Connecting Heart And Mind: A life story about leading through crisis

In an interview, Brandt Smith, social scientist and professor at American Public University, talked about how leaders connect heart and mind to unite people and organizations during difficult times. As a social scientist, he relates to the culture. He was really involved in interpersonal relationships and would bring his approach to the individual level whether it was a community or village. He tried to personalize the experience to gain trust, and connect with them on a deeper level. For him, a leader is someone who can make something exceptional happen when others cannot. Transformational leadership is really a top-notch style because in order to transform an organization -- it takes a leader to see the big picture. The leader must decide where to go, but coming into any organization, the leader must understand the historical background so there's a frame of reference.