Leadership on the High Road

Last week I was in Boston for a Board meeting of our national chamber association: ACCE.  It was valuable learning time – and it directly informs how I serve our Chamber.​

In every community, a chamber executive is a bit like a unicorn – a true one-of-one.  We often work alone, yet our role is essential to the health of the entire community ecosystem. Time spent with peers is rare and treasured – an opportunity to listen, learn, and better understand how our work fits into the broader national ecosystem of advocacy and convening.   

Much of our discussion centered on leadership and what great leadership looks like. That conversation dovetailed perfectly with my latest read, High Road Leadership: Bringing People Together in a World That Divides Us,” by John Maxwell.  Each of us – regardless of title - should be on a continual quest to grow as leaders within our circles of influence. Maxwell’s message feels especially relevant in an era marked by division and othering.

He sets the context plainly:  

• A recent poll found that 63% of Americans have little confidence in elected officials, 67% have little or no confidence in the federal government, and 70% say declining trust makes it harder to solve national problems.
• Maxwell argues that if we believe these challenges are caused solely by “the other side,” we’ve missed the point. Real progress begins with self‑reflection—recognizing our own role in division and choosing to build bridges instead of widening gaps.

 
Maxwell contrasts three leadership paths:

• Low road leadership: self‑centered, manipulative, focused on personal gain.
• Middle road leadership: transactional and conditional--I’ll help you if you help me.
• High road leadership: people‑first, values‑driven, and unifying.

 
His charge is clear: take the high road. The high road, he argues, is the only path that truly brings people together.
Feeling inspired? Maybe even challenged? I am!

What Maxwell describes echoes something Henry Ford understood a century ago: success comes from bringing people together—and committing to a shared vision.

That idea also brings me back to one of my favorite leadership voices, Simon Sinek, who reminds us that leadership is not about being in charge or having all the answers. True leadership is about empowering others, articulating a vision that doesn’t yet exist, and inviting people to help make it real.
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Sinek also offers this reminder: “Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress; working hard for something we love is called passion.”

I am passionate about our work, this great region, and the people who call it home. I truly love what I do.

See you in the trenches,
B

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Speaking of coming together...  join us at one of these events this month!