Mike,
Thanks for the comment.  I cringe a little with the term too, and that's why I think we should take it back!  Of course, other terms we can use are many: employee, associate, individual contributor, team member, cast member, and the list goes on.

You add an excellent point about the character-based leader, and leading from within.  Most definitely, regardless of the role - or what we call it - the same traits and skills are required for success.

Alan