GLOSSARY OF KEY INSIDEFIRST™ TERMS
The following terms and their definitions are central to describing and applying the
Institute’s “inside-first” framework. These definitions have been drawn from the
leadership literature as referenced in our bibliography. Semantics can often hang
us up, but if we strive for the underlying meaning in these key words, we will be
well served. If there are other definitions or other words that you feel should be
added to this list, please email them to us at jhk@vailleadership.org
Alignment: a collaborative leadership process that gains buy-in and commitment;
fosters teamwork by providing continual, relevant feedback; asks questions, listens,
reframes, proposes, synthesizes, summarizes, and seeks consensus; maintained
only through a process of collaborative communication that can never stop.
Attitude: an overall outlook on life; a mind-set or way of thinking that affects
everything that we do; your demeanor
Authentic: being true to what you stand for; genuine.
Beliefs: those tenets or conditions that you are convinced are true; arrived at
more intellectually than emotionally.
Breakthrough Results: a major advance or quantum leap that fosters progress;
overcoming an obstacle; going well beyond incremental steps; outcomes that are
significant and impact many thousands of people.
Breakthrough Change: advancement that is significant because it transforms;
major action that goes beyond incremental improvement.
Character: that dimension of our nature that determines how we make decisions
and how we act; acquired through wisdom and experience; it is what shapes our
moral and ethical perspectives.
Collaboration: the process through which consensus is realized; an environment
where cooperation results from working together and partnering in alliances.
Commitment: a state of being emotionally or intellectually bound to a course of
action or person; maintaining our promises; keeping our word, regardless of the
payback.
Communicating: the art and process of creating understanding; expressing
oneself in such a way that one is clearly understood.
Community: a group of people pursuing a common mission; often includes
“communities of interest” encompassing various associations and organizations.
Former Colorado Governor Dick Lamm says, “A community is much more than a
place on a map; community is not where we live, but how we act toward each
other.” Scott Peck suggests that community can often be thought of more as a
verb than a noun.
Contribute: to give for a common purpose; to enhance or enlarge an idea,
organization or community.
Courage: a reflection of the heart, of something deep within. Courage is not
rooted in reason, but rather comes from a divine purpose to make things right.
Culture: the beliefs, behavior, language, and entire way of life of a particular time
or group of people. Culture includes values, principles, customs, ceremonies, works
of art, inventions, technology, and traditions.
Dialogue: respectful conversation; an open exchange of ideas where assumptions
are suspended; authentic inquiry from a desire to know and understand; more a
philosophy than a technique
Discipline: a quality that helps us consistently convert our beliefs into actions;
where patience and restraint are regularly exhibited.
Empowerment: giving encouragement; inspiring others and contributing to their
growth.
Ethics: a defined standard of what we believe is right and wrong; distinguished
from morals which is how we actually behave; a code of values which guide our
choices and actions.
Excellence: first-quality work defined as simple elegance delivered with a sense of
taste and value.
Executing: the discipline of producing the desired results; having a bias for action
tied to accountability; a systematic process of managing who’s going to do what by
when; a systemic way of exposing reality and acting on it.
Explore: to search with a purpose of discovery.
Faith: the belief in something beyond ourselves
Inside-First: a leadership framework that evolves from a healthy character within,
applying positive external skills to guide relationships with others; coming first from
the heart.
“My work will be finished if I succeed in carrying
conviction to the human family that every man or woman,
however weak in body, is the guardian of his or her selfrespect
and liberty.”
Mohandas K. Gandhi
Integrity: walking your talk; doing what you say you’ll do; what you do and how
you behave when no one is watching; relates to your core beliefs in action; the
extent to which a person’s ethics and morality are integrated; the state of being
truthful, genuine and free of deception or duplicity.
Leadership: doing the right things for the right reasons; the art and science of
getting things done through people; an influence process.
Learning: an orientation toward acquiring knowledge and earning wisdom; more
about an attitude of growing and less about the rigors of institutional education;
tied to questions more than answers.
Love: that quality in relationships which honors and appreciates others; the feeling
of kindness or brotherhood toward others; an intense affection.
Planning: those activities that chart the future; a method or approach for attaining
an end; a course of action.
Potential: the inherent ability or capacity for growth or development.
Problem Solving: the skill to overcome obstacles, to resolve conflicts and bring
people together; to move toward success when failure seemed inevitable.
Purpose: your reason for being or why you get up in the morning; the quality
around which we shape our lives; a source of energy and direction; the answer to
why you are here.
Respect: an attitude of high regard or admiration for another person; to honor the
rights of others; understanding others perspectives.
Responsibility: the quality that causes us to consistently deliver on our promises;
being dependable, reliable and trustworthy; being the source or cause of
something.
Serving: the act of helping others; a holistic approach to work, promoting a sense
of community and shared decision-making; realized when others grow; being of
service.
Spirituality: the very personal process of connecting to a reality greater than
ourselves, not aligned with any religion.
Stewardship: a worldview where everything is a gift from God and we are
caretakers for a while.
Trust: confidence in the integrity and character of a person or organization; the
belief that those on whom we depend will meet our expectations; a relationship of
reliance.
Vision: a description of where we want to be in the future, perhaps a 5-10 year
timeframe; a picture of what it will look and feel like when we are achieving our
dream; an attractive, but realistic, destination toward which we should strive.
Values: foundational qualities that you feel are vitally important and that you
supremely treasure; those virtues that live in your heart and form the base of your
decision-making; qualities that govern most of your thoughts, attitudes and
behavior; a standard for relationships with people, with nature and ideas; values are
internal - principles are external.
Wisdom: living life skillfully by piercing the heart to make wise choices.
Updated 12-21-08
“This is the true joy in life, the being used for a
purpose recognized by yourself
as a mighty one.”
George Bernard Shaw
