This is a transcript of a video produced by PostStone. The leadership video series can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/poststonecorp

Debbie Dimoff: In any of the significant changes that I’ve been a part of, step one is creating this picture of the future, and the past is OK. Step two is actually before you even get to the part where you’re going to build plans, it’s about determining the means to the end. How will we work together? Who will be the people who will work on this? What are the processes we’re going to ascribe to?

The best leaders are very clear about what it is they want to see happen in the next hour and the next five minutes

Jim Carfrae: You can work on something forever and it will be perfect, it will just never be done. I think it’s important that there needs to be tension. Healthy tension. Too much tension means the rope snaps and you didn’t get anywhere; no tension means you’re not changing anything and the rope’s sagging.

Jonathan Wilson: Something I don’t hear talked about much but I think is extremely important is courageous leadership. Courageous in the face of knowing what is really right; what is truly going to be of benefit to the company or the customer.

Colin Henry: You have to allow yourself to fail, and I think that’s what a lot of leaders in the past – the more recent past – haven’t done because most individuals are now judging leadership based on how they deliver, and they are merciless on leaders for failing. As a result, individuals start compromising their values in order not to fail.

Passion, Vision, Mastery of Change. What are some of the other characteristics that matter most in leaders?