Today, I began by expressing gratitude for the presence of my friends Chad and Danielle from Lions Pride Leadership and Wealth, who brought a group from New York to join us. Their gesture of gifting me a framed picture of my father and the lessons he taught me was a touching tribute that I hold dear. I also acknowledged the 80 host site members present, emphasizing their crucial role in extending our mission and vision to their communities.

I shared reflections on the evolution of certainty with age, noting that while I have fewer certainties now than in my youth, the ones I retain are profoundly solid. This led into a discussion on leadership, a theme central to my life’s work. I reiterated my belief that everything rises and falls on leadership, a conviction that has only strengthened over the years. This principle underpins the necessity for good leadership skills coupled with strong values, which I elaborated on through various leadership models, highlighting the distinctions between high, middle, and low road leadership.

The conversation shifted towards the importance of embracing diverse perspectives, which I termed a shift from a confirmation bias to a collaboration bias. This is crucial in overcoming the challenges of echo chambers that reinforce only similar views. I stressed the value of shared thinking and the maturity it requires to appreciate and learn from differing viewpoints.

I then addressed the younger generation, expressing concern over their exposure to poor leadership examples. I emphasized the need for high road leadership, which values people genuinely and prioritizes their well-being over selfish agendas. This type of leadership, I argued, is essential for cultural and communal health and must be intentional and servant-oriented.

As I moved towards concluding the session, I shared my plans for a new book focused on high road leadership, outlining its chapters and the core practices that define a high road leader. These include valuing all people, acknowledging one's humanness, and striving for authenticity and accountability.

Throughout the sermon, I interwove personal anecdotes, including humorous reflections on my grandchildren and the candid insights they offer. These personal touches were aimed at grounding the discussion in real-life, relatable examples.

**Key Takeaways:**

1. **The Evolution of Certainty** - As we age, the number of things we are certain about may decrease, but the depth and solidity of these remaining certainties grow. This maturation process enriches our understanding and appreciation of life's complexities. This principle is especially relevant in leadership, where experience tempers youthful confidence with wisdom. [05:42]

2. **Leadership and Values** - True leadership is not merely about directing others but nurturing and elevating them through a combination of good skills and strong values. The interplay of these elements determines the effectiveness and ethical grounding of one's leadership approach. This dual requirement is foundational for what I term high road leadership. [09:54]

3. **Embracing Diverse Perspectives** - The shift from seeking confirmation to fostering collaboration is vital in today’s polarized environments. By valuing diverse perspectives, we not only enrich our understanding but also enhance our collective capacity to address complex challenges. This approach is crucial for developing mature, inclusive leadership. [15:47]

4. **High Road Leadership** - This concept emphasizes the importance of leading with integrity, valuing people over processes, and consistently acting with the greater good in mind. High road leaders are those who lift others up, bridge divides, and foster unity and progress. They are the antidote to the divisiveness and cynicism that plague many contemporary leadership landscapes. [18:47]

5. **The Role of Authenticity in Leadership** - Authentic leaders acknowledge their flaws and are accountable for their actions. They strive to understand and implement the bigger picture, prioritizing the well-being of others over personal gain. This commitment to authenticity and accountability is crucial for building trust and respect in any leadership role. [29:09]

**Chapters:**

0:00 - Welcome
02:18 - Acknowledging Friends and Collaborators
04:07 - Dinner Reflections with Speakers
05:42 - The Evolution of Certainty in Leadership
07:07 - Core Certainties in Leadership
08:24 - Lifelong Learning in Leadership
09:54 - The Dynamics of Leadership Skills and Values
11:22 - Introducing High Road Leadership
14:21 - Disagreement vs. Disrespect
15:47 - Overcoming Confirmation Bias
17:20 - The Necessity of High Road Leadership
18:47 - Characteristics of High, Middle, and Low Road Leaders
20:43 - Correcting Leadership Behaviors
22:26 - Historical Examples of High Road Leadership
24:03 - Defining High Road Leadership Practices
25:27 - Evaluating Personal Leadership Practices
27:20 - Practices of High Road Leaders
29:09 - Accountability and Authenticity in Leadership
31:02 - Commitment to Future Generations
33:06 - The Importance of Timely Leadership Books
33:57 - Transition to Guest Speakers

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. **Proverbs 11:14 (NIV)** - "For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers."
2. **Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV)** - "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."
3. **James 1:19-20 (NIV)** - "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires."

#### Observation Questions
1. What does Proverbs 11:14 suggest about the importance of leadership and guidance in a community?
2. According to Philippians 2:3-4, what attitudes should we adopt in our interactions with others?
3. How does James 1:19-20 advise us to handle our communication and emotions?

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the principle that "everything rises and falls on leadership" relate to the guidance provided in Proverbs 11:14? ([07:07])
2. In what ways does valuing others above ourselves, as mentioned in Philippians 2:3-4, align with the concept of high road leadership discussed in the sermon? ([18:47])
3. How can the advice in James 1:19-20 help us overcome confirmation bias and embrace diverse perspectives, as emphasized in the sermon? ([15:47])

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you experienced poor leadership. How did it affect you and those around you? What could have been done differently to demonstrate high road leadership? ([11:22])
2. Think about your current leadership roles, whether at work, home, or in the community. How can you incorporate the practice of valuing all people, as discussed in the sermon? ([25:27])
3. Identify a situation where you might have exhibited confirmation bias. How can you shift towards a collaboration bias in future interactions? ([15:47])
4. Consider the younger generation in your life. How can you model high road leadership to them, ensuring they see good examples of leadership? ([22:26])
5. Reflect on your authenticity and accountability in leadership. Are there areas where you need to improve? How can you take steps to be more authentic and accountable? ([29:09])
6. How can you practice being quick to listen and slow to speak in your daily interactions to foster better communication and understanding? ([17:20])
7. What specific actions can you take this week to prioritize the well-being of others over your own interests, as encouraged in Philippians 2:3-4? ([18:47])

Day 1: Maturing in Certainty and Wisdom
As we age, our certainties may become fewer, but they deepen in significance and solidity. This maturation process is not just about gaining more years but about enriching our understanding and appreciation of life's complexities. In leadership, this evolution means that while youthful exuberance and confidence might diminish, they are replaced by a tempered wisdom that values depth over breadth. This principle is crucial for leaders who must navigate the complexities of guiding others while remaining anchored in their core values and beliefs. [05:42]

"Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance." - Proverbs 1:5 ESV

Reflection: Reflect on an area of your life where your certainties have evolved. How has this maturation process influenced your decisions and leadership style?

Day 2: The Interplay of Leadership Skills and Values
True leadership transcends the mere act of directing others; it involves nurturing and elevating them through a combination of robust skills and strong moral values. This dual requirement forms the foundation of what is termed high road leadership, which not only aims at achieving goals but also at doing so with ethical integrity and a respect for human dignity. Leaders are called to be stewards of their influence, molding their actions to reflect a balance of competence and character. [09:54]

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." - Galatians 5:22-23 ESV

Reflection: How do you balance technical skills and moral values in your leadership? Are there areas where you need to develop one more than the other?

Day 3: Valuing Diverse Perspectives
Embracing a variety of perspectives is essential in today’s polarized environments. Shifting from a confirmation bias to a collaboration bias enriches understanding and enhances collective capacity to tackle complex challenges. This approach fosters an inclusive atmosphere where different viewpoints are not just tolerated but valued as essential components of shared success. Leaders must cultivate an environment where diverse thoughts are seen as a resource for learning and innovation. [15:47]

"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger." - James 1:19 ESV

Reflection: Consider a recent situation where you could have benefited from a diverse perspective. How can you encourage inclusivity in your interactions moving forward?

Day 4: The Essence of High Road Leadership
High road leadership is characterized by integrity, prioritizing people over processes, and acting consistently with the greater good in mind. Such leaders lift others up, bridge divides, and foster unity and progress. They are crucial in countering the divisiveness and cynicism prevalent in many leadership contexts today. This leadership style is not just about making decisions but about making a difference in the lives of people and the broader community. [18:47]

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves." - Philippians 2:3 ESV

Reflection: Identify a leader you admire who exemplifies high road leadership. What specific qualities do they display that you can emulate in your own leadership practice?

Day 5: Commitment to Authenticity and Accountability in Leadership
Authentic leaders recognize their imperfections and are accountable for their actions. They strive to understand and implement the bigger picture, prioritizing the well-being of others over personal gain. This commitment to authenticity and accountability builds trust and respect, which are indispensable in any leadership role. Leaders must be transparent about their limitations while striving for continuous personal and professional growth. [29:09]

"For we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord's sight but also in the sight of man." - 2 Corinthians 8:21 ESV

Reflection: What are some ways you can demonstrate greater authenticity and accountability in your roles? How can you foster a culture of transparency and integrity around you?

"In my book on the 16 laws of communication, I call it the law of collaboration. And what does the law of collaboration say? Some of my best thinking has been done by others. Isn't that the truth? Think about it. Think about the things that you know that you didn't know until somebody came alongside of you and they shared it with you and they gave you an entirely different perspective." [15:47](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)

"High road leaders value others. Middle road leaders seek value from others. Low road leaders devalue others. High road leaders bring people together. Middle road leaders move back and forth. Low road leaders, they divide people. High road leaders close the gap between people." [18:47](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)

"High road leaders give more than they receive. Middle road leaders, they give equal to what they received. Low road leaders take more. They give more than they give. High road leaders give first. Middle road leaders give back. Low road leaders give nothing." [20:43](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)

"High road leaders treat others better than they are treated. Middle road treat others the same as they're treated. Low road, they treat themselves at others' expense." [20:43](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)

"High road leaders value. Notice this folks, all people. If you don't value all people, you're out of the game. And by the way, I'm a person of faith. Excuse me. You're not like Jesus. I don't know who you are, but I'll tell you who you are. Value. Value all people. Even those you don't like." [27:20](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)

"High road leaders give more than they take. They develop emotional competency. They, they develop an emotional strength that allows them to get through adversity and overcome the idiosyncrasies of other people. High road leaders place people above their own agenda. They embrace authenticity. They're real. Nothing fake about it." [29:09](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)

That my family's here today, some of them. But, you know, Lions Pride Leadership and Wealth is a group that's led by Chad and Danielle. And they're longtime friends of mine.

And they're just, you know, aren't there some people in your life that you just look and you can always depend on them? You can just depend on them, whatever you need. They have a servant's heart. They have great leadership gifts, and they are building an incredible company and organization up in the Staten Island, New York area.

So I just want to say, Chad, Danielle, thank you so much for bringing your 37 people away from New York City. Would you stand? I just want to recognize them one more time. Let's give them a hand. Thank you.

My father passed away a couple of years ago, and they gave me one of the greatest gifts I've ever received. Because after Dad passed away, I did several podcasts and teachings on lessons that my father taught me. One day, they asked me out to lunch, and they took me out to lunch and they gave me this beautiful picture of me and my father with the lessons that he taught me. I keep it in my office, and I see it all the time. It's just a beautiful gift. You're just beautiful people. Thanks for coming.

And then, oh, we have several, about 80 of our host site people that are here today. Now, we have, we're all around the world, but we have 80 of them that wanted to come here to this live experience also. And then they'll be, of course, taking it to their areas and their communities.

I would love my 80 host site folks to stand. We want to recognize these are the people that make it happen right here. The people that make it happen. Yeah, you're the ones. I mean, you are the legs to the legacy. You extend the vision, the mission, what we're trying to accomplish. And you do it so well. So thank you very, very much. I'm glad to have you. Glad to have you.

Do you know who that person is that's sitting to your right? Do you know them? Do you know who they are? I want you to just take a moment and introduce yourself to the person on your right and the person on your left.

Let me ask you a question. How many of you just met a new friend? You just met a new friend. I would encourage you today to test that friendship. I would encourage you. Well, there's stuff that they'll give you an opportunity to buy. Just find out what kind of a friend they are. Ask them for the money.

You know, I mean, anybody can say hi and introduce themselves. I mean, let's go deep in friendship. What do you say? Let's just go find out how real, committed, sincere they are.

Last night, I was at dinner with the speakers, and we were talking about today. It's always nice to get together with them because this is a long day, and we work hard to serve you and add value to you.

So in our conversation, I was talking about age and the fact that it's kind of simple that the certainties I have today are much less than the certainties I had 50 years ago. When I was very young, I had a lot of certainties. I mean, you just come and ask me. I was kind of like Mr. Answer Man. I was just good. I was just good. You ask me a question, I just give an answer. And you say, "Oh my gosh, he's thought that through."

At one time, I was really good. I just had answers. Some of my best teaching in my earlier years on parenting was before I was a parent. Oh, I was good. I was so good. And then, of course, we had children. Every person needs to have children. It's a humbling factor.

All of a sudden, I had a lot more questions than I had answers. And so what happens is the things that you're certain of when you're young, as you mature and you see the bigger picture and you begin to be able to see things from other people's perspective, it begins to change. And that's how it should be. That's kind of the right thing.

What I've discovered is today I have a lot less certainties than I had 50 years ago, okay? But what's incredible about the certainties I have now is that the certainties I have today, I'm more certain about. Come on now. You're already with me, aren't you? You're already with me.

By the way, all of you that are on the host sites right now watching, I'm so glad you're here. Just want you to know I'm not only glad you're here, I'm so glad that our coaches are hosting you, and we just want to make it the best day. We are wanting to provide for you the very best day of leadership so that, at the end of your day, it's just a time of good growth and relationship connection.

But what I've discovered is this. The certainties I have now, they're very few. Maybe, I would say less than 10, but they're real solid. I mean, they're just real solid. You see, here's the way this works. Certainties, they have to be tested before they can be trusted.

It's just getting good, isn't it? And it's just getting good. You know, you're just saying, "Oh my gosh, you're leaning in, you're taking notes, you're saying this is going somewhere." It's going somewhere.

And so, I would like to talk to you about one certainty, maybe a 1A and 1B certainty here today, and it's about leadership. When I was 25, a certainty that I felt was strong was that I believed that everything rises and falls on leadership. I had watched leadership long enough to believe that that was the key to success.

That's why in the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, I have the law of the lid. How well you lead determines how well you succeed. I was getting to the place in my life where I was beginning to say, I'm pretty certain that there's a relationship between being able to be a very good leader and having success in whatever endeavor you want to have success in.

So, everything rises and falls on leadership. When I was 25, I said, I'm pretty sure that's it. In fact, the reason I do what I do today is because of that statement. It was almost like a calling to me. If that is a true statement, I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. It's a true statement.

If I could learn how to lead well, and if I could teach other people how to lead well, look at the value that I could add to people regardless of what occupation they would have and how that would help them be successful. So, it was kind of like the motivation, the catalyst to get me into the leadership field.

Everything rises and falls on leadership. Now, I thought that at 25. At 76, I promise you, that's reality. I'm more certain about that. And I feel very fortunate because how many people get to spend their whole life on a subject that the longer they teach it, the more sure they are that it's true?

How many people literally spend their entire life pouring into people a principle that they realize at a certain time in life, it's going to have an amazing return for them? So, I'm really certain, really certain that everything rises and falls on leadership.

Now, you say, "Well, John, what causes it to rise?" What causes leadership to rise is good skills and good values. What causes leadership to rise is good skills and good values. You got to have both. You have to have good leadership skills. You have to have good values. It's not either/or. It's both.

Good leadership skills, good values. And if you ask me what causes leadership to fall, it's either bad leadership skills or bad values. And it's not, it's not, either one can sabotage you, bad leadership skills or bad values.

In fact, I'm going to have to put this on the screen because I want to make sure that we visually get this in your mind because it's foundational for high road leadership, which is what I'm going to teach today. I want you to get this and take a picture of it a moment because I want you to make sure you visually understand high road leadership.

It's good skills plus good values. And if you have both of those, leaders raise up their people. If you have, going to the second line, if you have poor skills and good values, the leaders can't help you. Why help you? Because they have poor leadership skills.

In fact, if you know somebody that has really good values, but they don't have good leadership skills, don't have them lead you. You understand? They're terrible. You know, just have lunch with them. You follow me? Be their friend, but don't be their follower.

Okay. And then you can go to the next one. You have, there are those who have good skills and poor values. And if this is the case, you begin to manipulate people. This is what we're going to talk about, high road leadership in just a minute. And it gets in this third line quite a bit.

And then finally, if you have poor skills and poor values, well, then you just need to go home. That's what you need to do. You just, you just need, you just need to go home.

You know, in our John Maxwell Enterprises, I think Mark Cole was the one who started it, but I love it. There's a phrase that we say often, and that is everyone deserves to be led well.

And let's focus on that statement because it's so true. Every person deserves to be led well. When I travel internationally, the thing that breaks my heart the most is when I see developing countries where the people are so wonderful, but the leaders are so terrible.

And the leaders take advantage of the people and they manipulate the people and they use the people for their good and not for the good of the people. High road leadership is something I'm passionate about. And I have the certainty that everything rises and falls on leadership.

The second certainty I have is this: that high road leadership is how you make things good for your people. Your people deserve a high road leader. Now, the opposite of that is a low road leader, and low road leadership comes when you don't value people.

Low road leadership comes when you have what I call a values slide, where you don't value the person and you don't value who they are. You don't value who they are. You don't value who they are. You don't value who they are.

And so therefore, you begin to take advantage of them. And I'm talking to you now from my heart because I'm quite, to be honest with you, I'm quite leadership sad because as I look around, I do not see leaders rising to the challenge to bring the best out of people.

Instead, I see leaders that divide people. I see leaders that manipulate people. I see leaders of both sides who really put their party before the people. And as I look, I say to myself, we are not at all coming close to reaching our potential.

Now, in a democracy, you always have disagreement. In fact, I think disagreement's good. Disagreement's never a problem. Every one of us in this room, if we sat down and talked, every one of us would disagree with each other on some things. We're not going to agree with you.

I mean, come on, let's grow up, huh? I mean, that person just beside you, you don't agree with them on everything. And you don't agree with me on everything. It's okay. You have a right to be wrong. It's no problem.

I'm kidding. And I am kidding because there's a difference between disagreement and disrespect. And our problem is not a disagreement problem. And a problem isn't a diversity problem. A problem is a disrespect problem.

You see, when I disagree with you, we'll talk it out. I mean, we'll just sit there and say, "Okay." And by the way, we may never come to agreement on this. We may never come to agreement on this. We may never come to agreement on this. And that's okay too.

So when I disagree with you, we'll talk it out. But if I disrespect you, we won't talk. You see, we'll disagree often, but when we disrespect each other, it puts a wall between us.

And high road leadership recognizes that we've got to do something in our life, in our culture about disrespect. In fact, I'm so passionate about it. What I'm giving you right now is a teaching in this first session, in the second session, the last one today, on a book that I'm writing called High Road Leadership.

So you're hearing the book right now. I mean, I'm just writing it, okay? And by the way, as you hear me teach it, if you think of something good that I don't say, send me a note and give me the thought, would you? And if it's good, I'll put it in the book, okay? And I'll give you credit.

I will not give you royalties, but I will give you credit. So help me out because I truly write a book. In fact, our writing team is here today, and Charlie, who helps us with the writing team and kind of heads it up, I said, I'm so glad they're here because I said, as I teach this, you know, we'll get some stuff that we'll put it.

So I'm literally writing the book, forming the book right now. And here's what I'm finding. I'm finding that a lot of people have what I call a confirmation bias. In other words, they seek out to listen to only people they agree with. They do.

And so they watch a certain news and say, "That's right. That's right. That's right. That's right. That's right." And to be honest with you, they're so dysfunctional and insecure that they want to find somebody that will always be on their side.

So there's a confirmation bias. And what we need to have is a collaboration bias. We need to seek out people that are different than us. We need to seek out people that do have a different perspective of us.

In my book on the 16 laws of communication, I call it the law of collaboration. And what does the law of collaboration say? Some of my best thinking has been done by others. Isn't that the truth?

Think about it. Think about the things that you know that you didn't know until somebody came alongside of you and they shared it with you and they gave you an entirely different perspective. That's why I love to talk about, when I get a chance, shared thinking.

Because you see, if you have a good thought and I have a good thought and we share it with each other, guess what? I just got two good thoughts. I just got two good thoughts. But if we keep sharing the good thoughts, two good thoughts, we create another thought.

And great thoughts are a part of several good thoughts. Great thoughts aren't born out of a vacuum. So there's great value when you and I sit down and talk, share, listen. It's an exchange that has a huge return.

I define immaturity this way. Immature people see things only from their perspective. And mature people have the ability to see things from the perspective of others. That's the difference between immaturity and maturity.

And in my book on high road leadership, what I'm challenging each one of you on sites all around the world, on those that are locally here in Atlanta, here's what I'm going to challenge you. I'm going to challenge you today to become intentionally a high road leader.

Because I promise you, if we would just be able to do that, we would change our culture. We would help our community in such an incredible positive way that we would very quickly come back to where we need to come back to.

Now, we're going to do a road comparison because there are high road people, there are middle road people, and there are low road people. Okay? And when we work, we're going to learn today to be high road people.

So look at the person beside you and say, "You're about to become high road." You tell them that. "You're about to go high road." You're about to go high road. In fact, look at them and say, "And it's about time. Why the heck do you think I brought you here today, huh?"

And so we're going to do the road comparison. And when we're done with this road comparison, you are going to, again, visually see the difference between high road, middle road, and low road.

So let's get them on the screen and let's go through. And here we go. Here we go.

High road leaders value others. Middle road leaders seek value from others. Low road leaders devalue others.

Next line. High road leaders bring people together. Middle road leaders move back and forth. Low road leaders divide people.

High road leaders close the gap between people. In other words, the divisions, middle road leaders live with that gap. But let me tell you what low road leaders do. They widen the gap. In fact, they do it on purpose. They do it intentionally. And they're manipulative.

Other than that, no problem. Let's go back. High road leaders give more than they receive. Middle road leaders give equal to what they received. Low road leaders take more.

High road leaders give first. Middle road leaders give back. Low road leaders give nothing.

High road leaders don't keep score. They're unconditional in their giving. Middle road leaders keep score. They're conditional in their giving. Low road leaders don't keep score. They're unconditional in their taking.

High road leaders want you to win. I said that wrong. Middle road leaders want us to win. Low road leaders want me to win.

High road leaders return to the high road to correct low road behavior. In other words, when we goof off and we mess up, and we all do, we all have a bad day. Are you with me? But what we do is we scramble back to the high road. We say, "Oops, that wasn't me." You follow me?

Middle road leaders return to the middle road to correct low road behavior. And then the low road leaders, they stay on the low road and make excuses for their low road behavior.

Wow. High road leaders treat others better than they are treated. Middle road leaders treat others the same as they're treated. Low road leaders treat themselves at others' expense.

Okay. I'm going to get just personal with you right now. This is very personal to me. I'm greatly concerned about our younger generation. Listen to me carefully.

Younger generation, they're totally wonderful. I'm not concerned about them because I don't think they're wonderful. I'm concerned about them because I don't think they're seeing good examples of leadership. And it's greatly concerning to me.

And I think they're growing up without seeing men and women in a leadership position that are high road leaders. Doris Kearns Goodwin, in her book, A Team of Rivals, tells the story of Abraham Lincoln. And he was a high road leader.

And he was a high road leader. And he was a high road leader. And he was a high road leader. And he never tried to win public opinion. He never defended himself when he was insulted. He took the blame for the generals during the Civil War when they failed.

And he literally left his door open so people even on the street could come in and talk to him. And he put on his presidential cabinet opponents, people that had run against him for president, because he said the Civil War was such an important time in his life.

And he said, "I'm going to make sure that I'm going to have the best minds in the room, not the minds that always agreed with him." Now, you're talking about some maturity and leadership. He was never arrogant. He never thought that he was right. He was extremely humble and was always ready to listen to what the other side had to say.

He was a beautiful example of high road leadership. And there's no reason why, in any country, we could not return back to that standard. But to return back to that standard, we must be highly intentional.

High road leadership requires servant leadership. It requires us to want to serve people. When I was writing this book and we were working on it with the writing team, we had one of these days of collaboration where we'd spent all day just trying to define what does a high road leader look like?

And I'm just about on the screen to give you a visual now of the chapters that are going to be in this book. Now, this is going to be so much fun because you're going to see it before the book's out.

So what I would do if I were you is when you see all of them, I would take a picture. Then I would go home, I would go with my friends. And I said, "You know, I was with John the other day in Atlanta. And I was sharing with him some high road leadership thoughts."

You follow me? And then when the book comes out, you just look at your friend and say, "He took everything I gave him and he put it in a book. I mean, how could he do that?"

Hey, that certainly is not high road leadership, is it? But now I'm going to walk you through this. And this is going to be introspective time. We're going to look at it, but then I'm going to allow us to take a moment and ask ourselves the question, "Is this me? Is this who? Is this who I am? Is this what I do?"

And by the way, there'll be some of them that you're just going to, there'll be some of these thoughts that you're going to just say, "Oh, that's so good." And the ones that you think are good are the ones that you live.

And then there'll be some, you'll say, "I don't know if that's really true." Those are the ones you don't live. You understand, but it's okay.

So I'm going to walk us through. I'm going to talk about it. We're going to spend maybe four or five minutes right here because I want to, I just kind of want to make sure that we understand what I'm talking about.

Because in the last time I come in today and talk to you, I'm going to flesh out maybe, I don't know, two or three of these thoughts and really help you take home something that's solid.

Okay. So let's go back to the screen. Okay. And these are practices of high road leaders. Okay. And we'll just kind of walk through them. And yes, you're taking those pictures, aren't you?

Yeah, I can. My gosh, you're just saying, "Okay. If any of you put out a book, I will hunt you down and I will tell the guys that put on mics to bug you the rest of your life."

Here's the practices of high road leaders. High road leaders value all people. If you don't value all people, you're out of the game. And by the way, I'm a person of faith. Excuse me. You're not like Jesus. I don't know who you are, but I'll tell you who you are. Value.

Value all people. Even those you don't like. Secondly, high road leaders acknowledge their humanness. You show me a high road leader and I'll show you a person that understands their frailties, their misses, their failures, their losses.

They're not like, "I do it right and you do it wrong. And I got it and you don't got it. And why don't you know these things?" They're very humble because they're humble because they realize they're not perfect.

Is there anything more disgusting than being around a person that doesn't understand their humanness? High road leaders do the right things for the right reasons. In other words, they don't have a motives problem.

Now they are human, so they may make errors, but they don't have a motives problem. High road leaders give more than they take. They develop emotional competency.

They develop an emotional strength that allows them to get through adversity and overcome the idiosyncrasies of other people. High road leaders place people above their own agenda. They embrace authenticity. They're real. Nothing fake about it.

They are accountable for their actions. Wouldn't you just like to have something like that? Some leaders accountable for their actions. I was yesterday in a very high-profile meeting in another part of the States, major high profile, just filled with names of people that you would know, leaders.

And it was a statement that was made yesterday that I thought so true and it bothered me so much. And they were talking about politicians, and they said, "I never hear politicians say I was wrong." And I thought, how true?

And not only "I was wrong," but "I'm going to change and I'm going to fix this. And here's what I've learned. And here's what I'm not going to do again." I don't think people want a perfect leader, but I do think they want an authentic leader.

So they're accountable to others for their actions. Yeah. They're accountable. I'll talk about that later today. They live by the bigger picture. They really see beyond what others see.

They don't keep score. Do you ever buy keep score? You know, it's your turn. You know, I did this for you, so it's your turn to do this for me. You know, keep score. People drive me crazy.

First of all, I can't remember who bought the lunch the last time anyway. And they desire the best for others. They truly desire the best instead of desiring the best for themselves.

Now that's, isn't that a beautiful picture of what high road leaders are and what high road leaders do? When this book comes out, I've made a commitment to myself to sit down with my five wonderful grandchildren.

I have really great grandchildren. My grandchildren are just amazing, much, much better than my children were. It's the truth. In fact, I was telling him that one day and my son Joel heard it. He says, "Well, of course they're better children than we were. We were their parents."

That's the day he was cut out of the will, but that's another story. I've made a commitment when this book comes out, I'm going to sit down with each one of my grandchildren and walk them through these practices.

Because I want my grandchildren to know the leadership they see right now is rotten and it's not healthy and it's hurting us. It's not helping us and it's dividing and it's bringing the worst out of people, not the best out of people.

And I am disgusted. If I was 20 years younger, I'd run for president.

Look at me just for a moment. I'm giving you my heart right now. It doesn't need to be this way. And I refuse to accept it. And I refuse to say that's the way the culture is.

And I refuse to say that's the way the days are. And we're going to have to live with it. I don't want to live with it. Your children and my grandchildren deserve a better life.

And they deserve a high road. They deserve it. They deserve it. It's for our kids. It's for the next generation. They deserve it. They deserve it.

Thank you. I can tell you feel what I feel. And that's why the book is so important to me. People ask me all the time. They'll say, "Well, what's your favorite book? What's your most important book?"

I always tell them it's the book I'm writing because that's how I feel about it. And so I'm writing this book and I feel about it. But it seems to me like this book is real essential for this time.

You know, books change your life when they come at the right time for you. It's a timing issue. That way you read a book and you say, "This is good. This is good for me."

I'm so glad you're with us on this day. And we've got so much. Chris Robinson is going to come up in a moment. He's going to tell you a couple of great stories.

And we've got my friend Marcus, who I just love to sit and learn from him. We've got such good teachers for you. So I'm going to get out of the way for now. But I am coming back.