Ethos :: History
Since the inception of Courageous Leadership, Inc. in 1998, the prevailing intent of the company has been to create a revolution that builds worthy leaders and organizations of great impact. Lamont Moon, founder and president of Courageous Leadership, Inc. began with a belief that leadership was generally misunderstood. The dominant idea saw only a select few as leaders, the rest were merely followers.
Although "followership" is an important component for any effective leadership
arsenal, too often it has been used to set up a system that treated leaders
as "parents," and followers as "children." One of the core beliefs established
early on was that "everyone is a leader." This idea completely upsets the traditional
concepts on leadership. If everyone is a leader, then we are all responsible.
Another bedrock belief of Courageous Leadership, Inc. states that "you cannot
not lead." Another way of saying that would be to say that "we are always leading."
Again, 
too
often the notion of leadership was that it was something that you did at specific
points, or moments within your life, not all the time. This fragmented idea
of leadership blinds people to the reality that in every area of their lives
(spiritual, self, loved, social and work) we are always having some affect,
good or bad. Courageous Leadership, Inc. builds into all of its solutions the
idea and emphasis that we are all leading 7 days a week, 365 Days a year.
Another idea was that leadership is a "contact sport." CLI's belief and experience is that to affect the deepest structures of another individual and build sustainable value, requires meaningful contact. The quality of the connection from person-to-person is one of the most important factors in determining the quality of impact between the two.
The fourth core belief on leadership was that "leadership is irreversible."
Leadership is irreversible speaks to both the issues of ethics and matters concerning
cause-and-effect. CLI's experience was that the idea, and even practice of leadership,
had largely reached a state of entropy where although billions of dollars were
spent annually by organizations, very few 
people
took the development of people and leadership practices seriously enough to
do the hard work of becoming healthy and whole. There was casualness about personal
mastery and growth; there was the orientation of “I will get to the hard
work of personal change when it is convenient, or when I feel ready." Even
with the push back against the management theory, "Theory X" that treated others
as if they needed a parent to provide the incentive of either a "big stick"
or "carrot," too many continued to act as if what they were doing, or failed
to do, wasn't really important. The idea that all our actions are irreversible
does not mean that we are unable to change the condition of specific realities,
but rather that once an action is set into motion, the congruent affect will
be completed. The obvious connection with the matter of ethics and cause-and-effect
is clear. All of our actions lead to an affect that can be lasting or altered.
Our task is to be responsible to living patterns of excellence and charity because
every action matters.
The final core belief was that "leadership must be driven from the 'inside-out,' versus from the 'outside-in." Again the perspective is driven by the belief that the best leaders are those who faithfully live by a core-ideology that governs the way they think of the universal virtues; governs their sense of who they wholly are; governs what it means to love and practice love in intimate relationships; governs what it means to be socially responsible; and finally, governs how they emerge and contribute to a public cause most often expressed through work.
From CLI's perspective, people tend to be unclear about what they believe to be the core truths; they are not systematic in the construction of their ideologies; that there is a significant chasm between beliefs and practices; and last, that people are more motivated to avoid pain or gain pleasure, then to do what is right.
Even though the data supports these conclusions, these conclusions are not used as weapons, but rather clarifiers of what is true about the current reality of most individuals. Courageous Leadership, Inc.'s entire team of professionals is deeply convictional about the possibilities of humankind, about potential being realized, and about the individual's ability to change even when it is hard. This final belief about the importance of living from the inside-out attempts to be responsive to the current condition whereby leaders find themselves, while helping to foster a radically new orientation toward leadership and life.
These
five ideas are the foundation that impact the thought and direction of Courageous
Leadership, Inc. They are timeless truths that guide the decisions, thinking,
and practices of this revolution.
Today, Courageous Leadership, Inc. is focused on four central solutions: The Personal Leadership Summit™, 365: A Leadership Journey™, The 24x7 Leader™, and Immersion Coaching™. The movement is one that begins with the large group, goes to the personal, then ends up with the team. We believe that this is the sequence that is best suited to change people's lives and their communal practices and thus create the lasting value needed.
This process is based on the idea that although people are an important piece in positively changing organizations and communities, the crucial final step does not rest on the individual, but rather on the practices of the group.
Today, Courageous Leadership, Inc. works globally with Fortune 500 companies and non-profit organizations. Through specially selected, equipped, and focused coaches, Courageous Leadership, Inc. continues to advance and take the revolution of leadership health and practice to a larger audience.