Aloha Leadership - How A Diverse Culture Helps You Lead

I spent time on the phone recently with John Aeto, the General Manager at VRE in Hawai'i. John's input on the influence of Aloha Spirit in leadership has been formed by a lifetime on the Islands, and by his extensive experience in broadcasting, sales and marketing. Here is some of John's insight:

"Aloha Spirit means love, trust and the breath of life. It means being able to put yourself in a position where (as a leader) you see things from a 360 degree perspective."

John also talked about the principle of "Kina'ole". Briefly stated, this foundational principle of Aloha Leadership is based on a state of gratefulness and grace. For example, diverse opinions in the workplace can be source of conflict and dis-trust. As a leader, you can choose to be grateful for those differences and learn to leverage opposing viewpoints and perspective. There's more on Kina'ole in Georgia Patrick's wonderful post at "Customers Count" at http://service.ducttapemarketing.com/2008/04/the-power-of-ki.html

If you know of a fabulous leader in the business or volunteer community of the Hawaiian Islands, I'd love to interview them for my upcoming book "Aloha Leadership". Just pass along their contact information to me at mike@mikefaber.com, and I'll take it from there. The interview process lasts just 15-20 minutes, and each contributor receives a copy of the book when it is complete.

Mahalo!