Cowboys and Leaders... Are good brokers independent cowboys or effective leaders? Well, they actually combine elements of both, according to Elysia Ragusa, President and Chief Operating Officer at The Staubach Company.

This may be counterintuitive. But think about it. To be successful, brokers must persuade others, resolve conflicts and inspire confidence. And leaders must possess strong convictions and be prepared to make independent decisions. So you need both sets of skills.

During a fun conversation last week, Ragusa placed leadership firmly in the context of Staubach's four other core values: integrity, respect, teamwork and balance.

She mentioned five important leadership skills: enabling others to act, modeling the way, encouraging the heart, challenging the process and inspiring a shared vision.

While titular leaders find leadership embedded in their job descriptions, "enterprise leadership" is sought at all levels of the organization, and Ragusa particularly encourages the administrative staff to exercise leadership skills by "challenging the process."

Of course, it's easy for any organization to pay lip service to "values." But as I listened to Ragusa articulate Staubach's cultural DNA, I got the message -- values matter. And it seemed natural to hear her condense them into a single question: "Are we doing the right thing for the client?"

--Peter Pike