Authentic Leadership

First, allow me to get this outta the way, real quick like.   I am, unabashedly, an Indiana University basketball fan to the core of my being.  I grew up in Indiana and in Indiana, if you were raised right, you were raised to be an IU fan.  Unfortunately, the vast majority of my lifetime, they haven't been that great.  I don't remember the national championship in 1987, I was only 4.   Recently they hired Archie Miller from Dayton University who is known for defense and toughness.  A "grind it out" culture if you will.  He gave an interview  ( here ) and in the interview, he mentioned something about culture that struck a chord with me this morning.   “The big thing is to create the first identity opportunity,” Miller said. “Not culture.” I stopped Miller there. Coaches  love  talking about culture – it might be the most popular buzzword in the profession today. What’s with the avoidance? “I think culture is earned...

I read an article today titled, Teen coke dealer turns down chance to avoid criminal record Think about that for a moment.   The judge offered the young man an opportunity to participate in a Restorative Justice "scheme" in which the boy turned down.  The opportunity to take part in this program, according to the article, would have spared him a sentence and a criminal record.   You see, when we dole out punishments, it keeps the offender in a passive role.  They are really never held accountable for their wrong - doing.  We think that if we reign down punishment on people they will suffer which means in the future they will be less likely to commit the same offense.  It's simply not true and that school of thought is not backed by evidence.   Now, while I do not know what this Restorative Justice "scheme" would have looked like, I do know that the young man would have been asked to take a more active role and would have had to likel...