The new, Fall 2022 issue number 106 of Leader to Leader, where I am managing editor, is now available. As with the Summer 2022 issue and previously, I’m blogging about key takeaways and sample quotes from this issue, beginning with the column from our co-Editors-in-Chief, Frances Hesselbein and Sarah McArthur, “You and I, We are Friends of the Heart.”
We have a number of new authors, plus several returnees. There is a link to the full text of each of the articles, as well as a brief description of each author and ‘From the Front Lines’ interviewee. I hope you will agree that this is an exceptionally strong issue, and that it motivates you to share some of the articles on social media, and with your friends and colleagues!
A Simple Step Toward Friendship and Connection
Authors/Columnists: Frances Hesselbein and Sarah McArthur; Co-Editors-in-Chief, Leader to Leader
Article: “You and I, We are Friends of the Heart”
Sample quote:
“We like to think that we are all in this Friendship Room, whether we are at the Edith Macy Conference Center, at our places of employment, or in our communities around the world. And, in this special room we are inspired daily to “Listen first and speak last,” to have “Respect for all people” and that it is our quality and character that determine our results and performance.
In these troubled times, we hope we all might take a simple step toward friendship and connection by dedicating a room in our organizations, businesses, schools, and communities, where we can focus on unity, friendship, and the joy of each other. In turn, if a physical space is not possible that we might create a “virtual” friendship room where we set aside a time and place for connection and relationship building even if we are not physically together. And when we walk into our friendship room or log into our virtual friendship space, we know that “You and I, we are friends of the heart.”
The Internal/External Leadership Focus
Author: Bill George, senior fellow at Harvard Business School, and former chair and CEO of Medtronic
Article: “Crisis, Change and the Role of the Emerging Leader”
Sample quote:
“Today’s emerging leaders cannot just focus internally on running their businesses well but must be prepared to lead their organizations through external crises where the challenges, duration, and implications are not clear at the outset. Former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi is an example of a leader who faced crises head-on while staying true to her company’s values. She was under severe criticism for a minor loss in market share as she focused on nutrition and healthy products. She quickly adapted her marketing strategies to regain market share but never flinched on her strategy.
Two years later, when an activist investor tried to break up the company, Indra stood firm with her board’s support to oppose the move while the company continued to perform. Under Indra’s leadership and “performance with purpose” strategy, PepsiCo’s stock price soared and the organization flourished because she stayed true to the company’s purpose and values.”
Action to Change How We Live and Lead
Author: Bethaney Wilkinson, host of the podcast The Diversity Gap
Article: “Becoming a Race Conscious Leader”
Sample quote:
“Cultures of learning are marked by acquiring information, finding stories, and sharing ideas. In these organizations, people are continually growing in their understanding of systems of domination and exploitation. These cultures have a high value for unconscious bias training and diversity workshops.
As someone who loves ideas, I thrive in cultures of learning. And yet, knowing more information doesn’t necessarily lend itself to practicing equity and dignifying people. Action involves changing how we live and lead. It hinges on using our bodies and our voices for the work of increasing diversity, resisting racism and cultures of supremacy, and practicing liberating values. Cultures of learning are important. This is a phase every organization must go through for their action to be effective. Learning alone, however, is insufficient to make an organizational culture more freeing and affirming for all people involved.”
“Ask Me Anything”
Author: Craig Dowden, executive coach with the Forbes Coaches Council
Article: “Mastering Authentic Leadership: A Foundational Quality for Working Together”
Sample quote:
“Some of my clients embraced the scary idea of hosting “Ask Me Anything” sessions. Rather than hiding behind a flashy PowerPoint with colorful graphics and artful talking points, they removed the safety net from below their leadership highwire and invited their employees to ask them any question they wanted. Subsequently, they were asked everything under the sun and learned the extraordinary power and freedom of the phrase “I don’t know.”
Contrary to their fears, these brave leaders did not lose the respect and engagement of their teams with their authenticity; in fact, their level of respect and engagement increased. Rather than show their shortcomings as a leader, they showcased their humanity. Every time I debriefed one of these transformational pivot points with a client, the message I heard was the same. While leaders admitted it was one of the hardest things they ever did, it was also one of the most rewarding. They shared being overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and gratitude via emails, phone calls, and text messages. While their people said they never felt more inspired, these leaders shared with me how they never felt more afraid. They shared the amazing power embedded in being, trusting, and showing yourself. They shared they would remember these moments for the rest of their lives.”
Deep Introspection and Authentic Interpersonal Connection
Authors: Tina Opie (Associate Professor of Management at Babson College) and Beth A. Livingston (Assistant Professor in Management and Entrepreneurship at the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business)
Article: “The Shared Sisterhood Philosophy For Organizational Leadership”
Sample quote:
“Our society has recently been rocked by numerous social movements promoting equity. From Black Lives Matter, to MeToo, to Stop Asian Hate. The societal pressures inspired by these movements have moved into organizations, and multiple business leaders have publicly committed to combat racism and discrimination in their wake. Yet, verbal commitments are insufficient to dismantle systemic inequities. Smart leaders and companies are now asking themselves “how can our organization make change”?
To answer this question, we present Shared Sisterhood: a philosophy on how to achieve equity across genders and racioethnicity (i.e., race + culture combined) grounded in deep introspection and authentic interpersonal connection. In the workplace, equity is achieved via collective action, which means that you work with your coworkers to attain a common goal of equity.“
Daily Constructive Engagement in Life and Work
Author: Jody Michael, CEO of Jody Michael Associates
Article: “How Learning to Lead Lightly Will Transform Your Mindset, Performance and Relationships”
Sample quote:
“Mental fitness™ is your measurable ability to engage constructively in life and work every day, no matter what stressors you encounter. It is your capacity to consistently respond to challenges with optimal performance in the moment and minimal recovery time afterward.
Mental fitness starts with the recognition that the real drivers of your leadership results are the hidden habits of your mind—the powerful, unseen, and entrenched perspectives you hold about yourself, others, and your world. These patterns of thoughts and beliefs (formed by your many experiences in life), whether you are conscious of them or not, drive you to behave in certain habitual ways. And that leads you to produce certain results—for better or for worse.
Mental fitness is most critical and transformative whenever you feel stressed, frustrated, or hindered in any way by your environment or by the people around you. In these situations, you inadvertently become triggered, and you default to behaviors that, to say it kindly, may not be optimal.”
Role Requirements and Interpersonal Dynamics
Author: Eric Pliner, CEO of YSC Consulting
Article: “How Understanding Your Role(s) Helps with Making Difficult Decisions”
Sample quote:
“When we say “role,” what exactly do we mean? Many use “job” and “role” interchangeably, but these are not simple synonyms. While a job consists of one or more tasks for which its holder accepts responsibility, a role goes further to encompass the broader context. Execution of a job can exist on its own, with deliverables that define its successful or unsuccessful completion. A role, however, exists in relationship to other people, not just to outcomes. A job has requirements; a role has requirements and interpersonal dynamics.
The word role comes originally from theater, from the literal roll of paper upon which an actor’s lines were written. Like an actor in a play, those who hold leadership roles in an organization have audiences looking at them to convey a message, tell a story, enable a change, or inspire an emotional reaction. People in roles have others depending upon them, including customers and colleagues of varied seniority. The ability of that role-holder’s colleagues to perform their own roles is contingent not only upon the ability to interface skillfully, but also upon the quality of their communication with others, who may or may not be in the same physical spaces.”
Knowing Your Level of Self-Worth
Author: Traci Fenton, founder and CEO of WorldBlu
Article: “How Our Level of Self-Worth Impacts the Way We Lead”
Sample quote:
“Ask yourself, where is your level of self-worth on a scale of one to ten? Most people give themselves a six or seven, thinking that’s not as “bad” as anything below a five, but not as “good” as an eight, nine, or ten because, as they believe, “they are still improving.” I’ve had some leaders tell me they are a one and some leaders tell me their level of self-worth is “one hundred”! But most leaders I’ve met sincerely believe that they don’t have a lot of value, or, sadly, that they haven’t “earned” enough worth yet.
Now, why do you give yourself the score that you do? Most individuals derive their self-worth from external factors—their title, the quality of their things, the car they drive, where they live, what their parents thought of them when they were kids, their body shape, how attractive their spouse is, how much money they make, and so on. I remember one CEO telling me that he was a six in self-worth because he hadn’t hired a new COO (Chief Operating Officer) yet!
I often have leaders tell me that their sense of self-worth changes depending on the day. Some days it’s high, and some days it’s low. Again, that is deriving self-worth from external things or accomplishments, or from what the gremlins (as I call them) are telling them. Ultimately, high self-worth individuals love themselves consistently and unconditionally regardless of external circumstances.”
Leading Corporate Diversity & Inclusion Efforts
Author: James O. Rodgers, president and principal consultant of The Diversity Coach
Article: “Who Should Lead Diversity & Inclusion Efforts? Not Who You Think”
Sample quote:
“Leaders must lead. Instead of bending to every detractor, leaders need to reassert (with clarity) the real intent and desired outcome of the D&I effort. Anyone with an opinion that disagrees with that goal should be educated to help them see the vision. Corporate leaders, including Chief Diversity Officers/CDOs, need to get clear about the why, the what, and the how of their D&I efforts. When some employees express disappointment because those efforts are not specifically and exclusively about them or people like them, leaders must reassert the real intent and help those employees see the vision. They should not cower and retreat from that intent.
Leaders know that it is not enough to assert a vision once and expect everyone to get on board. You should assert that vision so often (ad nauseum) that people dread seeing you coming because they know what you are going to say (again). Many legendary leaders used this technique to great effect in support of their legacy issues (Jack Welch at GE; A.G. Lafley at P&G; Steve Jobs at Apple).
Leaders must be deliberate in using the language of D&I correctly and promoting the value of D&I relentlessly. If they fail to do this, others will step into the void and promote a version of D&I that serves their agenda at the expense of the organization’s performance agenda.”
Changing Culture and Values for Sustainability
Author: Joshua Spodek, host of This Sustainable Life podcast and adjunct professor, New York University
Article: “We Who Choose to Lead Are Humanity’s Best Hope to Save Civilization”
Sample quote:
“Despite their media attention, plastic, carbon dioxide, and mercury do not cause our environmental problems. They have no volition. They become pollution as a result of our behavior, which results from our stories, images, role models, and what make up our culture and values. Many people feel bewildered at the number of problems: climate change, deforestation, extinctions, pollution, coral bleaching, and more. A leadership perspective clarifies and simplifies that they all result from one cause: human behavior, driven by our culture and values. These problems are the physical manifestation of our values. If we magically reverted all pollution to preindustrial levels but kept our current values, we’d return to this state. Change our culture and values and we have a chance.
Changing culture is what leaders do. By leadership, I don’t mean authority, status, or age. Anyone can lead, including you and I. By leadership, I mean helping people do what they want to but haven’t figured out how. We often call politicians and executives leaders, and many of them do lead outside sustainability, but few lead in sustainability, yet. I see as much potential for people to lead from outside those areas as within.”
Humor and Working Identities
Article: “The Surprising Roles of Humor in the Workplace”
Sample quote from: Guy Huber, senior lecturer at Oxford Brookes University Business School, UK:
“Humor is such a regular and naturalized aspect of interacting with others and dealing with the world that, while people are aware of its importance, it is probably true to say that, in general, people tend not to consider the accumulative effects of humor on their working lives. Yet, shared jokes, metaphors, social commentaries and the recursive effects of laughter impact how organizational members interpret their circumstances in relation with each other. Humor helps to establish working identities and produces forms of sensemaking that have important implications for organizations. For example, how does people’s humor produce bonds of friendship that become a vital aspect of the culture? Or likewise, how do people air feelings of distrust through humor in those who are charged with governing their lives?”
Innovation and the Components of a Digital Architecture
Article: “The Multiple Meanings of Generativity at Work”
Sample quote from: Llewellyn D. W. Thomas, associate professor of management, IESE Business School, University of Navarra, Spain:
“While the term ‘generativity’ might be new to many, the idea of different components of a digital architecture coming together in innovative ways is not. We see it every day when we use our mobile phones; combining different components in new ways (“combinatorial innovation”) is what app developers do when they create new apps. And we see the governance of this process in the app store policies and developer toolkits of Android and (Apple) iPhones, which shape how this combinatorial innovation unfolds. What we do have now is the term “generativity” to succinctly describe this phenomenon. Perhaps a non-scholarly book will be written that integrates all the scattered insights from across the platform literature.”