Very much on the same wavelength with you here, Gavin. I devote a whole section of my book to the idea that disruption and influence (as well as change and effectiveness) are not necessarily leadership, though they are often “cosmetic” words that masquerade as such.
This is brilliant Gavin and beautifully articulates a vision of leadership rooted in lived experience and a profound understanding of human nature. This distils what leadership should be, especially the practical aspects of leadership, like vision and creativity, with the more elusive, yet essential, qualities of integrity, humility, and a recognition of impermanence. I just wrote about the emphasis on the 'double-edged sword' of power, will post soon, your point is particularly insightful, highlighting the responsibility that comes with influence.
What truly stands out is your insistence on leadership as a spiritual and ethical endeavor, one that prioritizes the well-being of the collective over personal gain. This perspective is timely and necessary in an era often defined by short-term thinking and self-interest. In our next discussion we could talk about this and a project I did for the world bank on spirituality in business.
How might a leader cultivate 'reading the omens' in a rapidly changing digital landscape? How can large organizations truly foster creativity and risk-taking without succumbing to the pressures of immediate profitability? Lot's of great questions and an essay which wakes us up.
Thank you Colin for your kind words. I would be most eager to speak with you about your experiences with The World Bank and discuss your views on this essay further. Let's chat again soon.
"Leadership requires an odd balance between the authority exemplified by the conventional suit-wearing executive and a child’s ability to let the imagination run wild where time seems to vanish." One personification of the combination of these traits was Herb Kelleher, co-founder and long-serving chairman of Southwest Airlines. And Southwest was THE highest performing airline during his long tenure.
This a great article that captures the critical aspects of leadership. We do however differ when it comes to Milton Friedman. I say this not just from a philosophical perspective although that is part of it but more so from an experiential perspective. I have been involved in numerous situations in which longer term growth, performance and value were created with very strong employee engagement when the primary focus was on a financial target. Perhaps a better way to portray this is that in each situation the high level vision was to create a really great company with the longer-term financial target as the way to measure success. While in none of these situations was there a lofty purpose beyond the business itself, there was certainly highly attuned focuses on customers, product/service quality, suppliers (although procurement function standards were always raised) and the communities in which the companies operated. Ethical behavior was norm in each situation. In regard to management and employees, exceptionally high expectations were set. This approach was not for everyone but for those who resonated with this approach "thrive" was the consistent operative description. A few of my substack pieces relay some of these stories.
Thank you, Henry. I will look up Herb Kelleher. As regards Milton Friedman my main contention was that he didn’t think business had a social responsibility. I don’t agree with that and I believe many corporations have taken that to an extreme. One of partners of the last consulting I worked for before setting up my own business revered McDonald’s as a superb business model and it maybe from a pure profit perspective, but it has aside from that been highly exploitative. However, what I do believe is that sparring over such topics can lead to new thinking and for that reason differing opinions are necessarily good thing, unless they aren’t!
Herb Kelleher, rest his soul, was one of those individuals for which the mold was discarded as soon as he was made. Very much an iconoclast. He brought a combination of shrewd business strategy combined with a big sense of play to Southwest. He was quite a character.
These are obviously the words brought on by thoughts from being hammered by others as the sword, and then as a leader shaping others for an honorable purpose. I appreciate your reference to The Light. I think that's where true wisdom comes from. The more we know the more we grasp, "To whom much is given, much is required." When the world sees a true leader, not a glory seeker, they know it. Your words brought about deep thoughts about my own actions and desires. Well done, sir.
An outstanding essay. There are entire sections in bookstores dedicated to the topic of leadership. I doubt any of the volumes are as elegantly insightful and cogent as your writing. You create not just a definition but a philosophy to live by. I suppose this means you've conquered the self-help section of the bookstore as well. Every single member of Congress should read this essay . . . would that they could understand it. Welcome to Substack!
Very much on the same wavelength with you here, Gavin. I devote a whole section of my book to the idea that disruption and influence (as well as change and effectiveness) are not necessarily leadership, though they are often “cosmetic” words that masquerade as such.
Now I know, OUTSTANDING 🧐
Thank you for your kind comment, Stephanie.
This is brilliant Gavin and beautifully articulates a vision of leadership rooted in lived experience and a profound understanding of human nature. This distils what leadership should be, especially the practical aspects of leadership, like vision and creativity, with the more elusive, yet essential, qualities of integrity, humility, and a recognition of impermanence. I just wrote about the emphasis on the 'double-edged sword' of power, will post soon, your point is particularly insightful, highlighting the responsibility that comes with influence.
What truly stands out is your insistence on leadership as a spiritual and ethical endeavor, one that prioritizes the well-being of the collective over personal gain. This perspective is timely and necessary in an era often defined by short-term thinking and self-interest. In our next discussion we could talk about this and a project I did for the world bank on spirituality in business.
How might a leader cultivate 'reading the omens' in a rapidly changing digital landscape? How can large organizations truly foster creativity and risk-taking without succumbing to the pressures of immediate profitability? Lot's of great questions and an essay which wakes us up.
Thank you Colin for your kind words. I would be most eager to speak with you about your experiences with The World Bank and discuss your views on this essay further. Let's chat again soon.
I especially liked this from the article:
"Leadership requires an odd balance between the authority exemplified by the conventional suit-wearing executive and a child’s ability to let the imagination run wild where time seems to vanish." One personification of the combination of these traits was Herb Kelleher, co-founder and long-serving chairman of Southwest Airlines. And Southwest was THE highest performing airline during his long tenure.
This a great article that captures the critical aspects of leadership. We do however differ when it comes to Milton Friedman. I say this not just from a philosophical perspective although that is part of it but more so from an experiential perspective. I have been involved in numerous situations in which longer term growth, performance and value were created with very strong employee engagement when the primary focus was on a financial target. Perhaps a better way to portray this is that in each situation the high level vision was to create a really great company with the longer-term financial target as the way to measure success. While in none of these situations was there a lofty purpose beyond the business itself, there was certainly highly attuned focuses on customers, product/service quality, suppliers (although procurement function standards were always raised) and the communities in which the companies operated. Ethical behavior was norm in each situation. In regard to management and employees, exceptionally high expectations were set. This approach was not for everyone but for those who resonated with this approach "thrive" was the consistent operative description. A few of my substack pieces relay some of these stories.
I’ve often been described as an iconoclast and maverick so I will definitely look him up. He sounds like one of the tribe. Thank you!
Thank you, Henry. I will look up Herb Kelleher. As regards Milton Friedman my main contention was that he didn’t think business had a social responsibility. I don’t agree with that and I believe many corporations have taken that to an extreme. One of partners of the last consulting I worked for before setting up my own business revered McDonald’s as a superb business model and it maybe from a pure profit perspective, but it has aside from that been highly exploitative. However, what I do believe is that sparring over such topics can lead to new thinking and for that reason differing opinions are necessarily good thing, unless they aren’t!
Herb Kelleher, rest his soul, was one of those individuals for which the mold was discarded as soon as he was made. Very much an iconoclast. He brought a combination of shrewd business strategy combined with a big sense of play to Southwest. He was quite a character.
These are obviously the words brought on by thoughts from being hammered by others as the sword, and then as a leader shaping others for an honorable purpose. I appreciate your reference to The Light. I think that's where true wisdom comes from. The more we know the more we grasp, "To whom much is given, much is required." When the world sees a true leader, not a glory seeker, they know it. Your words brought about deep thoughts about my own actions and desires. Well done, sir.
Thank you, Floyd, for your kind remarks. The article was recently published in Real Leaders magazine under a non Taoist title.
An outstanding essay. There are entire sections in bookstores dedicated to the topic of leadership. I doubt any of the volumes are as elegantly insightful and cogent as your writing. You create not just a definition but a philosophy to live by. I suppose this means you've conquered the self-help section of the bookstore as well. Every single member of Congress should read this essay . . . would that they could understand it. Welcome to Substack!
Thank you, Keith. What a wonderful welcome to Substack.