NEW BOOK: GOOD CHARACTER CAN BE TAUGHT

 “Good character is a leadership trait that organizations can teach but too many fail to teach it as a basic part of their management training”, according to Gene Klann, a former U.S. Army commander turned leadership training expert at the Center for Creative Leadership.

In Klann’s new book, Building Character: Strengthening the Heart of Good Leadership, Klann points out that organizations give plenty of lip service to the importance of good character, but do very little to promote it.

Small surprise, then, that the media is full of disappointing tales of personal greed, unchecked arrogance, and flagrant abuses of power. Also little wonder that a recent study conducted jointly by Harvard and US News and World Report, found that nearly 60 percent of Americans believe leaders cannot be trusted and only 40 percent believe the nation’s leadership has high ethical standards.

This is a national epidemic that Klann takes seriously. Many good books address character as a general concept, he writes, but none outline a practical model on how to actually develop leadership character in others.

“This book is for leaders who are concerned about this problem and who understand that the character of their own cadre of leaders affects the productivity, culture and reputation of their organization,” he writes.

Klann believes the failure of character can and will be addressed by companies if they only have the right tools to do it. Klann provides those tools in this book. He outlines a practical model on how character can be developed through the Five E’s – Example, Education, Experience, Evaluation and Environment.

Klann also draws on his experience as a leader and as a teacher of leaders to provide corporate executives with a framework for implementing character development training within their organizations. He presents a process based on solid fundamentals, best-practice insights and common sense.

Published by Jossey-Bass, the 212-page hardcover book has a suggested retail price of $34. Editorial review copies are available upon request by contacting Cathy Lloyd at 336.333.6418 or via e-mail at cathy@rma-pr.com.

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About The Center for Creative Leadership

Founded in 1970, The Center for Creative Leadership is a nonprofit, educational institution with international reach. Ranked among the world’s top institutions for executive education by the Financial Times, the Center annually serves leaders from more than 2,000 organizations – both public and private, including two-thirds of the Fortune 500. Headquartered in Greensboro, NC, the Center also has locations in Colorado Springs, Colorado; San Diego, California; Brussels, Belgium and Singapore. For additional information, please visit the Center for Creative Leadership web site at www.ccl.org.

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