Madoff Gets 150 Years Proving How We Lead Matters

Bernie Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in federal prison for his crimes. Given his incredible greed and heartless lack of concern for the folks he swindled, "fraud" just does not seem a strong enough word to convey the level of damage he inflicted on the lives of so many.

There are good leaders and bad ones. Madoff was clearly a bad one. But as I sat glued to the tube waiting for the outcome I was also reminded of an amazing (and good, in fact, very good) leader, Marilyn Carlson Nelson.

In her book, "How We Lead Matters," she shares how the true test of a leader is really what happens after they leave a company. Were the foundations strong? Were others groomed and mentored to fill in the shoes as new leaders? The legacy is the leader.

While we can learn some valuable street-smart lessons from Madoff's example, let's not waste any more time on Madoff. Instead, I encourage you to look at the example of a leader, one who believes how we lead matters, turned her company into a model of diversity and a global billion-dollar corporation.

• Book Review: How We Lead Matters
• Interview with Marilyn Carlson Nelson
• Carlson Industries: A Champion in Diversity