<h3>The Problem</h3>
There is a rising tide of character-based leaders in our world.

Some are tired of the tactics and motivations that caused our global economic challenges and are self-motivated to help bring about change starting with themselves.  They search out, create and share information and resources as they coach and develop friends, coworkers, or clients.

Others simply understand the behaviors, techniques and technologies that got us to our present age, won’t take us to the next.  The Internet creates options where none have ever existed. People all over the world are freer than ever to choose who they follow, what gets their attention, and the activities they pursue.  Old style leadership is less effective when everyone is free to choose their sources of information and influence.

Traditional leadership development only provides incremental improvement in individual and organizational leadership.  Current methods simply can’t keep pace with the demand for change.  Global discomfort and transition outpace the evolution of traditional solutions.  Even today, leadership celebrities draw thousands for speeches and conferences, and sell tens of thousands of books, but celebrity-level change is slow and difficult to see in a world where free agency and individualization rule.  Real change takes place one person or one organization at a time; but those people are separated by distance, culture, time, money, traditional media and the seeming noise and chaos of the Internet.

Leaders in the next generation want to be inspired more than led, encouraged more than trained, launched more than instructed, and mobilized more than directed.
<h3>The Solution</h3>
Leaders are forming a new leadership model and a new support infrastructure.

The new leadership model is service and action oriented.  Terms like “servant leader,” and “authentic leader” ring more-and-more through old and new media alike.  A rising tide embraces the noble cause of inspiring a team toward a higher purpose.  We want to be part of something bigger than just ourselves.  We want to make a lasting, positive difference.

The <a title="Posts tagged character-based leadership | Lead Change Group" href="/tag/character-based-leadership">character-based leader</a> is the new leadership model.  Character-based leaders lead from who they are on the inside.   Their quality of character, not their position or power, determines their ability to inspire achievement.  Individual character-based leaders create energy, passion and value in their community.  The new leader inspires, equips and mobilizes leadership behaviors in others.  And these new leaders aren't waiting for new celebrities and new programs.  They're creating their own.

The new leadership model thrives in "Community."  Community replaces hierarchy as the new infrastructure. Words like “organization” and “hierarchy” drop from favor and are replaced by words like “tribe,” “clan,” “culture,” and “community.”  Top-down organizations drain energy from free-agent cultures. A great community brings out the best in the character-based leader.  The community elevates and launches these leaders to new achievements, like the book just released by the Lead Change Group.  The new community is peer-based; members are equals, leadership is a role, and ideas exist in a free market competing equally for attention and resources.  Competition for lasting positive impact elevates each participant.
<h3>Lead Change Group</h3>
The Lead Change Group is a community that connects networks of character-based leaders.  We're committed to <em>Instigating a Leadership Revolution</em>.  As Instigators in the Lead Change Group, we each contribute a small portion of our energy and passion to create a community that energizes and mobilizes character-based leaders all over the globe.  Our relationships are designed to promote awareness of <em>each other</em> and the benefits of applying character-based leadership in all areas of life.  We will be the network that connects leaders, fosters awareness, shares resources and creates influence to make this new, global leadership community visible in our world.

<a href="http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/large.png"><img class="alignright  wp-image-7452" title="character based leader 2d" src="http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/large-197x300.png" alt="The Character Based Leader" width="98" height="150" /></a>Character-based leaders <span style="text-decoration: underline;">are</span> changing the world. We need to be visible to one another and aware of each other in order to further the leadership revolution.

We will connect, interact, inspire, create, and we will impact ourselves and our communities. The energy of this revolution inspired 21 Instigators to complete the book, <a title="The Character-Based Leader website" href="http://characterbasedleader.com">The Character Based Leader: Instigating a Leadership Revolution... One Person at a Time</a>.  Are you a revolutionary? Check out the book.  Look around the site.  Then tell us, "How can we help you maximize your positive impact?"  The world needs you to act!

<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo <em>Perfect Peak</em> © Shannon Stent iStockPhoto</span>