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The Honor Code: Unlocking the Key to Success and Fulfillment

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As I look back over 2020, I think it is safe to say that this year has been anything but ordinary. Our lives have been interrupted and inconvenienced in so many ways. So many people have allowed this season to make them toxic and ungrateful. While I am not being insensitive to their experiences, I think we need to get rid of this cancel culture mentality and embrace an attitude of gratitude.

Personally, this has been the greatest year of my life. I have grown so much as a person, accomplished so many of my goals and I have seen dreams realized in my life. It has been my most productive year yet and I attribute a lot of that to having unbreakable focus. I believe that every human being on this planet desires to live an honorable life. However, most people do not have a clue what that looks like or how to do it. I want to share a few life strategies with you to help you master the honor code and unlock a life of success and fulfillment. 

You must understand that there is an honor code

No, I am not talking about the honor code you heard about in school or in your industry. I am talking about the honor code of life. As someone that has trained and developed leaders around the world, one of the challenges I see in leadership today is the challenge to develop and deploy moral and ethical leaders. 

The reason this has become so challenging is that we have so many leaders in positions of power that do not have a code. An honor code is a set of core values, life principles, and soul constitutions that govern how we think, choose, and behave. Essentially, it’s the principles and standards that govern how you live your life. So many people want to overlook it and move right into the highest realms of leadership and influence. 

However, what we fail to understand is that if we do not live with a clear honor code, we will bring dishonor and reproach to leadership. As you are fulfilling your purpose and realizing your potential, make sure that you establish your honor code so that you can build your life on a strong foundation and demonstrate to the world what authentic leadership looks like.

“The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.” – Socrates

Master harnessing the law of honor in your life

Over the years, I have had so many people ask me about the number one key to success. While I believe that mindset, intentions, vision, and strategy are all important factors, I believe that mastery of the law of honor has been one of the greatest contributors to my success. It states that whatever I honor will honor me and whatever I dishonor I will repel from my life. 

The thing that concerns me about this generation is that we covet positions and crave power. Unfortunately, I have not seen many people that have mastered the law of honor. I believe that the key to succeeding and experiencing sustainable success is mastering that law. In other words, we should never emphasize the destination more than we do the development. I realize that my success is the product of those which I have chosen to honor in my life. I have honored my mentors, coaches, and advisors that have helped shape who I am today. 

More importantly, I have honored the wisdom, lessons, and failures that produced growth and empowered me to become a person of excellence. In a generation that is obsessed with power and prestige, I want to take a moment and say that you must learn to honor the process. Honor is a law that will keep you humble, grounded, and constantly stretching your capacity for greatness in every area of your life.

Understand that your true power lies in your process

Some people have told me that it seems like my success was overnight. However, those that really know me understand that my success story has taken over three decades to write. In other words, it is easy to make assumptions about my journey when you have not taken my journey. Unless you have really followed my work over the years, then you do not know about the three times my business almost collapsed, all the failures I experienced along the way, the betrayal that I experienced in business, and the moments I felt like walking away. 

People see me in magazines today and featured on television and assume that this has been an easy journey. However, I know that my true power is not in the platform that I have built or the wisdom that I share with people around the world. My true power is in the process that has made me who I am today. If you take away my process you essentially take away my power. 

The process is the only authentic path to power and unleashing your greatest potential. So do not become so obsessed with the destination that you cannot stop to appreciate the journey. The lessons you learn along the journey are much more valuable than the excitement of reaching the destination.

“Humility forms the basis of honor, just as the low ground forms the foundation of a high elevation.” – Bruce Lee

Soul significance only comes from living an honorable life

While I could talk about honor forever, I wanted to share some valuable insights and life strategies to help you on your journey. A few months ago I celebrated another birthday. This birthday was different for me. I woke up with a renewed sense of purpose and passion. More importantly, I woke up with a new perspective and appreciation for the gift of life. I made a decision that this next era of my life is about reinvention. So I said goodbye to the old me and hello to the brand new me. It was one of the greatest decisions I ever made.

Jamelle Sanders is the CEO of Jamelle Sanders International. Jamelle is committed to empowering leaders and entrepreneurs around the world to live up to their true potential and to profit wildly in their businesses. Jamelle is a life coach, business strategist, author, leading empowerment specialist and highly respected thought leader. Jamelle has been featured on CBS, NBC, Huff Post Live and contributed to numerous media outlets such as Thrive, Inspiyr, Young Upstarts, Elite Daily and numerous others.

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Success Advice

Why One-Size-Fits-All Leadership Will Always Fail (and What Works Instead)

The surprising truth about leadership styles that can make or break your team’s success.

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Why one-size-fits-all leadership doesn’t work
Image Credit: Midjourney

Leadership has always been as much about people as it is about performance. Ken Blanchard, in his influential book, “The One Minute Manager”, put it simply: different strokes for different folks. (more…)

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Success Advice

What Every New CEO Must Do in Their First 100 Days (or Risk Failure)

Your first 100 days as CEO could define your entire legacy, here’s how to make every move count

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leadership tips for new CEO
Image Credit: Midjourney

When Tim Cook took over from Steve Jobs at Apple, the world watched with bated breath. Jobs wasn’t just a CEO; he was a visionary, an icon, and a legend of innovative leadership. (more…)

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Entrepreneurs

The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025

Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

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Bridging the gap between employees and employers
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In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”

While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.

Why This Gap Exists

Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.

What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.

Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap

Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.

1. Practice Mutual Empathy

Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.

2. Maintain Professional Boundaries

Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.

3. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.

4. Avoid Micromanagement

Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.

5. Empower Employees to Grow

Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.

6. Communicate in All Directions

Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.

7. Overcome Insecurities

Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.

8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship

True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.

9. Eliminate Favoritism

Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.

10. Recognize Efforts Promptly

Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.

11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews

When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.

12. Provide Leadership Development

Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.

13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles

Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.

The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role

Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:

  • Build diverse talent pipelines

  • Embrace flexible work models

  • Design compelling career paths

  • Simplify HR processes

  • Redefine the value HR brings

The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.

Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff

When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.

Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.

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Entrepreneurs

What Makes an Entrepreneurial Leader? Traits of the World’s Best Innovators

Inside the mindset of entrepreneurial leaders who transform risk, passion, and vision into world-changing results.

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entrepreneurial leadership skills and traits
Image Credit: Midjourney

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