Authentic Leaders

January 18, 2021

Good morning! A young woman stepped out of her home and onto the stoop just as I was hiking by.  “Good morning!  Now I’ve gotta see about the car.”

I presumed she was referencing the cup of coffee in her hand (past tense) and as to whether her car would start (future tense). The temperature was about thirty degrees mid-January; native Minnesotans were hiking around in unbuttoned jackets, no hats, and mittens in our pockets just in case. Her car in the drive looked new, perfectly reliable, and but for a bit of frost on the windshield, ready to roll.

“Doesn’t get much better than this,” I said.  (I’m great at coming up with unique ideas and phrases.) She seemed a bit puzzled and so I pressed on. 

“We’ve already survived the 50 darkest days of the year.” More confusion, face contorted just a bit, but still smiling.

“Add it up,” I said, “didn’t you study your science?  Twenty-five days either side of the winter solstice and you’ve got the 50 darkest days.”

“Oh, I’m not too good with all of that astrology stuff,” she responded, suddenly pleased to know something about the subject. Her car started instantly; she left it idling there in the driveway for who knows how long as she sought once again the sanctuary of her warmer home and maybe a second cup of coffee.

Multiple Intelligences

• I subscribe to Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, not that he is alone in naming it, but he coined the phrase and wrote the book.
  • I’m reminded of Gardner’s proposed category, bodily-kinesthetic, when marveling at the athleticism of someone like Devonta Smith*, the recent Heisman winner.
  • (*Insert Simone Biles if you prefer.)
  • If I had dedicated every waking moment since birth to catching a football and running with it I would not have achieved 10% of Devonta’s skill.
  • The same might be said of me for several other of Gardner’s categories, but I trust I’ve made a point.
  • There are certain rare gifts, whether intelligence or by some other name, which are to be realized, cherished, nurtured, and used for the common good.

Authentic Leaders

• “New research demonstrates emotional intelligence (EU) is more important for authentic leaders than IQ.”  (George)  
• “I have decided to stick with love.  Hate is too great a burden to bear.”  (King)
  • The U.S. government has to-date chosen to recognize only two individual citizens with an official recurring federal holiday.
    • The person thus-honored on the third Monday of January each year is Martin King from the State of Georgia, originally born Michael King.
    • Martin was imperfect like all of us.
    • Throughout his barely 39 years on earth he cut a wide swath.  It has been nearly 53 years since he was murdered.
    • It is a chilling experience to visit that Memphis motel, to stand in that parking lot, to gaze at the balcony, and to the lofty sniper’s perch just up the hill.
    • One day is not enough; I think the idea is to use today as inspiration and motivation for the other 364 days of each year — working to make life better for all.

Authentic Leaders in the Age of COVID-19

• Whether your business or organization — or you personally — is doing better, worse, or about the same during the COVIDs, there is enormous opportunity for those who are alert.
  • This is not the time to be waiting for the COVIDs to end.
    • Either they will end or they won’t, but we need to move on regardless.
    • This is a time to fine-tune your purpose to a razor-sharp edge, a laser focus, the WHY of your existence.  Some call this mission.
    • This is a time to logically determine — using the best data available — where the most VALUE exists within your organization.
      • Can this be enhanced, protected, expanded, sustained?
    • CULTURE is the secret sauce and as Dave reminds us, it will eat strategy for breakfast; work to make your culture better, stronger, healthier, happier.
    • SIMPLIFY your structure so that important decisions can be made by the right people at the right time in the right way.
    • Everyone says it, few practice it:  TALENT is your #1 resource, your most important capital; it’s rare, hard to find, and deserves daily attention.
    • Form PARTNERSHIPS as extensions of you; synergy is no longer the buzz word it once was, but the concept is more important than ever.
    • DATA… question it, fine tune it, constantly look for better data, but use it; systematize less bias.
    • Become a LEARN-IT-ALL rather than a know-it-all.  (This section by YT, as informed by McKinsey)

Closing Things to Ponder

• Is it more important for a celebratory cake to be delicious or to look amazing/ awe-inspiring?  That is, if it can’t be both.
• Bob White is among the people I admire, an A+ human being.  It has been more than 30 years since I worked closely with him, but quality has staying power.
  • “Every year, you need to find and hire an A+ player, a game changer, to achieve the growth that will support your vision.”  (White)