NSA: iN TERMS OF THE REgiSTRATiON REqUiREMENT, lems with the governing board and then we instituted “Fireside
HOW DO yOU FEEl ABOUT “gRANDFATHERiNg” iN SOME Chats” to reestablish trust among the partners at large.
TAx PROFESSiONAlS (WHO gOT THEiR CREDENTiAlS I had a “talking stick” fashioned to resemble a miniature
BEFORE THE NEW ExAM REqUiREMENTS)? totem pole. Each person who attended a “chat” was allowed one
Cross: I think “grandfathering” is appropriate and that any “per- topic while they held the stick. The stick was passed from part-
ceived” lack of qualifications could be handled with a more rigor- ner to partner until everyone had been given the chance to ask
ous continuing education requirement for grandfathered preparers. a question. Then the process started again at the beginning of
the queue and went on until there were no more questions. Any
NSA: yOU ARE A FAN OF lEADERSHiP BOOKS SUCH AS question was “in order” and every question was answered factu-
The Five dySFuNcTioNS oF A TeAM By PATRiCK lENCiONi ally and without bias.
AND The SPeed oF TruST By STEPHEN COVEy. DO yOU Occasionally, a question had to be researched and every
PlAN TO BRiNg ANy PRiNCiPlES FROM THESE BOOKS partner received a written answer to the question at a later date.
iNTO yOUR lEADERSHiP AT THE NSA, AND iF SO, HOW? Net bottom line, we achieved our purpose of restoring trust and
Cross: To say I am a fan of any two books is not complete. I am accountability over a period of 11 months. Had the concepts
a fan of life-long learning in every aspect of professional life. of which Lencioni writes been known to us, they would have
While these two books are good, so are the Army Leadership shortened our journey.
“WE USED GEORGE WASHINGTON’S 110 RULES OF CIVILITY…
AND WE iNSTiTUTED ‘FiRESiDE CHATS’ TO
REESTABliSH TRUST AMONg THE PARTNERS…
I HAD A ‘TALkING STICk’ FASHIONED TO RESEMBLE A MINIATURE TOTEM POLE.”
Manual and a plethora of other books and articles. I used these NSA: WHERE ARE yOU FROM ORigiNAlly?
two books for a four-hour leadership retreat for our NSA Board Cross: I was born in Wheatland, Wyoming. My family is
of Governors meeting in October. primarily from Colorado. My great-grandfather Cross came
I have chosen two more books for a similar leadership retreat to Loveland, Colorado in 1851 from Pennsylvania. My great
at the beginning of our next schedule Board of Governors meeting grand-father on my mother’s side came to Colorado in 1863 from
in May 2010. And I have another book in mind for our August Kentucky. Both sides of the family were ranchers in Colorado,
meeting. Leadership is developed and nurtured by experiences Wyoming and Nebraska at various times.
and creating experiences is the best way to help others.
NSA: WHAT DO yOU liKE TO DO iN yOUR SPARE TiME?
NSA: CAN yOU SHARE ANy ExPERiENCES yOU’VE HAD WiTH Cross: My favorite recreation is horseback riding in Wyoming
SiTUATiONS AS DEPiCTED iN The Five dySFuNcTioNS oF A under a giant sky. I read fiction, poetry, philosophy, history and
TeAM, SUCH AS TEAM MEMBERS HAViNg AN ABSENCE OF leadership/management books. One of my favorite quotes is
TRUST WiTH ONE ANOTHER, OR TOOlS THAT yOU USED TO from Thomas Carlyle—“What we become depends on what we
gET PAST THE DySFUNCTiON? read after all of the professors have finished with us. The great-
Cross: In September of 1999, I was one of two prior leaders asked est university of all is a collection of books.”
to return to leadership positions we had held during the mid-
1980s. The entity was a partnership with over 200 partners that
was governed by a nine-member managing board. The problem
Julia L. Wilkinson
was a lack of trust in the current leadership and a perception of
Freelance Writer and Author
a lack of accountability.
Alexandria, VA
The two of us decided to use “straight talk” and what we
labeled “creative confrontation” to solve the problems. We used
George Washington’s 110 Rules of Civility to address the prob-
February 2010 NPA Magazine 9
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