hang around.

Let me start by catching you up on the latest publication developments:

I've finished the rough draft of Greater Than Yourself (yep, we finalized the title--subtitle is still to come. Suggestions?) submitted it to my editor at Doubleday, and now I'm waiting for his edits. Then, the...um...joys of the re-write will ensue.

The official publication date is January 13, 2009. Hey, I'm not saying it should be made a national holiday or anything, but maybe you can mark your calendars anyway.

And I'm happy to say that the forward to the book will be co-written by author/gurus Pat Lencioni and Matthew Kelly.

Why do you need two people to write the forward? I hear you cry.

True, it's a little unorthodox. But there's actually a damn good reason.

Which I'll be sure to explain next time around.

For example, my table group included the legendary Werner Erhard whose original claim to fame (and some would say infamy) was his development of the EST program/movement. I found him to be a warm, smart and very accessible teammate for the day's conversation. And in damn fine shape for 72 years old. For any age, actually.

And speaking of table groups, I also had the chance to catch up with my old friend Pat Lencioni who remains one of my favorite people on the planet.

Warren Bennis is one of my leadership development heroes; unfortunately, he wasn't physically able to travel, so he sent us a note via the blogosphere. Here's the last bit of his take on the requirements of the next president. Note the conspicuous use of the "L" word towards the end. Sounds like a Radical Leap to me:

"What all the candidates must have is an inexhaustible supply of mental and physical energy. When I think about the great leaders I’ve studied and know-Pete Carroll, USC’s remarkable football coach or the exemplary Bill George, come to mind-they are always on. Always intense. They never get to say 'I don’t want to.' They win on their bad days as the great pitcher, Nolan Ryan, once said. They just can’t be ready for something. They’ve got be ready and prepared for anything. Yes, even that-cough-3 am phone call. And, if I can be personal for a minute-I mean real personal-I know I’ve got to finish this blog, my first ever, before morning because I said I would and because I want to. Because I love writing about ideas. Because the topic you are engaging in today is so important. Because I care deeply about the mission of CPL and its success. The job of the US Presidency dwarfs any other as far as energy, commitment, and desire go. You’ve got to love it, every minute of it, 24/7. [my italics, of course!]

I wish I could be with you today and be part of the conversation. But right now an airplane for me is no country for old men."

Center for Public Leadership Hosts a 'Conversation on Leadership and the Next Presidency'; Focus on Competencies - Not Policies - the Times Demand

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 9 (AScribe Newswire) -- To help move the national debate beyond slogans and sound bites, Harvard Kennedy School's Center for Public Leadership (CPL), in partnership with The Ken Blanchard Companies, will convene a daylong conversation on leadership entitled "Leadership and the Next Presidency" on Monday, May 12.

More than 200 leaders from the public and social sectors, corporate world, academia, and the media will gather in Cambridge, with support from the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust and The Charles Hotel, for a program whose focus will be markedly different from many of the public discussions held so far in this presidential campaign season.

"A crisis is a defining moment of any presidency," noted CPL director David Gergen. "When you look at the daunting challenges that must be addressed in the next four years, and the equally daunting impediments to taking meaningful action - the weakening economy and the increasing volatility in global affairs not least among them - then it becomes clear that the next administration will not lack for defining moments."

"Given the likelihood of such a scenario," Gergen continued, "the character, wisdom, and resilience of the next national leader become vital - as important as the particular policies the president puts forward."

"Leadership and the Next Presidency" will take place at the Charles Hotel, located at One Bennett Street in Cambridge, beginning at 8:30 a.m. The morning will include a conversation on the challenges ahead for the next president, and what is required to address them. The participants will leverage their own vast leadership experience in the afternoon, as they look at the presidential election from a job interview perspective and develop the best questions to evaluate leadership capacity. The afternoon program will also feature messages to would-be presidents from Harvard graduate students representing the next generation of leaders.

"In studying the effectiveness of organizations for more than 40 years," added Ken Blanchard, leadership consultant and best-selling author, "there is no doubt in my mind that the key ingredient that determines success and human satisfaction is leadership. Every time you talk to people about an organization that is admired, people want to talk about the leaders. Similarly, our next president's 'leadership point of view' will determine what kind of organization runs our country, and what our country becomes. So the critical questions are about the characteristics we need in our next president - and in the appointees and advisers the next president brings into the administration."

The Center for Public Leadership is committed to continuing this conversation up to and beyond the coming election. For that reason, May 12 will also mark the launch of the CPL Leadership Forum through a weblog to augment this discussion and continue highlighting leadership issues, and Harvard Kennedy School-related topics. On the day of the event a blogging station will be available for attendees to comment on posts by guest bloggers such as Warren Bennis, a legendary figure in the world of leadership studies, and Col. Thomas Kolditz, Professor and Head of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at the United States Military Academy at West Point. The blog will be available at http://www.hks.harvard.edu/leadership/blog .

Participants in this Conversation on Leadership include:

Graham Allison, Douglas Dillon Professor of Government and director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School

Max Bazerman, Jesse Isidor Straus Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School

Ken Blanchard, founder and Chief Spiritual Officer, The Ken Blanchard Companies

Erv Brinker, CEO, Summit Pointe

Andrew Card, former chief of staff to President George W. Bush

Cheryl Dorsey, President, Echoing Green

Robert Edgar, President and CEO, Common Cause

David Gergen, Professor of Public Service and director of the Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School

Fred Greenstein, Professor of Politics Emeritus, Princeton University

Bill George, Professor of Management Practice, Harvard Business School and former Chairman and CEO, Medtronic

Rev. Wilson Goode, former Mayor of Philadelphia

Steve Grove, political director, YouTube

Kerry Healey, former Lt. Governor of Massachusetts

Ben Homan, President, Food for the Hungry

Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Ernest L. Arbuckle Professorship, Harvard Business School

Barbara Kellerman, James MacGregor Burns Lecturer in Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School

Joe Klein, columnist, Time Magazine

Patrick Lencioni, founder and President, The Table Group, Inc.

Harvey Mackay, author and Chairman, MackayMitchell Envelope Company

Pete Meinig, Chairman and CEO, HM International, Inc.

Marilyn Carlson Nelson, Chairman and CEO, Carlson Companies, Inc.

Bill Pollard, Chairman, The ServiceMaster Company

Roger Porter, IBM Professor of Business and Government, Harvard Kennedy School

Garry Ridge, President and CEO, WD-40 Company

Kevin Sharer, Chairman, CEO, and President, Amgen, Inc.

Tommy Spaulding, President and CEO, Up With People

Larry Summers, Charles W. Eliot University Professor, Harvard University

Noel Tichy, Professor of Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management and the director of the Global Leadership Program, Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan

Walter Ulloa, Chairman and CEO, Entravision Communications Corp.

Andy Zelleke, Lecturer in Public Policy and co-director of the Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School

Patricia Zigarmi, co-founder, The Ken Blanchard Companies

AScribe - The Public Interest Newswire / 510-653-9400
www.ascribe.org

In the meantime, here's a preview of what I've been cooking up. Since my editor is yet to whack at it with his magic pen, I can't promise that you're looking at the final form. We're still wrestling with the title, so for now let's just say that the story explores the principle I've been referring to on this blog as Greater Than Yourself. Here then, is the current state of the prologue and Chapter One:

Prologue

The obsession seized me with all the subtlety of a sumo wrestler hopped up on anabolics.

I’d been playing guitar for 35 years, and I’d owned a couple of decent ones from time to time, but suddenly I needed—needed—that 1959 Gibson hollow-body electric hanging on the rack at Vintage Brothers Guitars in Carlsbad, California.

I don’t know what it was. I’d seen nicer guitars, to be sure. There was nothing unusual about its sunburst finish, and with only one pickup in the middle position, the ES-330 wasn’t considered the most desirable of collectable instruments. But other than a few minor nicks on the headstock, it was in perfect condition, and as I sat in the store’s small demo room, playing it hour after hour, I fell deeper and deeper in love. The neck was fast, the tone, sweet, rich and mellow. Yeah, I was in love, man, but not all love and obsession winds up in marriage, so eventually I put it back on the rack, inquired just one more time about the price, and walked out into the salty, San Diego, Pacific Ocean air.

I’ve played better guitars, I kept telling myself, and I’ve seen better deals on vintage instruments. But as I walked towards my car, I couldn’t shake it. Then the sumo got me, spun me around and shoved me back down the parking lot from where I’d come. My pace quickened as I approached the shop, and my wallet was out before I even got through the door. I paid the price and grabbed the case, and, minutes later, grinning a grin that tested the limits of my cheek-muscles, I tucked that baby into the passenger seat and buckled it in like the prize it was.

I had to have that guitar. Had to.

And now, just a few days later, I know why.

Chapter One

I’m not really sure what to call it when things line themselves up without my slightest knowledge or influence. It’s like someone is executing a profoundly interlaced conspiracy to make all the random pieces of my life fit together. What is it? Karma? Kismet? Synchronicity? I don’t know, but it happens to me a lot, and more often than not it works out well. I just seem to meet the right teachers at the right time.

I’ve been blessed (maybe that’s the word) with the opportunity to work with some of the world’s preeminent thinkers in business leadership—like Tom Peters and Jim Kouzes to name a couple. And in recent years, under extremely odd and seemingly fortuitous circumstances, I’ve learned directly from some of the masters of Extreme Leadership—like William Maritime and Agnes Golden and Ted Garrison, names that’ll be familiar to readers of my previous books.

I’ve done a pretty good job of conveying the lessons I’ve learned along the way, and I think that’s why I’ve made a bit of a name for myself in certain circles. Some have even used the words “Steve Farber” and “leadership guru” in the same sentence, which, although gratifying to my ego, makes me squirm like I have a load of wet worms in my socks.

Right teachers. Right time. Odd circumstances.

I was thinking I should print that on my business card, because it was starting to happen all over again.

I was back in my apartment on the bay side of the Mission Beach area of San Diego. The ocean and its frenetic boardwalk were a couple of blocks to the west, but calm, tranquil Mission Bay lay just a few short yards to the east of my building, affording a view through my living room window worthy of tourist’s post card.

I had returned from Carlsbad a couple hours earlier, cleared my agenda by taking care of a few time-bound tasks, and was now—finally!—ready to spend some quality time getting intimate with my new companion.

I gingerly placed the tattered, 49 year-old, mottled brown guitar case on the dining room table, flipped open the latches, lifted the top, and let my gaze linger over the sunburst-colored curves of my new six-string babe.

Sitting on a bar stool with the guitar propped in my lap, I twisted the tuning knobs until the sound was just right and fired off a couple of quick blues licks in the key of E. I’d plug it in later; for now I was enjoying the smooth feel of the Brazilian rosewood fingerboard and the muted, rich sound resonating off its un-amplified, maple body. I was just about to settle in for a few hours of serious playing (which sounds like an oxymoron—but it’s not), when something in the case caught my eye. I set the guitar in a stand and got up to take a closer look.

The pink, plush lining on the inside bottom of the case was pulled slightly back at the seam and a small, yellowed piece of paper stuck out from under the fabric. I pinched the corner and pulled on it gently. It slid easily from under the velvet and revealed itself to be a handwritten note.

I felt a voyeuristic jolt similar to what an architect must feel when finding a relic that gives a glimpse into another’s life in another time.

“Dear Jessica,” the note began. “This guitar is my gift to you. It was made in 1959, 31 years before I taught you your first lesson. What a player you’ve become in just 5 short years, and now that you’re old enough to vote and on your way to school and the distractions of adult life, you’ll need this guitar to remind you of your wonderful musical gift. And may it help you to become a better player than I ever hoped to be. I have no doubt you will.

You have brought this old teacher of yours more joy than you could possibly know and I want you to know that I’m very, very proud of you.

“Your friend and teacher,

GZ”

“You’ve been around, haven’t you?” I said to the guitar in the stand.

I read the note one more time and tried to imagine the teacher, the student and the strong bond that had obviously existed between them. It was an unusual thing, that kind of connection. I’d been lucky enough to experience that student-teacher bond in my professional life, and I knew how rare and priceless a thing it could be, so, naturally, I found myself wondering where these people were today and what, if anything, had happened with Jessica’s life as a guitarist—or if she even continued playing at all.

The way I figured it, (I had to use a calculator, I admit), this note was written somewhere around 1995, and if Jessica had just been reaching college age, that would put her in her early 30’s today.

Had “GZ’s” pride been well-placed? Had Jessica grown into the kind of adult he’d hoped she would? And why, if their relationship had been as special as the teacher’s note implied, had Jessica eventually gone on to sell this wonderful and sentimental gift? And you’d think if she’d returned even a little of her teacher’s affection, she’d at least have kept the note.

I know I would have.

Given my sudden and intense curiosity about all this, I found myself faced with two possible paths: I could either make up imaginary answers to these questions, or I could snoop around to see if I couldn’t uncover the real story of Jessica and GZ.

And I bet you can guess which road I traveled by.

I'm also a total sucker for their tremendous, inspiring show.

If you happen to live in the Denver, Colorado area, or if for some reason you'll be there on the evening of February 9th, you have an opportunity to see the show in all its glory.

I'll be there too, so please come on by and say hello.

I'll let Tommy fill you in on the details for this exciting event. Here's a personal invite from the man himself (oh, and be sure to click the "parade" links to get a taste of the Up with People spirit):

Dear Farber Friends,

Tommy Spaulding

As you'll see from the previous posts, the principles of Love, Energy, Audacity and Proof are an integral part of their culture, and, once again, they've been kind enough to share a bit of themselves with the rest of us.

Here, then, are the Kineticom LEAP awards for 2007. They may only look like little plaques to you, but believe me, these awards are a big honor for the participants.

Consider doing something like this in your company, maybe? Just a thought...

Click on each image to see and read the full picture:

With 60% of the vote, Greater Than Yourself was the hands-down winner for the main title. As far as the subtitle goes, well, let's just say that's still unclear. (My old friend, Sam Nitzberg, contributed my favorite write-in, But I Still Have You Beat, which is hilarious and therefore not an option). I still have to work it out with the publisher, but I've made an executive decision to stop worrying about it for now. It'll all be a moot point unless I finish writing all that stuff that comes after.

Thanks to everyone who helped out--I appreciate it very much.

And with all this thinking about titles, I've been revisiting what I title myself.

You know what I mean, right?

I'm really not sure what to say when--on an airplane, for example--someone asks me what I do for work. What am I? Keynote speaker? Leadership speaker? Motivational speaker? Author? Business author? Speaker author motivational keynoter person?

"I'm a speaker and a writer," I usually say. To some that probably sounds romantic, but to me it just seems bland. Vanilla.

It used to be faddish to come up with a really snappy title for yourself--one that describes the uniqueness of your work. My title at the Tom Peters Company was "Vice President and Official Mouthpiece."

And I've known more than one receptionist who titled herself "Director of First Impressions."

Is it still cool to do that snappy title thing, or has it gotten to be a little too precious?

I'm not sure.

So maybe you can help me out again. But this time, let's talk about you:

How do you answer the what-do-you-do question?

What do you title yourself?

I'd love to get your help on this. Please take a couple of minutes and fill out this survey at Zoomerang.

Just a couple of clicks and you'll be done--and you can rest easy in your bed tonight knowing that you've helped this author and a major New York publisher make a decision that could change the very course of human existence.

Or whatever you have to tell yourself to feel good about it.

In any event, I'd greatly appreciate your help and creative input. (In case you missed it the first time around, please click here to take the survey).

Established in 1965, Up with People has been flying under the radar in recent years, and most of the very people who should be in the program (age range of 18 - 29 years old) don't even know it exists.

That's all about to change.

The UWP cast will be performing in both the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Tournament of Roses Parade, and our hope is that by their stepping on to the world stage we'll generate a nice buzz about this inspiring leadership development program.

This past August in Tucson, Arizona, Tommy Spaulding, the program's president and CEO, delivered his vision for the future of the program at the opening session of the Up with People alumni reunion.

And it was one hell of a speech.

I know; I was there. (Not as an alumnus, but as a Board member).

But here's the thing: it wasn't just a great speech about one organization's future, it's a lesson for any leader about how to communicate an inspiring vision and enlist others in making it happen.

So let's turn this into a lesson for the rest of us. Here's the plan:

1. Put Yourself in the Role of Audience Member: assume you're an alumnus of the program, and you've been frustrated with the organization because, in recent years, it hasn't lived up to your expectations. At one point it even temporarily closed its doors, and you were afraid that it was going to stay closed forever. You've come to this reunion to re-connect with old friends, and now the new CEO steps up to the stage to give his vision of the re-launched program's future. You want to believe him, but you're more than a little bit skeptical. Cynical, even.

2. Understand the CEO's (Tommy's) Challenge: He needs the audience to believe in the new strategy and direction. He needs their good will, their support, and, sometimes, their money. He has to re-energize the optimists, and convert the cynics.

3. Take specific notes on what Tommy does and how he does it.

4. Make a list of the principles you could use in communicating your next leadership/vision message.

5. Write your observations in the comments section below.

Heeeere's Tommy:

My wife, three step-daughters, and I evacuated for a couple of days, which, with the exception of the fire-related stress, was more like a mini-vacation than a refugee experience. When I checked in at the Manchester Hyatt (we were lucky enough to find a couple of rooms before they were all snatched--thanks, Andrea!) the agent asked me if I was part of the "fire group," which would qualify us for a special room rate and a 20% discount on all food and beverages.

"Ummm...okay...the fire group. I guess that would be us."

The hotel staff did a great job of handling our "group," but I was a little disappointed that I didn't get a name tag.

Hello My Name is Steve. Poway. Evacuee.

It was interesting to see what each person in our family had packed to take with them. In addition to a few changes of clothes:

Presley, the 12 year old soccer player (state cup champs last year), took all her soccer medals, a soccer ball, and a picture that my son, Jeremy, had drawn for her a couple of years ago. And, of course, the Wii.

Kelsey, 17, took all her shoes.

Heather, 14, grabbed the PS2.

My wife, Veronica, packed the important documents, select family photo albums, and a folder full of old letters that my father had written to my mother in the years before I was born. Jeez...I hadn't even thought of that.

I gathered up my favorite guitars: my Martin D-45, Fender Strat, 1959 Gibson ES-330 and 1980 Gibson ES-347. Those, and my laptop, were all I really cared to take with me.

Frankly, as long as my family was safe, nothing else truly mattered, but still, it seems that what we pack when fleeing a fire says at least something about who we are. At least in that adrenaline-stoked moment.

So here's a question for you: with a fire marching towards your home, and minutes to decide, what would you pack?

And may that question be forever hypothetical for you and yours.