For more years than I’d like to count I have been training, coaching, and consulting to individuals and organizations on building more effective, efficient, and profitable businesses through leadership.sales leadership, executive leadership, management leadership, and all the other leaderships you can imagine. Obviously each area has a common thread - someone has to lead, even if it’s you leading you! What does it take? As you read through “Lighten Up And Lead” you’ll be able to discern that laughter, humor and fun play a foundational role in my writing and philosophy of leadership. Too often leaders take themselves so seriously that they create an underlying angst within their organizations. People either become anxious and learn to deal with the situation (antacids and a glass of wine at lunch may be part of the solution), play “How do we avoid the boss?” or quit. You see.leadership isn’t always positive. A leader can lead his or her company right into bankruptcy, dissolution, or chaos. The most important element in any organization is its people, even in this virtual world.someone has to be behind the screen. So what’s the secret in being an effective leader, a leader who people line up to work for? Of course focus, planning, understanding the market, knowing yourself and your team members’ behaviors, attitudes, motivators and information processing styles are important elements. As are a complete knowledge of the goals and objectives of the organization, as well as trust, keeping your word, respect, integrity, and being able to make productive decisions. However the real secret is making people want to work for and with you because you are light, bring lightness to their lives, and create an enLightened workplace. And that means laughter, humor, and fun, which coincidently translate into lower turnover and more creativity.