Leadership Model

The Leadership Diamond®, created by Peter Koestenbaum, Ph.D., is a model for expanding leadership. The Diamond distinguishes four interdependent leadership orientations: “Ethics”, “Vision”, “Courage” and “Reality”. These orientations are your inner resources, always available to help you if you access them. The space within the Diamond is your leadership capacity, which is called "Greatness".

In the Leadership Diamond®, ETHICS refers to the importance of people and integrity. It means caring about people; being sensitive and of service to them; and behaving in accordance with moral principles. To strengthen your Ethics orientation:

• Value and develop teamwork;
• Strive for meaningful work;
• Prioritize good communication and mature commitment;
• Act with integrity and in accordance with your principles.

VISION means applying analytical skills, thinking big; looking at situations in new ways; and being inspirational. To strengthen your Vision orientation:

• Exercise abstract reasoning;
• Cultivate a strategic and systemic perspective – providing direction and seeing the interrelationships within the big picture;
• Engage your creativity;
• Practice reflection.

COURAGE is defined as taking charge; using power wisely; acting with sustained initiative; managing anxiety; and being free and responsible. To expand your Courage orientation:

• Advocate and stand for something;
• Be willing to stand alone;
• Constructively experience anxiety;
• Take responsibility for your choices and accept being free.

REALITY refers to a no-nonsense approach to facing life without illusions; relying on data that is factual rather than emotional; and being tough, task-oriented and results-focused. It also means being able to understand other people's perceptions of what is actually true. To develop your Reality orientation:

• Pay attention to bureaucratic detail;
• Be objective and well-informed;
• Do what it takes to survive;
• Seek shared reality.

By assessing the relative strengths and weaknesses of your Diamond orientations, you can identify where your increased efforts can be best leveraged, giving you the maximum impact from the least effort. Your weakest orientation is your Leverage Corner. Cultivating your Leverage Corner, while continuing to value your stronger orientations, is key to breaking through your "stuck points" so that you can experience leadership transformation.