According to Campbell the manager ought to make sure that all perspectives get a hearing and due consideration in the decision making process that they are leading. However, the manager must be prepared to break through an impasse and make the decision.
I like the title of this slide, which is Best Idea, Not Consensus. So if managers need to make a decision when they come to a fork in the road, the best idea will win.
Campbell played a key role in building such companies as Google, Apple, and Intuit. His mentorship to Silicon Valley executives was renowned.
The slides provide important points for leaders to consider. For me, I enjoyed point 15, Be the Evangelist for Courage. I believe that Campbell aimed to instill confidence in the people he interacted with. The descriptive quote from the slide reads, “Believe in people more than they believe in themselves, and push them to be more courageous.”
Since that time I have kept my opinion that “the book will most likely go down as one of the best management books of the century.”
What chapter speaks to me most recently as worthy of a revisit?
Chapter 11: Leading Like a Gardener
It merits noting that this chapter takes on and overturns the idea of the leader as the chess master moving all the pieces. As referenced on page 222, “The role of a senior leader was no longer that of a controlling puppet master, but rather that of an empathetic crafter of culture.”
Additionally, the gardener sets, maintains, and performs upkeep on the garden so that the vegetables are nourished.
A few quotes from page 225 bring this home, with my favorite in bold. “The gardener creates an environment in which the plants can flourish. Watering, weeding, and protecting plants from rabbits and disease are essential for success. The gardener cannot actually “grow” tomatoes, squash, or beans- she can only foster an environment in which the plants do so.”
Leaving the garden alone after the initial planting is out of the question. Maintenance and upkeep on regular intervals are important.
Page 229 has a great quote which I like. “Gardeners plant and harvest, but more than anything, they tend. Plants are watered, beds are fertilized, and weeds are removed. Long days are spent walking humid pathways or on sore knees examining fragile stalks. Regular visits by good gardeners are not pro forma gestures of concern- they leave the crop stronger. So it is with leaders.”
The development of technology and services that make it possible for us to live without as many possessions as we had in the past
The Great East Japan Earthquake
The crisis of the Great East Japan Earthquake, caused Sasaki to write that, “I think it prompted a big change in how we look at our possessions.”
Difficult times do indeed make one assess their values. Too much stuff can be stifling. In terms of possessions, this book made me think that it is best to focus on life experiences rather than things. Those life experiences create memories which last longer and serve one better than physical objects.
“The Tao advises making yourself as invisible as possible if you truly wish to be an effective leader. Thus, perhaps your best strategy would be to actually leave the room and allow everyone else to act without feeling the need to impress you. Maybe you should offer a slight suggestion and then an immediate departure. A knowing smile or gesture that conveys to the group that you trust in its ability to figure things out might work best. Possibly what’s needed is for you to tell a quick story of how others have resolved similar issues. Or you could simply meditate and send positive conflict resolving energy to all the individuals present.”
31. August 2020 · Comments Off on Storytimes to Statutes: My Transition From Public Libraries to Public Law Libraries by Jenna Pontious · Categories: Uncategorized
I’m honored to have Daniel back on the blog to field questions on how one can be resilient in the current crisis environment we are living in. Daniel and his wife currently offer an assortment of resources to assist others in the form of webinars, blogs, life coaching, and meditation. Visit https://www.alivenwell.net/ at any time to learn more.
Daniel, I think many of us feel totally overwhelmed at times by the events taking place in our world. Four questions I have for you are as follows:
1) What advice do you give per practicing self-care? Please talk about the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of taking care of oneself. Provide practical suggestions if possible.
My dentist refers to good homecare- daily brushing and flossing- as what keeps cavities and root canals at bay; it’s a preventative just as our daily personal hygiene routines. The same is true for self-care. We ignore what is going on in our mind, heart and soul only at our peril. These “places” in our life can seem like a foreign land to those who have not yet opened up the map to self-knowledge. And it doesn’t have to be scary, for truly: any information about ourselves can only help us in the short and long run, even if it may pinch at first. My wife and I are in the process of co-authoring a book on living a healthy, abundant life and one of the aspects is physical health. Just today, we spent nearly two hours doing yard work, will eventually go for an hour’s walk and then–as we’ve done nearly every evening for years before we retire for the night–we’ll take one final walk around the block. It’s always dark, so we bring a flashlight and open our ears. Perhaps the entire 8-9 minutes it takes to walk the block is wordless, or sometimes we’ll discuss something we may have just read or seen on TV. Otherwise, we are breathing in un-conditioned air, moving our legs and lungs and digesting any remains of a (usually) healthy supper we ate. For us, it’s a wonderful way to celebrate the end of a day.
For emotional self-care, don’t let a day end without writing down at least three things for which you are grateful that happened that day. I say “write them down” because the act of writing/scribing/putting pen to paper is in itself a commitment of memorializing. You’re apt to remember your gratitude when it’s something that you have jotted down versus merely thought of in passing. Why is this the first thing I mention about emotional self-care? Because attitude is nearly everything. If you think you’re going to have a bad day, you’re correct. If you think you’re going to experience something amazing, you’re also correct. This is not magic or new age projection; this is awareness and non-resistance. If you are bothered by something, ask some questions. Be curious. “Why did this affect me that way?” “How did he push my button again?” “Why am I still mulling over what she did/said?” Doing so creates a vital DISTANCE between what happened and your response to what happened. One author likens it to a driver who cuts in front of you. You can react immediately by honking the horn or saying something loud (outside or in) or worse… or you can stop your judgment of the other driver (as if you’re braking your internal car) and allow some space in between the event and your response. The key to emotional self-care is taking the time to assume the role of observer of your self. Watch what’s going on in your mind and ask productive questions about what you observe. By doing this, you not only get to know yourself better but also become more adept in harnessing the power over your mind: you make the mind work for you instead of having the ego keep control of its narcissistic world.
Spiritual self-care is organic. No matter what religion you follow (or have graduated from), all of us can appreciate the miracle of creation, the beauty of unity as well as mystery of diversity, the smallness of being one in 7 billion humans on a small blue orb in a solar system part of a galaxy that is merely one in 100 billion galaxies created 13.7 billion years ago. We are so minute and yet we are! Notice there is nothing after the word “are”. We are…. Consider this mantra: God is; I am; I accept; gratefully; in peace. Say this many times and see if it doesn’t bring you calm and wonder and joy and inner solace.
2) How does one positively engage, support, and feel a part of community at this time?
Do what you can do, but do something. Zoom calls have become a great opportunity for some; it’s been a drudgery (to say nothing of technical headaches and phobia) for others. My wife and I have always been friendly by waving and saying “Hello” to others when we do our daily walks and bike riding. But what we’ve noticed is that this time of pandemic has increased verbal contact in strangers. People who are working from home or out of a job and are “taking to the sidewalks” are waving and smiling at us. To feel part of a community is to be in tune with what’s going on in that community. We receive Next-Door Neighbor alerts and read the monthly newsletter for our community. If you are experiencing a disconnect with others at this time, express this to someone who loves you. They might be able to help you re-connect. Whoever began the term “social distancing” really meant “physical distancing.” We need to remain close socially as much as possible during this time.
3) Where does one turn to for inspiration?
If you are a reader, I highly recommend Michael Singer’s “The Untethered Soul” and Eknath Easwaran’s “Conquest of Mind.” My wife and I are currently listening to Adyashanti’s book “True Meditation“. Whenever there are celestial events, such as full moons, comets (Neowise is visible to the naked eye) or meteor showers, we set a calendar reminder and look for them. For us, this is awe and inspiring.
Music is a huge part of our daily routine: we meditate to songs from Liquid Mind; we work at our desk to classical or instrumental music; when we bake or cook, we ask Alexa to also play some of our favorites. This inspires us deeply.
When the pandemic is over, we will be sure to get out to see performing arts (plays, concerts, book readings, seminars) in our area.
Finally, a shameless plug for inspiration would be to subscribe to our “Daily Dose” and “Blog” from our website!
4) Are there any thoughts you would like to share about how to be resilient in a crisis?
Barbara Marx Hubbard writes in “Conscious Evolution: Awakening the Power of Our Social Potential” that crisis and chaos always precede transformation. How hopeful is that! I’m not denying the reality that many are sick now and too many have died. I’m not ignorant of the fact that we do not yet have a universally effective treatment and a vaccine seems months away, if not longer. But you are here. I am here. You can fight with reality all you want and guess what? Reality always wins (no matter what names you might call it). My wife and I have decided to dedicate our lives–principally because of this crisis–to providing a gateway of good news for folks who are lost in despair or have negativity tapes playing all the time. There is too much goodness in this moment now–even the stress and strain of whatever you might be presently experiencing–for us not to feel alive and well.
John Gapper from the Financial Times has a review “The Ride of a Lifetime: Life At the Top of Disney” which focuses on Iger’s “studied amiability, forged over years of getting the best out of talented but capricious figures, conceals not only an inner toughness but a wily talent for strategic persuasion.” Gapper is also keen to note that, “Like the priest or rabbi of the Magic Kingdom, Iger preaches respect for others — “A little respect goes a long way and the absence of it can be very costly,” he writes.”
For me, the most important part of the book is on pages 99 to 100 when Iger is in pursuit of the CEO position at Disney, but is struck by a comment that Scott Miller, “a highly regarded political consultant and brand manager”, brought up to get Iger looking to the future of the company. Namely, Miller asked Iger to provide strategic priorities as a CEO. Iger goes on to discuss five or six priorities, which he finds warrants an immediate interruption from Miller.
Miller’s point is that too many items makes a leader appear unfocused and those items are too numerous to actually be priorities. The magic number of priorities for Miller is just three. Iger ends up focusing on emphasizing the need to create high quality branded content, embracing technology to the fullest extent, and envisioning Disney becoming a truly global company.
The three points are again used for what Iger hopes to accomplish in his early days as CEO. In concrete teams these were; repairing the relationship with Roy Disney, improving interactions with Pixar as well as Steve Jobs, and changing decision making by reanalyzing the Strategic Planning (“Strat Planning”) department that Michael Eisner relied on.
The leadership quality that Iger stresses which had the most impact on me was Decisiveness followed by what I interpret as the Importance of Succession Planning. Readers will find that the book’s Prologue lists Iger’s Ten Leadership Lessons (Again see Forbes writer Stephanie Denning’s Ten Leadership Lessons From Disney’s Bob Iger for the listing) and the Appendix from pages 225 to 233 lists Iger’s Lessons to Lead By.
My favorite quotes on these topics are as follows:
Decisiveness: From Page 100 to 101, “You can do a lot for the morale of the people around you (and therefore the people around them) just by taking the guesswork out of their day to day life. A CEO must provide the company and its senior team with a road map. A lot of work is complex and requires intense amounts of focus and energy, but this kind of messaging is fairly simple: This is where we want to be. This is how we’re going to get there. Once those things are laid out simply, so many decisions become easier to make, and the overall anxiety of an entire organization is lowered. ”
Importance of Succession Planning: From Page 232, “It’s not good to have power for too long. You don’t realize the way your voice seems to boom louder than every other voice in the room. You get used to people withholding their opinions until they hear what you have to say. People are afraid to bring ideas to you, afraid to dissent, afraid to engage. This can happen even to the most well-intentioned leaders. You have to work consciously and actively to fend off its corrosive effects.”
“Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit law office in Montgomery, Alabama, dedicated to defending the poor, the incarcerated, and the wrongly condemned.
Just Mercy tells the story of EJI, from the early days with a small staff facing the nation’s highest death sentencing and execution rates, through a successful campaign to challenge the cruel practice of sentencing children to die in prison, to revolutionary projects designed to confront Americans with our history of racial injustice.
One of EJI’s first clients was Walter McMillian, a young black man who was sentenced to die for the murder of a young white woman that he didn’t commit. The case exemplifies how the death penalty in America is a direct descendant of lynching — a system that treats the rich and guilty better than the poor and innocent.”
