Leadership Advantage: A People Person

Abstract

Dare to admit effective leadership calls for "we"; Dare to say actions speak louder than words, "you see?" Technology dependence often leads to weaker personal relationships. Consequently, one can gain a distinctive through more effectively relating with people. This article describes the how, why and what of being more of a people person toward the goal of improving as leaders through enhanced PQ (People Quotient). This manuscript deviates from the normal academia style in that we are talking about an old fashion concept so we innovatively are old fashion; we will most often, just say it!

Full text

Leadership Advantage: A People Person
Robert W. Service
Samford University
A. K. Guess
Samford University
Dare to admit effective leadership calls for “we”;
Dare to say actions speak louder than words, "you see?"
Technology dependence often leads to weaker personal relationships. Consequently, one can gain a
distinctive through more effectively relating with people. This article describes the how, why and what of
being more of a people person toward the goal of improving as leaders through enhanced PQ (People
Quotient). This manuscript deviates from the normal academia style in that we are talking about an old
fashion concept so we innovatively are old fashion; we will most often, just say it!
INTRODUCTION
Respect comes from disagreeing without disrespecting;
Respect follows communicating without disconnecting.
As you read about our newly defined People Quotient (PQ), think about connecting and reflecting
on the perceptions of others and moving from fixation to adaptation.
We have all seen those people we call “people, people that never meet a stranger.” They are those
people that let others into relationships with them in a manner that is difficult to quantify, yet you feel it
when it happens. In this article we forward a model for that type of people intelligence that can be
understood in part by those that “get” EQ and IQ as successful leadership intellect. We call this observed
ability the People Quotient (PQ) to denote a type of emotional and brain power that can serve anyone well
who wishes to lead or improve as a leader. Yes, touching the needs and desires of others is the essence of
a successful PQ for improved leadership effectiveness. And, it is not easy. It requires you to open your
mind and expend a bit of effort.
The high achieving leaders have a great degree of self-knowledge coupled with organizational and
business acumen. In the current area of concern, the self-knowledge needed in PQ results in the ability to
read and understand others; and then adjust actions, mannerisms and so on as relationships are built. It
builds onto the Emotional Quotient (EQ) many have studied (if not do so) to the point it can be a clear
distinctive where others know you feel their pain and have them as the center of you actions. In the
context of doing things together, it is critical to be sincere about who you are, because followers are
extremely perceptive. You can’t fake sincerity for long! Yes, most everyone and everything centers on
Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics Vol. 12(4) 2015 59

perceptive abilities, but few use their perceptive abilities fully to their advantage. Most people use their
perceptive abilities to push their agendas or confirm their suspicions before they seek to understand the
usefulness of someone else’s views.
Leaders with high PQ escape this trap of being tough or singly focused on their own perspective, and
are able to concentrate not on “How can I use someone?” but instead “How can we work together?”
Simply because you do not believe like us does not necessarily mean any of us is right or wrong: in all
probability, most of us are right and wrong to differing degrees; and knowing the degree to which each
person is right or wrong is the beginning of PQ wisdom. The current authors often feel that they don’t
totally agree on much of anything, but we also don’t disagree on much of anything. In fact when we
disagree or agree as we get deeper into whatever we are arguing, discussing, debating or proclaiming we
see some of the errors in our views.
We should all agree 100% that we can be certain that we indeed might be wrong, but then we even
might be wrong on that point as well! In the end with relationships worth having, it is not important to
always know what to say or what to do, but it is important to care enough to exhibit the sincere desire to
understand totally what helping entails. People don’t care how much you know until they know how
much you care. We understand as teachers and consultants that a willingness to be taught is the best way
to teach. Not knowing what to do, or not knowing the answer, is the beginning of wisdom. Admitting you
are a fellow “seeker of knowledge” is a strength when connecting with followers. Always knowing the
answer beforehand is most often an “off-putting” characteristic. To establish a meaningful lasting
relationship, start at the other person’s point of need, instead of your own point of need or want. This
paragraph to a great degree defines PQ.
The first author has taught formally for about 25 years. And he has made a progression from asking,
“What am I going to do with this class?” to “What is this class going to do with me?” While he certainly
has a syllabus and some concrete material to teach, experience has taught him that the best learning takes
place when you ask questions that are not in the textbook but relate to some topic a student brings up:
think on your feet and be willing to adjust your plan. His students say this is what they liked this most
about his classes; the learning that took place on off topic discussions. Others hate the lack of structure
and want to know “exactly what do you want?” Balance and fit are keys here and in our final message on
this topic that follows. Always and often consider the questions we’ve proposed above in terms of your
group.
The truth is that relating is more about reading and adapting than knowing, for we are all essentially
alike. There is a very narrow margin of normality in humanity. Most people think and react along a
narrow range that fits closely to a self-preservation, self-serving model. Leaders with the highest PQ
adopt the Golden Rule with one slight change: “Treat others as they would have you treat them;” though
that will not be too far from, “Treat others as you would have them treat you.” Understanding and using
the subtle differences makes a leader more real to others, more of a people person, not a self-serving hack.
This PQ skill, others over self, is the invaluable people skill.
So What?
We can all point to living examples of “people” people. That is what we are talking about here. PQ is
about the ability to relate with people and it includes the following:
• Relationships-shift toward relationships that form because you let people inside
• Relationship building and destroying-your choice
• Social skills-develop and use
• Use of poise and demeanor-keep you head
• Teaming-use when appropriate
• Facilitating others-it’s about them not you
• Networking-leverages your relationships
• Reading others-but don’t be sure you are always right.
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The emphasis on ability to relate to people from their perspective has changed quite a lot in the last
20-40 years. In the even more distant past there often was a need for followers to be dependent on a
leader, because followers were mostly ignorant and were given no real information, so there was a great
deal of dependence. In current times, we see movement towards leader-follower relations that are
mutually acceptable and benefiting as the only valid leader-follower relationships. Information and power
are more equally distributed than they have ever been before, and this is resulting in a new model for
effective leader-follower relationships. This model includes having the savvy to network within and
outside organizations (we first read this in Kilmann, Kilmann, and Associates, 1991: is it not still true
today?). We don’t necessary like the way the word and concept has evolved, but empowerment works.
People want a leader for direction, inspiration, validation, and relationships. Every enterprise is trying
to develop leaders to help it in shaping an organization capable of meeting future needs that are at best
unclear. When organizational change is required things become confusing and stressful, and everyone
looks for leadership—but not for leadership as defined by authority; they want a leader that leads by
example: a leader who has earned his reputation and title, not a leader who has merely been appointed.
Leadership is the reason organizational change succeeds or fails.
Around the world, the headlines state people have lost faith in their institutions and the individuals
who lead them. But, is it leaders we have lost faith in, or ourselves? One hallmark of an optimistic people
is a belief that one individual can make a difference. Yet somehow we are not as convinced as we once
were, that we can each become whatever we hope to be (in Kouzes and Posner’s famed 1993 book: p.
xxv. Sound familiar, are we not saying this today? Some things don’t change).
LEADERS THAT MANAGE THE FUTURE REALIZE WHAT PEOPLE WANT AND NEED
Leadership lives through respect and humility;
Leadership lives only with trust and integrity.
Effective leaders realize what people really need and what they want. And, leaders will succeed or
fail based on their balance of meeting “appropriate” wants and needs. Therefore, they work hard to
provide:
• Direction—goals, SMART objectives, measurements, rewards
• Knowledge—skills, development, training, information
• Resources—a place, tools, materials, money
• Support—approval, recognition, feedback, coaching, encouragement.
All these elements result in building relationships with people within and outside the organs of
society, that is, the organization. People want desperately to belong (witness the rise of gangs as families
vanish), and leaders with high PQ are those who are able to tap into and satisfy that uncomplicated need.
As a leader, you have to come up with a plan to meet followers’ needs as they see them; you cannot
just wish things would get better. Ask not what you want for them, but what they want and need for
themselves. This requires the ability to read people: PQ—a skill that can be learned to a greater extent
than most think. Start by slowing down and observing closely how people interact.
Leadership is a fusion of work and human relations. Leaders are not leading objects; they are leading
human beings with dreams and desires. Your PQ skill will determine how well you speak to the hopes
and dreams of others. Leaders need to help others better realize their potential: become more of what they
are capable of becoming. It is a heartbreaker that so many people die never realizing many or any their
dreams. Just think of the lost leadership potential. If used to the max, the potential out there could solve
most major social ills.
If you want to be a leader, start by realizing people want leaders who want to serve. Then realize that
they want a leader who will inspire them, validate them, give them solid direction, and most importantly
someone with whom they feel they have a “trusting” relationship. In the end, most followers simply want
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a leader that sees them as another person. Our University’s last two University presidents were good
leaders. But they were very different. One was Dr. Corts and the other Andy. Actually that says basically
all you need to know about their leadership styles. Both were effective but for very different PQ reasons.
Realize first that people can have influence over and leverage the power of others. Second, leadership
is about the heart and the mind: often the body and soul as well. Third, leadership is about human
influence. Fourth, all humans perform actions that take care of what is important to them, to serve their
unique values. Lastly, understand that it is a mistake to think others value what you do as you do. People
are motivated in the way an organization desires them to be only when they really believe the relationship
between effort and performance, and organizational rewards, is as the leaders proclaim. High-PQ leaders
avoid ambiguous directions, they limit the search for solutions, and they learn from failures. Seek to
understand others and you will have a high PQ.
People change what they do because they see a truth that influences their feelings. The ultimate test
of all leadership is whether it gets people to commit their energy into directions the leader defines or
refines. Individual commitment alone is the ultimate cause of collective mobilization. We think that there
are more than enough problems to go around and if you want to lead do it and solve some of our major
ills. In our society of organizations, develop an organizational culture of personal accountability by
demonstrating what you mean. This truth remains after over 50 years of what seems to be a striving
toward the replacement of personal responsibility with collective obligation. Start with your own
accountability: hold yourself accountable before you hold others accountable.
Remember the hard and the soft sides of leadership; summarized along these indices:
1. heart and head
2. tangibles and intangibles
3. content and context
4. process and views
5. perceptions and preconceptions.
These concepts are not dichotomous and it is hard to see what “good” is in these soft sides of leadership.
Perhaps an analogy of music and art where there are those who are nearly perfect yet are not as successful
as those with a unique style. In other words, being technically perfect does not guarantee success: you
have to appeal to others. So it is with leadership, especially the relating-to-people aspect. This is the point
we’ve been making via our research for the past 10 years (see Service and Service and others in the
Bibliography to review this progression). Your leadership does not have to be perfect; it has to fit you,
your followers and your environment. Yes, we say clearly that leadership is more a matter of how to be
than how to do. In the end being trumps doing: example rules. Reading and relating to others’ wants and
feelings is an art that distinctively appeals to individuals and is developed by living a life for and with
others.
Good bad or indifferent, attitudes most often are way more important than facts. For, indeed, little has
much meaning in life except the meaning we give it; real or imagined. Experience is beyond what
happens to you it extends to what you do with what happens to you.
Theme OF PQ
Sincerely heed what is truly real;
Sincerely care how others feel.
Leadership comes only from the relationships people form when they are doing things together. Don’t
participate and you won’t lead. And, when you participate without understanding the other people in the
organization, you have a very low PQ. Organizations with low-PQ leaders will not survive. All
organizations have Social Capital, which is the network of connections among people. These connections
make an organization more than a collection of individuals out to achieve their own private purposes or
successes. The collective organization must exhibit PQ so that members of the organization get the
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message, “It has to be more about the followers than the leaders.” It is not altogether about being nice and
liking and accepting one another, but it is about the necessity for collaboration involving many people. It
is about demonstrating in practice what is of value to the group. Today’s success and tomorrow’s
continuation of success are dependent upon enduring and effective leader-follower relationships which
must be reciprocal and voluntary.
A good leader sets the tone for the quality of relationships. The great coaches know that what counts
most in creating a successful team is not just how compatible the players are, but more about how the
individuals as a team deal with inevitable incompatibility. Many organizational problems result from a
concentration on technical competence without serious regard for relationships, context, and process. To
increase your PQ, you just must develop a strategy for investing in and exploiting your and your
organization’s intellectual assets, especially as they relate to PQ: people understanding and respecting
people. You can ultimately only improve the efficiency of knowledge workers through developing lasting
relationships.
Successful leaders see relationships in many multifaceted ways but none more important than in light
of the people involved. Our advice is to first define something as the best it can possibly be, then add in
the people for a reality check. We hate to say it again, but it is most often necessary to go outside of the
normal boxes, frames, and models, and direct thinking toward developing truly innovative organizational
members who have high PQs. However, know the basics that are inside the box before you go outside the
box. You do not understand others without work and attention. A real “people person” knows that one
cannot laugh if one is not willing to cry, and that we all must live life versus answer it to be truly fulfilled.
An understanding of self, others, and the basic principles of leadership is required as a starting point
to building enduring relationships and a high PQ. However, beyond understanding of self and others there
must be the willingness and desire to:
• realize
• admit
• take action
• measure
• improve
• reassess, adjust and repurpose.
Realistically evaluating your PQ and establishing a plan for improvement must be one of your
primary goals. Understanding all the principles presented here will help you in the journey to realizing
how successful your leadership can become by increasing your PQ.
In Good to Great (2001), Jim Collins wrote that we need to start with the people. He used the phrase,
“Get the right people on the bus,” then allow them to figure out how to solve problems. He suggested that
leaders don’t solve problems; they find the right person to solve the problem. Franklin Roosevelt summed
up his leadership style similarly. “I’m a train switchman,” said FDR. “People come to me on one track
and I switch them out on another track.” He assumed—correctly, we believe—that a big part of leadership
is getting the person-job fit correct. Get the “fitting” people and then you can do almost anything.
Understanding and relating to people is the only way to attract, hire, and retain the right people!
Always start by selecting the right person in the first place and then get them off to a great start.
Establish the fact that you are a coach who will be sure that team members are rewarded for their
commitment. Help people grow, advance, and see that their work is important. Do this by insuring that
their contributions are recognized and rewarded. Do not tolerate abusive managers or toxic work
environments. Do see people as fellow human beings and take time to listen, but mostly live the example
you want them to exhibit in their work. Be positive, but also be straightforward about things people do
wrong or of poor quality.
This advice will result in gaining and retaining the right people for it will build relationships between
the organization (its managers and leaders) and the “right” people. These skills and behaviors are the
essence of PQ and a successful “coach” will surely exhibit a high PQ.
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Pull others into meaningfully effective relationships through:
1. Connecting with mutual understanding
2. Reflecting with and about them and “mutual” relationships
3. Work for win, win, win . . . for all involved
4. Generalizing about their fit, yet understanding how they stand out.
These four steps lead to a high PQ. Good leaders don’t push their way into relationships. Top PQ leaders
let people “into” the relationship (think hard about this slight difference). As with many other quotients
(EQ, IQ, CQ, LQ-see all Service references), PQ requires attention—but attention of a different kind:
attention to what others value and want versus what you value and want for them. Once you identify some
characteristics and other variables about someone that might be useful in developing a relationship with
them, you must reflect back on similar people situations and learn to generalize to your new situation.
That means you need to understand what will work with the new person and situation by understanding
what worked in the past. In many areas we can afford to use tried-and-true methods and apply them to
most problems. Indeed, this is why we developed formulas in math, science, and finance. However, we
cannot develop single-use strict formulas in dealing with people. We can develop guidelines but not
formulas. Don’t take any of our formulistic pronouncements literally. All of our Figures and Appendix
are guides to understanding not exact pronouncements. Seek to understand the principles, and adapt and
adjust.
Discovering whom you can rely on is the key to a happy and successful life and that cultivating and
nurturing good friends and/or associates that can help you lead is not easy. PQ starts with seeing people as
who they are, not what we want them to be. “We are whom we associate with.” Yes, you can become
better at reading others and applying what you know to building effective and lasting relationships, but
only with considerable effort. Generally, people either develop these skills early on, or they never develop
them. We don’t mean to imply that it cannot be done, just that it is difficult. Below are other PQ skills
that are of significance in today’s info-interactive always connected and distracted society that are needed
to become a better leader in all aspects.
Other Keys to PQ
For a good foundation, the best literary place to start is by reading classics such as The Bible (for the
PQ aspect of human understandings), Simon’s Model of Men (1957), and Sloan’s My Years at General
Motors (1963); Kennedy’s (1987) study of the rise and fall of great powers; Lindblom’s (1959) science of
“muddling through;” Gleick’s (1987) chaos theory; JFK’s (1956) Profiles in Courage; Shapero’s (1985)
book on managing professional people; Reagan’s (1990) description of his American life; Stalk and
Hout’s (1990) book on competing against time; and Schwarzkopf’s (1992) proclamation that it does not
take a hero. Of late such writers as Gladwell, Sternberg, Mintzberg, Hall and Brooks have added currency
to PQ topics. These authors and many others all have one very common theme. The theme of meaningful
relationships as key to accomplishment, theories, working, and living is exemplified in all of these works
and many others. Fiction teaches about people and relationships versus academic studies teaching about
theories and content. People and relationships, or theories and content? One’s answer to this tells clearly
whether they are a people person or not. Why is there such a concentration on relationships in literary
works? Because without relationships—formed by a high PQ—we could not reach meaningful goals. If
we had to give you a couple of suggestions, we’d say start with Brooks and Hall on human development
and wisdom.
Principles of Success Start and End with Relationships
Following are 10 principles of success that we have shared with classes and friends for years. Review
these principles with the PQ in mind:
1. Build and treasure relationships for without them success is not worth it.
Start and end with a relationship with a higher being or a vision. Follow this closely with
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relationships with friends and family; and, finally, extend it to all those you wish to influence.
Remember that character, integrity, and ethics show: always include fair and equal treatment to
all; remember the mirror test: without integrity we are nothing.
2. Visualize the end you have in mind for if you don’t know where you are going you’ll never
arrive.
Think big, but start small. Take Ben Franklin’s advice to prepare well: "By failing to prepare we
prepare to fail." This principle is truer with relationships than almost anything else for if you do
not want to develop a relationship you will be successful at that.
3. Set goals that are step-by-step ways to reach your vision.
Focus: set initial short-term goals that build to your ultimate goal, but never forget to work to help
others out from their perspective before you seek to help yourself and serve your perspective.
4. Be proactive and try.
Fear is an illusion that can freeze anyone out of action. Successful people and failures fear the
same things, but the desire to succeed overcomes the fear for those who are successful. No one
can achieve by being passive. It is better to not be good enough than not to try. The greatest of
inventors had hundreds of failures. Thomas Edison said "I know 5,000 ways not to build a light
bulb." The first step in establishing a relationship is to try!
5. Success is hard work; there are no shortcuts.
Put in the work and results will follow. Do not do things halfheartedly. Do not let others pull you
down. Establishing relationships is quite often hard so practice loving and caring.
6. Teamwork wins the war even though an individual may win a battle.
Relationships that are successful reflect a selfless process: a win-win attitude. Talent or luck may
win one or two times, but teamwork (an ultimate in multi-relationships) wins out over time.
7. Learn, refine, and practice the fundamentals.
There are plenty of people with ability but few who can apply it. Watch out for settling for instant
gratification not supported by fundamentals! In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven
Covey (1990-worth mentioning many times) gives the following habits successful people exhibit:
a) Proactivity, b) Beginning with an end in mind, c) Putting 1st things 1st, d) Thinking win-
win—and I will establish a lasting relationship, e) Seeking first to understand, f) Synergizing, and
g) Continuing self-renewal. See the link with relationship-building?
8. Participate—set the example—I will be a good leader and a good follower!
Learn awareness: awareness of self, others, and the world around you. Back up your talk by
example, not just words. A picture of me in action will take thousands of words to describe and
millions of words to change the meaning of what people see me do. I must earn the title of leader
or follower. Relationships are built on actions more than your words. Servant leadership is the
goal.
9. Learn to listen.
First, seek to understand before you seek to be understood. Develop an external focus and
become an information junky. Leverage what you know in order to form a more perfect
relationship.
10. Reinvent myself and commit to continuous learning—your personal relationship with
learning.
Peter Drucker said in all of his later writings that knowledge has become the key economic
resource and, therefore it can become the overriding source of comparative advantage.
Knowledge of self and others is the basis for truly effective relationships. Your relationship with
yourself can be strengthened only through continuous personal growth.
About Organizations and Relationships
Since people often appear to be illogical creatures primarily driven by emotion, how do we improve
organizations? Yes, restructuring, repurposing or many forms of “re-ing” can be helpful, but only if
dictated by a new strategic direction and supported by people changes. We improve organizations through
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people and how they deal with other people; that is, we improve relationships; not structure, policy, or
procedures! Start with what motivates behavior—understand progression of needs. Can you see that
people desire relationships, not just a way to make a living?
To make the relationship shift, start focusing on enhancing employees' self-image for everyone has
intellectual, emotional, and creativity centers. Grow a sense of self and organizational alignment that
spreads to others by:
• a shared purpose and vision
• meaningful job roles
• authentic mentors
• positive coaching and counseling that rewards results
• job security
• value for all constituents
• love and caring.
Remember: People produce only as much as they think they can—or are led to believe they can—by
those they consider their leaders. Learn to recognize behavioral styles (talker, doer, plodder, and
controller) by observing employees' behaviors and blending your style with theirs. Hone your “people
people” ability to lead effectively with:
• vision
• charisma—high-energy self-esteem
• character
• responsibility
• planning
• social skills
• achievement drive
• emotional stability
• tolerance for ambiguity
• decisiveness
• delegation
• positive outlook
• whatever it takes as long as it is moral, legal, ethical, and respectful.
Be a leader who builds people by balancing doing and leading. People should think things out and not
just accept conventional terms and the conventional way of doing things: get people to act this way! See
possibilities in others even when they do not: your beliefs can become self-fulfilling prophecies. Spend
80% of your time listening. EVERYONE needs a push sometimes. Practice discovery teaching and
leading by practicing discovery learning: Do not tell people the answer, let them learn it. Finally,
understand and use synergy and empowerment with defined important goals and specific steps to reach
those goals. Make the pledge to build effective relationships for yourself and your organization by caring
and letting it show. You will then be on your way to becoming a people person. When they feel it you
have arrived.
PQ Relationships in the Technology-Information Age
In today’s technological age, so many believe that communications technology will make or break
organizations and it can, but not as fast as real relationships or lack thereof. God forbid one is without
their smart phone, yet, they leave home all the time with no PQ at all. Again, we say sadly, we see a lot of
people who only have social media and they live or die with face-book quotes, snap-chat, blogging,
selfies and so on. Here we must admonish ourselves and others as we state flatly “we are what we
discuss.” Good, bad, happy or sad our daily communications and related thoughts make us what we are
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and what we will become. Discuss the urgent sure, but more so discuss the important.
The first author, old guy that he is, has made people mad by asking if they want him to take their
picture-they want that selfie! Too many seem to want to turn relationship-building over to technology
with twitting, texting, blogging and all types of social media. We would prefer a few real live
relationships to 1,000s of so called tech-only friends. So many people today avoid real interactions and do
all their communicating via the Internet or some other form of technology. This is a surefire way to never
establish meaningful relationships. If you want to trust and be trusted, look the other person in the eye. In
today’s who knows “what’s next so-called tech world,” PQ based relationships are not:
• 140ish written characters
• Virtual reality
• YouTube
• A post
• Smart Phone
• Information
• Productivity
• Innovation
• TQM
• Teams
• Globalization
• Speed
• Connectivity
• Compatibility
• Customers
• FaceBook or whatever you use
• Products
• Services
• Hardware
• Software
• Policies
• Procedures.
Walter Isaacson’s recent article in The Wall Street Journal debunks Alan Turing’s prediction that
computers can or will surpass human thinking. Isaacson attempts to show that we are far from thinking
machines that can eliminate the need for human creativity and the best comes from people who use
machines to extend human creativity and connectivity not supplant them (Isaacson, 2014). Though
computer tech and com are helpful, a meaningful PQ relationship consists of two humans that form a
bond of mutual respect and trust possibly using tech/com but not only relying on it. Technology and end-
use are NOT the foundations of relationships—individuals' perceived and expressed values are. This is
where we often confuse the delivery mechanism with the message. Regardless of how communications
are delivered the underlying meaning and feelings rule. Hardware and software cannot feel, love, hate,
question, respond, or react like irrational emotion-driven humans. With artificial intelligent systems the
afore-mentioned humanistic expressions could be faked we suppose. But still, things (tech soft or hard
ware) do not want or need relationships, but people desire relationships at their very core. If you learn to
develop relationships because you really care for others you will be a success, however you might define
success. If on the other hand you form no relationships, success will not matter and you will end up with
no purpose or reason for living. So use technology as a tool, but do not rely on it for relationship-building.
Sadly we know a number of people that all of their relationships and friends are with FaceBook or within
an unreal game.
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Human Resource (HR) Practices, Systems and Procedures, and PQ
Another area that deserves special attention when talking about PQ or the relationship-based leading
component is the human resources function. In many modern-day organizations the human resources
function has an undesired consequence. The HR function takes away relationships instead of building
them. For all of the talk in America of strategic partnering that started some 40years ago, little has
changed (the HR department and strategic parenting were stressed in Dr. Service’s MBA in the mid-
1970s). HR is espoused in the literature as a strategic partner, yet in America it remains a policing
function in many organizations. The important question remains, “How can HR do its overall tasks and
still help with relationship-building within an organization?” How can HR improve the PQ of an
organization versus decrease it? That is in part the intent of this section and indeed an overriding purpose
of the People Quotient.
We have reviewed the literature, trying to determine how organizations can acquire, develop, and
reward human resources to gain a sustainable competitive advantage while avoiding legal and ethical
problems in a people-friendly PQ-building way. We have not found a lot of practical material to help us.
You can find theoretical pieces or academic exercises, but not much solid logical advice that is of use for
an individual who wants to increase their People Quotient.
First, the primary HR objective should be to have and utilize the right people at the right time with the
right skills and abilities motivated and committed to accomplishing desired organizational purposes. The
basic HR objective implies:
• planning
• forecasting
• training
• development
• succession planning
• staff reduction readiness
• interviewing (entrance and exit)
• rewards and benefits
• policy development.
In addition, for HR to be a success these objectives and tasks are to be accomplished with equality
and constancy. These purposes are very sterile in many cases and simply do not show emotion or caring.
In addition, emotion can cause many problems for without it policies and procedures become only legal
documents. As Henri Fayol showed about 100 years ago, a bureaucracy is very effective in accomplishing
rule-based leadership without discrimination; but it has many limitations we cannot live with in this age
of innovation and change.
Difficult HR issues arise in an environment where sustaining competitive advantage demands a shift
from stability and control to innovation, change, and speed. In part, these issues are because of the
restrictive application of many laws and the differing environments and cultures in which organizations
exist.
We feel that there should be 10 basic premises for the HR model that builds the PQ:
1. Value people first and last and everywhere in between. Resolve the age-old conflict of “Do unto
others as they would have you do unto them” and “Do unto others as you would have them do
unto you.” Reach an agreement with the employee on the resolution to this conflict given the
organization's overriding purposes.
2. HR management and systems must fit your organization's resources, purposes, objectives,
strategies, and people. Without some flexibility you don’t need people to make decisions.
3. Insure that employees know rules, policies, and expectations as well as organizational and
personal objectives. Additionally, everyone must know the consequent rewards and punishments
associated with all established guidelines: Apply guidelines and expectations in a consistent and
predictable manner, yet realize that without exceptions you are not acting as a human. Be willing
68 Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics Vol. 12(4) 2015

to go against policy when it is an absolute necessity. Be careful but act on your own when
necessary to be a leader!
4. Provide a way for employees to question or appeal management decisions. This implies that
you should seek the approval of those who can hear an appeal before you take a critical action,
i.e., firing or demotion. When investigating any charge, include impartial parties to gather
information in a fair and systemic fashion.
5. Always look at the body of research in a topical area before trying any new system, rule, policy,
pay or benefit system, etc. We think we know and often we do not. Remember who defines the
product and its uses: the user, not the seller!
6. Put a progressive disciplinary procedure in place: train people about it and follow it.
7. When there are unique mitigating circumstances, remember to be consistent and realize that any
exception becomes a rule and every rule has a life and meaning of its own. Make sure that any
rule, expectation, and policy is logical and makes sense.
8. Always follow the letter and spirit of the law, and seek legal advice when in doubt.
9. In all matters involving employees, think commitment to continuous, honest, two-way
communications. For what is done is often less important than how it is done. For example: in
the legal system in America the means are more important than the ends.
10. Have an HR function to insure that the hiring, training, and rewarding:
a) provide the best people in the most effective and efficient way
b) insure fair and equitable treatment
c) support organizational missions and values
d) support individual unit objectives
e) hire slow and fire fast-read this again and think about it
f) build a real strategic partnering mentality, not a policing mentality.
If you and you organization follow the intent of these rules, not just the letter of the rules, you will
build a truly functional and effective HR. Efficiency comes second in a real relationship supporting HR
function designed and used to build the right PQ skills and behaviors.
SUSTAINABLE LEADERSHIP STRATS WITH THE ABILITY TO RELATE WITH PEOPLE
Again, we are using a variety of approaches combining sound research, exemplars, how tos, popular
press reports, experience, case reports, case research, and logic to produce a PQ that you can adapt and
use repeatedly in situation after situation. The human interactions of people and relationship skills that are
involved in effective leadership are so complex that reducing them to a handful of testable propositions or
hypotheses cannot reflect the level of intricacy that exists with the leader-followers-environment
interactions. That is why we developed the more inclusive very critical PQ model. Don’t forget to be
careful to not kill every living complex human interaction, such as leadership, by dissecting it searching
for what makes it tick: people and relationships are far too complex to survive dissection. To be an
effective leader, you must bring people-centered leadership alive through your actions and not kill it
through studying it to death.
Leadership Lessons for a Life Not Just a Living
When we say we are to be humble in all we do, I feel that this should relate to humility in our
humanness and our gifts. In many areas we can be “humbly” confident in what we know and do, while
realizing true knowledge makes us more aware of what we don’t know. We could not know what we
know and don’t know, do what we do and don’t do or influence others for good or mischief without the
gifts of our birth. Ask here, “For what purposes am I using my gifts?” We are given chances for success
through our gifts, but it is up to us to accomplish within those opportunities. We need to use our world
and blessings to build relationships throughout our lives; realizing always that fear and boasting will build
walls not the bridges of reciprocal interactions. Also ask often “For what is my life?” Reassess this pivotal
Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics Vol. 12(4) 2015 69

“what” anew during the spring, summer, fall and winter of your life; and then repurpose yourself
accordingly. We all have an inter hunger for more: know your more.
The opportunities for us in 2015 have never been greater in all of history. Our gifts and circumstances
make possible a great and meaningful future. You are given opportunities but they are effective only if
you use your free will and free won’t to reach more of your potential. Indeed, if we believe in free will,
should we not acknowledge that there is also free won’t? We all will make, save and give all eventually;
and in the end what will be associated with the gifts of your of time, talents, attitudes and ever extending
opportunities you have inherited? Do not allow your prison bars of fear to hold you back even more so
than the steel bars of a real prison hold some back. Make room for what matters. Please read Appendix 1
and think about how it gives you an overview of why PQ is good for a leader to have.
Story of Gordon Burton and His Momentous Bowl of Oat Meal
In December of 1944 American soldier, Gordon Burton, was wounded and captured during the Battle
of the Bulge. During the early days of his capture, racked with pain, and mentally and physically all but
destroyed to the core, Burton had given up and stopped eating. Burton had only days to live when a
fellow prisoner all but forced Gordon to eat a part of that prisoner’s own meager rations. A simple bowl
of oat meal. Gordon Burton died in September of 2014 after 60 years of building homes, a family and
giving back to the community though his time and talents and mostly his example. He lives on through
those he touched and his surviving family (Burton, 2014). Dangerous corners exist and it is our duty to
help others around them.
Psychology or Religion?
Our world is the result of interactions with many people within many environments and the quality of
those relationships will determine the effectiveness of the creativity and impact that naturally takes
place—these interactions are very much a part of the process that creates our environments. The role of
leadership is to be a torchbearer, constantly scanning the environment looking for useful information to
teach people so they become productive self-managed co-creators; and especially so that they can become
more of what God (religious view) made them for (or birth give them, psychological view). These aspects
of leadership require the power of trust, trustworthiness, truth, truthfulness and stewardship based on a
religious core or a psychological understanding of humanity.
The art of leadership is seen as the ability to release the potential of individuals and this unleashing is
leveraged best by leaders who care and exhibit a solid moral compass. You need to dedicate a part of any
leadership improvement effort to understanding yourself and self-actualization. Put much effort into
realizing your strengths and weaknesses and constant self-improvement.
Keys to PQ
PQ key word are: balance, fit, appropriateness, authenticity, trust, trustworthiness, truth,
truthfulness. However, most importantly remember that trying to be perceived as something you are not
is a sure ticket to failure as a leader. Followers want above all authentic leaders. For the theme here is that
the overriding purpose of leadership is to gain a sense of shared commitment on the part of the members
of an organization and then lead them to the realization of that shared vision. This lofty purpose cannot
effectively be met without a commitment to establishing relationships person to person. Your purpose in
reading this article should be to improve your ability to relate to others. This requires a combination of the
ability to read and to ultimately empathize with and react to others from their perspective, not yours.
Relating is more about reading and adapting than about knowing.
Evaluating Your PQ Personal Profile: Strengths and Weaknesses
Doing Something about Your PQ!
This research has resulted in many lists and concepts that have been presented to this point. Now we
will look closely at a few models presented in a way one can use as guides to improving PQ. Let us
introduce these models and our Figures by saying that effective leadership requires a balanced fit among
70 Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics Vol. 12(4) 2015

the many environments, behaviors, contexts, processes, contents, and needs. Effective leadership is a
sweet spot where 1) the leader, 2) the follower, and 3) the environment overlap and in which your PQ
must fit. You will achieve a high PQ when this fit of these three items becomes second nature to you.
Study closely Figure 1 which presents precepts indicative of a good people quotient. But realize that
almost anything can work if you are committed to others and care. Remember as you study our model that
the PQ—People Quotient is the ability to relate with people and it includes relationships, social skills,
poise and demeanor, teaming, networking, etc. Newscaster Charlie Gibson and Raymond from
“Everybody Loves Raymond” were exemplars found in our research in 2005 and 6. Bill Clinton was
mentioned often as a negative. President Obama seemed to have a high PQ when he was first elected, but
the failures of the last few years seem to point to someone who simply will not try to think about how
others might see situations in a different light than he does. Many have observed that President Obama
uses “I” for accomplishments and “they” for failures almost exclusively: judge for yourself. The art of
evaluating others’ PQ and communications habits will help you improve in those areas. The current
generation of our students say that they think that Jimmy Fallon seems to have PQ in spades: we’ll see!
If you want to see the exact opposite of a PQ, watch the fun BBC series, “Doc Martin” and see “the
Doc” who has a huge negative PQ. As we have said, we often learn the most about human nature from
fiction where exhibited traits seem unrealistically over blown when they are very often sad realities!
Next, think about trust and trustworthiness; truth and truthfulness in all PQ aspects PQ as you
evaluate PQ using Figure 2. The max-min approach is one that can be of use for self-improvement in that
each individual can figure out how to maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses as shown in Figure 2.
Lastly use Figure 3 to establish a plan for improving your PQ to leadership enhancement.
FIGURE 1
PEOPLE QUOTIENT MODEL: PQ STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
I. Strengths - advantages that are enablers in leadership development
A. Natural - more uncontrollable ‘good’ traits
1. Extrovert. 2. Charismatic.
3. Humility. 4. Compassion.
5.Psychological hardness. 6. Focus on others.
B. Nurtured - more controllable ‘good’ traits
1. Relating and connecting: personable. 2. Trustworthiness.
3. Ability to read others. 4. Networking.
5. Cultural awareness-adaptation. 6. Curiosity-adaptive capacity.
II. Weaknesses - disadvantages and derailers to leadership development
A. Natural - more uncontrollable ‘bad’ traits
1. Slick-self-serving. 2. Introvert.
3. Discomfort with dissent. 4. Offensive.
5. Psychologically weak. 6. Self-focused.
B. Nurtured - more controllable ‘bad’ traits
1. Pretentiousness. 2. Fear of deep relationships.
3. Not listening: no attention. 4. Exclusivity or being withdrawn.
5. Culturally narrow. 6. Un-curious-non-adaptive.
Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics Vol. 12(4) 2015 71

FIGURE 2
PQ MEASUREMENT AND IMPROVEMENT MATRIX:
NATURE (uncontrollable-born) NURTURE (controllable-made)
STRENGTHS (Quadrant 1) (Quadrant 2)
(enablers—advantages) Maximize Hone
(Quadrant 3) (Quadrant 4)
WEAKNESSES Make irrelevant or Minimize or
(derailers—disadvantages) deflect change
Remember: It’s not how great you did; it’s how great they think you relate to them that counts with PQ.
FIGURE 3
DEVELOPMENT SELF-IMPROVEMENT PLANS FOR YOUR PQ
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Clearly and honestly assess yourself for each of the identified traits.
2. Set doable goals that you will measure.
A) Clearly express goals in terms of specifics about events and
Behaviors. Do not establish goals you do not intend to accomplish.
B) Define your objectives for each goal as SMART objectives. S=Specific
M=Measurable A=Attainable R=Relevant and Realistic T=Time Bounded.
3. Make sure goals are about ‘things’ under your control or figure out how to get
someone else to help you—may require professional help!
4. Develop a program and strategy that will insure you accomplish each objective.
5. Establish whom you are going to work with to support your development.
Network to learn specifics about your followers and your environments.
6. Create a sense of accountability for progress toward goal accomplishment;
provide rewards-punishments as appropriate to help complete improvements
(McGraw, all dates).
Take care in identifying what you feel is under your control and what you feel is not. Skills of
identifying, limiting distractions, studying, learning, relearning, and ultimately using newfound
skills for PQ development will serve you well.
1. List and acknowledge all PQ shortcomings.
2. Describe how you will improve on the shortcomings.
3. Establish measures of progress.
4. ID and use people in your change support group.
____________________________________________________________________________________
72 Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics Vol. 12(4) 2015

PQ CONCLUSIONS
Express faith that people can and watch them do;
Express believable "whys," they'll see it through.
Our world is the result of interactions with many people within many environments and the quality of
those relationships will determine the effectiveness of the creativity that naturally takes place—these
interactions are very much a part of the process that creates our environments. The role of leadership is to
be a torchbearer, constantly scanning the environment looking for useful information to teach people so
they become productive self-managed co-creators; and especially so that they can become more of what
God made them to become. These aspects of leadership require the power of trust, trustworthiness, truth,
truthfulness and stewardship.
The art of leadership is seen as the ability to release the potential of individuals and this unleashing is
leveraged best by leaders who care and exhibit a solid moral compass. Dedicate a part of any leadership
improvement effort to understanding yourself and self-actualization. Put much effort into identifying
your strengths and weaknesses and improving them.
Leadership is leveraged best by leaders with higher PQs. You need to dedicate another part of your
leadership improvement effort to understanding your PQ and improving it. How much effort you need to
expend, depends on your strengths and weaknesses in the PQ area as it relates to your other LQ©
components.
A book we continue to reference (really good one’s are hard to come by-believe it or not) from the
Arbinger Institute, (2000) entitled Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Box, challenges each
of us to ask ourselves when we meet someone, “Am I more interested in them, or in what they think of
me?” It further challenges us to remember that “We’re all people . . . seeing others as people, we have a
very basic sense about others—namely, that like me, they too have hopes, needs, cares, and fears (p. 64).”
A basic premise of this manuscript is that we overemphasize our own virtue and end up inflating the
value of our activities to justify our acts of self-betrayal. Self-betrayal is defined as someone doing
something that is contrary to what they feel they should do. Think about this. How many times have you
failed to do something you knew in your heart you should do, because the other person was so
irresponsible or ungrateful? Were they the cause of you not acting, or was it your own selfish action and
self-betrayal? This is a form of PQ: PQ about self as it relates to others. Perhaps the first step toward
being honest about others is being honest about yourself.
Theodore Roosevelt said, “The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing
how to get along with people (Warner 1988: p. 22).” In addition, Jean de la Bruyere said: “The best way
to get on in the world is to make people believe it’s to their advantage to help you (Warner, 1988: p. 34).”
Bill Gates of PC operating system fame said in 2014 the principles of managing and leading have not
changed in the past 50 years: it still revolves around the right people and the right direction. These
statements point to the importance of understanding PQ from the perspective of others, not just your
perspective. In any valuable leadership principle, it is important to understand the perspectives of others.
But in PQ, the perspectives of others outweigh your own personal perspective. If we are trying to relate to
others and influence them, we must learn to treat others as they would have us treat them.
Remember: Change for yourself or others related to PQ does not happen because of a change of mind;
it happens because of a change of heart. For this reason, your PQ is going to be very hard to change.
Regardless, as with the other quotients, the more realistically you identify your personal PQ components
the more likely you are to improve your PQ and your subsequent leadership potential. We did not say it
would be easy, but we know it is worth it if your desire is to improve as a leader and as a human being.
Just do it!
Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics Vol. 12(4) 2015 73

REFERENCES
The older model of quoting everyone and referencing could use a bit of a rest. Therefore, we are
doing this instead. We tell students that a good habit is to try to summarize any book or article they read
in a word or two or a few sentences at most. The act of doing this is a great learning and linking tool.
Since we continue to recommend this and go over it with students about books they have read of late we
are doing it here except where we feel the title is the best we can do.
We highly recommend that the serious reader pick some of our references and study them closely.
You will not be sorry for the time you spend reading any of our sources. We ask that you formulate your
own justifications and plans to become and remain an innovative PQ leader through an understanding
based more in knowledge than supposition. Do not discard some of the references because of their older
publication dates; those with older dates remain relevant. Be sure to read some Drucker, Mintzberg and
Sternberg as academic-practitioner sources as well as popular press (well sourced) works from Brooks,
Freidman, Gladwell, Hall and Levitt and Dubner. Then follow that with some sources that are beyond
classification such as Allison, Bennis, Landsbury and Pinker.
The research based literature relating to leading and managing across-cultures is the most directly PQ
applicable referred works we found. Finally, note the use of psychological, business and popular
publications fiction and otherwise. Each of those literatures matter when you think about leadership and
being a people person.
Allik, J., 2013. Bibliometric analysis of the journal of cross- cultural psychology during the first ten years
of the new millennium. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 44(4): 657–667.
Andreason, A.W., 2008. Expatriate adjustment of spouses and expatriate managers: An integrative
research review. International Journal of Management, 25(2): 382-395.
Ang, S. and L. Van Dyne, 2008. Conceptualization of cultural intelligence: Definition, distinctiveness, and
nomological network. In S. Ang & L. Van Dyne (Eds.), Handbook on cultural intelligence:
Theory, measurement and applications. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe. pp: 3–15. Ang, Van Dyne,
Earley, Kim, Landis, Livermore and Ng are among the most published writers in the
Psychological discipline for cross cultural intellect discussions.
Ang, S., L. Van Dyne, C. Koh, K.Y. Ng, K.J. Templer, C. Tay and N.A. Chandrasekar, 2007. Cultural
intelligence: Its measurement and effects on cultural judgment and decision making, cultural
adaptation and task performance. Management and Organization Review, 3(3): 335–371.
Banerjee, A.V. and E. Duflo, 2011. Poor economics: A radical rethinking of the way to fight global
poverty. New York: Public Affairs. Classic must read for those who wish to affect change in
underdeveloped economies. Throwing money does not work and we need to be doing CBAs for
our solutions so that we can get the biggest bang for the buck is make clear.
Bardi, A. and V.M. Guerra, 2011. Cultural values predict coping using culture as an individual difference
variable in multicultural samples. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 42(6): 908–927.
Bate, P. and J. Child, 1987. Paradigms and understanding in comparative organizational research. In J.
Child, and P. Bate (Eds.), Organization of innovation East-West perspective. New York: Walter
De Gruyter. pp: 19-49. Gives one understandings by part of the world.
Bennett, M.J. and I. Castiglioni, 2004. Embodied ethnocentrism and the feeling of culture: A key to
training for intercultural competence. In Landis, D., Bennett, J. M. and Bennett, M. J. (Editors).
(2004). Handbook of intercultural training. 3rd Ed., Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. pp:
249-265. Training must be tailored to strengths and differences in cultures.
Best Practices in Curriculum Redesign, 2011. Biz Ed. September/October. pp: 48-50. Technical and
analytical skills ok, but we need more focus on creativity, worldliness and relationship building.
Bhaskar, S.P., D. Harrison, M. Shaffer and D.M. Luk, 2005. Input-based and time-based models of
international adjustment: Meta-analytic evidence and theoretical extensions. Academy of
Management Journal, 48(2): 257-281. Combines studies to gain more usefully suppositions.
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Bisoux, T., 2011 Re-Envisioning the MBA. BizEd. pp: 22-30. Do it often and deeply with emphasis on the
Management and leadership components.
Blasco, M., L.E. Feldt and M. Jakobsen, 2012. If only cultural chameleons could fly too: A critical
discussion of the concept of cultural intelligence. International Journal of Cross Cultural
Management, 12(2): 229–245. Cultural intelligence-valid important type of intellect.
Brooks, D., 2011. The social animal: The hidden sources of love, character, and achievement. New York:
Random House. Through the lives of a man and woman, Brooks reviews the stages of life and
death under the latest psychological theories.
Burton, G., 2014. Gordon Burton Funeral Service at Vestavia Hills Baptist Church, Recounted in Sermon
By Dr. Gary Furr on September 27, Birmingham, AL 35216 USA. The Sermons are recorded and
written and can be obtained by contacting the church.
Caligiuri, P.M., 2006. Developing global leaders. Human Resource Management Review, 16: 219–228.
Key is not someone who can speak several languages, but someone who is adaptable and can fit
in before they standout.
Chopra, D. and L. Mlodinow, 2011. War of worldviews. New York: Harmony Books. Pits religious-
spiritual based views against scientific-secular views. We have them so know yours.
Cohen, W.A., 2010. Drucker on leadership: New lessons from the father of modern management. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Shows how Drucker moved from thinking we could not teach
leadership to that “we can and we must.”
Conard, E., 2012. Unintended consequences: Why everything you‘ve been told about the economy is
wrong. New York: Penguin. A smart banker-analysts shows why popular explanations are simply
only that.
Corbin, J. and A. Strauss, 2008. Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing
grounded theory. 3rd Ed., Thousand Oaks, C.A: Sage. Discovery is goal in qualitative research
not validation.
Corsini, M.A., 2006. Do what you do better. Birmingham: AL: Do What You Do Better Publishing. A
CEOs take on doing what you do best each day.
Covey, S., 1991. Principle centered leadership. New York: Summit Books.
Covey, S., 2004. The 8th habit. New York: Free Press. Trust and trustworthiness!
Crowne, K.A., 2013. Cultural exposure, emotional intelligence, and cultural intelligence: An exploratory
study. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 13(1): 5–22.
Dance, J.W. and R.W. Service, 2013. The attractive nuisance: A model to prevent workplace distractions.
Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 5(2): 31-48. In today’s media overly connected world we
have to be able to separate the attractive from the useful.
Dorner, D., 1996. The logic of failure: Why things go wrong and what we can do to make them right. New
York: Henry Holt and Company. Not why you’d think-unintended and more logical from many
different views.
Earley, P.C. and S. Ang, 2003. Cultural intelligence: Individual interactions across cultures. Stanford,
CA: Stanford University Press.
Earley, P.C., S. Ang and J.S. Tan, 2006. CQ: Developing cultural intelligence at work. Stanford, CA:
Stanford Business Press. A must read for those that can’t figure out how to adapt to changing
cultures. One great book for PQ understanding.
Earley, P.C. and R.S. Peterson, 2004. The elusive cultural chameleon: Cultural intelligence as a new
approach to intercultural training for the global manager. Academy of Management Learning and
Education, 3(1): 100–115. Not so much what is different about different cultures but how to view
differently and become more psychologically hardy.
Elmer, D., 2002. Cross-cultural connections: Stepping out and fitting in around the world. Downers
Grove, IL: IVP Academics. His concept of not right or wrong but on a continuum of just different
makes this a great read.
Friedman, T.L., 2005. The world is flat: A brief history of the twenty-first century. New York: Farrar,
Straus and Giroux. Ten flatteners that show how we are competing with billions more people than
Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics Vol. 12(4) 2015 75

we were a few years back; and it equates the com-tech to steroids that make the competition so
very tough.
Friedman, T.L., 2008. Hot, flat and crowded. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Friedman, T.L. and M. Mandelbaum, 2011. That used to be us. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
America is falling behind and not educating to keep-up yet alone catch-up.
Furrer, O., B.V. Tjemkes, A.U. Aydinlik and K. Adolfs, 2012. Responding to adverse situations within
exchange relationships: The cross-cultural validity of a circumplex model. Journal of Cross-
Cultural Psychology, 43(6): 943–966.
Gladwell, M., 2008. Outliers: The story of success. New York: Little, Brown and Company. It’s not what
you think-circumstance, talent and work come together in the perfect time and place. Exemplifies
that to duplicate Warren Buffet’s record, you’d have to choose 50 stocks and the rest of the world
go broke..
Glynn, M.A. and S. Giorgi, 2013. Taking the cultural turn: Reading cultural sociology. Book reviews of
talk of love: How culture matters, by Ann Swidler. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2002;
and how professors think: Inside the curious world of academic judgment, by Michele Lamont,
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2009. In Academy of Management Review. pp: 466-
470. Book reviews often tell you all you need to know. Love is a universal cultural term.
Goleman, D., 1995. Emotional Intelligence. New York: Bantam. EQ as the ability to read the emotions of
yourself and others and to use those readings correctly: toward a useful PQ.
Goleman, D., 2000. Working with emotional intelligence. New York: Bantam. Forwards EQ over IQ and
other predictors.
Groves, K.S. and A.E. Feyerherm, 2011. Leader cultural intelligence in context: Testing the moderating
effects of team cultural diversity on leader and team performance. Group & Organization
Management, 36(5): 535–566.
Guilford, J.P., 1967. The nature of human intelligence. New York: McGraw-Hill. Classic-breaks down IQ
into areas such as physical, musical, mathematical and so on intellect.
Guilford, J.P., 1986. Creative talents. Buffalo, NY: Bearly Limited. All have it, so use it.
Gundling, E., 2003. Working globesmart. Palo Alto, CA: Davies-Black. More about reading and adapting
than knowing or speaking the language. Go slow until you know!
Gwartney, J.D. and R.L. Stroup, 1993. What everyone should know about economics and prosperity.
Tallahassee, FL: The James Madison Institute. Samford University’s law school has required this
economic primer for years and we have found no better one.
Hall, S.S., 2011. Wisdom: From philosophy to neuroscience. New York: Vintage. Use the latest
psychology and neurological studies to show what wisdom is and how to get it. Recommended
by one of the top Psychology Professors in the world.
Hampden, T.C. and F. Trompenaars, 2006. Cultural intelligence: Is such a capacity credible? Group &
Organization Management, 31(1): 56-63. Yes!
Harris, J.D., S.G. Johnson and D. Souder, 2013. Model-theoretic knowledge accumulation: The case of
agency theory and incentive alignment. Academy of Management Review, 38(3): 442-454. Shows
clearly that theories are useful; they give you something to try and disprove-adjust and re-
theorize.
Harrison, D.A., M.A. Shaffer and S.P. Bhaskar, 2004. Going places: Roads more and less travelled in
research on expatriate experiences. In J. J. Martocchio (Ed.), Research in Personnel and Human
Resources Management: 199-247. Getting ready is key.
Hersey, P.H., K.H. Blanchard and D.E. Johnson, 2013. Management of organizational behavior. 10th Ed.,
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Organizations are groups of people-groups act differently
than individuals depending on org cultures and top management teams.
Hofstede, G., 2001. Culture‘s consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations
across nations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. A classic with the power distance, gender
considerations and so on-read it.
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Appendix 1: PQ directing acrostic poem-process of creating requires one to think!
Leadership lives
Leadership lives through respect and humility;
Leadership lives only with trust and integrity.
Economic theory declares if it’s spent here it can’t be spent there;
Economic theory shows rational information can tell you where.
Act for an earthly future must be earned;
Act for helplessness is frequently learned.
Dare to admit effective leadership calls for “we”;
Dare to say actions speak louder than words, "you see?"
Encourage accountability through collaboration;
Encourage improvement through persistent innovation.
Respect comes from disagreeing without disrespecting;
Respect follows communicating without disconnecting.
Sincerely heed what is truly real;
Sincerely care how others feel.
Help us build bridges not walls;
Help us use others’ opinions to avoid pitfalls.
Insights confirm errors of cause and effect will astound;
Insights show unintended consequences will abound.
Pray not that the path is easy and wide; [Plan not for the path to be easy and wide;]
Pray instead to be on God’s side! [Plan instead to keep ethics as your guide.]
____________________________________________________
Lives for the glory of God a worthy life; [Lives for others a worthy life;]
Lives for "me" results in too much strife.
Include others with balanced appropriate measures;
Include truth and trust as life’s most fitting treasures.
View caring compromise to use the collective mind;
View hopeful change to avoid being left behind.
Express faith that people can and watch them do;
Express believable "whys," they'll see it through.
Serenity comes from being faithful to the Lord's call;[Serenity comes from being faithful to your life’s call;]
Serenity through this faithfulness can be had by all.
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