Lessons from a Lifetime in Leadership

Jim Kouzes thinks Frances Hesselbein is a national treasure. Stephen Covey said she is, “extraordinary.” The father of modern management, Peter Drucker thought she was the greatest leader in the country. The President of the United States awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

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Frances Hesselbein’s autobiography, “My Life in Leadership,” is both a personal story and a textbook in leadership.

During our conversation, Frances affirmed the themes of her life. I’m sharing personal takeaways more than reviewing her book.

Definition

Both the practice of leadership and leadership development are shaped by Hesselbein’s twelve word definition of leadership, “Leadership is a matter of how to be not how to do.”

Inclusion

“You can’t develop a plan, ‘give’ it to ‘the people,’ and expect them feel that it’s theirs.” During our conversation she used the term; “engage,” like the trinity. She always said it in triplicate, “engage, engage, engage.”

She adds, “We learned that the more we include our constituents in the development of program resources, the more acceptable and the more successful they are.”

Facing opposition

When you face resistance, Frances says, “Save the face and the dignity of the people who oppose the initiative.”

I asked Frances how she responds to people that resist initiatives. Her response to them is, “Let’s talk about it.”

Facing forward

You might think Frances’ posture toward resistance weak. You’d be dead wrong. She lives by Drucker’s principle, “Honoring the past but intensely defining the future …”

Frances frequently says, “Honor the past.” That doesn’t mean she lives in the past. One lesson I took from her book is let the future not the past shape your direction.

Random quote:

We embraced, “The philosophy of no surprises.”

“… we worked to focus on those areas that would make the greatest difference.”

“Bigness doesn’t inspire anyone.”

“Listening is the essential element of effective leadership.”

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If you enjoy biographies and leadership, I think you’ll enjoy, “My Life in Leadership: The Journey and Lessons Learned Along the Way.”

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Bonus: I was recently elected to the International Board of Directors for an orphanage in South Africa. Some readers may find Frances’ suggestions on questions every potential director should ask useful. 10 Questions potential directors should ask.

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Related Post from my conversation with Frances:

Finding Vitality

Two Surprising Events

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Finding Vitality

Jim Collins, author of, “Good to Great,” wrote the foreword to Frances Hesselbein’s  autobiography, “My Life in Leadership: The Journey and Lessons Learned Along the Way.”

From the foreword of, “My Life in Leadership”

During one of our long conversations, I (Jim Collins) asked Frances how she endured the burdens of leadership and sustained her energy.

“Burden?” She looked puzzled.  “Burden? Oh no, leadership is never a burden; it is a privilege.”

Jim went on. “But how do you sustain the energy for leadership? We all have limits, but I’ve never seen you reach yours.”

“Everything I have been called to do gives me energy. The greater the call, the greater the energy; it comes from outside me.”

Confirmation

During my own conversation with Frances, she confirmed what Jim Collins wrote. Frances Hesselbein has always been a high energy person with a strong sense of calling.

Personal calling

People with a calling don’t work for a living. Calling suggests purpose and meaning. Job suggests obligation and paychecks. I believe living to earn a paycheck ruins people. On the other hand, a calling refreshes and energizes.

Can you define your life today in terms of calling rather than job? If you can, you’ve found vitality. If you can’t, it’s another day at work.

Calling others

One of the great privileges of leadership is helping others find their own calling. I’ve been present when the fire of calling ignites a person. Yesterday I saw the white heat of calling ignite a local business person when she uncovered her prime motivation in life. All you can do is get out of the way and watch the blaze.

The greatest opportunity of leadership may be helping others find vitality by embracing their calling.

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How can leaders find their own calling?

How can leaders help others find their calling?

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Two surprising events

This post was written after spending more than 45 minutes on the phone with Frances Hesselbein, president and CEO of the Leader to Leader Institute (formerly the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management). Peter Drucker told the New York Times, “Frances Hesselbein could manage any company in the country.” Speaking of the country, Mrs. Hesselbein is the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States.

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Our call was scheduled for 3:30 p.m. However it was pushed back to 4:00. Upon calling back I was put on hold for a few minutes while Mrs. Hesselbein bid farewell to visitors in her office.

I was glad to wait.

Two surprising events

When Frances said hello, she immediately apologized for the delay and began explaining, with child-like enthusiasm, that her guests were three children of Vietnamese Boat People (Children in their 30’s).

While explaining the reason for her Vietnamese visitors and without shifting gears, I heard her call out, “Take good care of them.” I imagined her waving and smiling as she spoke to the escort of her departing guests.

Her tone wasn’t commanding it was generous and compassionate; a tone she maintained throughout our conversation.

The second event happened toward the end of our call, around 4:50 p.m. when she excused herself to say good night to her Executive Assistant, Gloria. Upon returning, Frances told me she didn’t care much for the title, Executive Assistant. It is completely inadequate.

Frances explained that she was in the habit of saying yes too frequently but Gloria seemed to make it all happen. I’m sure our conversation fit that description perfectly.

Reflection

I’m thinking of all the leaders, over all the years I’ve known. Some of them are intolerant, arrogant, and full of their own self-importance. I’m also thinking of the woman I just spoke with; world traveler, companion of Presidents and foreign dignitaries; admired by leaders of the world’s greatest companies.

More than any other leader I’ve known, she has the “right” to be full of herself. Yet, I found her generous, respectful, energetic, and filled with compassionate strength.

Without suggesting it, Frances refreshes my energy to generously serve others.

More to come …

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10 ways to get the most from a 2 year old

“How can they be so immature?”

“People should grow up.”

These and other people-complaints float around offices and across tables at lunch. Suppose you actually had an office of two year olds, how would you get the most from them?

1. Lower yourself

Get down on their level. Two year olds don’t like it when you tower over them. Get on your hands and knees.

2. Elevate them

Better yet, let them be above you. Go the extra mile and get below them. Lay flat on the floor and let them crawl on your belly. Let them be taller than you.

3. Lower your voice

Speak quietly. Loud voices make them uncomfortable. It also helps to use positive tones. Strong emotion and anger is scary.

4. Simplify

Speaking of speaking, use single syllable words they understand.

5. Participate

Do things with them. Pile up blocks, color, make truck noises and push some dirt.

6. Build confidence

Ask them to show you how to do something. They love teaching dumb big people.

7. Clean up with

Two year olds don’t work well alone. They need help staying on task.

8. Clean up after

In the end they may not complete tasks well. You’ll end up cleaning up and finishing for them.

9. Clean up after pt. 2

They make stinking messes in their pants and don’t know how to make “it” go away.

10. Reward small successes

“Oh my! That tower is spectacular.”

Three reasons

There are three reasons we treat two year olds the way we do. First, we love them. Second, they are at their current potential. Third, they are growing and learning.

If they can but aren’t developing, we adopt other strategies.

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Which of these strategies could apply to offices you’ve heard about?

Which definitely don’t apply? Why or why not?

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4 Creative ways to Start Your Day

1. A strategy from Hemingway

The Hemingway Bridge*

In order to avoid starting a new day with a cold, blank piece of paper, Ernest Hemingway ended his day by writing the first paragraph of a new chapter. During the evening, he considered where the paragraph might go. In the morning, he was ready to go.

One creative way to start your day is by starting it the day before.

End today by starting tomorrow.

Tomorrow’s great start begins today. End right so you can begin well.

2. Sleep on it

If you are the tenacious type it’s hard to set a problem aside. You just keep banging your head into it until you defeat the “enemy.”  Give yourself a chance to move through a problem by letting go of it for a few hours. Sleeping on it often works.

People ask me how I produce fresh content everyday.

Sometimes I go to bed at night telling my brain to think over the topic for tomorrow’s post while I sleep. I find ending the day with a new beginning in mind jumpstarts productivity.

Start your day with something you put off yesterday.

3. List making

It might be useful if you end your day by creating tomorrow’s to do list.

End today by listing tomorrow’s tasks.

4. Morning Strategy Call

Try calling a friend or colleague first thing in the morning to talk over the day. Share your challenges, opportunities, concerns, frustrations, confusion, and plans. Don’t talk long. Listen to them and have them listen to you. Set a time limit for the call and stick to it.

Start your day by talking through your to do’s.

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What can people do to jumpstart their day?

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*Reference: I first saw The Hemingway Bridge in “Disciplined Dreaming,” by Josh Linkner. He found it in a book by Eric Maisel.

15 Best Creativity Tips

“The only sustainable competitive advantage … is creativity.”

Disciplined Dreaming, Josh Linkner is changing the way I look at problems, solutions, and ideation. Here are a few highlights of a book I’m keeping handy.

Three types of Creativity:

1. Breakthrough Innovation: instigating disruptive game-changers.
2. High-Value Change: creating significant improvement.
3. Everyday Creativity: making small changes in high frequency = big results.

15 Best Creativity tips:

1. 

   Buy this book!

   Focus on curiosity not result.

2. Ask, “In a perfect world, what am I trying to accomplish.”
3. Warning: The problem you’re solving may not be the right problem. Redefine the problem again.
4. Don’t create a memorable event, process, or program. Create a memorable experience.
5. Create a “parking lot” where off topic ideas can be stored.
6. Establish your own fictitious worst enemy and compete against them. Josh’s is Slither.
7. Do someone else’s job for 3 months. (The most innovative company in the world practices this.)
8. Create inspiring spaces. Many offices look like sensory deprivation chambers.
9. Shake things up. For some that means having an off-site meeting.
10. Look at your challenge through the eyes of a child, parent, villain, mechanic …
11. Appoint a “blocker” whose job is to challenge every idea so you have to defend it.
12. Change the problem you are solving. That’s where the Nintendo Wii originated.
13. Find the most offensive, wrong solution possible. See if it’s opposite is the best idea.
14. Warm up with fun games or exercises rather than saying, “It’s time to be creative.”
15. Edgestorm, push your idea to the max. That’s where Cirque du Soleil originated.

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My interview with author Josh Linkner:

Finding Your Competitive Advantage

Leaping before you Look

Bringing Contrasting Qualities Together

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What creativity enhancing techniques or strategies can you suggest?

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Finding your competitive advantage

“The only sustainable competitive advantage – for individuals and companies – is creativity,” Josh Linkner author of Disciplined Dreaming.

Josh believes everyone is born with creativity but it’s beaten out of us by over-stretched educational systems, society, family, and businesses. I’ll give testimony to that truth.

Some years back I consciously decided to stop being creative where I worked. I can almost remember the day.

Navigating the maze of organizational structure, seeking approvals, and worrying about turf frustrated me and my bosses. It wasn’t worth the effort. It felt like ideas were inconvenient enemies rather than opportunities. I should have quit that day.

The Bad News

We are losing what makes us unique. Since 1990, creativity indicators have experienced a “very significant decrease” (Researcher Kyung Hee Kim*).

Reclaiming your competitive advantage

Josh Linkner

Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen says, “… Creativity is close to 80% learned and acquired.**”  I asked Josh how we can reclaim our creativity. His book is filled with ideas. A couple bubbled to the top.

“Give your people idea-time.” Josh Linkner has the audacity to suggest companies give employees 5% idea-time every week. For the math challenged, that’s two hours from a 40 hour work week. Take two hours a week and turn off tasks. Go for a walk, listen to music and just think of ideas.

The 30 day challenge

Josh says, “Try it for 30 days.” He believes idea-time works. If after 30 days, you don’t notice a positive difference then kill idea time. Does the thought of killing idea time sound counter-productive?

A simple awakening

Linkner suggested another simple approach to awaken your curiosity. Write three questions on a 3X5 card and always keep it handy.

Why?

What if?

Why not?

Have those questions been beaten out of you? Asking them may help you reclaim your competitive advantage.

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What can individuals and organizations do to enhance their creativity?

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*Po Bronson and Ashely Merryman, “The Creativity Crisis,” Newsweek, July 19, 2010, p. 45

**Clayton Christensen and Hal Gregersen, “The Innovator’s DNA,” Harvard Business Review, December 21, 2009.

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Leaping before you look

Josh Linkner, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Detroit Executive of the Year, and Crain’s 40 under 40 recipient told me,

“Mistakes are no big problem. I’ve always been a leap-before-you-look type of guy.”

Perhaps that explains why in his younger days, he sneaked into smoky bars to play jazz guitar… he also sold illegal firework from his backpack. But that’s a story for another time.

Trigger pullers and testers

If mistakes are no big problem, “Tell me about your mistakes.”

Surprisingly, Josh began telling me about avoiding mistakes and the product failure that resulted. He explained that his team crafted a product into, what he called, the “Mona Lisa.”

In other word they created a “master piece.” They solved all the product’s potential problems first, then launched, but failed.  The four-word lesson he described is an essential element of entrepreneurship.

Launch early. Test often.

I think Josh’s insight defines the difference between dynamic entrepreneurial environments and safe, stagnant, corporations. Entrepreneurs aim and pull the trigger while others keep aiming. Entrepreneurs know perfection is the enemy of progress.

In a word

I don’t think Josh suggests intentional mediocrity. Do your best within reasonable time constraints. But whatever you do, do it. Then he gave me a highly “technical term” that describes his after-launch approach.

Tinker.

I love the term “tinker.” It’s attainable. Average folks tinker.

I think Josh is serious about tinkering. He may work as hard at improving as he does at creating.

Trigger pullers and tinkerers:

1. Leave perfection for tomorrow, move forward today.
2. Know mistakes are steps to perfection, opportunities for improvement.
3. Realize “not yet” is “new and improved” in disguise.

You can’t take yourself too seriously when you’re tinkering. Tinkering is asking, “What if?”

But’s that’s tomorrow…

Yesterday’s post: Josh Linkner brings, “Contrasting Qualities Together“

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What leadership behaviors, organizational strategies, or marketing plans lend themselves to tinkering?

Dangers and opportunities?

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More from Josh:

Finding Your Competitive Advantage

Bringing Contrasting Qualities Together

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Bringing contrasting qualities together

New York Time’s bestselling author, four-time entrepreneur, jazz musician, and creativity expert, Josh Linkner was not what I expected. Josh authored, “Disciplined Dreaming: A Proven System to Drive Breakthrough Creativity.”

I expected a creative person to be more touchy-feely. I expected him to be casual and jovial. However, he was highly focused and more directed than I expected. Thinking back on our conversation, what else should I expect from a person whose company, ePrize, generated $70 million in its ninth year?

One day later, here’s what I think.

Josh Linkner is a rare bird that has qualities that don’t usually live in the same body. Creative, improvisational folks aren’t structured, systematic, and driven. They get up late, stay up late, and don’t give a rat’s behind for structure.

On the other hand, highly focused, driven individuals love structure, consistency, and getting up early. They write books with, “Disciplined” and “Proven System,” in the title.

Here’s an observation

In business, “average potentials” are either creative or structured. “High potentials” are creative and structured. Stunning success depends on both/and not either/or.

A few rare birds, like Josh are both/and animals.

A suggestion for regular mortals

All the type “A” achievers in the house, go hug a touchy-feely. Make friends with your opposite. I know you structure-lovers are thinking, “But Dan, those touchy-feelies are so irresponsible and irritating.” The same goes for you touchy-feely folks. Go hug one of those rigid, structured-people with a pocket protector and combed hair.

The Surprise

Josh believes everyone is creative. He’s on a mission to teach everyone how to tap into their creativity. Maybe you don’t have to hug a touchy-feely after all. More tomorrow …

The conversation continues: “Leaping before you look“

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First, what’s your feedback on my observation? Does both/and take people further?

Second, how can leaders bring contrasting qualities together without watering down either?

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“Yeah but’s” ruin celebrations

 

Your problem may be thinking about problems all the time.

Good leaders

Good leaders anticipate and prepare for challenges. To them, the next challenge is a grizzly storm on the horizon that needs to be addressed and conquered. Now is the time to develop a plan, reserve resources, and prepare people.

However, don’t bring up challenges during victory celebrations.

Great leaders

Great leaders pause and celebrate without mentioning impending storms. Let celebrations be celebrations. Pop the cork on stress and be happy.

Celebrate a short-term financial success. Don’t bring up the budget short-fall that everyone already knows about.

“We reached last quarter’s sales goal,” is good enough. Don’t add, “But, we’re off target this quarter.”

Let people enjoy success. Lighten up. Better yet, join the party.

Don’t worry, valid worries are waiting

Don’t ignore impending crisis. Don’t worry; valid problems aren’t going anywhere. They’ll meet you on the way to work tomorrow.

Yeah, but?

You may believe joyful celebration is the best time to challenge the troops. Usually it isn’t.

You minimize past success by using it as a platform to challenge people. “Great job everyone! Yeah, but we’re behind schedule for our next project.” Yeah-but moments are kill-joys and de-motivators.

You can challenge everyone tomorrow. Today, pause and celebrate.

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Have you seen leaders waste a good victory celebration?

Can you think of exceptions to the idea that it’s best to let celebrations be celebrations.

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