When leadership fails, it's rarely about strategy – it's almost always about what lies beneath the surface. In this profound conversation with Dr. Ron Stotz, we explore the hidden dimensions of leadership that most development programs miss entirely.

Dr. Stotz brings a remarkable perspective forged through military service during Vietnam, a suicide attempt that became a spiritual awakening, and decades helping high-level leaders break through their limitations. His journey reveals how our early childhood experiences shape our leadership capacity in ways we rarely recognize until everything begins to crumble.

Transformational leadership is the second path less traveled by leaders in today's world. This path requires you to place the needs of others over your own. It demands routine, accountability, and discipline (RAD) in your actions. It inspires those around you to be better. When leaders choose this path, they sacrifice temporary success for a life of significance. To be a transformational leader, you must possess specific leadership characteristics. This blog aims to equip you with the top 10 ways to become a more transformational leader or a Purposeful Accountable Leader (PAL).

Retired Major General Keith Thurgood is a Clinical Professor of Healthcare Leadership and Management at the Jindal School of Management of the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) where he also leads the graduate program in Healthcare Leadership and Management.

Retired Lieutenant General L. Neil Thurgood is the special advisor to the UAH president for military affairs and technology.

Every leader has a leadership philosophy, but not every leader can clearly communicate it. To be a Purposeful Accountable Leader (PAL), you must consider your leadership philosophy. A way to achieve this is by creating a symbolic house encompassing your leadership style.

Throughout this journey, we've explored practical strategies to succeed and avoid pitfalls at each phase. Leadership is a transformative journey where we forge our own path toward growth. Each step we take is a small action that contributes to unlocking our full leadership potential.

In this blog, I will share 10 ways Purposeful Accountable Leaders (PALs) win at the 5th POL and continue their leadership journey. The true test of any leader is not the product or results they produce. To tell if a leader is successful, you only need to look at the leaders they have created.

In this blog, I will outline seven ways Purposeful Accountable Leaders (PALs) lose at the 5th Phase Of Leadership (POL), Shaping Leaders. The 5th POL on your leadership journey demands that you begin to invest heavily in others to shape future leaders.

This month's blog will outline seven ways Purposeful Accountable Leaders (PALs) win at succeeding together. As you progress on the leadership bridge, success no longer depends on your ability to perform the work. Leaders are judged by their team's ability to execute.

This month's blog outlines seven ways leaders can lose at the 4th Phase Of Leadership (POL), Succeed Together. The 4th POL begins when the organization collects a series of wins. Those wins could be small tactical victories or even large strategic targets. However, the results are the same, and that is building momentum.

Phase 3 of our leadership journey is a tipping point. Leaders will build authentic relationships by moving toward their team or leading with authority and position. To progress on your leadership journey, you must first master yourself. How will you choose to show up in this world? Once you truly understand who you decide to be, you can create meaningful relationships that stand the test of time. Always be approachable as a leader and remove the barriers between you and your team. Your goal is to create a collaborative environment where people in your organization practice disciplined disobedience. Is your team willing to stand up when the organization is headed down the wrong path? Above all, to truly create meaningful bonds, you must challenge your team by creating crucible events. These events are not designed to break your team down. They are designed to build your team up and instill the confidence needed during stressful times.

Phase 3 of leadership is your decisive point in becoming a transformational leader. Leadership is a journey; if you do not take the time upfront to build authentic relationships, you will fail to become a transformational leader. Building close relationships with your team is not a weakness and should not be considered soft. Leadership is messy, and you must lead the whole person, including yourself. To do that, you must be honest, vulnerable, and okay with showing emotion. But above all, you need to be consistent. If you fail to live the values and principles you want to emulate in your organization, so will your team. Your responsibility is to your team and their ability to produce results. Be routine in your actions, hold others and yourself accountable, and have the discipline to follow through when times get tough. Let these seven ways to fail at Strengthening Relationships inspire you. We all have greatness inside, but it's up to us to forge those abilities. Become the leader your team needs!

Situational leadership is the shortest phase in becoming a Purposeful Accountable Leader (PAL). Stopping at phase two on the journey across the leadership bridge prevents you from achieving your true potential. Leaders must understand the most precious asset in their business and start investing in it immediately. Do you know what yours is? Your team, the individuals who show up daily to progress your vision and move the company forward. The PEOPLE! Leaders inherit authority when starting a new role, which is temporary. Authority has limited influence but, most importantly, does not inspire others to action. A leader's goal is to move away from rank, title, and situational authority as quickly as possible and build individual relationships.

In the previous blog, I explained the first 3 Phases Of Leadership (POL). In this blog, I will finish explaining the final three POL. Below are the remaining 3 POL:

This month's blog will be broken into two parts covering the Six Phases Of Leadership (POL). Before we begin, it's important to note that John C. Maxwell heavily inspired me in his book, Five Levels Of Leadership. My goal is to expand his work and share the leadership principles I learned throughout my 15 years of military service. One unique difference between military and civilian leadership is how often leaders transfer into new roles. For example, I have never been in a leadership role for longer than one year. However, I see it as a strength because it has developed a mindset that has allowed me to create a unified team in a short period.

In the previous blog, I set the foundation by providing 11 examples defining a Purposeful Accountable Leader (PAL). In this blog, we will finish explaining a PAL by arming you with the final 10 examples. I would love to hear how you would define a PAL? Reach out and share your thoughts, emotions, or lessons learned. Below are the final 10 examples to help deepen your understanding of a PAL:

Episode 58 Seven (7) Ways Leaders Win At Summit Leadership with Joshua K. McMillion

Episode 53 with Tim Schurrer

Episode 35 with Dr. Gene Coughlin

Episode 22 Situational Leadership: 7 Ways Leaders Win with Joshua McMillion

Episode 21 with Master Sergeant Joseph T. Groce Jr.